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Well placed for the theater is Brumus, at the Haymarket Hotel, whose main entrance is located on Haymarket next to the Theatre Royal. Those passionate about pink will immediately warm to its vivid magenta decor. The brasserie-style menu features such dishes as farmhouse pâté with chutney, beef carpaccio with parmesan and arugula, and grilled Dover sole with new potatoes. I went there on my birthday, and the chocolate cake was fantastic. Service is a bit mixed, but it’s a visually arresting place, like the hotel itself. Stop off at the adjoining bar for the real buzz.

If you’re planning dinner for two, make a reservation at the stunning black counter on Robuchon’s ground floor. The sleek decor is complemented by organic touches: bowls of ice topped with red apples, goldfish bowls filled with carrot and cucumber shavings, birdcages stuffed with lemons. There’s a splendid grazing menu, too, including ravioli of langoustine stuffed with shellfish, foie gras–stuffed quail and tiny burgers in buns the size of eggs. The romantic top-floor bar is wonderful for pre- or post-theater cocktails. This place is both popular and pricey, so save it for special occasions, and book early.

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It was a few years after chef Tom Aikens opened his eponymous restaurant in South Kensington that he was awarded his first Michelin star in 2005, but devotees didn’t need that stamp of approval to make him a cult culinary hero. In fact, they relished his under-the-radar status, where they could eat delectable foam-fabulous dishes in the spare Anouska Hempel designed space and not fight for a reservation. Those days are gone. He has now expanded his offerings with the more casual spots of Tom’s Kitchen and Tom’s Place. The original outpost, however, is where you will discover what makes him such a god among foodies. Among his classics are seared foie gras with jabugo ham, haricot beans and sauternes sauce and scallops with poached grapes and pernod, grape juice and fennel. But beware the prices are as rich as the food.