Brasserie Zédel Formerly: The Atlantic Bar & Grill

Yet another instant success story for Christopher Corbin and Jeremy King (the Wolseley, the Delaunay), Zédel opened its art deco doors in June 2012 – remnants of the mostly demolished Regent Palace Hotel (1912–2010). The beautiful basement brasserie is sprawling, splashy and kinda Parisian, with a gilded camp touch, and serves reliably good, typically (and reassuringly) French food at decent prices. Service is terrific and the atmosphere is buzzy-happy (as opposed to hip and trendy). In a quaintly old-fashioned way they don't do espresso here. From 2014 Zédel introduced 10.30pm–midnight live music in the dining room. The adjacent American bar (from 4.30pm, formerly Dick's Bar) is dark, manly and handsome, and to top it all off there's a perky cabaret space, the Crazy Coqs, to remind you you're in Piccadilly. Old Compton Street is a mere three-minute walk away. The street-level ZL Café (daily from 10am) — with breakfasts and light lunches and dinners — awaits those who don't wish to descend to the splendours below, which have something of THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE about them, though right way up. For the record, 'Zédel' was a Swiss auto manufacturer early last century (established in 1901 — funnily enough the same year as the Wolseley automobile).