Its lavish dining rooms and Parisian delicacies have attracted French politicians, writers and artists for 200 years, but the gilded mirrors of Le Grand Véfour lost their lustre yesterday after the eatery was stripped of its prestigious third Michelin star. The restaurant, founded in 1785 and frequented by Victor Hugo, Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, is the only three-star establishment to have been downgraded in the revered food guide's latest edition.

The Health Minister Alan Johnson's latest big idea is that work is good for our health – and he is campaigning for what he calls our "sick note culture" to be turned into a "well note culture". As a soaraway slogan that doesn't even get past first base, but let's take a closer look at Mr Johnson's reasoning.

If I slept with all the people I liked I'd spend all my time in bed - that's why love's so important

Sir: The French Minister of Agriculture is able to refer to the weight of scientific evidence emanating from the newly formed French food safety agency, which, on 1 October, presented its unfavourable report on British beef.

Things that delight in a restaurant: a good view. And good views can come in various guises, from great landmark and river views to great green views. And there is the view of the Dog and Duck from the safety of the picture windows that line the restaurant at Soho Soho.

Sir: Mary Dejevsky's rant ("Mutant meat and two veg", 24 February) about the crudeness of the American palate has to be the pot calling the kettle black. If she can't find "sophistication in food and drink in most American cities", she's not getting out of her hotel room enough. And if she truly believes that most Americans confuse "French dressing" with French cuisine, one must wonder how contemptuous she feels about her countrymen who believe they are eating at Mexican restaurants in these parts.

Cuisine from all over the world can be found in the UK - 70 different kinds in the capital alone. But across the Channel, that's not what we want. We seek authentic French food and simple hotels run by friendly staff.

Ma foie! Force-fed goose liver is back on the menu - to the delight of gastronomes and the ire of animal lovers. Nikki Spencer reports

Chutney Mary

Investment: The fall in consumer confidence is worrying the UK's biggest brewer

CLUB GASCON; 57 West Smithfield, London EC1, tel: 0171 796 0600. Open for lunch Monday to Friday, from 12 to 2pm; for dinner, Monday to Saturday, from 7 to 10pm. Average price per person, pounds 30. Credit cards accepted

BODY SHOP, the "green" toiletries retailer, added another crisis to its troubled history yesterday when it revealed a slump in interim profits and a radical shake-up of its struggling US business.

l The description "full-on foie gras" gives you an idea of what Club Gascon (0171 253 5853), near London's Smithfield Market, is all about. This new restaurant revels in all things French, from smoked eels in filo pastry to white cheese sorbet: chef Pascal Aussignac trained with some of France's greatest cooks, including Guy Savoy. The Degustation Menu means you get to try several dishes at once.

GORDON RAMSAY