Lobby Bar & Lounge at The Cavendish Hotel

The well-heeled chic of The Cavendish’s lounge bar/lobby is a useful pit stop for a gossipy lunch ahead of a gander at the Royal Academy or a debrief after a raid on Bond Street. Otherwise, you may fancy settling on plumped-up sofas for afternoon tea at £18, which is cheap by hotel standards. Champagne from £10 & Italian Chardonnay for less than £20 also go against the plummy Mayfair postcode, while fresh-cut deli sandwiches & chips (£13.50) are a meal in their own right. To sip, don’t miss fruity, Cointreau-based Red Rosa – named after Rosa Lewis (aka the Duchess of Duke Street, a former owner of the hotel). Once the lunching ladies have departed, expect shopped-out foreigners & pre/post-dinner tourists ready for a gig that runs until late.