Baltic

To my mind, this is the sexiest place to indulge in caviar, those luxurious fish eggs that do blinis such a good turn. Oscietra comes in two serving sizes at £24 and £36, but keta (salmon eggs), which in their jewel-like way are just as delectable, are £9 or £12.50.

As someone else said of Baltic, it is a perfect first-date restaurant. Presumably, vodkas twinkling in the mirrored bar, an excellent cocktail list, reasonably priced food and the sleek, lofty, dining area are attributes that informed this view.

A part of the pleasure is also Eastern European cooking which has roots in history and culture. The need for comfort is taken care of with soups and dumplings. The hunting instinct is followed with game dishes. A sweet tooth is satisfied with desserts like honey cake with hazelnuts and creme fraiche, a perfect foil for caramel vodka.