Luigi, the restaurant manager, said to me once that he keeps that particular table for the Queen of Norway or the Queen of Denmark. One night the Queen of Norway was eating at this table and the Queen of Denmark walked in. She looked at the table, she looked at the Queen of Norway, she looked at Luigi and without a word she walked out.

You don't stand a chance if you say, 'Give me the best table.' First of all, they'll say they don't have one, then they'll say you can't book it. My advice would be to go to the restaurant early, then if you don't like your table, simply ask to be moved. Go to drama school, get the lead role in several Hollywood movies. Then phone and ask for the best table.

It might be a bloody cheek. But so what? It goes on all the time. Chefs travel the world looking for dishes and try to imitate them in their own menus. That's how good cooking spreads - it's what food is all about. Frankly, in my view, it doesn't matter a damn.

In a restaurant choose a table near a waiter

I noticed Laura (the restaurant owner) had a little bucket on the table. For like a week, I was just popping them here and there.

There are advantages to being a star though - you can always get a table in a full restaurant.