Satsuma

This little gem of a restaurant slap bang in the middle of Soho is the only Japanese restaurant from the highly thought of Royal China stable of restaurants. It has been a favourite with media types, locals and tourists for the 12 years since it opened, but thanks to a recent, splendid refurb it is more appealing than ever. We came in for 'lunch' but the eclectic menu and relaxed staff means you can come in for something to eat at just about any time of day.

I loved the spacious interior and we were lucky enough to get a booth. I was meeting a fellow travel writer for lunch. We had both just returned from sunnier climes (she: Caribbean, me: The Algarve) but as we looked out at people huddled in the rain on Wardour Street, it felt as if we were sitting under a little ray of orange sunshine and I was charmed when the young smiley waiter happily plugged in my phone for me using his charger.

I ordered a hot saké and began leafing through the wonderfully concise picture menu. We went for a starter of silky aubergine and an exquisitely presented crab maki roll (pictured) followed by Katsu chicken (also pictured), spicy beef udon and a seaweed salad beautifully and imaginatively served on ice in a cocktail glass. Katsu is the restaurant's signature dish – the chicken was lightly breaded with a deliciously rich curry sauce. All dishes were very reasonably priced with most mains between £5 and £10.

This intimate restaurant – as sweetly satisfying and visually appealing as the little fruit from which it takes its name – attracts a mix of people, all of whom appeared very relaxed in this soothing environment. Behind us a man played drums with his chopsticks to entertain his six-year-old son who announced 'I like it here, it's my second time', opposite a Chinese couple stood their pretty doll-like baby on their table while two American girls gossiped in the corner.

The only problem? We didn't want to leave and we only managed to prise ourselves away a full four hours later; the discreet waiting staff not batting an eyelid at our extended 'lunch'.

54 Wardour Street Tel 0207 437 8338

www.osatsuma.com

A Soothing Spa in Central Kings Cross

I felt like an excited and slightly nervous school girl arriving at the Hogwartian St Pancras Renaissance Hotel for the first time. Scenes from Harry Potter were filmed here and the location certainly worked some kind of magic on me. The hotel, which originally threw open its doors in 1873, reopened this year to the tune of a cool 150 million pounds. It was a surprise to me that this oh so British heritage hotel is actually a Marriott, which offers a range of holiday deals, but it shows no hint of a chain mentality.

I enjoyed a skilfully executed cleansing and soothing express facial with Cinq Mondes products in the subterranean spa, housed in the old kitchen. The spa manager explained that the range – which means ‘Five Worlds’ – was deemed highly appropriate given the amount of travellers that pass through the hotel building and the bustling train station. But that was not the only reason. All the products from this highly thought of French stable, which are used in 200 spas in 20 countries around the world, are organic and natural and of extraordinary quality.

Cinq Mondes, which is very much a dedicated spa brand, inspired a complete set of ‘spa journeys’ to transport visitors to the Renaissance spa to Europe, India, Indonesia, and beyond. After their treatment drawing on beauty and relaxation rituals from around the world, guests are treated to a special snack, with music and smells appropriate to their treatment ‘destination’ – a wonderfully imaginative touch.

Throughout the exquisitely decorated spa, presided over by a dedicated spa butler, the symbol of a peacock is a reappearing icon. During painstaking renovations (which took nearly a decade) of this historic building, the symbol of a peacock was found in the plasterwork. It seemed an ideal image for the spa which has rejuvenation as its central ethos as the peacock is able to grow a completely set of new feathers when it sheds its old ones.

The Victorian tiled relaxation pool is a serene space that is a world away from the busy international station above. I was told that the interior designers were allowed to use a palette of just 20 colours in this heritage hotel. This obviously presented a real challenge, but there is no hint of the restrictions in place, with the décor singing real classic style.

Upstairs, the Booking Office bar and restaurant is housed in the original ticket office. I have been told not to miss a Gin Fizz with truffle and chips at the charming old school bar and a night in the hotel itself ­ – but that’s another journey.

www.stpancrasspa.co.uk