eating (82)

Head away from the main streets into the working class areas for a real breakfast experience, thin watery soups, spicy stews, congees - a wide range of dishes are to be had for much less than you'd pay for a continental breakfast in any hotel.

If you go to Hong Kong around December the place is awash with hairy crabs - not an outbreak of unpleasantness, but a gastronomic opportunity. The ones I had were steamed and once one worked out how to get inside them, the ovaries were something between scrambled egg and mashed potato.

Here are a few vegetarian restaurants in Manhattan that I've found worth the visit. Hangawi is a rather upmarket Korean restaurant serving only vegetarian food. The 'Emperor's Feast' is $35/person, but worth every penny (sorry, cent). The Chennai Garden is a vegetarian Indian restaurant specialising in South Indian food. I've taken numerous non-veggies there and no-one has ever complained. Good value for money, too.

Candle Cafe is a mostly vegan bistro on the Upper East Side. Very reasonably priced, although it can get crowded. Great veggie burgers and sandwiches.

Artisan, at The Westbury Hotel, is one of my favourite restaurants in London. Serving seasonal modern European food, the menu changes regularly. Don't let the fact that it is located within a hotel put you off. The decor is classic, the service is impeccable and the food fabulous. And whilst everything is to a high standard, the place doesn't feel pretentious. I have been there on business lunches, and for dinner with friends.

A little hidden gem in Greenwich Village is Prune, a cosy neighbourhood restaurant that does the best brunch in New York, perfect for a Sunday morning in the city (yes some of us go there at weekends for business as well!) I've taken clients to this place a few times, and they're always impressed, as it feels like you really know the area, and feels like a real part of New York. It does get VERY busy for Sunday brunch so the earlier the better (I've arrived there before at midday on a Sunday to be told it was a 2 hour wait) - the wait however is worth it. This tiny little restaurant has a huge list of bloody marys and a delightful selection of brunch items which'll knock your socks off. I'm a big fan of their pear pancake. A little New York experience which may be small in stature but is huge on taste.

La Quincaillerie (if you can pronounce it) is the place to go for upmarket Belgian dining in the atmospheric, bustling setting of an old ironmonger's store. It's a really memorable experience for visitors to Brussels and has fantastic seafood.

I lived in Hong Kong for four years and by far the most impressive view of Hong Kong island is from 'Aqua', a bar/restaurant at the 29th floor of 1 Peking Rd, Tsim Tsa Tsui on the Kowloon side. On the floor above Aqua there is a Chinese Restaurant called 'Hutong' that is also very impressive and with dimmed lighting to enhance the view even more.

Place Saint-Géry is a great place to grab a drink in the evening in Brussels. There are also great restaurants around this area.

For a great dining experience on the Thames in East London, not far from the City, try visiting the Shad Thames area and Pont de la Tour. Great seafood, wine and atmosphere overlooking Tower Bridge. They have both a relaxed bistro and a more formal dining room for business dinners.

When coming from London to NYC it'd be rude not to stay in The London, just to be able to confuse people back home. Lovely new hotel on W54th and 7th, perfectly located for an early morning jog round Central Park before meetings in the day, and real handy for 5th Avenue shopping and Broadway shows. Friendly staff and probably the best concierge in town. They also have Gordon Ramsey's restaurant there, and he does room service... so stick it on expenses and have a real treat.