There are five pubs named The Blue Posts in and around Soho – a nod to the posts that historically marked the boundaries of the royal hunting ground Soho Fields. This one is less pubby than the others, and a go-to pre- or post-theatre drinks spot. Upstairs, there’s moody wine bar The Mulwray, and downstairs the 12-seat Michelin-starred Evelyn’s Table, but our favourite combination is a drink at The Blue Posts ahead of supper at The Palomar, a few doors away and also owned by Zoë and Layo Paskin.

Chef Luke Farrell’s strip-lit Plaza Khao Gaeng, a Thai diner inside Oxford Street’s Arcade Food Hall, was an instant hit. Speedboat, his follow-up, is inspired specifically by Bangkok’s Chinatown and stays open late. Singha beer is delivered in icy towers, which is good because plates of dry-fried pork feel designed to make guests sweat. After supper everyone heads upstairs for bright purple Margaritas (a result of blue-hued butterfly pea- flower tea mixed with citrus) for the making of a very fun Friday night.

The vibe here is explained by the fact that the brother-and-sister founders have a background in nightclubs. The music isn’t loud, but the place is always bustling, with a busy open kitchen dishing up flavours inspired by the fringes of the Mediterranean. Book a stool at the counter and kick dinner off with kubaneh, a pot-baked knotted Yemeni loaf served with silky tahini and tomato dips. Everything on the short menu is sensational – one of our favourite London restaurants since it opened in 2014.

There’s a strict “no phones, no music, no machines” policy at this pub, which only serves beer by the half pint. Dylan Thomas, Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon were once regulars and there’s still a touch of Bohemia to the crowd. On the first floor find a mini restaurant from Neil Borthwick (husband of London cheffing royalty Angela Hartnett), with a scribbled menu of French classics such as confit garlic and goat’s curd on sourdough and country pâté with pickles. Always lively and lots of fun.