One great place to admire beautful Easter eggs is restaurant and nightspot Shaka Zulu, whose pastry chef will be making a gorgeous display (similar to the one pictured above) out of giant ostrich eggs. It’s bound to make you peckish, so fortunately the South African restaurant will be serving a special three-course feast from 12pm-5pm on Easter Sunday to satisfy your appetite.

London’s top hotels are also getting into the Easter spirit. Claridge’s is selling distinctive art deco eggs that are inspired by the hotel’s black and white marble lobby. Created with three types of fine Valrhona chocolate, the limited-edition eggs are filled with chocolate quail eggs and covered in art deco foil wrapped with a satin bow. They’d make great gifts, but you’d better be quick – there are only 100 of the £45 eggs available. If you’re planning to spend the Easter weekend in London, the Landmark Hotel’s Easter Delight package could be a great option. Not only will you get a large Easter egg – specially prepared by the hotel’s chef – delivered to your bedroom, but inside you might find a golden ticket that grants you one of several special treats provided by the hotel.

One of London’s most unusual Easter eggs can be found at tongue-in-cheek bar and pizzeria Bunga Bunga, where you can sip specially-created cocktails out of large chocolate Easter eggs. Two indulgent ice-cream based drinks are available during the Easter Weekend: a seasonal twist on the espresso martini and a chocaholic’s dream combination of chocolate ice cream, strawberry puree, white chocolate liqeur, vodka and chocolate bitters. If you’re looking for something more savoury, Cinnamon Soho is doing  a special Easter Egg Flip cocktail and an egg-inspired menu, which turns the traditional Easter Egg idea upside down through a series of Indian ball-shaped dishes.

London’s department stores have a reputation for doing everything with panache and this Easter, their eggs don’t disappoint.  At Harrods in Knightsbridge you can marvel at their behemoth of an egg, which is several feet high and – if you’re feeling flush – can be yours for £795. Fortnum and Mason have created ‘the ultimate Easter egg‘ (£90), a Russian-doll-like structure comprised of five different Easter eggs that range from white to very dark chocolate.  Selfridges has solved the age-old chicken and egg problem with a cute dark chocolate easter egg (£59.99), which has been decorated to look like a chick. For truly quirky eggs, head to branches of Artisan du Chocolat for their ‘egg and soldiers‘ masterpiece (£45), which is a cross between delicious chocolate egg and salted caramel fondue kit, or pick up a macabre Rococo ‘day of the dead’ egg from Harvey Nichols (£64.95).

If reading about all that chocolate is making you queasy, fear not: some of London’s most dramatic eggs are inedible. Head to Covent Garden from 22 March – 1 April for the Lindt Big Egg Hunt, which raises money for Action for Children. Giant fibreglass Easter eggs, which have been designed by leading artists, fashion designers and architects, will be hidden around the area for visitors to find – simply pick up a Hunt Book and get cracking!

The Southbank Centre Christmas Market

This popular German-style Christmas market returns to the Southbank for a fifth year. Between the London Eye and Waterloo Bridge you’ll find more than 60 traditional wooden chalets, selling everything from unusual Christmas gifts to warming Glühwein. Fairground rides, festive lights and seasonal music complete the magical atmosphere. 16 Nov-24 Dec

UK Chilli Stand Off 2012, Hackney

Fire up your tastebuds at this spicy festival, which sees eight top chefs competing to be crowned chilli champion. Participants include Gizzi Erskine, Tim Anderson and Tom Parker-Bowles, with Masterchef’s John Torode in the enviable position of judge. Visitors will be able to sample all eight chillis, alongside a range of drinks and even chocolate chilli ice cream. Tickets are £40, visit the event’s website to secure a place at one of two tasting sessions. 17 Nov

Light from the Middle East: New Photography, at the Victoria and Albert Museum

The Victoria and Albert Museum presents a rare opportunity to view the best of contemporary Middle Eastern photography at this new exhibition. Thirty artists are represented, and their photographs not only highlight fascinating variations in technique and perspective, but also provide a timely insight into recent events. Entry is free. 13 Nov-7 Apr 

A Bigger Splash: Painting After Performance, at the Tate Modern

Explore the relationship between painting and performance at this reverse-engineered exhibition at the Tate Modern. Featuring work by artists such as Jackson Pollock, David Hockney and Cindy Sherman, it contrasts painters who use theatrical techniques with those who use the human body itself as a canvas. Tickets are £10 for adults. 14 Nov-1 Apr

Skate at Somerset House Ice Rink

This seasonal ice rink, set against the exquisite backdrop of Somerset House, just keeps getting better and better. Not only can adults and children learn to skate in dedicated classes, but budding ice dancers can also show off their moves at late night sessions, accompanied by music from top DJs. Adding to the glamour is the new pop-up shopping arcade, which allows you to buy British artisan gifts for your loved ones after a spin on the ice. 16 Nov-6 Jan

The Bar of Aero

Enter The Bar of Aero, a pop-up world of chocolate, bubbly fun at the Dray Walk Gallery, Truman Brewery. The fun includes a peppermint-scented playground, orange and green bubble waterfall and a movement reactive Aero hot chocolate dispenser. Entrance is free with prizes and free chocolate up for grabs. 16-18 Nov, 12-7pm

More events in London

Regular readers of this blog will know we’re fans of timelapse videos. And chocolate. (Mmm, timelapse chocolate…)

So here’s a real Double Decker of a treat(!) from the Official Treat providers from the London 2012 Games: a timelapse vid of Cadbury House taking shape in Hyde Park.

Cadbury House is free to visit. Inside, you can journey through the Joyville tasting zone to the Chocolatrium and finally to a very Harry-Potter-sounding “Great Games Hall” where you’ll receive your own Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Medal as you step onto the podium to the sound of cheering crowds!

Cadbury House is open until 12 August as part of BT London Live.

Have you been to any of the London 2012 Live Sites? Let us know your highlights (chocolate or otherwise!) in the comments below.

London is hoping to crack the Guinness World Record for the world’s most expensive non-jewelled chocolate egg sold at auction as part of World Record London.

This 50-kilo egg was designed by William Curley for The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt, and will be auctioned this evening to raise money for Action for Children and Elephant Family.

Four artisan chocolatiers took three days to produce the luxurious egg at William Curley’s Twickenham production kitchen.

Trimmed with gold leaf, the masterpiece is filled with William Curley chocolates including muscovado caramel, Japanese black vinegar, and rosemary and olive oil.

We hope someone’s feeling generous this Easter! Look out for an update tomorrow on the price achieved at auction.

Update on 21 March: The egg sold last night at auction for a record-breaking £7,000.

Chocolate Week starts today (hurray!) and we’d love to know how you’re planning to indulge over the next seven days.

Enjoy an afternoon sugar rush with special chocolate afternoon teas at The Botanist, The Royal Horseguard’s hotel or the Hilton on Park Lane. Or try a Fairtrade chocolate cocktail at K West.

Work your way through an entire chocolate dinner at the Bingham. Or maybe just pay a visit to your favourite chocolate shop?

Chocolate Week 11-18 Oct 2010

Belgium is famous for beer and chocolates. Since the developments to the Eurostar service back in 2007, the journey times between St Pancras and Brussels have been squeezed to an impressive 1 hour, 51 minutes. I made the journey myself earlier this month, and it really is a very smooth, stress-free way to travel.

While in Brussels I had the most amazing chocolates from Neuhaus. They were by far my favourites. And I’m not the only one! After the Royal Festival in 2000, King Albert II gave Neuhaus the title of Accredited Supplier to the Belgian Crown.

But if you don’t want to take the train, you can still get a taste of that famous Belgian chocolate here in London.

There are Neuhaus stores in London in St Pancras Station, Heathrow Airport, and in Harrods. They also have a gorgeous boutique on South Molton Street, full of wonderful chocolatey treats, and a café in Putney. All Neuhaus products are still made in Vlezenbeek, near Brussels, and exported to the UK.

My favourite is the St Pancras Station branch. It’s perfect if you want to pick up a last-minute present for someone before you catch a train. And it smells amazing!

I spoke to Sandra Szondi, Neuhaus’ communications manager, to find out what makes Neuhaus’ chocolates so special.

“Neuhaus have been making chocolates in Belgium for 153 years. They even invented the Belgian praline. Most people don’t know that. It was Jean Neuhaus, the grandson of the original Jean Neuhaus, who created the world’s first filled chocolate, which he named ‘Praline’.

“At the time, the pralines were served in paper cones, like you eat chips from, and the pralines got squashed together. Jean’s wife, Louise, invented a new box to keep them from getting spoiled: and that’s the ballotin (which you can see in the picture above). They’re still used today.

“For Belgians, the most popular chocolates are the old ‘Caprice’ and ‘Tentations’ – these are chocolates with a rich history. They were created for the World Expo in Brussels in 1958. And they are named after a famous quote by Brigitte Bardot.

“But my favourite is the Manon Sucre Vanille. It’s made with vanilla cream or butter cream, and it’s quite milky. Inside, there’s some pecan nuts, a little, little piece of waffle, and cream of vanilla sugar. It’s quite heavy; most people don’t like it, because it’s too rich. But it’s good for eating once a week or so, I think!

Do you have any other recommendations on where to find a taste of Belgium in London (beer, chocolate or anything else?!) Let us know in the comments below.

• Real Food Festival: Handmade cheese, cookery courses and even live cow-milking at the biggest farmers market in the country. 7-10 May
• Gary Numan at 93 Feet East: Gary Numan and Ade Fenton take to the decks before they head off on the festival circuit. 8 May
• Dubble Chocolate’s 10th Birthday Party: More foodie fun as the Fairtrade chocolate bar celebrates its birthday on Potter’s Field. Activities, kids’ opera and free samples. Yum!  7-9 May
• City Showcase: Find your new favourite band, take part in workshops for musicians and enjoy discounts at nearby retailers. 5-9 May
• Mark Quinn at the White Cube Hoxton Square: Be the first to see this absorbing exhibition exploring extreme plastic surgery and body transformation. 7 May-26 June
• Terracotta Far East Film Festival: Fifteen choice films from the Far East, showing at the Prince Charles Cinema. 6-9 May

But not just any old chocolate, we want the good stuff. We want the best chocolate in London, so tell us where we can get our greedy mouths on it.

Do you like the beautiful displays and sweet delights at Fortnum and Mason? Or do handmade, organic Rococo chocolates take your fancy? Ever seen a finely crafted chocolate rose at one of Paul A Young’s shops?

Is there somewhere in your corner of London selling the most mouth-watering truffles or the richest hot chocolate?

We want to know…

Swissotel The Howard London have created a tiny chocolate St Paul’s Cathedral for their luxurious London Landmark afternoon tea and we think it’s really cool. If you want to eat one of these and other famous London landmarks transformed into biscuit, book now!

(Sorry the photo is a little fuzzy, when I went back for more pictures, the cathedral had mysteriously relocated to a nice safe tummy.)

The London Restaurant Festival launched on Wednesday evening with festival organiser Fay Maschler cutting this astonishing cake. Where would you even begin to start eating this*? If it makes you feel hungry, have a meal out this weekend with one of the festival’s special menu offers!

Seen anything special in London this week? Add your London photos to our Visit London Flickr pool and we could be featuring your pictures!

*perhaps just mosh your face into it.