9am Wake up at the colourful, sleekly designed The Marylebone. Begin with a dip in the hotel’s pool before settling into a red leather chair at 108 Brasserie for a warming breakfast of roasted tomatoes on sourdough.
10.30am Amble from the hotel to resplendent Hertford House and The Wallace Collection, a permanent collection of 18th-century French art, Old Masters and an armoury packed full of objects such as gilded swords inlaid with semi-precious stones. While there, don’t miss El Greco to Goya: Spanish Masterpieces from the Bowes Museum (until 7 January 2018), an intimate exhibition of 13 paintings that explore the religious, social and political issues of 18th-century Spain.
11am It’s time for coffee and a cinnamon bun at the sleek Scandinavian Nordic Bakery (although the sugary butter buns are equally tempting), before going further east to the Wellcome Collection in Bloomsbury. Its fascinating winter show Can Graphic Art Save Your Life? (until 14 January) takes a look at how healthcare logos and signage inform the public.
1pm Visit Soho for lunch at the outrageously named Flavour Bastard. The menu offers tapas-style dishes with no particular provenance, which combine flavours from the Middle East, Asia, the Pacific and the Caribbean. Don’t miss the white lentil, chorizo and pecorino doughnuts.
