Mint Hotel Tower of London's walking tours and Pho's Twitter competition

Walking tours​

Mint Hotel Tower of London is making the most of its popular tourist location by running its very own walking tours of the City. Guests are given a 90-minute tour of the Square Mile on foot, by guide Geoff Boyd, who, for £8 per person will reveal the history of the city, its buildings and some of the people who lived and worked there. “Mint Hotel Tower of London is always looking to provide special extra touches for our guests and these new walking tours are a perfect example of that,” said the hotel’s general manager, Patrick O’Connell.

Tweet for your dinner​

Vietnamese restaurant chain Pho has launched a competition on social networking site Twitter to coincide with Vietnam’s Independence Day. The restaurant group, which has sites in London and Brighton, is giving away 66 bowls of pho and 66 shots of vodka today to mark the 66th anniversary of the day Ho Chi Minh declared independence. To win, entrants had to tweet #pho66.

Come dine with me​

Inspired by the resurging dinner party trend and making full use of its private dining rooms The Chester Grosvenor hotel has launched a ‘Come Dine With Us’ package giving customers the chance to throw a dinner party without having to do any of the work for £65 per person. A dinner party host will be given use of the hotel’s private dining rooms and access to an event manager who will plan everything, from seating plans and background music to the menu and table decorations. Joanna Bridge, senior events coordinator, said: “Preparing a three course meal for a dozen people is no mean feat for a dinner party host. We can take away all of that planning, shopping, stress and hours in the kitchen and make sure they have a wonderful evening with their guests enjoying gourmet food and wine from our 1,000-bin cellar.”

Outside inside​

Sicilian restaurant Caponata and sister performance venue The Forge in Camden are planning to highlight their unique situation and launch their new menu and music season by holding a one-day ‘pop-up’ indoor musical garden party. On 7 September the restaurant and music venue, joined by a central glass courtyard, will host a Potting Shed Bar serving cocktails using fresh garden herbs and seasonal fruits. Birdsong will be played throughout and bar snacks will be served in plant pots. The courtyard will be turned into a picnic area where diners can drink and dine from tartan picnic blankets. A grove of real lemon trees will lead guests into a Sicilian Secret Garden in the adjoining Forge performance venue where jazz music will be performed on the stage from 12-2pm.