Fix St James

Your thirst is in safe hands at Fix St James. Expect 'wine with curves', 'house juice by the litre', 'Grigio Jim, but not as we know it' and many more glass-filling examples of why it's worth seeking counsel from the wine-wise Stuart Knox. His list of 200-plus bottles, ever-changing and carefully selected, favours the artisanal, but don't expect wine snobbery. Knox is warm, accessible, good-humoured and extremely helpful. Not sure what you want? A flight of rieslings might help pinpoint what you're after. The menu, by chef Alasdair McKenna, will also test your decision-making powers. A double hit of smokiness in his eel and Pyengana cheese souffle makes it irresistible; a good beef tartare could have done with a more generous salt shake on the accompanying chips, though. An heirloom tomato salad is a fine precursor to excellent sugar-dusted peaches, roasted deeply and served with crumbled pistachio and sour cream ice-cream. We'll drink to that.