A few weeks ago in New York I was a leaving a restaurant when the manager asked how the meal was. So, I told him I thought the appetizer salad was overpriced for what it was. Four pieces of romaine lettuce for $15? 'There should at least be a slice of tomato.' I smiled. He didn't.

'On the other hand, ' I added, 'The lighting in the ladies room was perfect.'

He had no idea what a huge compliment that was. But that's because most restaurant people don't understand what a difference it makes. When I go to the loo to wash my hands, if I can't see myself in the mirror or, even worse, if I can see too much of myself ' it sets my mood for the rest of the meal.

The whole point of going to the ladies room is to look in the mirror while washing germs off our hands. If it was just about peeing, we'd wait until we got home.

When someone is hired to design the lighting for a ladies loo the first question they should ask is: would I be able to tweeze my eyebrows in here?

This problem only exists in fancy restaurants because in the cheap places, there's a light switch. The trendy places have lighting that can't be adjusted and it's frustrating to get in there and not be able to see. Quite often, I'll be carrying a contact lens in my hand that needs to be re-inserted. It doesn't need to be lit like a hospital, but there should be some visibility.

In London, the lighting in Luciano's loo is ideal. So is the lighting in the loo at Le Caprice. It's dark enough so that you don't see what you really look like but light enough so that you can apply eyeliner without scratching your cornea.