A new restaurant opens today at the Royal Academy of Arts, run by restaurateur Oliver Peyton with décor by designer Tom Dixon. The Royal Academy refreshment rooms, which first opened in 1885, have been given a stylish makeover.

The interior is stunning, particularly Dixon’s gold-coloured lights. But the main attraction is the artwork on show, including sculptures from the Royal Academy collection and original wall murals by Fred Appleyard, Harold Speed, Gilbert Spencer and Leonard Rosoman.

The restaurant is open on Friday and Saturday evenings, making it an attractive option for West End diners, not just visitors to the gallery. And Peyton says he has an “aspiration to open every night”.

On the menu, you’ll find seasonal British dishes such as roasted sea bass, pheasant and venison, as well as afternoon teas and smaller tapas-style dishes.

The arty theme even extends to the wine: Peyton is working with artists to create bespoke wine labels, and hopes that soon “all the wine available by the glass will be by artists working at the Royal Academy”.

London’s museum restaurants are really going up in the world. Let us know your favourites in the comments below.

We’ve spotted lots of celebrities recently (including Boy George, Paloma Faith and Frank Skinner) but it’s not every day you get to dine with a member of the Royal family.

When I visited glamorous new restaurant Circus in Covent Garden, I found myself sitting near Princess Beatrice and her friends.

I guess the Royal party, like me, were keen to check out the new venue, where circus acts perform around the tables while you eat.

Once we’d admired the space-age décor by Tom Dixon (and worked out how to use the taps in the minimalist bathroom) we settled at a corner table to peruse the pan-American menu.

After some delicious cocktails and a starter, a guitarist appeared, followed by two fire-eating ballet dancers clad in burlesque-style outfits, who danced their way around the restaurant.

Then, when we’d finished our main course, two costumed aerialists jumped onto the centre table and started swinging from hoops above our heads.

We left at about 10.30pm, and there were still two acts to go. (There are normally four performances per night, roughly an hour apart.)

I loved the feeling of anticipation as we waited to see what would happen next.

If you’re looking for somewhere a bit different for a special occasion, Circus is the perfect place. You might not bump into a Royal, but with regular bursts of entertainment, you definitely won’t be bored.