The first property in this little hotel group was opened in Brighton in 2008 by a 20-year-old who reinvented his parents' B&B by inviting local artists for sleepovers (provided they painted on the walls). It now has outposts in Oxfordshire, Bristol and Cornwall, as well as this one, on a quiet Pimlico street – one of London’s best affordable hotels. It may feel laid- back but the team has a marvellous eye for design (cast-iron four-posters, pop art and vintage Anglepoise lamps), plus there’s a full English for breakfast.

Husband-and-wife design duo Russell Pinch and Oona Bannon used their home as a studio, until one morning they were woken by a Norwegian couple who had travelled straight from the airport wanting to buy practically everything in the house. These days they have a showroom on Ebury Street, and there’s a simple elegance to everything in it thanks to the couple’s fierce dedication to craft and refinement. The quiet luxury of the furniture world.

The elevated Chinese menu at this family-run restaurant is secret and ever-changing – diners will be asked on arrival for their spice preference but the rest is left to the chefs. Don’t expect kung pao chicken and spring rolls here. More often than not there are light tempura green beans doused in chilli and garlic (nicknamed “chips” by founder Mr Peng, they’re so addictive), or twice-cooked red pork delivered in a paper bag to be ripped open at the table. An insider tasting menu that delivers in spades.

This traditional boutique hotel has an absolute smasher of a private garden. There are few places we'd rather be on a sunny day! If you're lucky, you may spy a royal here from time to time; the Duchess of Cambridge even stayed here the night before her wedding.