It's always tricky trying to decide where to have my and Melanie's birthday meal. Do I plump for the easy - La Margherita or thereabouts - or try to find somewhere we haven't been before for this particular celebration. I usually opt for something new, sometimes deciding months in advance (as last year). This year I couldn't make up my mind.

Eventually I settled on the Fleur, having finally rejected the Punter after one tedious risotto too many on previous reconnaissance visits. I knew the Fleur would do decent food and one or two people attending hadn't previously eaten there. Sadly we had to pre-order - tiny kitchen versus fifteen diners - but that went smoothly, my simple spreadsheet printout of who-and-what deemed "the most organised pre-order we've had" by the barman. The final tally was seventeen, with latecomers Nadia and ex-ANT colleague Simon squeezed in and allowed to order on the night.

A good mix of people, I thought; the usual suspects bolstered by former ANTers and more recent chums Andrew and Doron. There was even, astonishingly, some mixing between the groups.

The food was, as usual, excellent. I was slightly worried that my creamy tagliatelle would cause me some difficulties in my present confinement, though those worries were misplaced; possibly doused in alcohol. I declined dessert, since I never eat dessert (© Chef).

To round off a fine evening, the presentation of a magic voucher got us 15% off the bill for the entire table. And it doesn't get much better than that.

Avaragado's rating: fifteen peas