34 Rupert St, London W1D 6DN

Hands down one of the best counter dining experience in town, albeit not the quietest one. Expect a Jerusalem-style menu here, with additional influences from Southern Spain and Italy, North Africa through to the Levant. You can grab a table at the back - but try for the full-on counter experience if you can.

21-22 Warwick Street, London W1B 5NE

This was Yotam Ottolenghi's first full-blown London restaurant, following in the footsteps of his still-crazily popular delis. The menu features plenty of sharing dishes - signatures include their courgette and manouri fritters and Valdeón cheesecake.

24 Great Windmill St, Soho, London W1D 7LG

Blacklock's main speciality is chops - beef, pork and lamb and all at pretty good value. You'll want to go all-in with the chops dripping onto flatbread, but keep an eye out for some great steaks on the specials board. With very affordable cocktails too, a good time is guaranteed.

26-27 D'arblay Street, London W1F 8E

From the same people behind Barrica, this is one of Soho's most popular tapas bars - all stools and standing space only. The menu changes daily and you can find many Spanish tapas classics on it, with lots of Spanish wine to go alongside.

46 Brewer Street, London W1F 9TF

This North Italian restaurant was a bit of a sleeper hit at first until word got out about how great the food was. Descend to the basement restaurant for dishes like pappardelle with slow-cooked hare or hand-chopped raw veal with Parmesan as well as a 10 seater bar specialising in Vermouth.

49 Frith Street, Soho, London W1D 4SG

Coming from the Sethi siblings, best known for Gymkhana and more, this is inspired by roadside shacks (boutiques) of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. These shacks focus on hoppers and dosas which is what Hoppers is all about. Persist in trying to get a table at peak times, it's worth it and very affordable.

26 Rivington St, London EC2A 3DU

This Italian restaurant is from chef Jonathan Lawson, who worked with Theo Randall for five years before opening his own place, with cuisine described as Italian with a touch of Moorish and Spanish.

12 Denman St, Soho, London W1D 7HH

After beginning life in a shipping container as one of the first restaurants in Pop Brixton, Kricket has come a long way. Inspired by Indian cuisine, they offer an ever-changing menu of Indian small plates. And they feature what may be one of our favourite snacks in town, the samphire pakora dish.

60-61 Berwick Street, London W1F 8SU

This restaurant comes from the people behind Salt Yard and takes its inspiration from the rural Basque and Italian methods of smoking and grilling over charcoal. The menu is almost entirely cooked on a custom built charcoal fired grill.

9 D'Arblay St, London W1F 8DR

Blanchette is from three brothers Maxime, Yannis and Malik Alary who are behind this "French bistro serving simple, classic and inventive French food". It's primarily based around sharing "French tapas" plates.

28 Rupert Street, London W1D 6DJ

Downstairs from Soho pub The Blue Posts is this tiny restaurant, run by head chef James Goodyear. It's a small counter dining affair with only 11 seats. Expect a regularly changing menu that mixes up British produce with Scandinavian and Japanese techniques.

25 Broadwick St, Soho, London W1F

This is the first of the Temper restaurants, taking over a huge basement spot in Soho. The room is dominated by a central kitchen where all the smoking happens. From that you can expect tacos, meat piled onto freshly baked flatbread and a lot of mezcal.

19 Ganton St, Soho, London W1F 7BN

Pastaio is Italian for someone who makes pasta by hand - something you'll see plenty of in this venture by Stevie Parle (Dock Kitchen, Rotorino, Palatino, Craft) in Soho. Fast, casual and good value - particularly for this area - the pasta is super and the Prosecco slushies a must.

14- 16 Brewer St, Soho, London W1F 0SG

Randall & Aubin is a Soho institution, having been here for over 20 years. And there's a reason for its longevity - eating here is a lot of fun. There's a big emphasis on sustainability, on French and British seafood classics - as well as some great rotisserie chicken.

26-27 Dean St, Soho, London W1D 3LL

The original Barrafina moved from its Frith Street location to take up pride of place beside (and a chunk out of) Quo Vadis. This is the Spanish tapas brand's main location in Soho and features some of the best Spanish food in London, as well as great counter action.

23 Greek St, Soho, London W1D 4DZ

The duo behind Bun House and Pleasant Lady have turned their original site into a bar and restaurant inspired by the late-night scene of 1960s Hong Kong. The sugar skin Iberico char siu is a revelation.

61 Rupert St, Soho, London W1D 7PW

Paradise took over the space once held by Spuntino, serving up British and Sri Lankan ingredients in a menu that's inspired by the owner's childhood trips to Sri Lanka. This is matched by a sleek room designed by the people who did Smoking Goat and Klin.

15 Maiden Ln, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7NG

Condesa is a small tapas restaurant in Covent Garden with dishes inspired by both Spain and Latin America. Here you'll find a combination of Spanish tapas like jamon Iberico next to beef cheek tacos and ceviche along with plenty of cava and sherry, of course.

17-18 Henrietta St, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8QH

Flat Iron are known for bringing affordable steak dinners to the masses, but without losing the quality. You can get a really good steak and chips here without breaking the bank, all thanks to mainly serving up the affordable flat iron cut. Be prepared for a wait for a table at peak times, it's very popular.

1A Earlham St, London WC2H 9LL

Originally set up in Haggerston, this fried chicken restaurant is a collaboration between Carl Clarke and David Wolanski. As well as serving excellent fried chicken - tenders, wings and burgers, they also do a mean line in sour cocktails. Not to mention the amazing Szechuan Aubergine, one of our favourite London dishes.

19-21 Monmouth St, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9DD

Mon Plaisir is billed as London's "oldest French restaurant" - with its current owners keeping it in the family since the 1940s. As you might imagine from such a traditional establishment this does the classic dishes very well.

4-6 Russell Street, London WC2B 5HZ

Keith McNally has been big on the New York restaurant scene for years where Balthazar is a go-to place for both tourists and locals in the Village. This is the London version, just off the Covent Garden piazza, serving brasserie style food in an impressive dining room. It's worth popping into the bakery here if you're just passing.

39 William IV Street, London, WC2N 4DD

Bancone's main event is its freshly cooked pasta and as it's also a great place for counter dining (bancone translated means "counter"). The "silk hankerchiefs" being a huge draw but expect the menu to change with the seasons.

45 Great Queen St, Covent Garden, London WC2B 5AA

This high-end Italian restaurant in Covent Garden has a strong focus on service and it's one of the smartest Italian restaurants in the area.

5 Mercer Walk Mercers Yard, London WC2H 9FA

The Temper restaurant in Covent Garden is where cooking over fire is a big thing and you can get some of the best tacos, steak and meats in town.

36 Tavistock Street, London WC2E 7PB

This is the Covent Garden outpost of Angela Hertnett's Cafe Murano restaurant group. Expect an Italian menu with a focus on fresh pasta. And if you just fancy a drink, there's a cafe/wine bar/shop next door where you can also buy fresh pasta to take home.

14 Garrick Street (Floral Street entrance), Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9BJ

This is the second restaurant from Virgilio Martinez whose original in Fitzrovia was a big hit. This Covent Garden restaurant is perhaps a little more mid-range than the original, delivering a Peruvian menu that's designed for sharing (alongside Peruvian snacks in their bar).

30-32 Foubert's Place, Carnaby, London W1F 7PS

Zahter comes from chef Esra Muslu, previously at Ottolenghi, and is pitched as a 'love letter' to Turkey with a contemporary take on Turkish cuisine. They also have a space upstairs called The Loft for private events.

1 Surrey Street, London WC2R 2ND

Toklas is a Mediterranean restaurant - with specific Italian, French and Spanish influences. But that's not all as it's also a top-notch bakery from the man who launched Angel Bakery in Abergavenny. All that and there's a very handy bar space too.

23-25 Lonsdale Rd, London NW6 6RA

Carmel sees the team behind Berber & Q head west to Queen's Park for a more traditional restaurant from what they've opened before. Expext the same great approach to Middle-Eastern cuisine and make sure to try the flatbreads.