RESTAURANTS: SHOW TIME AT A RESTAURANT NEAR YOU

Novelli EC1

30 Clerkenwell Green, Farringdon, London EC1 (0171-251 6606).

The Oscar Wilde Night was pounds 25 a head, which included food, entertainment and a glass of champagne. Other nights are in the pipeline and will be confirmed soon.

Little Havana

1 Leicester Place, Leicester Sq, London WC2 (0171-287 0101).

This restaurant and bar, which aims to bring "the soul of Cuba to the heart of London", boasts Salsa dancers who strut around the dinner tables.

Sarastro

126 Drury Lane, London WC2 (0171-836 0101).

On Mondays, singers from the Royal Opera House perform between courses at this Mediterranean restaurant. Good fun, but don't go for the food.

The Organic Cafe

25 Lonsdale Rd, Queens Park, London NW6 (0171-372 1232).

The restaurant - it's a cafe during the day - has opera nights once a month and is starting Flamenco nights in November. The next opera night is on 7 Oct and booking is essential. The performers are from Opera a la Carte, a company which provides professional opera singers for functions and restaurants, including The Windmill Pub on Clapham Common SW4 (0181- 673 4578) on the first Monday of every month.

It's Showtime

179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC1 (0171-240 1999).

The venue, which opens next month, will house two separate restaurants. On the ground floor will be the 250-seat "Broadway", which is a New York- style deli. Downstairs is the Showtime Theatre Restaurant which is more upmarket. It's open only in the evenings, where entertainment including food will cost pounds 27.50. In both venues, waiters and waitresses will be out-of-work show people who will perform upstairs every 15 minutes. Downstairs it's more formal, with entertainment between courses. During the day, the Showtime Theatre will be used to host theatre workshops and seminars.