Table talk

Down with political correctness

Small Luxury Hotels of the World is hitting back at the political correctness lobby with a No Guilty Conscience campaign.

Countering the view that an extravagant treat is no longer quite the thing to do or to be seen doing, 20 of the consortium's UK venues are helping guests justify lavish hotel visits as a personal reward for hard and stressful work.

Indulgences on offer include a range of special Cognacs at up to £155 per glass, vintage Champagne costing £250 per bottle, spa treatments at £160 per day, and luxury picnics at £60 per head.

Head of marketing at SLH, Brian Mills, says: "There is a new mood in the 1990s that conspicuous consumption amounts to unacceptable, selfish behaviour. We believe ‘a little of what you fancy does you good' is a motto worth reviving."

Dirty stories from Ireland

In the wake of the recent spate of Irish pub concepts springing up on these shores, Table Talk wonders whether those from the Emerald Isle have an image problem.

London-based Taylor Walker has just opened its second Scruffy Murphy's outlet on Fleet Street, while Scots businessman Niel Wilkins is running a new cottage-style pub called Mucky Mulligans in Perth.

Table Talk is reminded of that northern adage, "Where there's muck there's brass."

Alas, smith and Jones

Diners dressed from head to toe in pink at Café Fish in London's Panton Street during its In the Pink Festival (5 June to 8 July) will be rewarded with a free bottle of pink bubbly.

Customers with the surname Pepper will be welcomed at Lanes restaurant in the Four Seasons hotel, London, with a free cocktail during its Pepper festival (19 June to 2 July).

For readers with the name Smith or Jones, Table Talk is sorry to say it has not heard of any special dining out offers for you - all you'll get is the bill.

The worst kept secret in town

Notting Hill eaterie Julie's restaurant has been snowed under with requests for table G3 after it was pronounced to be the best spot in London for couples to enjoy a discreet tryst in the latest issue of Tatler.

It is now booked solid for the next 35 nights.

While Julie's is grateful for the extra business the publicity attracts, Table Talk is concerned that the restaurant will also see a string of visits from irate husbands and wives.

Our man abroad is left on the ground

Readers who do not always appreciate the difficulties Caterer journalists face as we bring you the latest news should take heed of this sorry tale.

One intrepid hack, who shall remain nameless, was sent on the arduous mission of visiting Paris with Novotel.

Everything was going swimmingly until it came to getting on the plane when, ooh la la, the hack's passport was found to be out of date.

Shamefaced, he slunk off to acquire a visitor's passport and await the next flight, muttering a few distinctly Anglo-Saxon expletives under his breath.

Foul play in Margate

The police were recently called to investigate reported sightings of human remains in Margate.

After thorough analysis and investigation, they discovered the bones were, in fact, not human but the remains of someone's finger-lickin' Kentucky Fried Chicken.