Mr Chow

This pioneer of fashionable Chinese restaurants opened its doors in 1968, and its appeal among Knightsbridge's opulent diners has endured through the decades. On our visit, the venue was so busy that there was a logjam at reception.

The buzz and clamour is certainly impressive, but this is no place for strapped wallets: a bowl of rice costs £5.50, and the service charge is 13% on top of a cover charge.

We found ourselves squeezed into a swish, dark room furnished with rosewood chairs and filled with original modern art. The silver sculpture of three Cantonese roast ducks, hanging from the ceiling, is a neat touch.

The food is more akin to a Hollywood pastiche of the cuisine than authentic Chinese, but the kitchen showed ample skill with a whole stone crab, its soft flesh sautéed with egg white.

Squid ink rice noodles - a clever, almost Mediterranean take on ho fun - was delicious, and crispy beef was also right on the money, but we felt cheated by bland gai lan (chinese broccoli), which had been par-boiled rather than stir-fried with oyster sauce. Staff, despite being rushed off their feet, were charming.