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.

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.

Gelupo serves up rich, decadent hand-churned gelato in creative flavours like Salted Carmel & Toasted Corn and Honeycomb & Tomato. Skip dessert at sister restaurant Bocca di Lupo and trot across the street for a cone instead.

Everyone has their favourite Chinatown spot. We love the duck at Four Seasons, the sesame noodles from Nusa Dua and the skewers at Chuan Chuan Xiang. But in the thick of things is Er Mei – part of a wave of Sichuan restaurants changing the face of the neighbourhood. It’s smarter than some of the in-and- out cafés and serves excellent bowls of hot and sour soup as well as crispy kung pao king prawns.