Five political favourites

Hanging around Westminster you soon get to realise that the restaurants are often traditional, opulent and filled with men. That said, our guest critic David Blunkett still finds some distinguished dishes on the menu for the discerning lady diner. Here he recommends his favourite five haunts.

Shepherd's

Marsham Court, Marsham Street, SW1 (020 7834 9552) £80.
Reliable if unspectacular British food. Once fashionable, it has lost a little of its lustre, though no one seems to have noticed at the Houses of Parliament, from where they flock to its low-ceilinged dining room. The food - and service - is comfortingly old-fashioned: stilton-and-onion tart, lemon sole and lamb rump are designed to keep MPs happy.

The Cinnamon Club

Great Smith Street, SW1 (020 7222 2555) £80.
Modern Indian in a wonderful room that was once the Old Westminster Library. Luxury ingredients match the power brokers' expense accounts. Tables of early-middle-aged men tend to predominate, but should a rogue woman arrive, the menu offers dishes devised by French chef Eric Chavot, such as crab risotto with truffle cappuccino and king prawns. Particularly recommended are the Bengali-style grilled lobster followed by French black-leg chicken cooked Old Delhi-style in a strident sauce.

Christopher's

18 Wellington Street, WC2 (020 7240 4222) £70.
More romantic in the evening but has a wheeler-dealer air at lunch, with a mix of political and arty types giving the airy dining room a real buzz. It's perfect for before and after the theatre, too, with a menu that's robustly American. First-rate steaks, excellent lobster and obscene puddings (Mississippi mud pie) make this a classy experience.

Roussillon

16 St Barnabas Street, SW1 (020 7730 5550) £110.
Looks more as if it should be in some quiet suburban high street rather than a short cab ride from Westminster. It's opulently French with frequently changing menus. A little pricey but you are paying for impeccably sourced ingredients and top-notch cooking. If you are dining with a politician, make sure they pay for the drink - the very-French wine list is also reassuringly expensive.

Quirinale

1 Great Peter Street, SW1 (020 7222 7080) £100.
Not far from Tate Britain, this is a soothingly lit basement space that serves wonderful "modern" Italian food - salady first courses, interesting pasta, fairly straightforward main dishes and more-ambitious-than-usual desserts. Main courses are reasonably priced but need the addition of a side dish.