Douglas Santi, who worked for Alain Ducasse at Louis XV in Monaco, St. Regis in New York and MiX at Vegas, is now at a new Mayfair restaurant specialising in Tuscan cuisine. At Babbo (no relation to the Mario Batali Greenwich Village favourite), family recipes feature squarely on the menu – including the signature lasagne al ragout di chianina, prepared according to a secret 100-year-old recipe, passed to Douglas Santi by his grandmother. The ingredients and wine have all been sourced by Santi from his native Tuscany (open Monday–Saturday, lunch noon–3 PM, dinner 7–11 PM; set lunch £22 for two courses and £24 for three; 020-3205-1099).
– Roger Clarke