The Capital

The cuisine previously won 4AA Rosettes. This award is temporarily suspended, as there has been a recent change of chef. A new award will be in place, once our inspectors have completed their meal assessments cooked by the new kitchen team. The Capital Hotel itself is a haven of understated opulence, chic without crossing the line into ostentation. A dozen or so tables give it the feel of a private club but the soaring ceiling, big windows, blond-wood panelling and feminine chairs upholstered in swirly damask-patterned cerise inject the perfect amount of luxury. Irreproachably professional service hits the right notes of attentiveness and informed advice on the finer points of the menu. It's not every day that you eat food at this level, so throw caution to the wind and go for the six-course Dégustation menu with matching wines; otherwise, the fixed-price lunch menu offers the budget-conscious gastronome phenomenal value - until you add wine. The biblical wine list is, at any rate, worth pushing out the boat for: phenomenal by anyone's standards, it is a who's who of France's blue-chip producers, and it even acknowledges the existence of the world beyond l'Hexagone. Well-established pairings appear in starters such as pan-fried foie gras with rhubarb or crab lasagne with langoustine cappuccino. Saddle of rabbit Provençale is paired with seared calamari and tomato risotto in a signature main course. Elegant desserts might feature vanilla pearls with roasted banana, rum pannacotta and mango sorbet.

Off Sloane St, beside Harrods
Nearest station: Knightsbridge

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