‘Beef and liberty’ is a very English idea (see William Hogarth’s painterly interpretation). It appears too in the logo of Hawksmoor, the successful steak chain that seems to go from strength to strength. The latest outpost of its London empire – the group has also started to conquer the rest of the country plus America and Ireland too – opened recently in the Renaissance Hotel at St Pancras. It’s very good.

Everyone needs a Marcella in their lives. Or, at least a good local restaurant. Keep it simple yet do it well is the mantra applied successfully at Marcella, which combines the best of Italian and British seasonal produce.

For almost thirty years, the denizens of Little Venice had enjoyed eating at The Red Pepper, a classic Italian restaurant. While the venue had seen its ups and downs over this time, it remained a local institution, and nearly always busy. Many lamented (if not your reviewer, entirely) its closure last year, and so it was with some excitement that its successor, the Little Red Pepper, recently opened on the same site. It has the potential to become another favourite.

Istanbul has just nine restaurants with Michelin Stars, despite a population of almost 16m (the comparable stats for London are 84, for just over 9m people). Neolokal is one of this haloed group and could easily hold its own in any capital city around the world. Its success derives not just from its location, but the ability of chef Maskut Askar and his team to successfully meld the old with the new.

One key rule in marketing is that if you name something with a homophone then be prepared for the obvious jokes. Mour, a new Mediterranean restaurant, is not a homage to Moorish cuisine but an abbreviation of the street (Seymour) on which it is based. If its website is to be believed, “life is better with more.” Your reviewer agrees with this sentiment and did enjoy Mour but was left wanting – cue the inevitable punchline – more.