For any new mother, taking their baby son to a restaurant is fraught with challenges, But actress Natalie Portman proved adept at dealing with a room full of disgruntled diners last week.

Her son Alef, who is nearly a year old, was apparently not as enamoured with the menu at a vegan deli in Los Angeles as his mother was, and refused to stop crying.

To placate the other diners, the Black Swan star offered to pay the bill of everyone in the room who was disturbed.

Meanwhile the Oscar-winning actress, who celebrated her 31st birthday last week, stayed to enjoy her meal.