The week in pictures

Gerard Basset MS MW held court at a decadent dinner to celebrate the 160th vintage of Chablis estate Domaine Laroche at Xavier Rousset MS’s Marylebone restaurant Texture.

One of the more daring parings of the night was aged Comté with black truffle shavings, which db thought worked spectacularly well together.

db was also lucky enough to be invited to a Krug dinner hosted by Bordeaux Index and Olivier Krug at The Ledbury in Notting Hill, where we enjoyed a number of older vintages going back to 1985, paired with the likes of chicken with white truffles and parmesan foam.

Having popped into the newly opened New Street Wine Shop in the City, db stopped for dinner at the neighbouring New Street Fish Market, where we spotted these unusual artworks crafted from copper and sea salt.

Olivier Krug stayed in town to host a second Krug dinner – the Institute of Happiness, in a private residence in the grounds of Highgate Cemetery. Joining db‘s Lucy Shaw among the guests were Denise Medrano (centre) and Lottie West (left).

Olivier Krug and Ollie Smith enjoy experimental canapés and flutes of Krug Grand Cuvée at the Institute of Happiness dinner.

Food at the Institute of Happiness was prepared by Portuguese-born, London-based Nuno Mendes of Viajante, who incorporated the nostalgic tastes of childhood into some of the dishes.

A colourful mobile of origami birds formed the centrepiece at the Krug IOH.

The fizz theme continued this week with a Champagne Jacquart lunch at newly opened Japanese fine dining restaurant Chrysan in the City, hosted by chief winemaker Floriane Eznack (centre).

Chrysan’s owner, Yoshihiro Murata, paid a visit to the private dining room to see how his food paired with various vintages of Jacquart. Revered with equal ardour as the Roux brothers in the UK, Murata’s restaurants in Toyko and Kyoto have seven Michelin stars between them.

This picture, taken by Sir Colin Hampden-White, shows a light-hearted moment as Jacques Lardiere enjoys the Louise Jadot tasting on Thursday night.

Guests are talked through a range of cocktails and some of the secret behind blending drinks, at the art of blending event.

Dr Nicholas Morgan, Diageo’s head of whisky outreach, talks to the guests at the art of blending event, at Fitzroy Place in London.

Amanda Holden at the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury Racecourse.

A cheery Liz Hurley braves the cold at the Hennessy Gold Cup.

Singer Mollie King from The Saturdays, looks very happy to be inside and in the warmth during last weekend’s Hennessy Gold Cup race meet at Newbury.

Not surprisingly there were some Hennessy cocktails to be enjoyed at Newbury, this one was the “Hennessy Gold Cup Horse’s Neck cocktail”.

Courvoisier’s eau de vie on display at the Cognac’s “L’Atelier de Courvoisier” at the Harrods wine shop, where the oldest-known Courvoisier vintage, from 1789, is on sale.

Artwork by Davy and Kirstin McGuire is on display at the “L’Atelier de Courvoisier” at Harrods.