Trip to London coming up? Spot of Christmas shopping, some food and a show? My top pick in the theatres at the moment is Priscilla Queen of the Desert, read the review here. Christmas shopping? Take the easy option and do it all online - here's the ultimate online Christmas shopping guide. So that leaves you loads of time to hang out in restaurants, eat, drink and be merry. And when in London with its melting pot of cultures, it would be a shame not to embrace a few of those cultures through food.

The recently-opened Assaggetti is a restaurant that deserves to be packed to its stylish rafters every night. For the food - Italian favourites with plenty of regional varieties - the ambiance - created by the family of Italians who run it so charmingly - and the prices - amazingly low for this part of London, small plates average £3.50, large main course dishes £8/9. Everything is designed to be shared so there's a chance to try a variety and mix familiar - lasange, mini pizza - with dishes you would expect to see in an authentic trattoria. Calamari is crisp and succulent, seabream comes with a delicious sauce flavoured with olives, handmade ravioli with scampi melts in the mouth. There is a good selection of reasonably priced wines on the menu, starting from £17 per bottle and £3.50 per glass. Yes, I did say £3.50 per glass.

Assaggetti, 71 Haymarket, SW1Y 4RW;

Next to 'France', to the buzzing Bistro du Vin in Soho. Another new address on the food scene, this seems to have fond its laid-back, though stylish, niche. Du Vin fans will be familiar with the provenance of its food suppliers - all carefully detailed on the menu. So there's beef from royal warrant holder Donald Russell, Malden oysters from Kent (read more about them here), cheese from artisan producers. There's a whole 'cave de frommage' walled off in its own area where 'frommage lovers' can lose themselves and enjoy private tastings, there's a wine-cellar for private dining. It's these details from a business that takes its business - food and drink - very sriously that sets du Vin apart. We eat squid and a fragrant coconut soup with curried scallop, moules marinere with frites and halibut with razor clams and broad beans. All is delicious and all is authentic in a very French-bistro-meets-Soho way. Prices are on the reasonable side for this part of town and there's an exceptionally good value set menu - 2 courses for £18.50, three for £24.50, available from 12 midday to 2.30pm and 5pm until 7pm.

Bistro du Vin, Dean St, Soho

And later? Head to the Cuckoo Club, current favourite hot spot for the in-the-know crowd. Fashionable and discreet, located just off Regent St, the downstairs space manages to be both intimate and happpening, the music is a mix of indie and retro. You can eat in the restaurant upstairs - highly recommended as the place to see and be seen - in an opulent room with a strikingly chic bar as the focal point. The menu offers simple dishes beautifully executed using quality ingredients. All dishes are made for sharing and served to the table buffet-style, making for a convivial and sociable dinner. The quality is reflected in the pricing, averaging £10 for starters, £20 for mains. We eat King Crab with corinader and spiced mango, a salad of terribly trendy green tomato, pesto and burrato (posh buffalo mozzarella), seabass on a bed of wilted samphire that tastes of the sea and mushroom risotto with Parmesan and truffle oil, and are well pleased. The club has recently had a makeover, attendees at the relaunch party held during London Fashion Week included Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Chelsy Davy and Jo Wood, and of course the fash pack.

The Cuckoo Club, Swallow Place, W1B 4EZ

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