Knightsbridge, Polish Restaurant Guide

“A favourite stylish, civilised option” that’s surprisingly affordable for somewhere so close to South Kensington’s museums and the Royal Albert Hall – this stunning, “romantic” chamber in an émigrés club (founded in 1940) can still seem like “something of a hidden gem” although it has been extremely well-discovered for decades now (more so since Jan Woroniecki took over its management in 2015) and is “always busy and buzzing”. There’s “a characterful bar for aperitifs of all descriptions” and “a table outside on a summer’s day is perfect” when they open a huge rear terrace adjacent to Prince’s Gardens at the back. On the menu: “hearty and original Polish fare” that will not win prizes for finesse, but will for value, alongside “a brilliant selection of vodkas” and other tipples.

“Unchanged since it opened” in 1947, this Polish institution by South Ken tube station serves “very authentic”, “reliably interesting” and “sometimes rather stodgy” East European home cooking to an adoring audience who wouldn’t want to change a thing. “I love the ambience – bright daylight, serious lunch crowd; evenings the vodka kicks in more”.