Top 6 Classy Restaurants

The Ritz:
Quite the most aristocratic dining room in London, its ormolu, marble, mirrors and trompe-l'oeil are spectacular and many have said that the food will always take second place after the fantastic interior.
Unfazed by the grandeur of it all, the chefs produce good food. ?Preparation of simpler dishes, mixing of salads and so on, takes place at the table and imparts a sense of old-world formality to the occasion, a sense that is reinforced by the demeanour and appearance of the staff,? critic Nick Foulkes said.
Where: 150 Piccadilly, W1V, 020 7493 8181, www.theritzhotel.co.uk
Tube: Piccadilly Circus, Green Park
Costs: £170 for Dinner (a glass of Ritz Champagne precedes a three-course table d'hote dinner for two in the Ritz Restaurant, accompanied by a bottle of fine wine)

Gordon Ramsay at Claridges
Described on the Claridges website as 'skilfully prepared and tantalising modern European cuisine.' The haute cuisine here is reputedly as good as it gets. Think smoked ham knuckle and chicken pressed with baby spinach and thyme piccalilli sauce as a starter and confit of salmon on fondue gem lettuce, poached baby vegetables and basil nage for mains as an example.
Where: 55 Brook St, Mayfair, W1, 020 7499 0099, http://www.savoygroup.co.uk/claridges/dining/ramsay_lunch.html
Tube: Bond St

Le Pont de la Tour
This is Sir Terence Conran?s most elegant restaurant with an established reputation of quality and excellence for both the menu and extensive wine list. Situated on the banks of the River Thames, it overlooks its namesake ? Tower Bridge. In addition to its eatery, there's a bar & grill, foodstore, bakery and wine merchant. The menu's primarily British, with a strong regional French and Italian influence. On the fame score-board, Prime Minister Tony Blair once entertained President Bill Clinton here.
Where: The Butlers Wharf Building, 36d Shad Thames, London SE1 2YE, 020 7403 8403 www.conran.com
Tube: Tower Hill

Jamie Oliver at Monte's
Celebrity cook Jamie Oliver is billed as consultant chef to Monte's club, now open to the public at lunchtimes. Expect the likes of tagliatelle Genovese style and seared fresh Scottish scallops. This is a restaurant for the stylish and wealthy.
Where: 164 Sloane Street, SW1, 020 7245 0896, http://www.montes.co.uk/
Tube: Sloane Square
Open: Mon-Sat lunch for non-members

The Ivy
You'll have heard of this place because it?s the restaurant to the bold, beautiful and famous. Why? Because the menu can't be faulted - it's a mixture of British and Continental. Main courses include yummy dishes such as Thai-baked sea bass. The food's so outstanding here that even the national newspaper's food critics don't condemn it. A word of advice though, try not to ogle at all the celebrities while they're enjoying their food.
Where: 1 West Street WC1, 020 7836 4751,
Tube: Covent Garden/Leicester Square

Alistair Little
A favourite with the foodies. Little and his chefs cook using the theory that simple is succulent. And it works! Leading the field in modern Italian cooking, the restaurant serves seasonal dishes with uncluttered flavours. The Modern European menu changes daily and despite being an established restaurant, the quality of the food remains unbeaten in Italian cuisine in the capital.
Where: 49 Frith St, Soho, W1, 020 7734 5183
Tube: Tottenham Court Road
Open: Daily