Bites: A dream of picnics and ice-cream

So many reasons to dream of summer, but the Benugo brothers Ben and Hugo Warner's soon-to-open restaurant, the Serpentine Bar and Kitchen in London's Hyde Park, currently tops the list. Alongside a modern British menu, there will be an old-fashioned ice-cream van parked outside, the "Benugo Pod" (for late-night drinks and snacks) as well as – our fave – bespoke picnic packages.

Also warming is Skylon's new "Liquid Menu" (pictured), a three-course cocktail/ canapé extravaganza that features a cocktail starter of lingonberry syrup, cognac and champagne, served with a bite of venison carpaccio and Cabernet Sauvignon dressing, while the main course is a chilled martini glass of fresh rosemary and Tanqueray gin, maraschino liquor, lemon juice, lychee and egg white, with warm smoked salmon and fennel.

Equally experimental is the Brussels sprout ice-cream (served with cranberry and turkey foams) now on the menu at Vivat Bacchus's London Bridge restaurant. We're all for the Christmas spirit, but really...