London: The Eagle

This the grand-daddy of them all, the place where the London gastropub revolution started. Opened in 1991 by two friends, Mike Belben and David Eyre, its blend of raw energy, attitude and theatre - the result of a truly open kitchen - changed the face of London dining for ever. Many have tried to imitate its style, a chic-shabbiness, achieved by mixing junk-shop furniture with mismatched china and bits of modern art, but few have done it with such ease and panache. 

David Eyre has long since left the stoves, but the food is still gutsy Mediterranean stuff with a bias towards Portugal and Spain. It can be inconsistent but, when it's good, it brings a blast of Iberian colour and warmth to the tastebuds. Think of Portuguese caldo verde, salt cod tortilla, Asturian pork and butter bean stew. The menu changes as dishes run out and is chalked up on blackboards, and there's usually a marinated steak sandwich, a Spanish or Italian cheese, and those delectable Portuguese tarts, pasteis de nata. The coffee, which you get in your own Bialetti, is ace.

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© Mitchell Beazley (www.mitchell-beazley.co.uk/) 2004