restaurant openings

Babycream, Liverpool

Liverpool's latest bar is the brainchild of James Barton, founder of Cream, and Rob Gutmann of the Lyceum Group. The downstairs Virtual World Bar room is kitted out with AV technology so that drinkers are surrounded by virtual windows (screens) displaying a variety of landscapes from a harbour at sunset to an underwater world. You can also burn your own CDs.

Opened: 20 November

What to wear: Glam - the women's loos are called the Girls' Powder Room where you're encouraged to reapply your lipstick while sitting on a Philippe Starck chair.

Cocktails: From £5.95

Address: Atlantic Pavilion, Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4AE, Tel: 0151-707 1004

Papageno, London

From the founder of Sarastro comes this new restaurant and bar offering along similar lines. It's named after the playful and mischievous birdcatcher Papageno in The Magic Flute whose main aim in life is to find enjoyment and happiness. Look out for more gold and operatic artefacts.

Opened: 4 December

Average spend: £30 (with wine)

Owner: Richard Niazi

Address: 29-31 Wellington Street, London WC2, Tel: 020 7836 4444

Ocean restaurant, Hartlepool

The local lifeboat crew served up lunch at the opening of this new seafood restaurant, which was officially named by the coxswain smashing a bottle of Champagne.

Opened: 30 November

Average spend: £35 (with wine)

Chef: Mark Jones

Address: The Cliff, Seaton Carew, Hartlepool TS25 1AB, Tel: 01429 264 301

Spoon, Hong Kong

Chef Alain Ducasse has again expanded his restaurant concept, Spoon, this time to Hong Kong. It is the fifth Spoon to open after Paris in 1998, Mauritius in 1999, London in 2000 and St Tropez in 2002. Two more Spoons will open in December in Gstaad, Switzerland and Carthage, Tunisia.

Opened: 22 October

Average spend: HK$600 (£44.58)

Head chef: Laurent Andre (previously at Spoon at Sanderson, London)

Address: InterContinental Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong, Tel: 852 2313 2256

Fat Cat, Nottingham

This café-bar originally opened in 1994 in Nottingham's Chapel Quarter, but was forced to shut in 2000 after the site was closed for regeneration. It has now returned as a spacious lounge bar and 60-seat restaurant. The Fat Cat group is an independent pub company operating three brands: Fat Cat Caf‚ Bars, Bluu and The Red House.

Reopened: 26 November

What to wear: Laid-back, but pretty much anything you feel like.

Average spend: £5-£15

Owners: Matt Saunders and Simon Patterson

Address Chapel Quarter, Nottingham NG1 6JS, Tel: 0115 947 5044

MyCafé‚ Aveda, London

Myhotels has joined forces with Aveda to open the first MyCaf‚. Food consultancy Company of Cooks, also responsible for the Brew House caf‚ at Kenwood, London, is behind the menu, which focuses on nutritionally sound dishes using fresh ingredients (organic where possible). Decor is inspired by modern urban Tokyo.

Opened: 24 November launch

Average spend: £7-£10

Owner: Myhotels

Address: 174 High Holborn, London WC1V 7AA, Tel: 020 7759 7352