Restaurants: Tally For Dec

I've been eating only 2.5 meals a day in London. But both are such heavy heavy meals. Of course there is the tea in between. Luckily, there is all that walking and riding to compensate for the possible weight gain. Besides the quick meals (burgers!), sandwiches, tapas and dips, we've had fantabulous dinners in London. First rate chefs and kitchens, professional and excellent service, conversation and recommendations from the floor staff. Each dinner is a whole dining experience.

However, the restaurants we're fond of aren't the ones known for progressive dining. We like the ones which serve food just, properly cooked and presented. Modern European dining, so to speak. We're boring that way. I like how the portions are so perfectly balanced that I still have space for a starter and a dessert.

The one thing is, in many chic restaurants, there is a strict no-photography policy. It is understood that the restaurants' clientele are not comfortable in the presence of cameras and obvious photo-taking. The restaurants are also insistent on their creative copyrights when it comes to presentation of food. In this sort of ambience, it makes me feel uncomfortable to even bother whipping out the camera. It feels like this complete breach of etiquette and protocol.

We've been taken out to the dining rooms at the private clubs which had pretty good broth and solid food. I've intentionally avoided some of the known restaurants run by certain celebrity chefs because I didn't have a good experience last round and the friends have given them a thumbs down as well. Some of the other exquisite restaurants in and out of the city we've had the pleasure to dine at (and again) are:

• Pied-à-Terre
• L'Autre Pied
• Koffmann's
• Manoir Au Quat Saisons
• Whatley Manor
• La Trompette
• The Glasshouse
• Chez Bruce
• The Gate
• The Hand & Flowers
• The Ledbury

It's such a lovely thing to dress up for dinners.