If you’re searching for the best London restaurant then you might want to consider these pointers:

1. It’s not about the most expensive or even the most Michelin stars. Reasonably priced, rustic food can be equally flavoursome and satisfying.

2. Opining on restaurant food is a hugely subjective business. Therefore a Michelin inspector or restaurant critic will almost certainly be looking for something quite different to your average foodie. Personal recommendation from friends and work colleagues with aligned taste buds is a far more valuable pointer.

3. The cleanlines of toilets can offer an insight into what might be lurking behind the kitchen door. No joke! The correlation of cleanliness is surprisingly accurate and often correlates further in terms of the food quality.

4. Customer service is a critical component to the restaurant experience. Afterall, a sullen faced waiter is hardly going to inspire confidence or build expectation in the culinary experience. Further, psychologically we can right off a meal before it arrives if the ambience is poor, the environment shabby and the service inadequate. Which suggests that we not only eat with our eyes but also with our minds…..

5. Does the the restaurant do the basics well? i.e there is little point in having ornate flower arrangements, sophisticated furniture and surroundings if the cutlery still retains the remnants of the last diners meal!

6. Some of the best restaurants in London have a very limited menu. But they supply simple seasonal food that is delicious. The point is that restaurants can gain notoriety and respect for one amazing dish…

7. Chilled ice water offered as standard, simply isn’t ubiquitous enough in restaurants. However, it does serve to denote the attitude of a restaurant to it’s diners. i.e we care about the experience and we recognise the importance of nicely chilled water to the dining experience….