This isn't the first time, in the course of eating out for this column, that I've found myself spectating while a couple nearby has a full-blown, marriage-threatening row. But it's certainly the first time I've booked a ticket specifically to do so. This week's assignment sees me braving the new frontier of modern dining. I'm having supper in a luxury cinema, watching a Polanski movie from a huge leather seat while eating venison chilli and sipping a mojito. This is possibly the most middle-class thing I've ever done in my life.

Take a trip down the apples and pears to Soho's sensational Italian newcomer

The ethical bathroom company Ecocamel has extended its Bargain Hunter exclusive discount on Jetstorm showerheads. Readers of this column now have until 13 June to visit Ecocamel.com and claim a 25 per cent reduction on the economical device by entering the code EC2 at the checkout. The Jetstorm, which usually sells for around £50 but thanks to this offer is available for just £37, could save you up 40 per cent on energy bills; that's around £240 a year based on a typical family of four.

The problem with the RA's new restaurant is the level of its ambition. Is it to be a scoff-and-refuel addition to a few hours of art consumption? Or a destination in its own right, a recommendable eaterie which happens to have an art gallery attached?

Remember the fuss that London foodies and critics made about Terroirs when it opened just off the Strand in 2008. Everyone loved its wine-bar vibe, its groovy "sharing plates", and its indescribably smelly vacherin mont d'or, which ponged out the basement. Well, the owners have moved on. Brawn is a high-concept, low-overheads place in Columbia Road, home of the flower market, and is currently the trendiest eating-house in town.

The passing of Bonfire Night marks a special point in the year – when I first feel able to utter the C-word that strikes terror into the heart of bargain-hunters everywhere: Christmas. As the thriftiest among us know, the earlier you start your shopping, the better deals you'll find, and this year will be no exception.

Miss Selfridge launched its mid-season sale this week, with up to50 per cent off selected items until Tuesday 19 October. Visit http://ind.pn/dqiDiE for the full list of savings, with the "hot picks" section (a glorified list of the biggest discounts) well worth a look. When making your order, don't forget that Miss Selfridge offers free delivery on all orders over £80. You don't need a voucher code to take advantage but I thought I'd mention it as delivery charges may alter the way you shop.

Nationwide Autocentre (soon to be renamed Halfords Autocentre) is offering 50 per cent off an MOT at any one of its 224 testing stations. The process is simple; just visit http://ind.pn/cTL548, select your car, select your centre and book the type of MOT you'd like. The gadget will then display exactly how much you've saved.

The venue: The Ivy, which I love because it's a 90-second walk from the office.

To call a new restaurant "Caravan" is to risk ambiguity. The word can suggest a camel journey, a romantic quest for Shangri-La, a drifting meander through exotic lands and undulating sand dunes, meeting strange women in transparent shawls and kohl-drenched eyes, their every movement dreamily soundtracked by the sexy wail of oud and zither. Sadly, it can equally suggest a dismal wet weekend in a rusting mobile home on Selsey Bill.