Where to dine like a king

London has an exciting mix of grand legacy restaurants and newer, sleeker dining places. What do they have in common? Chefs who aim for perfection

- VIR SANGHVI

When I go to London, now hailed (by Londoners themselves if nobody else) as the international food capital of the world, I try not to eat Asian food because Indians now have so many opportunities to travel to East Asia and eat the real thing.

But I was curious about the new Koyn Thai in the heart of Mayfair. It is daring to open an upmarket Thai restaurant in an area dominated largely by Arabs, Russians, rich Indians and Eurotrash, none of whom like paying high prices for Thai food.

I know the owners (Dinesh and Samyukta Nair) and it was a surprise to find Koyn Thai packed out. The bigger surprise was how good the food was. I ordered dishes I already knew well from Thailand: Chiang Mai Sausages, Massaman Curry, Grilled Pork Neck, Beef with Black Pepper, Chicken Krapow and many more. They were outstanding. My wife had to concede that this was well up to top Bangkok standards.

The chef, Rose Chalalai Singh, whose glamorous Thai kitchen in Paris is much praised, was not there the night we went but the kitchen was on top form.

Long before central London became infested with the world's rich, there was Le Caprice. It was, in its heyday, the hottest restaurant in London frequented by powerful media people and glamorous celebrities. On a good day, if you were lucky you might see Princess Diana or Mick Jagger, or, if you were less lucky, Jeffrey Archer. I once sat on the next table to David Bowie.