Or strollers, as they call them.Anyway, for brunching purposes Bubby’s was indeed ideal, serving a splendid version of the staple American brunch aperitif, a bucketful of Bloody Mary with a celery truncheon. For getting-to-know-Joy purposes, on the other hand, Bubby’s was marginally less ideal. Scarcely had we sat down than a Land O Lakes tub of butter came flying over, propelled by a toddler at an adjacent table, and hit Joy on the ear. Still, it broke the ice.Not that there was much ice, except in my Bloody Mary Happily, Joy lived up to her name. “I can’t think what Mr Mailer would say if someone said ‘are you the Quentin Crisp of Brooklyn Heights?’”I recalled this exchange as I set off for my most recent New York brunch. I was heading for Brooklyn, not that there was much chance of bumping into Norman Mailer. My destination was a place called Bubby’s, not in the fashionable Heights, but in a less ritzy neighbourhood, irresistibly named Dumbo.

I think it’s safe to say that Bubby’s in Dumbo is not Mailer territory.Bubby’s had been recommended by Joy, a woman I had never met, yet soon to be my sister-in-law. My half-brother Alexander lives in Brooklyn, and although he was away at the time, I was keen to meet his new fianc? So I phoned Joy and suggested brunch, somewhere off the beaten track. I told him that when I’d informed an American friend who my brunch date was, my friend said “Oh, I’ve heard of him, isn’t he kind of an English Norman Mailer?” This delighted Crisp He stopped eating in mid-muffin “Oh, isn’t that wonderful,” he purred. Someone I know turned up there recently, without a reservation, and was told that she would have to wait in line for two hours. She laughed gaily and told them to forget it, but not before marvelling at the dozens of people who were perfectly happy to join the queue.The most memorable brunch I ever had in New York was 15 years ago with Quentin Crisp.

I’d heard that his number was in the phone directory and that for the price of a meal he was perfectly willing to meet anyone from the old country So I phoned him and we duly met in a caf?n Second Avenue. But the restaurant is also home to one of the most talked-about chefs in Parisian gourmet circles. Since taking over in September 2003, Yannick All? has earned two Michelin stars for his cooking, which includes signature dishes such as turbot and truffles in a clay crust. It seems no detail is too small, and even extends to specially designed Herm?stools for diners to rest their handbags on during their meal.Le Meurice, Hotel Meurice, 228 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France (00 33 1 44 58 10 10; )The Peninsula, Hong KongThe Peninsula on the tip of Kowloon is one of Hong Kong’s iconic hotels, with sweeping views of the skyline of Hong Kong island. Fittingly enough for a hotel of its stature, “The Pen” has several acclaimed restaurants, including the Philippe Starck-designed Felix located at the top of its 28-storey tower.