Five to try: Terraces

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Admire the surroundings: Park Terrace

High quality: El Faro

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PARK TERRACE
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park,
66 Knightsbridge, SW1 (020 7201 3849) £52
After much negotiation with the park authorities, a spacious flower-bedecked terrace separated by only a hedge and the hum of traffic from Hyde Park has been opened for all-day and evening eating. Pashminas and suntan creams are stacked ready for the vagaries of the English climate. The Asian part of the menu delivered an unusually well-stocked won-ton soup and that seldom-offered, delicious dish, Hainan chicken rice. Summer pudding was served just as drops of rain pitter-pattered down.

THE TERRACE IN THE FIELDS
Lincoln's Inn Fields, WC2
(020 7430 1234) £42
In London's largest public square, allegedly one of the inspirations for New York's Central Park, chef Patrick Williams — who trained with Marco Pierre White — shows off his Caribbean roots in dishes such as fried haddock with ackee and crushed banana, jerk chicken and curried mutton with rice and peas; assemblies that ask to be eaten with sunshine. Before or after lunch you could visit the entrancing Sir John Soane Museum at No 13.

DEVONSHIRE TERRACE
Devonshire Square, EC2
(020 7256 3233) £45
What does the lemming-like rush of caterers towards the City tell us about the credit crunch? The chaps behind Sloaney havens The Admiral Codrington and Vingt-Quatre — a fixture on the Fulham Road “Beach” — have opened a confidently large bar, brasserie, handful of private dining rooms and spacious terrace not far from Liverpool Street station. Salads, sandwiches, pasta, risotto and grills more or less sums up the menu. They have probably sussed out prospective clients quite cleverly.

L'AVENTURE
3 Blenheim Terrace, NW8
(020 7624 6232) £48
Fairy lights have been twinkling on the spacious terrace of L'Aventure since the time when French food was not so much an adventure as one of the few cuisines available to restaurant-goers. A recent positive review by Matthew Lewin on his trusted website www.matthews-table.com reminded me of the restaurant's charms and supplied the information that a new chef, Sebastian Coleux, is sending out sound classic French cooking. Mme Catherine Parisot presides and helps you conjugate your irregular verbs.

EL FARO
3 Turnberry Quay, Pepper Street, E14
(020 7987 5511) £35
A view of Millwall Docks is not exactly comparable to the Med but narrow your eyes, sip a glass of chilled Manzanilla while you nibble slices of Sanchez Romero Carvajal 5J acorn-fed ham on the waterside terrace of this Spanish restaurant and you are getting closer. Chef Javier Capella believes in high quality, authentic ingredients treated respectfully and it shows. Ring ahead to discover when suckling pig is available or try it confit.

Prices estimate a meal with wine and service for one.

 

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