Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Chinese food and that I have a very sweet tooth, so how excited was I to be invited to China  Tang in The Dorchester Hotel to review their newly launched Afternoon Tea, aptly named Tea at Tangs!

You know you are in for a treat when you enter China Tang through it’s beautiful blossom arch. The Afternoon Tea is served in The Bar, which oozes 1930s Shanghai glamour and we thoroughly enjoyed the four delicacies in our Steamed Dim Sum basket (one each), as well as the Butterfly Prawn Toast which was packed with prawn and fried perfectly, the Vegetarian Spring Roll and the Gai Lan Cheung Fun (gai lan, crispy dough rolled in rice noodle sheets). The savoury selection of the Afternoon Tea was served with two dips, and we only wished we could have had double of everything as we enjoyed it so much!

The sweet section of the Afternoon Tea however, is just as delicious, and we again wished we had more of the Chocolate Dumplings, Classic Fried Chiu Chow Dim Sum, Traditional Hong Kong East Custard Tart and Mandarin Delight, which was a slice of sheer heaven!

Complementing the food offering, China Tang is serving a carefully curated selection of teas from a menu devised by Jade Tea, ranging from Jasmine Supreme (a vibrant and lively green tea layered with fresh jasmine flowers) to Silver Needle (the champagne of white tea, with notes of sweet sap and honeydew melon) and Rare Orchid (oolong tea with notes of fig and elderflower).

From the bar, guests can also enjoy an optional glass of Heidsieck or select from three Tea-based Cocktails - Tang Teapot (Rum, Chrysanthemum Tea, Yellow Chartreuse, Lychee & Rose Bitter), French Tea (Pothecary Gin, Champagne Syrup and Lavender Tea) or Cosmopot (Grey Goose Orange Vodka, Cointreau, Cranberry Juice, Pomegranate Syrup and Bergamot Tea).

Tea at Tangs was launched in January 2019, and pays homage to late owner Sir David Tang, and is expertly prepared by Executive Chef Chong Choi Fong. Served from Monday to Friday between 2.30pm-4.30pm, Afternoon Tea costs £46. Tea at Tangs can be accompanied with a glass of Champagne (from £17) or a cocktail (£16) and for large groups, China Tang can also accommodate tea parties in their stunning Private Dining Rooms - Ping, Pang and Pong, which can be booked in advance.

Chinese restaurants aren’t commonly known for their desserts and sweet selection, but I have to say China Tang excels in this area, and this was my favourite Afternoon Tea ever, so if you are looking for Afternoon Tea with a difference, and you love Chinese food, off to China Tang you go!

‘Tea at Tangs’ Afternoon Tea China Tang, The Dorchester, 53 Park Lane, Mayfair, London, W1K 1QA, Telephone: 020 7319 7088

When I was a child I went on holiday with my Mum and Dad to Las Vegas, and two of my most endearing memories are firstly, nearly being  thrown out of one casino as my brother and I (at the tender age of 14 and 16) were caught telling Mum and Dad what buttons to hit on the slot machines, and secondly, that there were restaurants offering all the food you could eat for just a $1! It was ‘pile it high’ and of dubious quality, but at a $1 what was there to complain about?

Casinos, I am sure, have changed considerably in the interim years, but I only realised how much they have changed when I left the hustle and bustle of Berkeley Square and entered the Palm Beach Casino in Mayfair. First impressions to me are always a good indicator of what to expect, and here the décor and ambiance oozes class, and the welcome was friendly, warm and ultra-efficient.

We were guided to the Cocktail Lounge that wouldn’t be out of place in a plush hotel, with its low leather tables surrounded by luxurious red plush seating, and started the difficult choice of what to drink from their extensive cocktail menu which is reasonably priced (unfortunately inflation had clearly increased the price up from the $1!). My wife chose for the first time ever, the wonderfully named Porn Star Martini, which was served with the champagne on the side, so she had the choice of mixing it or drinking the ingredients separately. She tried both versions and personally preferred them separately, and I have a feeling it won’t be the first time she chooses this tipple! What I didn’t realise is a Porn Star Martini doesn’t follow the usual Gin and Vermouth ingredients but instead has a wonderfully fresh and fruity passion fruit and vodka combination which almost make the drink feel non-alcoholic!!

The Palm Beach Casino has two wonderful choices for diners - one an informal Bar and Grill, and the other a more formal (but not too formal) restaurant. The relaxed Bar & Grill offers, all-day dining and coverage of the world’s major sporting events on the large TV screens overlooking the bar, and its menu reflects that less formal environment just next to the gaming area. Dishes are designed to appeal to the casino’s international clientele and traverses the globe, including as well as Zaman’s signature Asian dishes, choices such as the Palm Beach Burger with gherkins, onion rings and fries or the succulent 10oz grilled ribeye with peppercorn sauce and sautéed potatoes. The restaurant is a little more formal and is an eclectic mix of styles. Art deco mixes with modern and old school style and if I hadn’t been there and seen it with my own eyes, I would have said these styles wouldn’t mix, but they do, and make a perfect place to enjoy the delights that come out of the kitchen.

As I am sure you are realising the Palm Beach is a wonderful mixture of styles and its main restaurant is now exception and is opulent and elegant. Diners are transported back to a bygone era and are treated to dishes from around the world by award winning executive chef Mahmud Zaman’s extensive menu, which offers dishes from the Chinese, Indian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean menus. Choices are so difficult to make we actually selected 3 starters! A beetroot and goats cheese salad quickly disappeared as the sweetness of the beetroot complimented the rich and gooey cheese. The other choices (we really couldn’t decide between them) were Chinese chilli prawns and squid. The batter on the meaty prawn was so light it melted in your mouth and resembled one of the best prawn dishes we have had in a Chinese Michelin stared restaurant, and the squid was accompanied by a chilli sauce giving off just enough heat to complement the fresh squid. The quality of all three dishes was of the highest standard, as was the mains we chose. My wife chose from the Indian menu and enjoyed a mild king prawn curry with rice and a delicious paratha, whilst I opted for a perfectly cooked steak with chips that were crisp and chunky. For dessert we were offered a selection of dishes that were all beautifully presented and we can highly recommend the apple tarte tatin.

Although Palm Beach Casino is a casino, the restaurant is outstanding, and worthy of a visit for the cuisine alone. The service was also outstanding, with several diners being warmly greeted by staff who almost seemed like family to the guests, and I can understand why they would have so many regular clients in the restaurant.

Following our fantastic dining experience we did head to the gaming tables and enjoyed a few rounds of roulette, but luckily left before we lost too much money!

Palm Beach Casino is a fun night out, and even if you don’t enjoy gambling, you will enjoy the Cocktail Bar and restaurant.

I am always amazed by how restaurants pop up with new concepts, and one of the latest provides the diners of London with the chance to feast on a true delicacy, the Red King Crab.

I am really not an expert on the fishing techniques to be able to catch what are the largest crabs, but I am reliably informed that these giants of the crab world are only found in a small section of the Arctic Ocean’s coldest and deepest waters and are very difficult to catch. I am also assured that these crabs are a prized delicacy, and the flavour makes up for all of the effort it takes to catch them.

Fancy Crab is well placed on Wigmore Street, and the building oozes class from the moment you enter, with the high ceilings giving a wonderful feeling of space, and the ice bar at the back of the restaurant housing these elusive red giants which you will be enjoying during the evening. In between the ice bar and the door are simple tables and chairs, and green leather booths against the walls overlooked by an eclectic mix of modern and old paintings. Some places just have a cool vibe, and this is one of them. Our welcome was warm and we were led to our booth where we could peruse the menu over a glass of something cold.

As the name suggests this is a seafood restaurant (although there are some dishes for the meat eaters, well two!), and the selection is extensive. For the romantics a few oysters to start would be perfect, but we passed on these as we spotted some gems from the appetiser and starter section. It was a bitterly cold evening so our first choice was a warming King Crab and Lobster Bisque (£13). Generous pieces of this regal giant were engulfed by the rich bisque which also provided a hint of the sea. Our other selections were the Grilled Tiger Prawns (£12) and the King Crab Tempura (£12.50). The tiger prawns were flavoured with tamarind and honey, and the sweetness of the honey came through without overpowering the prawn, whilst the light batter gave a satisfying crunch to the sweet white claw meat accompanied by a delicate saffron aioli.

Although there is a wide choice of mains and also a number of amazing Crustacean Stands packed with lots of goodies from the sea (priced from £19.50 to £100), the next decision, in my view, was a simple one, and rather than what to choose, it was how much of it would we order (Red King Crab £18/kg). The restaurant name says it all, and you are coming to taste this red ‘fancy’ giant, and when you do taste it you will see why it is so prized. The choice is really whether to have the crab on ice or baked over charcoal and we decided to respect the delicate taste and have it on ice. To accompany our crab we selected some truffle fries (£5) and some buttered spinach (£4.5), which perfectly accompanied the fresh and slightly sweet crab. Food of this quality shines in any situation, and to get the full experience and delicate flavour I recommend keeping it simple. There are other choices including a King Crab Burger (£23) and the Singapore Chilli Crab (£28) which is a firm favourite because of its contrasting sweet and spicy tastes, but to me this crab’s taste is so good it seems a crime to mask it with anything, even if it is a great sauce.

It was with great disappointment that when the deserts menu was handed to me it didn’t have a King Crab Cheesecake or at least something with Red King Crab in it!! Well that wasn’t strictly true, and I was delighted to be able to pick the Chocolate Fondant (£7.5) and my wife picked the Fancy Lemon Tart (£6.5). The chocolate fondant ticks every chocoholic’s dreams, and the deconstructed lemon meringue was tangy and zesty and provided a palate cleanser to end the meal.

Crab needs to be treated with respect to enable the diner to get the full benefit of its texture and slightly sweet taste, and now there is somewhere in London where you can experience this to the full.

You’ll find Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurant and market in the historic London ‘Trocadero’ building, just a few minutes’ walk from Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square. We have always had a great time as the atmosphere is lively, the food is good and the interior quirky. It is always busy, and the day we visited was no exception. Our two teenage children were excited to join us for the first time, enjoying the buzz you feel upon entering the restaurant. Many of our fellow diners were evidently celebrating a birthday on this busy Saturday evening of our visit – there were groups of families, friends, and couples spanning the generations, all enjoying the party vibe.

If you haven’t already worked it out, the restaurant is a tribute to the movie ‘Forrest Gump’ and features a menu of comfort food from the American South that reflects the film’s setting in Alabama. The fact that there are now 40 Bubba Gump’s worldwide, is testament to its success. We first encountered the chain whilst on holiday in Monterey, California some 5 years ago - it turns out this was the first of the restaurants to open back in 1996.

The speciality here is shrimp, but there are a wide variety of alternatives on offer. The friendly waiting staff are on hand to give useful advice and steered us towards the ‘Run Across America Sampler’ (£22.50), a starter to share that is ideally suited to families or groups wanting a taste of several different starters without committing to just one! Our starter included Grilled Shrimp, Mama Blue’s Fried Shrimp, Spicy Chicken Strips and homemade Tortilla Chips. This large platter was served with delicious dips including Bubba’s Far Out Dip. Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Other starters include a great range of favourites including Mama Gump’s Garlic Bread Basket, Best Ever Popcorn Shrimp, Frizzled Onion Rings, Shrimp Mac & Cheese, and Cajun Shrimp. The kids’ favourite among those we sampled were the Spicy Chicken Strips, whilst us adults preferred the grilled shrimp.

There is a mouth-watering selection of Entrées, including Soups, Salads, Burgers, Sandwiches and Jenny’s Catch (fish options). Of course, we were keen to go for the Shrimp Options in a Shrimp restaurant (their shrimp is sustainably and ethically sourced, certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council)! The Shrimp dishes are priced from £18.50. Myself and my eldest son (both ready for a feast) chose to share a couple of restaurant favourites – Forrest’s Seafood Feast and Lt. Dan’s Surf and Turf. The Seafood Feast (priced at £20.50) offered us more of Mama Blue’s Fried Shrimp, hand battered Fish & Chips and made from scratch Seafood Hush Pups. This meal was served with delicious Cajun seasoned Fries and their homemade Dippin’ sauces – Tartar, Cocktail and Remoulade – all sublime, and easy to see why this platter is voted the #1 Guest Favourite. Lt. Dan’s Surf & Turf (£25.95) offered their award- winning Dixie Style Baby Back Ribs, slow roasted to perfection with succulent Grilled Shrimp and Cajun seasoned Fries, another large platter, and the sweet sauce of the Ribs perfectly complemented the rest of the meal. My youngest son who sometimes has eyes bigger than his belly was keen to give the Shrimper’s Heaven a go. This meal (priced at £24.50) included Hand Breaded Coconut Shrimp, Grilled Shrimp, Crispy Golden Shrimp and Tempura Shrimp – heaven indeed, providing you like shrimp! The platter also came with Cajun seasoned Fries served with their homemade Dippin’ Sauces – Tangy Asian, Cajun Marmalade and Zesty Cocktail. He ended up sharing this with my wife who enjoyed her Classic Caesar Salad (£13.25; adding Grilled Chicken £2.99), knowing that she would get invitations to try all the Shrimp we had ordered!

There are many good other menu options to choose from, including Dumb Luck Coconut Shrimp, Shrimp & Veggie Skewers and some tasty looking fish dishes. I also contemplated Mama’s Southern Fried Chicken and that classic Southern dish ‘Jambalaya’- something I’ve always been intrigued to try after hearing The Carpenters sing about it in the 70s - I guess that’s one for my next visit. There is also an extensive Kids menu, a Pre-Theatre Menu and separate menus dedicated to Gluten Free and Vegetarian options.

‘Smoothies’, ‘Quenchers’ and ‘Hand Shaken Margaritas’ are some of the drinks offerings - we chose instead to enjoy a bottle of red wine with dinner, whilst the boys chose ‘Secret Mango Sparkler’ and a pineapple juice.

I knew we would have to save some room for dessert - we had promised the kids after all! The dessert list offers a selection that includes Key Lime Pie, Mama’s Bread Pudding, Mama’s Best Strawberry Shortcake (Mama had a sweet tooth evidently), Alabama Brownie and a Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae to share, which we marvelled at as we spotted it delivered to other diners! Again, our friendly waiter was on hand to point us in the direction of the sharing option known as ‘The Best of The Best Sampler’, so we could enjoy a taste of 3 of their most popular desserts. As it turned out the portions were huge! The (supposedly) smaller portions of Mama’s Cinnamon Bread Pudding, Strawberry Shortcake and the Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae priced at £11.95, represented comfort food at its best ... homemade, sweet and delicious.

Service throughout was actually really good for a restaurant of this size, and seems to work as a well-oiled machine. Staff are cheerful, pleasant and helpful with menu choices, as well as catering really well to the kids. Take note though, you may need to brush up on your ‘Forrest Gump’ knowledge as each table is given a trivia quiz by their waiter - just for fun, of course!

During the meal, we were entertained by the fun, casual atmosphere around us - there is a lot of memorabilia from the movie displayed on the walls and around the wooden shack-style eating booths, including some fabulous quotes from the movie itself (which incidentally plays continuously on screens dotted around the space) our favourites being “Stupid is as stupid does” and “Life is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you gonna get”. Every so often the waiting staff would break out in a birthday rap to celebrate diners’ birthdays with everyone nearby joining in. This is a fun venue, offering more than just a restaurant, and if you want to check out what nearby Piccadilly and Leicester Square has to offer then you can take advantage of the all-day parking for £17.50 (if you dine and book online).

If you haven’t yet visited, add it to your list – either book before or get there early, as the queues can be long. We did of course have to watch the movie as soon as we got home, which reminded us why this is one our favourite movies and an all-time classic worthy of 40 restaurants!

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. 13 Coventry Street, London W1D 7AB, Telephone: 0203 7635 288, www.bubbagumpshrimp.co.uk

Sometimes only steak will do, and for those times there is Smith & Wollensky. The New York Times described it as “A steakhouse to end all   arguments”, and this US steakhouse has certainly enjoyed a triumphant expansion, from its original flagship premises in New York (opened in 1977), across the US and now into the heart of London, where it opened its’ first UK steakhouse in 2015. In keeping with a brand which has become known for its elegant dining rooms in intimate or iconic locations, the London steakhouse is no exception. Located in the monumental art deco styled Adelphi Building, situated between the Strand and the Thames, it forms part of the London Skyline as you cross Waterloo Bridge. Former residents of the Adelphi building have included JM Barrie (author of Peter Pan), George Bernard Shaw and Thomas Hardy, all notable in their fields, as Smith & Wollensky are in theirs.

It is interesting to note that ‘Smith & Wollensky’ was founded by Alan Stillman (creator of TGI Friday) and Ben Benson. You may be wondering, as I was, how they happened upon the name. In fact, the story goes that “Smith” and “Wollensky” were names selected at random from a New York phone book, late one night!

One thing that hasn’t changed is the style, quality and service that were present then, and the attention to detail. As you slip from the hustle and bustle of the Strand with its’ theatres and shops, into John Adam Street, you seem to not only leave the crowds, but also to step back in time. This feeling is perfectly evoked by the Martin Brudnizki designed interior, decked in mahogany. The ceilings are high and the space extensive (15,000 square feet), but the clever interiors manage to still create a feeling of intimacy. The art deco features are impressive; from the lighting and patterned floor tiles to the wall art and furnishings - there is a wonderful feeling of being in 1920s New York.

On entering, my wife and I made our way past well-spaced out tables and booths to the bar, where we relaxed with a cocktail whilst perusing the menu. There is a fantastic range of speciality cocktails, and I enjoyed my Scorpion (rum based) whilst my wife sipped her Greenhouse Gimlet (gin based). There are also American- sized (80ml) Martinis and Manhattans available – next time! We were shown to our booth by a waiter dressed in a pristine white jacket, where we knuckled down to the serious job of choosing our dinner. The starter choice is extensive and is mainly dominated by seafood including Tuna Ceviche (£9), Seared Chilli & Garlic Shrimp (£14) and Octopus & Chorizo Carpaccio (£16), with Fillet of Beef and Chop. My wife chose the Hand-Dived Scottish Scallops with Garlic & Parsley Butter (£19), and I selected the Half Cold Poached Lobster (£16). If you really want a feast then you should look no further than the two sharing platters which consist of a tower of Lobster, Jumbo Lump Crabmeat, Jumbo Shrimp, Pyefleet Pure Oysters & Cherry Stone Clams paired with Classic Cocktail Sauce, Cognac Mustard Sauce, Ginger Sauce and Sherry Migonette, priced at £90 for the ‘Charlie Smith’ (2-4 people), or £125 for the ‘Ralph Wollensky’ (4-6 people).

The mains are unashamedly dominated by steak, (well it is a steakhouse!) but for the sake of variety, there are options including burger, fish, lobster, chicken, salad and pork chop. Let’s be honest, it’s the steak that holds the headlines here. There is an enormous amount of knowledge and pride amongst the staff when it comes to the steaks. The meat is butchered and dry-aged on-site, and is hand-cut in their in-house butchery by their own butcher; making it the only steakhouse in London which offers a cut of meat that combines all three. Sitting alongside the American steaks are patriotic British and Irish cuts and premium seafood together with locally-sourced ingredients from the very best UK suppliers. All of this is enhanced through a careful dry-ageing process lasting 28 days which intensifies the flavour and tenderness. I went for the USDA Prime Sirloin (250g, £36) as I just love the rich flavour. My steak was chargrilled to perfection and served with a Béarnaise Sauce. There is an impressive selection of enhancements and sauces to choose from including rubs, crusts and even lobster tail. Other cuts include the Chateaubriand 600g (£80; to share), T-Bone 500g (£58) or a Kansas City Cut Bone-In Sirloin (£64). My wife had the Seared Tuna (£26), which was served with a cauliflower couscous, and complemented with a citrus dressing. To accompany our mains, we ordered French Fries (£5), Creamed Spinach (£10) – for me a must- have with steak - Onion Rings (£7) and Truffled Mac ‘n’ Cheese (£10).

There is a comprehensive wine list, including Smith and Wollensky’s own Private Reserve from California available as Sauvignon Blanc and Red Blend. On this particular evening, we enjoyed the house Californian wine. Prices per glass range from £5.25 (125ml) for a Chardonnay Blend to £12.50 (125ml) for the Private Reserve Red Blend from Napa.

From a previous visit, I remembered not to eat too much before coming here and I advise you to do the same, as the portions are American size, not UK. That said, when the dessert menu arrived, I suffered from an immediate case of ‘eyes bigger than belly’. Smith & Wollensky do not do things by halves and have their own pastry chef who prepares the desserts daily on site. I opted for the Gigantic Chocolate Cake (£18) which truly lives up to its name. This can be shared between up to 4 people and consists of moist chocolate layers of cake brushed with Baileys Irish Cream, sandwiched with chocolate mousse and covered with chocolate ganache. This was my kind of pudding, with the cake being light in texture and the mousse suitably gooey, but even with my love of chocolate, there was not even the smallest chance of finishing this gargantuan slice of cake, and some days later I was still to be found carving off slithers from my fridge at home (they are used to requests for a doggy-bag!). My wife, in addition to sampling the cake, opted for cheese and biscuits from the cheese trolley (£14) and enjoyed some fantastic British cheeses.

Smith & Wollensky’s stylish dining room is split over two levels, each with a separate bar, meaning they are well equipped to cater for large private parties. If your party is more compact in size, there are 3 additional private dining rooms for those special occasions. With such large and versatile dining space at their fingertips it’s great to see that they run a range of special events including Thanksgiving and 4th July celebrations along with Wine Events. Keep your eye on their website www. smithandwollensky.co.uk to find out details of these and other events throughout the year.

Smith & Wollensky offers a timeless, vibrant, yet relaxed atmosphere that envelopes guests in gracious hospitality. It takes many of the features of the Adelphi Building and its art deco style and marries them with the distinctive Smith & Wollensky brand, the result of which is a dining experience that offers simple refinement in the grand tradition and justifies their claim of offering the “best steak in London”. I am not sure my waistband agrees!

Smith & Wollensky Adelphi Building, 1-11 John Adam Street, London, WC2N 6HT Telephone: 020 7321 6007