I am invited out to dinner by a lot of interesting people. A man who trained as a silver service waiter was most enlightening. This week I was invited out by a Frenchman who teaches French in the UK (I teach English) so we shall have a lot to say about French menus and cooking and restaurant etiquette. I wrote to him:

I am so glad you are happy to take me out to eat. But in the UK it is always an anxiety as I never know whether my host can afford to pay the bill and I keep trying to order whatever is the same price or less than what he ordered. I want to be sure he will be satisfied that I was worth what he paid if the bill is a shock at the end of the evening.

Maybe you can help us in England. Restaurant customers in the UK need the same security and encouragement as French consumers. The French have a rule that every restaurant must have a prix fixe.

I would like to campaign for this in the UK. Many restaurants offer two course, three course and four course set meals. But drinks and coffee and service are extra. So the bill is still more than you expect.

The French prix fixe includes a glass of drink and service. Some restaurants have two course meals and you can have starters or desserts. One person could have a starter and share it. The other could have a dessert and share it. That way you don't over-eat but you both enjoy a varied menu and can linger over lunch.

It annoys me when restaurants have a so-called set menu then charge exta for desserts. Or extra for coffee. Or offer instant coffee but charge extra for espresso. Or ask if you want coffee but don't show you the menu and bring you instant coffee when you could have asked for something more to your liking if you had seen the menu.

Some restaurants offer dessert and coffee included. Others offer a choice of dessert or coffee. The best system is the all-inclusive menu. We should have that in the UK.

When you have some free time, could you go on line and check the French websites and find out when this rule came in and why? Why campaigned for it? Was it the Consumers' Association?

That would be most interesting and might help us in England to achieve the fixed price all-inclusive menu which would benefit customers and bring more business to restaurants which are often half empty lunchtimes and most of the week.

Brasserie Chez Gerard

Brasserie Chez Gerard
15/17 High Street
Pinner
HA5 5PJ

Cost was £72.80 for three.
It took over from Cafe Uno.
Vegetables were extra which was annoying because the server didn't mention that. We still had more than enough food.

Royal China Restaurant

The St Johns Wood branch is in an elegant building. The staff are resplendent in gold and black uniforms, the colour scheme of the restaurant address card. The chopstick rests are also in gold.
Service was speedy and knowledgeable.
Our favourites were crispy seaweed for a starter, followed by Peking Duck, sea bass in soy sauce, finishing with red bean pancake.
We drank sake. I could have ordered a kir royale or another cocktail.

Royal China (St Johns Wood)
68 Queens Grove
London NW8 6ER
tel: +44 (0) 7586 4280
Website: http://www.royalchinagroup.co.uk/

Other branches are:
UK: Baker Street, Queensway, Canary Riverside. The O Satsuma Japanese restaurant is 56 Wardour Street, http://www.satsuma.com/
Royal China at Raffles, Singapore, 3rd Storey, Raffles Hotel Arcade, 328 North Bridge Road, Singapore, 188719, tel: +65 6338 3363.
Royal China at Shanghai, 8/F City Plaza, No 1618, Nanjing Xi Road, Jing An District, Shanghai 200040.
Tel: +8621 -6288-3063.
When visiting their restaurant remember to pick up the pretty business card which lists all the restaurants in tiny gold print on black.

Kanteen

Kanteen in Bushey Heath serves a wonderful hot chocolate cake on a large white square plate with a zig-zag of chocolate.
They also do a bagel with smoked salmon and a good side salad.
And a delicious yogurt or milk drink containing dates.
The Kanteen
23 High Road
Bushey
Herts
WD23 1EE
Cafe, shop and restaurant.
The bakery and patisserie is next door.