The Fat Badger
310 Portobello Road, London W10 (020-8969 4500)

Meat/fish: 8
Water: 10
Cooking: 7
Atmosphere: 8
Score: 8.25
Price: £20 a head will see you right.

Charlton House
Shepton Mallet, near Bath, Somerset (01749 342008)

Meat/fish: 10
Water: 10
Cooking: 9
Other: 8
Score: 9.25
Price: Sunday lunch is good value at £27 for three courses.

Magdalen
152 Tooley Street, London SE1 (020-7403 1342)

Meat/fish: 10
Cooking: 8
Other: 9
Score: 9
Water: 7 (Hildon, English, acceptable. Still prefer to see Belu)

Hammers & Pincers
5 East Road, Wymeswold, Leicestershire (01509 880735)

Meat/fish: 9
Cooking: 7
Service: 8
Water: 10
Score: 8.5
Price: seven people, three courses, five bottles: £350, including service

Trinity
4 The Polygon, London SW4 (020-7622 1199)

Meat/fish: 8
Cooking: 9
Other: 10
Score: 9.25
Water: 10 *(Yes, they serve Badoit and Evian (boo!), but offering tap first is all — and I'm going to assume they do that to everyone until I hear otherwise.)
Price: £80 for two sans grog.

Aurora
Great Eastern Hotel, 40 Liverpool Street, London EC2 (020-7618 7000)

Meat/fish: 8
Cooking: 8
Service: 9
Score: 8.33
Water: 5 (Hildon)
Price: very expensive, the only drawback. Ours was £120 before the booze. And watch the glasses of champagne, I accepted an unnamed suggestion for two glasses and was charged… £36! Now, that’s how you give a guest a heart attack.

Five at the Bridge
5 Bridge Road, Hampton Court, Surrey, KT8

Meat/fish: 8
Cooking: 8
Location: 10
Water: 10
Score: 9

Great Queen Street
32 Great Queen Street, London WC2 (020-7242 0622)

Meat/fish: 10
Cooking: 9
Green fingers: 9
Score: 9.33
Water: 6 (tap, Hildon, Portuguese fizzy)
Price: £35 a head will feed and water you handsomely.

Barrafina
54 Frith Street, London W1 (020-7813 8016)

Meat/fish: 8
Cooking: 8
Authenticity: 9
Water: 10 (Belu!)
Score: 8.75
Price: Fresh shellfish is expensive, but you can do well enough here for £30.

La Petite Maison
Brook’s Mews, London W1 (020-7495 4774)

Meat/fish: 7
Cooking: 9
Space: 9
Score: 8.33
Water: 0 (Evian, Perrier)
Price: You’ve got to reckon on £50 per head before booze.

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