Beer, standard

Yo-tel

The Yotel was something else. Our room was akin to a (space) ship cabin; a robot stores the luggage; and Q-Tip dj-ed at the bar.

Southside

Misato

Misato is an amazing little Japanese restaurant in Chinatown, serving big plates of chicken katsu and a selection of bento boxes. This one, including 8 pieces of salmon sashimi, 2 rolls, 2 warm pork dumplings, fried chicken, seaweed salad and rice was only £8.50. Throw in some warm sake to share and you can eat your fill (or more than) for a tenner. It's usually packed and staff are run off their feet, but it's worth joining the queue for one of the best lunches in central London.

Borough Market

Nothing like a Saturday afternoon at Borough Market; sampling bread and truffle oil, cured salmon, and about 30 different cheeses. Dinner sorted!

Katz's Deli

Katz's pastrami on rye is a thing of beauty. At $14 it's not the cheapest sandwich in the city but my, that is a lot of meat for one sandwich. Warm and tender and with a peppery crust, it sets the standard on how pastrami should be made and served. The accompanying vanilla egg cream was too sweet for my taste (too much syrup) but that's a minor point when the meat is this good.

Even pre-midday the place is full and by the time we left, there was a queue out the door for lunch. I could make a few 'I'll have what she's having' references but since Katz's was opened for almost 100 years before that film, it's totally necessary.

El Aguila

It's somewhat of an embarrassment that after nearly a dozen trips to NYC, I had never visited Harlem. So this time around, we corrected this by making two trips, mainly to get the best red velvet cake ever and sample the tacos at El Aguila.

Located right by the 6 subway at 116th Street, this place is a local delight serving fresh tacos, burritos, bakery products and home-made drinks. We had the steak and chorizo tacos, made fresh while we waited. The meat was tender and each taco was served with a generous topping of onion and coriander (and big chunks of lime). One of the best budget meals in the city.

Kasia's on Bedford

Being a fan of the homely pierogis from Veselka, I was on the lookout for alternatives as a comparison. While wandering along Bedford Ave in Williamsburg I found Kasia's, an old-school diner that specialises in Eastern European comfort food. It wasn't in any of my guidebooks but judging from the interweb, it seems to be a local favourite.

For a bargainous $6.45, I chose a mix of 7 dumplings (2 x meat, 2 x mushroom + cabbage, 2 x potato and 1 x sweet cheese) served with sour cream and apple sauce. It was a hearty and peppery feast, accompanied by an ice cold Brooklyn lager served in a chilled glass. I returned to the city satisfied and chiding myself for not venturing to Williamsburg to eat before this.

Brick Lane

Joined the queue for a smoked salmon bagel and cheesecake slice today - not exactly breaking the bank at £2.10.

Rounding off the afternoon with a cold beer at the Cantina, where the wax covered most of the table, including the cutlery.

Caviar lunch @ Bob Bob Ricard

Last weekend, we met up with a few pals to try the Caviar lunch special at Bob Bob Ricard, one of the flashiest diners this side of Moscow. Its gilt and marble interior is fabulously over the top.

We started with caviar and sour cream blinis, which were still warm from the pan. The individual serving of caviar alone costs £24 (from Harrods), making the £20 lunch a very good deal.

The second course was either meat or vegetarian dumplings - I chose the vegetarian mainly because they contained black truffles, continuing the decadence! They were topped with the smallest crunchy onion rings.

Happy meal.

Summer Sundae

A chilled out day on Clapham Common with laid-back tunes, pimm's, free ice-cream (loved the ice-cream sandwiches) and people in their smalls. Like you do.

Flavours of summer

In the warmer months I crave simple meditteranean-style foods: ripe tomatoes with roasted garlic and basil, grilled veges and fish and soft cheese, usually on a bed of peppery leaves.

And nothing beats a mojito on a hot, sticky summer's day.

Villandry

My friend C was over from NYC for two short days so Miss F and I put an end to our mid-week alcohol ban to celebrate with a gorgeous dinner at Villandry on Great Portland Street. Kicking off with a vodka cocktail, we soon progressed to a fine Bordeaux and got to work on our starters.

My globe artichoke was a winner, especially the whole hazlenut and aioli dressing. As the artichoke was bigger than my head, it drew admiring glances when it was brought to the table.

My main was a gorgeously melting duck leg with a herby toulouse sausage in a tomato broth. It was incredibly rich and probably a little on the heavy side for midsummer but I finished its lipsmacking goodness nonetheless.

We ordered a dessert to share and it was an excellent choice: a cheesecake with Mars bar chunks and a side of full-fat vanilla bean ice-cream. Service was a little on the snooty side but I suspect our toptable discount (a very generous 50%) had something to do with that. I'd still go back anytime I wanted a French-style feast in the heart of London. Brunch is particularly good too.

Prezzo

Calzone perfection...and a nice chianti.

Nahm @ The Halkin

Due to the unpredictability of my last job, I had surrendered two bookings at Nahm, the renowned Thai restaurant run by David Thompson. Today, the boy surprised me with a lunchtime reservation and I was suitably impressed.

We started with fresh pineapple and warm chicken and tamarind followed by mains of crab stir fry and pad thai. Every ingredient was fresh and the flavours were light, crisp and aromatic.

The surrounds were elegant and peaceful (plus ultra-flattering light is always welcome) while service was generous and incredibly efficient. For a special occasion, Nahm well and truly hits the spot.

The Pudding Bar @ Kettner's

Kettner's is a landmark venue in Soho. First opened in 1867, many illicit romps have taken place in its hidden nooks.

I met up with two girlfriends at The Pudding Bar, a candlelit room where everyone had a gorgeous rosy glow. We drank a bottle of cold rosé and sampled a selection of three desserts: a rich chocolate amaretti tart, surprisingly-light green tea cheesecake and the pavlova with a sharp lime and gooseberry topping. All were beautifully prepared and lovingly presented.

We lingered for hours. Next time, I'll be back for a drink in The Apartment.

Valentine

Mark's @ Hix

This week, my friend B and I met up for the first time since December. Although we work within a 15 minute walk of each other, we see each other less frequently than I'd like.

I had wanted to visit the new Hix venue in Soho since it opened late last year. I'm a big fan of Mark Hix's venues and his Chop House in Farringdon is an excellent venue for an unstuffy business lunch.

We decided to start with a cocktail in the basement bar, Mark's. I ordered one of the retro cocktails containing gin and rhubarb from the extensive, reasonably-priced menu. Served in a small sherry glass, its punch belied its dainty appearance.

Due to their licence, we were instructed to order a couple of small dishes to accompany our drinks. Before we had even decided on food selections, our attentive waiter brought us a complementary serving of warm goujons and pea puree. We supplemented these with sides of french fries and pork crackling with apple cider sauce.

Mark's has a grown-up members' bar feel: it's a large enough space not to feel cramped, yet small enough for an intimate chat in surrounds where you can hear yourself think.