The Portrait Restaurant & Bar

Perched in this sleek contemporary restaurant up on the top floor of the National Portrait Gallery, you can look Nelson in the eye as you take in an unparalleled vista across Trafalgar Square and Westminster to the London Eye. The view alone would be worth the visit, but the surroundings - red leather banquettes and blond-wood floors set against minimalist shades of grey, cream and black - are easy on the eye too, and of course there's the appealingly light and simple modern bistro-style food to consider. A starter of Monmouthshire ham with green bean and shallot salad, celeriac remoulade and pickled onions is followed by the classic comfort of smoked haddock served with champ mash, a poached egg, and mustard butter sauce. Finish with a blast from the past - rhubarb Eton Mess.