OKAY, IN that spirit of honesty and openness now so casually disregarded by politicians worldwide, let me declare an interest: Galvin at Windows on the 28th floor of the London Park Lane Hilton is not only one of my long-term favourite restaurants, it is run by people I have known for more than a decade and who I would like to think of as friends (if they'll have me).
So, whenever I go there it's a little like going home - although I think it's probably like that for a lot of people, not just me.
It's the service, you see. GM Fred Sirieix (yes, that Fred, from Channel 4s BAFTA nominated First Dates) has developed a culture of service that is as tight and disciplined as a Premier-league-topping football team, and as welcoming and warm as a freshly-laundered duvet on a cold winter's night.
At Galvin at Windows, every customer is treated to smiles that bring light to the gloomiest of days - the sommelier, Rudina, in particular, has a smile that must be the envy of lighthouse keepers everywhere.
Service is underpinned by old-fashioned courtesy, and waiting staff are prompt, patient and just as friendly as you want them to be, which is to say that they know when to leave you alone as well as when to share a joke.
It's an easy place in which to be a customer, but the effort it takes to deliver such effortless service is enormous. Look more closely, and you get a sense of the underlying machinery: you can see how the waiting staff stick to their stations; you can catch the non-verbal signals between managers and staff; you can see just how much attention is focussed on every diner, and just how unaware most of them are of that attention.
If the service is smooth it's because the training delivered by Fred, Andrew Sicklin and Emmeric Hurault has knocked off all the sharp edges. It's a training that never ceases, which makes the job of waiting on tables at Galvin at Windows both tough and incredibly rewarding for those who make the grade. Not all do - this is a Michelin-starred restaurant, after all - and where the customer is king, the executive team has limited patience with less-than-perfect front-of-house staff.
And so to the food. The Michelin-star was awarded in 2010 when another pal of mine, André Garrett, was running the kitchen. Today's exec head chef, Joo Won, retained the star when André left in November 2013, and over the past three and a half years, he has introduced subtle Asian flavours into key dishes like the 24-hour marinated Iberico pork pluma, mooli and fermented chilli purée, which I had as a starter.
Okay, it's worth spending some time on this. Iberico pigs feed on a natural diet of acorns, which gives their flesh a sweet and nutty flavour. The pluma is a cut from the bottom end of the pork loin and is tender and juicy. On its own the pork would have been stunning, but the addition of the fermented chilli purée lifted it from merely stunning to several clicks beyond amazing.
The roasted fillet of hake with a Beaufort crust, pancetta and petit pois I had for my main course reminded me of my father's green pea and ham hock soup; a flavour of childhood that brought a smile to my face. The Beaufort (cheese) crust was finely textured and the fish, firm and beautifully cooked, as you might expect. A glass of Rioja was the unusual, but actually very well matched suggestion to accompany the hake.
And then it was a return to Asian influence with a rhubarb and white chocolate Bakewell, rhubarb and ginger beer sorbet and bee pollen, with - I think - tiny slivers of pickled rhubarb and fizzy ginger. It was also amazing, and beautiful too.
All of these dishes were from the £79 Menu Prestige, although there is an equally compelling Menu du Jour offering three courses at £35, which I could easily have chosen from and will in future.
Mrs B stuck to the menu prestige too, devouring the Orkney scallop ceviche with soy vinaigrette, pickled ginger and lime to begin with and then crooning over the roasted rump of Cornish lamb, tomato chutney, braised fennel and shepherd's pie, which came in a small copper pan. I think she would have been thrilled with the shepherd's pie all by itself. Then she worked her way through an impressive mango and passion fruit soufflé with a very coconutty, coconut ice cream.
Like me, Mrs B is from the North of England and when she said "I couldn't find fault with any of it", she was in fact heaping great praise on the head chef and his brigade. Me, I've learned to be a little more effusive: it was fantastic. It always is.
You can browse Galvin's menus here, but even if you're not going to dine at one of my favourite restaurants, have a drink there sometime: the 360 degree views of London are hard to beat.
There's an online reservation system on the restaurant's website www.galvinatwindows.com
Croonworthy - roasted rump of Cornish lamb, tomato chutney and braised fennel