The Wolseley - St James, London

It's difficult to discuss The Wolseley without canonising it, something that critics have been doing since it opened its doors and became a London icon just over a decade ago. AA Gill wrote his popular coffee table book Breakfast at The Wolseley which was received with rave reviews, Lucian Freud famously deployed a roll of artisanal bread as missile at a noisy family interrupting his favourite meal, and various writers have composed histories detailing the building's metamorphosis from prestigious car showroom to one of the most lauded and coveted dining rooms in the Capital. There's not much that remains to be discussed. However, we still do recommend The Wolseley for those who are looking to experience top class Franco-Alsatian brasserie fare in an historic and opulent setting. It imparts a sense of occasion, in a grand room so permeated with pomp and circumstance that it approaches timeless. The Wolseley is one of London's must visits.