When you have a menu in front of you how do you decide which wine to order? Sure, you can ask the sommelier or waiter but in some restaurants the service is not as helpful or knowledgeable as it might be. But there are plenty of clues in the descriptions of the dishes themselves that point to the key ingredients and the way in which they are handled. Here are a few examples from current London menus:

Linguine with rocket pesto, green beans and new potato (Villandry)
This twist on a classic Ligurian dish is hearty and rustic. The pesto, with its slight bitterness, is the dominant component and suggests a dry Italian white rather than a red - maybe something like an Arneis from Piedmont, a Vermentino from Sardinia or a Pinot Grigio

Risotto al Amarone con prosciutto di Parma (The River Café)
Here the key is Amarone - the powerful, rich porty red wine from the Veneto. That will make this risotto more compatible with a red than a white but an Amarone would be too heavy and intense at this stage of the meal. I’d try a good Valpolicella instead, a flexible red that will work with other lighter starters.

Pan-fried fillet of cod with coco beans, tomato confit and ham (The Wallace)
The French translation of this dish says ‘facon pays basque’ which signals cooked tomato, onion and maybe a pinch of paprika. Add the ham and the beans and you’ve got a fish dish that could just as easily take a red as a white. I’d suggest a light rustic red like a Cotes du Roussillon Villages or an inexpensive young syrah.

Whole roast poulet de Bresse with foie gras stuffing
Foie gras is often paired with sweet wines like Sauternes but that wouldn’t suit this main course dish. But with the foie gras stuffing it’s going to be richer than an ordinary roast chicken. I’d suggest a full bodied, mature chardonnay such as a Meursault.

Charcoal grilled corn fed chicken with green lemon and rocket (St Alban)
We’re basically talking about a barbecued dish here. Charred from the grill with a zesty lemon flavour and some bitter rocket in the equation that suggests an altogether sharper white than the chicken dish above: something like a Sauvignon Blanc or even a Greek Assyrtiko

Roast wild duck with celeriac, bacon and chestnuts (Scott’s)
Nowadays most game is flash-roasted in restaurants and served quite rare. And you’ve got a robust accompaniment of celeriac (slightly aniseedy), bacon (salty) and chestnuts (sweet), a flavour-packed combination that seems to me to lead more towards the Northern Rhone or other syrahs than the usual duck match of pinot noir. Cote Rotie would be great if money is no object, otherwise try a Crozes Hermitage.

Roast pork cutlet with caramelised apple, cider and grain mustard sauce (Tom’s Kitchen)
If you’re lucky the drinks list will include an artisanal cider which would echo the appley flavours of this dish and handle the slight bitterness of the mustard. Otherwise I’d go for a slightly spicy white such as a southern French blend of Marsanne or Roussanne or a Jurancon Sec.