Kerridge’s Bar and Grill near Embankment serves tarted up (and expensive) English classics, and nothing about it is hard to get on with.

Yen is a large, upmarket Japanese restaurant on the Strand that specialises in soba. It’s a calm, spacious place to spend some time.

Volta Do Mar is a relaxed spot near the Aldwych serving delicately put together Portuguese small plates, as well as some larger things to share.

Gordon’s is a perpetually rammed wine bar on The Strand with subterranean vaults for winter drinking and a beautiful outdoor area for summer.