I daresay that visitors to this website will have their own favourite London restaurants, but here are a few suggestions to whet appetites nonetheless...Best to book well in advance, especially for the Michelin-starred restaurants.

British

The Fish Club: good old fish and chips with a modern twist (organic options, fish fresh from Billingsgate market, trendy decor) Clapham Common or Clapham North tube stations

Gordon Ramsay at Claridges: Popular. Offers a three course lunch for £30

Fat Duck: OK, so this isn’t quite in London, but if you can make your way to Bray in Berkshire, (and it's hardly far-just a 50 minute train ride to Maidenhead from Paddington) this is one of the most acclaimed Michelin-starred restaurants globally...The 'sound of the sea' dish on the tasting menu is the current talking point: 'diners wear ipods to audibly transport themselves to the sea as they savour' (FT 3 May) mmmmm. Take lots of money with you. List of nearby hotels on their website

The Albannach: lovely Scottish restaurant overlooking Trafalgar Square with modern/traditional cuisine using freshly sourced ingredients. Don't forget to try the haggis.

The Tyburn:  Handy, decent, wi-fi enabled Wetherspoon pub on the corner of Marble Arch and Edgware Road. Enjoy a beefburger and salad with glass of wine all for the princely sum of £4.99 and a lovely cappuccino for £1.09 (all at the time of writing) Good for a quick stop, and probably best to stick with the burgers and chips and basic foods from the menu than try anything too adventurous...

18-20 Edgware Road, London W1H 7AA

French

Le Gavroche: highly rated Michelin-starred haute cuisine

Italian

Carluccio’s: love this restaurant. Consistently good. Favourites include the Penne Giardiniera and to takeaway - the chocolate and hazelnut cake, the green pesto. Worth every penny

Fifteen: acclaimed restaurant that uses trainees without compromising on food quality

Other European/eclectic

18 Old Compton St Telephone: +44 20 7287 1066

Fish in a Tie: don’t be daunted by the location-just across the road from Clapham Junction railway station. Cosy, busy local restaurant with exceptionally good value for money meals. Book in advance at weekends and evenings.

105 Falcon Rd, Clapham Junction. Telephone: +44 207924 1913

African

Addis: This Ethiopian restaurant is great value for money. Definitely worth giving a go. The lamb kebabs I had were juicy and succulent, but they also serve other types of dishes. Near Kings Cross tube

Try the Sugarvine website for African, Caribbean and other international restaurants

Asian

Ping Pong: their honeyed ribs really do melt in the mouth. The jasmine tea is also surprising

For other dim sum restaurants check out this website:

http://www.dimsum.co.uk/food/top-10-dimsum-restaurants-in-london.html

Yo! Sushi: try the miso black cod. There’s also a restaurant inside Selfridges

Nobu: another restaurant for black cod, but more upmarket. Now three branches in London: Canary Wharf, Berkeley Street, Mayfair (Michelin-starred and no bookings policy) and Park Lane

Masala Zone: Popular Indian ‘fast-food’ restaurant chain. Can find in Islington, Earl’s Court, Fulham, Bayswater...

Haozhan: a new Chinese restaurant in Chinatown that has received favourable reviews. Check out the Taste London website

Kaisu: winner of Time Out’s Best Cheap Eats last year. Good food and decor. Best to book for dinner. In Bayswater

Hare and Tortoise: decent cheap and cheerful Asian cuisine. The Brunswick Square is a particularly nice hang out for a spare hour or two on a sunny day

Miso Noodle Bar: tasty and affordable Oriental food in various London locations

The Banana Leaf Canteen: why didn't my school 'canteen' lunches taste as good as this? Popular Asian restaurant serving up a good lunch express menu at budget prices and delicious food. Recommended dishes are the Laksa noodles and the blackened sweet pork.

75-79 Battersea Rise, Clapham Junction Tel: 020 7228 2828

For quick lunches

Pret a Manger, Yo! Sushi, Itsu have branches all over, serve delicious food and aren’t exorbitant in price. Otherwise, if the weather’s nice grab a ‘sarnie’ and sit outside! If you're in the area, a pleasant couple of hours can be spent in the piazza at Spital Square near Spitalfields Market (Liverpool Street tube) - eateries such as Leon, Carluccios and others, topped off with a cone of ice-cream from Patisserie Valerie, and a wander round the cute local boutiques makes a sunny day even more sunny

For things sweet

L’artisan du Chocolat: just loving their sea salt caramels

Ladurée macaroons: one in Harrods and now also at the Athenaeum in Piccadilly. Scrumptious

Restaurants with a view

On the beautiful South Bank Arts Centre can be found all things classical and other, surrounded by a fine selection of eating places, including one of my current favourites Ping Pong. There is also the Skylon restaurant and bar, which is worth a visit for the views

http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/

The nearby Oxo Tower is a smart but fairly informal eatery that also has a bar serving refreshing cocktails

There is also the covered al fresco River Terrace Café at Somerset House 

For more restaurants with stunning views over the City the website Square Meal has a broad selection with idea of prices