New restaurants in London seem like buses at the moment. You wait and wait then three come along at once. The last month has seen the biggest openings of the year - Theo Randall at the Intercontinental, St Alban and Scott’s. None of them are particularly into food and wine matching (other than having a decent ‘by the glass’ list which is certainly the cheapest way to drink in them) but if you want to sound savvy about what’s going on on the London restaurant scene, read on for a quick crib.

Theo Randall first. Until a couple of weeks ago nobody knew who Theo Randall was although arguably they ought to have done as he’s been Rose Gray and Ruth Rodgers’ right hand man at the River Cafe for 15 years. Now he has his own, very large, very slick place on the ground floor of the Intercontinental. It’s an odd sensation eating River Cafe food (and that is exactly what you are eating) in such an expensively designed place. But the big plus is that (at lunchtime at least) you can eat three courses for £23, less than the price of one of the River Cafe’s main courses.

Highlights of a recent meal there were some beautifully tender chargrilled squid with fresh (and mealy) borlotti beans which went very well with a glass of Domaine Les Gueses Vermentino, some silky, golden raviolis stuffed with chard, rocket and cima di rape (paired with a Tokai Friulano), a chargrilled veal chop with salsa verde with which the sommelier Alvaro-Marcos Garcia recommended an Isole e Olena Chianti Classico and a superb quince and almond tart. The only quibble I had about the quality of the food was that the burrida di pesce, an Italian-style seafood stew, was marginally overcooked.

The more interesting rivalry is between St Alban and Scott’s, St Alban being the baby of Chris Corbin and Jeremy King who run the Wolseley and used to run the Ivy, Caprice and J. Sheekey whose current owners, Caprice Holdings, have now re-opened the famous Mayfair fish restaurant Scott’s. (Sounds like one of those very complicated relationships with exes and their new partners)

St Alban is not like anything Corbin and King have done before. It’s - somewhat startlingly - done up late ‘60’s style, creating an effect that’s a bit like a cross between a Barbarella set and the kind of department store restaurant my mother used to take me to to sweeten the pill of going to the dentist. The seats are arranged in long rows, airport lounge style. The food is . . . no, not the prawn cocktail, coq au vin and black forest gateau you might expect but modern, verging on minimalist Italian. In short it has an identity crisis.

That’s not to say there aren’t plusses. The ingredients are first class and the simplicity of the presentation allows the wine to shine which is fine because there’s a very decent wine list. The combination of the light, lush Les Cretes Petit Arvine 2005 from the Valle d’Aosta we chose with an unadorned piece of salt crusted seabass with citrus lentils was sublime. (We ate other good things too. A very elegant salt cod puree with red peppers, a shrimp salad tonnato (also rather retro) and a Sicilian rabbit stew)

Ralph Fiennes was on the next table (now that’s a distinct plus). The service is impeccable. But it lacks . . . well, it lacks the usual Corbin and King magic. My dining companion suggested it might be better at night and I think she might be right.

Finally, and I’ve left the best till last, there’s Scott’s which has an utterly straightforward concept: posh seafood. It’s genuinely luxurious without being exclusive. Expensive but you can eat there cheaply if you’re careful. The hub of the restaurant is the shellfish bar which creates a dynamic focal point and plenty to watch if you’re eating on your own. In short if you love the Ivy, Le Caprice and J. Sheekey, ironically the three great restaurants that Corbin and King created, you’ll love this.

The food is in the capable hands of executive chef Mark Hix who I think writes some of the best menus in London. We had fried sprats (with a glass of manzanilla), a herring and bacon salad (with muscadet) an impeccably fresh skate with brown butter (with Chablis) and - a real blast from the past - a scampi provencale made with gorgeous sweet prawns and fresh tomatoes (with a glass of Albarino). The most copied dish, I predict, of the next six months . . .

Theo Randall at the Intercontinental, 1 Hamilton Place, Park Lane, W1J 7QY +44 (0)20 7409 3131
St Alban, 4-12 Lower Regent Street, London SW1Y 4PE. +44 (0)20 7499 8558 www.stalban.net
Scott’s, 20 Mount Street, London W1K 2HE. +44 (0)20 7495 7309
www.scotts-restaurant.com