The Covent Garden Strings are that rare thing nowadays, a musical comedy act and collective. Tonight Sid Bowfin, who is clearly channelling the spirit of Bill Hall the legendary comedy violinist, leads a crack team of four in a performance that mixes excellent fiddle playing with clever crowd control through smart ad libs and polished comedy routines.

At Dean Street Townhouse, you will find the afternoon crowd lunching alfresco, slowly displaced by more mature guests inside the restaurant as evening approaches; all well heeled of course.

Some things, as good as they are on their own, don’t necessarily work in combination so, aware that our evening’s destination, The Lonsdale, specialises in steaks and cocktails, we had some doubts, but were naturally optimistic, off we went to the ever-popular Notting Hill. While their specialities of cocktails and steak aren’t an obvious fit, they do both to a very high standard.

‘Liquid nitrogen isn’t just a gimmick” says Ahrash Akbari-Kalhur as he pushes his safety goggles back onto his head with a gloved hand. ‘Chin Chin is all about flavour: we just want to make delicious ice cream. London’s first liquid nitrogen ice cream parlour has arrived at Camden Lock market

NOW is that what I call Chinese? It’s Chinese street food for the masses, who probably didn’t know they wanted it until now, not living on Chinese streets themselves.They really do seem to want it NOW though; the queue is snaking out the door. There is no snake on the menu; no doubt someone thought that might not suit the tastes of a customer base largely dressed in Marks & Spencers’ suits.

Burgers, it seems, are all the rage. My young friends tell me that Twitter is alive with people chasing ‘the best burger in town’ in the manner of obsessed birdwatchers. No sooner has one greasy Twitcher found a new burger outlet than a score of others, no doubt clad in fluorescent anoraks, hurry round as fast as their Oyster Cards will carry them.

I’ll lay my cards on the table from the off: I think Hywel Jones is one of the UK’s most exciting chefs. In fact let me go one step further: last night I had one of the most enjoyable meal of my life (and I’ve darned lucky enough to have been to some of the best). The Park is one of the best (as far as I’m now concerned).

The Bull a double fronted Hotel on East Street gives the impression that it is a fairly modest establishment. However, apart from the nineteen guest rooms, there are two bars, a dining room and a rather impressive ballroom. There is also The Stable, which has its own bar, where cider is the focus, together with some interesting and tasty pizzas and pies.

Nobody likes to dine alone, but there’s such a warm and friendly atmosphere in The Duke of York that it isn’t an issue. The staff are talkative and friendly without being overbearing. You can genuinely tell that they will go out of their way to make sure you have the best time possible. A really charming venue with a strong talent for cooking