It’s not often you get to eat dinner in the same spot you once had your tyres changed. As Balham has gentrified, the old shops have gradually disappeared to be replaced by bars and cafes all catering to the monied young overspill from Clapham. There’s even a Waitrose now, a poor replacement in my view for the old open air market now a shadow of its former self.

87-135 Brompton Road, London SW1X 7XL www.harrods.com George has been making coffees at Harrod’s for […]

We’re treated like so many Shahs from the off, which is always nice. A table laden with cocktails greets us- with the appropriately-monikered Maharaja Fizz amongst their number. More often than not, ‘fusion’ and ‘cocktail’ are two words that have no business being in the same room, let alone sharing glass space. Curry leaves? Fruit chutney? You sure?

Acre Lane has changed since my time. The houses around no longer boast the 70s front doors so often fitted in that flared and flawed decade, instead Victorian doors, white plantation shutters and other classic signs of gentrification indicate that the local demographic is not what it was.Boqueria is another indication.

The regional menus at Namaaste Kitchen and Salaam Namaste March on to Goa this month- and Zoe Perrett gets all fired up about the tiny state’s utterly searing sensations.

As Quilon’s Sriram Aylur steps in to oversee the kitchen, Bombay Brasserie diners are primed to experience a little of that Michelin magic. The verdict? A bit of a Bombay mix…

Long Ashton is the first village in the green belt north of Bristol, three miles from the harbourside. A reasonable walk, were it not for the manic road system in between. But to one side lies glorious Ashton Court, 850 acres of park and woodland belonging to the citizens of Bristol. So a long walk in Ashton Court, followed by another long walk to the Bird in Hand (yes, Long Ashton is long) would be the perfect prelude to a slap-up lunch.

If you can squeeze your way through the throng over to the stairs in the corner, you’ll be whisked away to a quiet, understated and stylish dining room. It doesn’t feel as if you’ve left the fun downstairs, on the contrary, this dining room feels the place to be, a secret for those in the know.

Copita, its name derives from the Spanish for a type of sherry glass, is from the mothership of Barrica in Goodge Street and has berthed further south in Darblay Street, Soho. Its sober frontage doesn’t exactly holler for attention but thankfully neither does it go for the faux craphole look which is now getting very boring.

Most people would consider throwing in the towel if their dream restaurant went up in flames. There’s not many who would rebuild, expand and then win a succession of awards. Laurie and Jacqueline Gear are doing sterling work with The Artichoke