Your usual table? Who eats where: Ivana Trump

THE BEST meals I ever had were when I first arrived in the United States. Everything you could possibly want to eat and drink was available - I loved it! I went mad and ate lobster, steak, fresh vegetables, tons of fruit; everything that had been in short supply at home in Czechoslovakia. Of course, I quickly returned to my old eating patterns.

I'm a typical New Yorker. As we say: "What do you make for supper?" "Reservations!" What's the point of living in a city full of great restaurants and eating at home? New York has so many small, intimate restaurants to enjoy, and Le Cirque is a particular favourite. I eat out all the time. Only weekends are the exception, which I spend in the country with my kids.

The first rule of eating out is to choose a restaurant with a great reputation. If other people think it's really good, give it a try! But I also love discovering new restaurants before the crowds, and I love eating in high-profile places because I usually see so many friends. I don't think I have a "restaurant personality" - I enjoy all types, from quiet, charming restaurants to big, hustling, bustling places. It depends on my mood. But the one thing that I always insist on is service, service, service. I just hate sloppy service. Other things that annoy me are loud people and cellular phones in restaurants - both can really spoil a meal.

For a companion, of course I'd choose Count Roffredo Gaetani, my boyfriend, as my favourite. But I also love dining with my mom and my kids - it's always fun to catch up with them - and with my friends around the world. In St Moritz it's always the Palace Hotel and its restaurants, in Palm Beach I'm fond of Charley's Crab House and Club Collette. When I come to London I go to Daphne's (0171 589 4257), San Lorenzo (0171 584 1074) and Le Gavroche (0171 408 0881), all of which are superb. I'm not a big eater and I choose my food carefully and wisely, but I enjoy all I eat and really value the spirit and fun of dining out.