Taste of London Festival Review 2013: Elbows at the ready in search of the prettiest ice cream, the yummiest fish and the dishes to die FOR

You needed well-sharpened elbows for Taste of London festival this year, with more hungry punters than ever before descending on Regent's Park in search of the perfect bite.

But despite the initial panic that the crowds (and the rather predictably drizzly British June weather) might get between us and London's finest restaurants' fare, there was more than enough food to go around.

Thankfully we left the packed festival suitably stuffed (OK uncomfortable and we might even have undone a button hole) and bathing in blissful tastebud delight as we reflected on the party on our palates.

Here's which top notch eateries in the capital shone amongst the masses of foodie tents which displayed their treats during the three-day affair...

Best Presentation: Maze 'Red Whippy'

Gordon Ramsay's Maze stall was swarming with wide-eyed foodies who'd clocked the red velvet ice cream in waffle cones because of its candy floss-coloured swirl that shone against the grey skies. Not just pretty, but also pretty tasty - and thankfully not too sickly, as it erred on the side of sorbet. Delicious.

Best Burger: Barbecoa Burger

With the burger trend at its height in the capital right now there were at least four different types to sample at Taste this year. But it was Jamie Oliver's Barbecoa that had the biggest queues, as it dished out soft small beef patties with Westcombe cheddar, heirloom tomatoes and charred red onion. The seeded bun while delicious was twice the size of the meat and a little too much. We chucked it away to leave room for more elsewhere.

Best Fish Dish: Le Gavroche Saumon marine

Proving that the simple things can outshine the rest, Le Gavroche stole our stomachs with this delicate starter of salmon marinated in lemon, served with a citron and watercress sauce and a delicate crouton to crunch on. Delightfully refreshing.

Best Chicken: Roka Spiced Chicken Wings

It may be famous for its sushi but the Japanese restaurant on Charlotte Street had us smitten - and sticky - with its Spicy Chicken Wings with sea salt and lime, which were both succulent and crispy at once. Messy and fragrant, they left us longing for more.

Best Spice: Blue Elephant Nua Nam Tok Som Tum

A taste of Thailand in the form of grilled Angus sirloin beef with green papaya salad and sticky rice. The meat was tender, the spices hot enough to tickle the tongue and the only complaint that there wasn't enough rice (and perhaps that it wasn't sticky enough).

Best Dish Overall: The Cinnamon Club: Icon Dish

We could have gone on eating The Cinnamon Club's Mumbai mille feuille of spring lamb forever. Really. The carefully layered dish of seasoned lamb, minced lamb and creamy potato with light-as-a-crisp pastry to knit the contrasting textures together was perfectly spiced and a joy to sample.

Best Pud: Angler Milk Chocolate Cream

With both The Salt Yard's Opera Tavern and Duck & Waffle doing chocolate to perfection with their fondant and brownie respectively, they looked to be frontrunners for our best sweet dish. Until Angler's milk chocolate cream, coffee foam and amoretti crunch stole the day with an orgasmically good pot of heaven, balanced to perfection.