Entree. Main. Dessert. It’s amazing what pleasure can be brought by simply choosing your own dining destiny in these degustation-driven days. And, oh, what pleasures there are to be found at Andrew McConnell’s longstanding flagship.

The open kitchen is a vision of calm theatrics, the cooking comfortingly creative, layered and precise, while in the dining room there remains a buzz in the air that new players would pay to bottle.

It starts with smoky eggplant puree and a mound of house cultured butter to spread on warm wholemeal rolls and ends with the offer of hailing a cab. In between is a pitch-perfect procession of pleasure. Salt-baked celeriac served with comte custard is a hug of deliciousness, while salsa verde of quiet refinement crowns a scordalia-paired grouper, perfectly cooked. Dry-aged duck, with humid, nutty morcilla is another standout.

Wine is a highlight, the list curated and explained with care, while superb service — calm, passionate, knowledgeable and a touch eccentric — completes a package where every element is taken care of with class. While McConnell continues to open new venues, his fine diner, almost eight years on, is arguably as good as — and probably better — than ever. What a pleasure.

Must eat dish: salt-baked celeriac