Ah, December. A time when credit cards start to smoke and warp from friction, when the offer of complimentary gift­wrapping calls out like a siren song. It's also a time when critics' end-of-year lists start to pop up, a seasonal treat to be savoured just like the first of the cherries, or pointed reminders from the HR department about appropriate behaviour at Christmas parties.

We are not immune to the appeal of such discussions. Our review team clocked a record number of meals and miles over the past year, and fortunately quite a few of them were worth writing home about.