How to be a savvy diner

1) MARGOT’S BISTRO, PADSTOW, CORNWALL

The “real” restaurant in Padstow, run by the irrepressible owner/chef Adrian Oliver whose simple, heartfelt cooking, using local ingredients, has people booking a year in advance for one of his sought-after tables.

2) THE IVY, LONDON

It’s famously hard to acquire a reservation at this celebrity hangout and although The Wolseley has stolen much of its thunder, you are still more likely to get a table if you have appeared in a few episodes of The Bill.

3) THE MAGPIE CAFÉ, WHITBY

Arguably the best fish & chip shop in the country, this restaurant has been packing them in for seventy years and recent reports say that the wait of up to two hours is still well worth it.

4) ANCHOR & HOPE, WATERLOO, LONDON

The best of The School of St John places that have proliferated throughout London. A meal here, however, can involve purgatorial waits. The hearty food is just about good enough to forgive them for their silly no booking policy.

5) TAYYABS, LONDON

Easily the cheapest of the lot and despite recent expansion, the popularity of London’s best Pakistani restaurant still sees permanent queues from early evening to the time it closes. The scent from huge platters of sizzling lamb chops passing by make sure that no one is in any rush to give up their place in line.

6) THE FAT DUCK, BRAY

Well, of course it is. The foamy grail for gastronauts all over the world, getting a table here is harder than following some of Heston Blumenthal’s recipes. Is it worth it? It depends if you like the sound of “snail porridge” or not.

7) RESTAURANT GORDON RAMSAY, LONDON

Still a 3-star attraction for those craving The Michelin experience and, despite the fact that Gordon Ramsay seems to have as many restaurants as he does television programmes these days, his Royal Hospital Road flagship still demands significant effort to secure a table.

8) THE SPORTSMAN, SEASALTER, WHITSTABLE

Weekends are booked up months in advance at this immensely popular seaside pub, in part because of its policy of only having one sitting and more because of its deserved recognition in the form of a Michelin star.

9 THE GIACONDA DINING ROOM, LONDON

A tiny dining room, great food and great value for money makes this new addition to Soho dining a top draw to begin with. Add to that the plaudits of the capital’s restaurant critics and it’s easy to understand why a spare table here is impossible to find.

10) THE VINCENT ROOMS, LONDON

One of the great bargains of London, The Restaurant attached to Westminster Kingsway College only offers its superb value lunch for two hours each weekday and dinner on selected evenings. Despite the fact its alumni include Jamie Oliver, Antony Warrall-Thompson and Ainsley Harriott, the customers don’t seem to hold that against them.

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