Le Bouchon Breton

With plush red seating and a well stocked high bar, it was the epitome of retro French glamour. Outside, little oases of botany separated deck furniture and a live band played gently in the background, all a part of the Breton’s August jazz nights.

Polpo, Soho

I like Polpo a lot better now it’s got over the initial trendy phase and settled down to simply feeding people. This is the sort of place that only Soho can support, a postcode where dodgy expenses are still signed off and the locals more mature and less fickle than out East. You need eight arms to tackle all the dishes as they pile onto your small table though.

West Dean Gardens Annual Chilli Fiesta, 6 – 8 August

Hotter for longer this year, the West Dean’s Chilli Fiesta has been extended to three days, as it attracts devoted chilli fanatics from all over the world. Creating a very special hotspot among the nation’s food events, there will be chilli growing and cooking demonstrations, tastings galore ranging from the mild to the very hot.