Recently, we visited Blue Jasmine in Ocean Village after booking through First Table, which offers 50% off food. The space feels polished and premium, with bold colours outside and calm, modern interiors inside. The food was good overall, with some dishes feeling far better value than others. At half price it felt reasonable; at full price, harder to justify.

If you’re craving a little slice of Japan right here in Southampton, Hokkaido might just be your go-to spot. I recently revisited for a friend’s birthday, and it was every bit as good as I remembered. Let’s start with the appetisers. We kicked things off with some chicken karaage, golden, gently fried bites of Japanese fried chicken. They come with a mayonnaise-based sauce that was a nice dipping sauce, although I wish there was more of it. It’s not the absolute best karaage