Seven Park Place by William Drabble

St James's is the kind of area where it does to be proper, where expectations are high, money does not seem to be in short supply, and a little exclusivity goes a long way. The St James's Hotel and Club fits right in, delivering a private members club, 60 well turned out bedrooms, and, in the form of Seven Park Place by William Drabble, a restaurant that is a star in its own right. The eponymous chef gets his name above the door, and rightly so, for he is a prodigious talent. The allocated space is rather swish, designed by the award winning Anna-Maria Jagdfeld: there are leafy motifs snaking across the walls, colours are rich browns, black and gold, artworks are individual pieces that certainly catch the eye, and the tables are correctly dressed and precisely laid. Drabble's cooking is divertingly contemporary but never seemingly overworked, everything looks fabulous on the plate, ingredients are of the highest order, and everything comes together in perfect harmony. Thus a first course baked fillet of red mullet with garlic, parsley and mullet liver sauce has punchy flavours deftly handled, or go for seared foie gras with caramelised pear and ginger syrup. Next up, Barbon Fell venison with black pepper, beetroot and celeriac is another intelligent combination of textures and flavours, with a fish alternative partnering griddled fillets of John Dory with apples, mussels, celeriac and chives. Assiette of pork is a stunning combo of black pudding (rich yet delicate), tender head, stick trotters and crisp ears, served up with broad beans and truffles. The craft and control continues into dessert stage with the likes of lemon Charlotte, perfectly moist and packed with flavour, with accompanying poached rhubarb and passionfruit mousse, or dark chocolate mousse cake with raspberries. As you might expect at this level, the wine list does justice to the terrific food.