Where to take an older lady

So you have a night out planned with a lady of a more mature variety. It may be your mother, it may be your new lover, you saucy thing. Either way, she probably won't fancy a session in a trance-crazy DJ bar in Shoreditch. But she might enjoy a night at one of these venues...

Peter Jones

Top Floor at Peter Jones, Sloane Square, SW1 (020-7730 3434).

Smart casual with a fantastic view

Halfway through what might be one of the longest refurbishments in retail history (five years), the central section of Peter Jones's shopping emporium is now open, with an ohsosmart new cafe on the sixth floor. Tables are placed in a circle around the atrium and a new glass wall affords splendid views of Chelsea and Belgravia. After a long hard day of rummaging in the haberdashery section, there is no better place to relax over a slap-up salad sandwich and a cup of Earl Grey. Full-blown meals are also on offer in this shrine to Sloanedom.

Stompin' At The Savoy

The Savoy Hotel, Strand, WC2 (020-7420 2356).

Saturday night fever, Thirties style

It's Saturday night and you want to treat a lady of a certain age to a night she'll never forget. Try the big-band sound of the Piccadilly Dance Orchestra for a night of stompin' in style in the Thames foyer of the Savoy Hotel. A 10-piece band play familiar dance tunes such as 'In The Mood', '42nd Street' and 'Charleston', and dance fans take to the floor wearing their finest attire. But be warned, most people who turn up are seriously good at the foxtrot, the quickstep and the tango. A mere £11 is the cover charge for this journey back to the Thirties, or you can splash out on a three-course dinner first - remarkably good value at £52 per head (booking necessary), including a glass of champagne on arrival. A seriously good Saturday night out.

Mecca East Ham

79 High Street North, E6 (020-8472 0227).

An evening out that could pay for itself

Eyes down, pens at the ready. Bingo halls have come a long way in recent years, reinventing themselves as a centre for a social occasion rather than the smoky old halls they once were. They're even licensed these days, so you can enjoy a nice glass of Tio Pepe, a lager and lime or whatever takes your fancy. And they have cafes, so you can stay all day if you get bitten by the bingo bug. Prizes are pretty spectacular too, with a top prize of £200,000 in a networked national game on Sundays. First-timers need to register with the club 24 hours before being allowed to play (registrations available on www.rank. com), and sessions are played twice daily.

The Sherlock Holmes

10-11 Northumberland Street, WC2 (020-7930 2644).

A drink, a meal and a mystery solved

There's nothing a maiden aunt likes more than a detective story, and a visit to The Sherlock Holmes should have her enthralled. It is a smartly turned out pub in the modern Victorian style with a comfortable restaurant, a hidden verandah and a unique tourist attraction: Holmes's study as it appeared in the short story 'The Adventure Of The Empty House'. There it is, the cosy room and Holmes by the window shot through the head by the vile Colonel Moran. But, of course, Holmes had foreseen it all. Moran had, in fact, shot a mannequin. In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's day, the pub was part of the Northumberland Hotel, which is mentioned in The Hound Of The Baskervilles.

The Prospect Of Whitby

57 Wapping Wall, E1 (020-7481 1095).

Justly famous

A little bit of history, perhaps? And a nice river view? The Prospect Of Whitby is London's oldest riverside pub and probably the most famous. Its flagstoned bar, with its pewter-topped counter sitting on old barrels, must have been used by half of London in its day. There is a separate section for bar snacks now, a good restaurant up creaking stairs, and a jolly riverside terrace with picnic tables under an old weeping willow. The inn was built around 1520 and was, from the start, a haunt of smugglers, thieves and other low-lifers. It is very respectable now, as you can see from the two chairs by the dining-room door. A notice on one of them reads: 'This chair was occupied by HRH Princess Margaret when dining here on June 26, 1949.'