Ikoyi What the experts recommend

1 St James’s Market, London SW1 (020-3583 4660)

The pair behind Ikoyi, Jeremy Chan and Iré Hassan-odukale, both went into jobs in finance before realising their true calling was cooking, says Fay Maschler in the London Evening Standard. Well done them; lucky us. If you make the argument, as some do, that London is now “the most dynamic restaurant city on Earth”, the presence of this superb new West African-inspired eaterie is “a bit of a clincher”. A perfect example, not to be missed, is the first-course dish of Manx Loaghtan rib and asun relish. Asun, the peppery rub and marinade usually applied to goat meat (rather than Isle of Man lamb), is here “rendered as a shiny, spicy, habanero-spiked sauce”; the resulting flavour is “profound”. Other highlights included “smoke fish” mackerel (torched with raw okra and fermented locust bean butter) and the delicious cocktails and puds.

Meal for two, including wine and service, about £165.

Stark 1 Oscar Road, Broadstairs, Kent (01843-579786) In ten years of living in the “bucketand-spade Kentish seaside town” of Broadstairs, I’ve never reviewed a place on my own doorstep, says Marina O’loughlin in The Guardian. Sure, I’ve written about places in nearby Margate, or “Dalston-sur-mer”, as the local wags have it. But never in “preserved-in-aspic” Broadstairs. I’m not certain I should be making an exception for Stark: it’s a “ludicrously tiny” 12-seater that only opens Wednesday to Saturday evenings – arguably more a “labour of love” supper club than a restaurant. But chef Ben Crittenden is the “real deal” and his mighty talent deserves to be trumpeted. On the six-course no-choice menu, there’s usually chicken liver parfait of “preternatural silkiness and delicacy, and huge flavour; this time it comes with pickled Kent cherries” and a shingle of hazelnut granola. There’s cured trout, diced with blackcurrant, dill and fennel. And hake, liquorice-black with squid ink on the outside, is “startling and beautiful in its creamy white centre” and bathed in a sparklingly clear broth of tomato and dashi. Stark is a “lovely, unexpected little thing” and Broadstairs is lucky to have it.

Six courses, £45, plus drinks and service. Where to eat in Copenhagen:

When it comes to amazing food, the Danish capital is about far more than just Noma, says Brontë Aurell in the FT. No visitor should miss the great food market at Torvehallerne; I’d especially recommend the open sandwiches at Hallernes Smørrebrød (top choice: pickled herring) and the pastries at Lauras Bakery. If my children are with me, they will insist on a visit to Nørregade Bolcher nearby, for the fantastic handmade boiled sweets. For street food, Papirøen market, by the harbour, is the place to go. My favourites there are Handmade (open sandwiches) and Fish ’n’ Chips (“not your average fish and chips!”). For a fancy meal out, I love Höst: the “award-winning interior is both cosy and hyggelig” and the food is wonderful. I had the rosehip ice cream with green strawberries last time, and “I’m still dreaming of it”. Last, for a killer brunch, go to Mad & Kaffe: “give me their smoked salmon with smoked cheese mayo any Sunday and I’ll love you for ever”.