OUR FIRST DATE-MAYFAIR

A good first meeting has very little to do with the venue and everything to do with how it makes you feel before you've even sat down. I get asked often where I like to meet, so I thought I would finally write it all out properly.

Mayfair is where I gravitate to most, simply because it does quiet confidence so well. Nobody is performing for anyone else there, which makes it easy to relax into a conversation rather than feel like you are on display.

My favourite is a small hotel bar tucked just off Berkeley Square. I won't name it outright here, partly for discretion, partly because half the charm is discovering it together, but if you ask me directly when we arrange to meet, I'm happy to suggest it. Low lighting, good cocktails, and crucially, tables spaced far enough apart that you can actually hear each other.

A few things I look for in a first meeting spot, in case it's useful for you too.

Somewhere that doesn't rush you. A restaurant with a tasting menu and a strict seating time can feel lovely, but it also puts a clock on the evening before it's begun. A bar where you can stay for one drink or four, depending on how the conversation goes, takes the pressure off entirely.

Somewhere with good staff who don't hover. The best venues in Mayfair understand discretion instinctively. Nobody needs to ask questions, nobody needs an explanation.

Somewhere that still feels like London, not a hotel lobby that could be anywhere in the world. I want a first date to feel like an experience, not a transaction in a beige room.

If you're planning to meet me for the first time and want a recommendation tailored to the part of London you're staying in, just ask when you reach out. I genuinely enjoy helping plan the evening, not just attending it.