Top Fives: Restaurant groups

Unlike the chains, restaurant groups tend to be a collection of what may appear to be individual operations with little to show they are centrally run. They offer the best of both worlds: the slickness of big business with the personal touch of the independents and often boast a charismatic entrepreneur at the helm.

1. Nigel Platts-Martin

Only a handful of restaurants, but each one a gem; from the steely urban glamour and high prices of The Square to local legends such as Chez Bruce , The Glasshouse and La Trompette - the latter combining stunning cooking and seductive design with remarkably reasonable prices.

2. White Star Line

Marco Pierre White imbues everything he touches with an apparently effortless glamour. Some of the most desirable destinations in the city - The Mirabelle , The Belvedere , Quo Vadis - are under his aegis. Food is accessible and French accented; friendly, well-drilled service is usually exemplary. www.whitestarline.org.uk

3. Cuisine Collection Talk about eclectic: Claudio Pulze's group boasts a top-flight, Michelin-starred Indian ( Zaika ); a smooth, upmarket Chinese ( Shi Hin Mei ); and a glossy, upmarket Italian ( Al Duca ) among others. Expect anything from this unpredictable entrepreneur. www. cuisinecollection.co.uk

4. Gruppo

With visionary, risk-taking trendsetter Oliver Peyton at its helm, Gruppo was responsible for the groundbreaking (and once-again fashionable) Atlantic , to be followed by the showstopper that is Knightsbridge's Isola and the history-steeped luxury of The Admiralty .

5. The Conran Group

Impossible to ignore, pointless to overlook, it's simply sniffy to discount Sir Tel's impact on the culinary face of today's London. Despite criticism of his mega-outlets, with The Orrery and Islington's The Almeida he's once again found favour with the capital's foodies. www.conran.com/eat.