Singapore Garden: 7/10

Recession? What recession. When I walked into Singapore Garden the other day, I was astounded. At 9pm, on a Wednesday night, in the midst - or at the start - of the country's first recession in 17 years, the place was mobbed. We had to wait for a table. We ordered tofu+ peanut, sea bass, spring rolls, Brussels sprouts and two virgin mojitos. The bill came to £66. Hardly a cheap night out. "You should see it on weekends," the waiter told us. "You need to book."

So the world - at least in this comfy corner of NW6 - hasn't yet come to an end. But unless you live in a St John's Wood town house and have two Bentleys in the drive, this isn't the place to come for a cheap snack on a week-night.