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By: Ikedi Ani-okoye

Dining experiences

The latest Michelin guide may have given London 50 stars, but there are still very few dining experiences in the capital which 'blow you away', and even fewer that will transport you to another universe. Unless you're in Cocoon, that is. Literally glowing with a Futuristic spaceship feel, this exclusive haunt has won numerous awards for its trendy interiors.

Orange fluorescent lighting, rose petal-infused tables and delicate net drapes make this a temple of design where the food takes a secondary role to style. But the real highlight is the cream, cushioned pods peppered around the various long-ceilinged alcoves that look out onto Regent Street; once you've nestled into your own little 'cocoon', feeling smugly content, you won't want to get out.

With such chic décor you would expect the cuisine to exude a similarly funky spin, and the menu doesn't disappoint in this respect. Cocoon puts more than a few inventive twists on traditional sushi, sashimi, dim sum and other pan-Asian delights, offering a real cross-cultural amalgam of dishes. The best way to enjoy the variety of flavours and textures is to take a 'pick 'n mix' approach, sharing a few select dishes, a main and, if you're not too full, dessert.

Ordering sushi is an absolute must; we recommend either the Chef's selection (£25 for 4 types of sashimi) or the special fatty tuna nigiri (£9.50), which are marinated and blow-torched. From the starters selection we particularly enjoyed the Tiger prawns with chilli, which were beautifully juicy and succulent, but the beef and foie gras gyoza, although an interesting combination, were far too rich and took decadence fo the extreme. Rock shrimp tempura (£13) is another 'must-have' dish, proving incredibly moreish.

The most imaginative creations are the main courses, which include barbequed baby chicken with cinnamon and sweet plum sauce (£14) and wasabi lamb with grilled asparagus (£16.50). The lamb, teamed with jasmine rice and baby bok choi, was the clear winner of the night perfectly tender slivers with a hint of heat.

It's fashionable to eat late here - even at 10pm groups of glamazon girls and trendily-suited guys were sauntering in - as from 11 pm (Thursday to Saturday) the restaurant and bar space slowly metamorphoses into a slick, chilled-out Late Lounge. The cocktail of choice is without question the 'Nobara' - ice cold sake shaken with rose water and lemon zest, topped with fragrant rose petals. Pretty and pink, it's the perfect drink to pair with high Fashion.

Whether visitors drop in for a postwork drink or treat themselves to a blowout dinner, Cocoon is more about the 'experience' than anything else, and whilst some may find the focus on design a little pretentious, others will revel in the ultracool, NewYork-esque atmosphere.