Fay's favourite meals of the year

I didn't want to leave this year on a downbeat note. You might get the idea that I don't enjoy eating out. I do. Hugely. Some meals "off the job" which I have enjoyed in the past few weeks include dinner at VEERASWAMY , where a new chef is masterminding the regional Indian menu with utterly delectable results, such as the white lamb curry from Kerala served with uttapham (soft rice pancakes) and the evolved idea of supreme of chicken with sesame in which lime, honey, chilli and the roasted seeds coat the meat; lunch with a dear woman friend at THE LINDSAY HOUSE , where we tucked with unladylike vigour into Richard Corrigan's talent with game, in this case partridge and that best of birds, woodcock; Sunday lunch at BIBENDUM , a truly civilised affair with the best roast beef and Yorkshire pudding on this earth; a Christmas party at RIVA , where chef/magician Francesco Zanchetta sent out from his cupboard of a kitchen a stream of dishes including a sublime bowl of melted fontina cheese topped with white truffle with Parmesan crisps serving as scoops; a neighbourhood (for us) delight which demonstrated that the new chef at IBLA maintains the spirit of rarefied, exquisite Italian food with dishes such as rock oysters in a soft champagne jelly with sea urchin and fennel, and grilled beef tongue with pumpkin, endive and mostarda di Cremona; a Christmas shopping interlude in Golborne Road at THE GOLBORNE HOUSE , where chef Celia Harvey better and better defines the concept of gastro-pub with assemblies such as the beadily fresh meze plate and the soothing, encouraging wok-fried tiger prawns with glass noodles and vegetables in a tom-yum coconut sauce. I'll be back on these pages on 2 January with a cut-out-and-keep Best New Restaurants of 2000.

Veeraswamy, Victory House, 99 Regent Street, W1 (020 7734 1401), £36. The Lindsay House, 21 Romilly Street, W1 (020 7439 0450), £50. Bibendum, 81 Fulham Road, SW3 (020 7589 1480), £60. Riva, 169 Church Road, Barnes, SW13 (020 8748 0434), £40. Ibla, 89 Marylebone High Street, W1 (020 7224 3799), £40. The Golborne House, 36 Golborne Road, W10 (020 8960 6260), £28.

Note: prices above are an indication of the cost of a meal with wine for one.