Cafe Murano is under the direction of Michelin starred chef Angela Hartnett. In the heart of Covent Garden, it offers Northern Italian food with an ever changing menu. We were lucky enough to go during its opening week and opted for several of the dishes (with a discount):

Chiccetti
Broad bean and rosemary arancini (recommended to ue by the waiter)
Caponata, aubergine and green olives (I can't help but order aubergine when it is on the menu)
Antipasti
Portland crab, scorched rossa lunga onions, apple
Primi
Farfalle, rabbit, peas and girolles (by far one of our favorite dishes we tried)
Risotto, San Marzano and Basil (quite rich)
Secondi
Braised lamb shoulder, tuscan beans, celery and lemon
Stonebass, fennel and tomato (we saw others order the monkfish which would have been another good option)

Dishes are quite small, which is nice as you can order many and share (sort of like an Italian tapas). Angela was head chef that day, and I managed to ask for her autograph on the menu as we left (please see attached). For those of you familiar with the area, you may recall that this was once Ozer (part of a chain of Turkish restaurants in London). The layout is exactly the same, with an airy bright atmosphere upstairs due to the glass roof (although I can imagine it can get quite hot in summer). The only downside is that you go down several (perhaps it was only one) flight of stairs for the toilets. Staff were friendly but service was slow (might have been as it was the opening week).

We recently visited Gymkhana, near Piccadilly Circus, again for a post-honeymoon pre-restarting work lunch. Gymkhana, an Indian Michelin star restaurant, is inspired by colonial Indian gymkhana clubs (where high society socialised, dinned and drank). They have a bar and dining room which offer an a la carte menu, vault menu (which I assume is for private dining in one of their separate rooms), a tasting menu, game menu, Saturday lunch menu, and weekday lunch and early evening menu (yes the list has finally ended). We went for the later, ordering two courses for £25. For starters we shared the soft shell crab and kid goat methi keema (a sort of mince meat wrap), and for the mains tandoori guinea fowl and Hariyali bream. Still being on our holidays, we accompanied this with the house punch (£9) and a 375ml bottle of the sommelier’s choice of red wine.

This has to be one of the best Indian restaurants we have eaten in, which is a high accolade given that it is one of mine and my husbands favorite cuisines. In fact, I think it tops Benares, another Michelin star Indian restaurant near by. For us, Benares was slightly too fusion, while Gymkhana offers traditional dishes with a twist. We particularly enjoyed the keema wrap (so much that I was reluctant to share and tried to sneak 2/3rds off the plate). Their tandoori guinea fowl was to die for, and I think the tandoori section of the main menu would be are go to next time. The punch was a nice addition, with self-grated nut meg provided to grate on top. This really did bring out the flavours. However, it lacked booze and tasted more like a mock tail. Again, I was unable to fit in dessert at lunch, partially as we consumed the complementary poppadoms (with mango chutney and a spicy dip) and side dishes of rice, naan and chapati type bread.

The restaurant is quite small and I would recommend booking even for lunch times (I think many local businesses were using it for lunch meetings). The staff were friendly and very helpful, even accommodating two colleagues (a guess from their overly expensive suites) who had made a booking for the wrong day. 

We currently have an urge for ramen most weekends. Today we have tried Tonkotsu in Soho, Dean Street. We both went for the Tonkotsu ramen and added an extra of nori (Japanese seaweed). The portion was good, particularly the amount of pork which is often lacking in other ramen eatery's we have been to. They provide all the condiments including fresh garlic which you squeeze yourself (must admit I would prefer if this was already prepared as I now have garlic fingers). Atmosphere is relaxed but the tables could be a bit higher to stop the ramen splashing all over our clothes (perhaps I need chopstick practice). I like the communal sitting arrangements (long tables seating up to 8 people with couples sat opposite) and the rustic decor. Green tea is unlimited, but hard to get through with the piping hot ramen. Overall, a good experience and definitely a place to compare with our other favourite ramen restaurants.

Pollen Street Social,  run by chef Jason Atherton, is a Michelin star restaurant just off Regent Street in central London, which opened in April 2011. We went for the lunch special just before our return to work after the honeymoon. Two courses came at a reasonable price of £32, which included homemade bread, whipped cream butter (I have had this a few times now and much prefer proper butter), canapes and a small taster of a mushroom broth soup (which my husband stated tasted like 'cup a soup' - not in my opinion, the flavours were executed superbly). We decided to go for the slow cooked Burford brown egg and pressed ham knuckle for starters, followed by Ribble Valley chicken breast and Cornish lamb loin. The egg was particularly good, despite not being something we would usually go for. The lamb was well cooked, but lacked the 'je ne sais quoi' expected of a Michelin star restaurant (although of a high quality and similar to other Mayfair French eatery's). The chicken was well presented, with a moreish chicken fat mash. Unfortunately, we were unable to find room for dessert, but were impressed by the selection of ice-creams and sorbets ordered by guests around us. They also offer a dessert bar which allows diners to watch the pastry chefs at work. For drink, we sampled the specially branded Pollen Street Social Selection, Clos de l'Elu, Anjou from the Loire Valley at £10.50 a glass (a  bit steep). Unlike other french restaurants in the area, Pollen Street Social has a nice airy bright atmosphere. We plan to attend again and sample the 'al la cart'.