Mayfair

Mayfair does not do anything by halves, and nowhere is that clearer than at the table. This is a square mile of London where the restaurant scene reads like a roll call of the country's finest cooking, from the gilded dining room at The Ritz Restaurant to Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, where French technique meets serious ambition. Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester adds another layer of formality and flair, while Sketch: The Gallery offers something more playful, all pink velvet and contemporary art alongside the food.

Not everything here is white tablecloths and tasting menus. Gymkhana brings the spice and swagger of Indian grill cooking to a Mayfair basement, and newer names like Pinna and Popina show a lighter, more relaxed side to the neighbourhood's dining. Queens of Mayfair rounds things out with a more social, all-day approach. Between them, the area's restaurants cover an enormous range, but they share a certain confidence, a sense that whoever is cooking knows exactly what they are doing.

Staying in Mayfair means staying close to all of it. The Connaught is a byword for old-school London luxury, its panelled bar and impeccable service drawing guests back year after year. The May Fair offers a slightly more contemporary take, with its own cinema and spa, but the same easy walk to everything the area has to offer. Both put you within a short stroll of Bond Street, Berkeley Square and the quiet, tree-lined streets that make Mayfair feel more like a village than the centre of one of the world's biggest cities.

Beyond the table, Mayfair is not overloaded with attractions in the traditional sense, but Doctor Who: Time Fracture gives visitors an immersive, theatrical diversion, weaving audiences through a maze of scenes and characters in a way that feels a world away from the area's genteel reputation. Mostly though, this is a place for wandering: the art galleries around Cork Street, the tailors of Savile Row, the grand facades of Park Lane.

Come evening, the choice is really about what kind of night you want. A quiet, formal dinner at somewhere like Hélène Darroze, a livelier plate of small dishes at Gymkhana, or cocktails and people-watching at one of the hotel bars before dinner elsewhere. Mayfair rewards those who take their time over a meal, and with this concentration of restaurants in one small area, there is rarely a reason to travel far for a good one.