Jacques Reymond

It's easy to forget the pleasures of luxurious, old-school hospitality like that of Jacques Reymond. The welcome is warm, the room chic, the chairs comfy, the linen-dressed tables spaced for conversation, not eavesdropping. Every need is quietly anticipated. But traditional doesn't mean old-fashioned. Expect some of the city's very best service, but with wit and a wink. And Jacques Reymond's sophisticated food leaps confidently from European to Asian flavours in small, intricate dishes of many elements, dotted like jewellery on the plate. Scallop grilled with musky miso, rock lobster dumpling wrapped in bok choy, and caramelised sweetbreads are ensemble players in a single dish. Pigeon 'like a Peking duck' partners sweetly with silky purple garlic sauce; kingfish with ham and saffron foam. Four large menus (a la carte, degustation, lunch and vegetarian) rarely double up, proving the place's polish. The degustation remains a drawcard, as do gorgeous desserts, maybe a citrusy snow egg with creamy apricot bombe.