Inside The Kingston Hotel,past the punters in the front bar,Marble&Pearl’s dining room is a delightful surprise. It’s a sunken space with a roaring fireplace and soft,saddle-coloured leather booths,in which you’ll find diners of every ilk:families,couples and large groups all enjoying the polished energy of the room.

Entrées lean Latin American,from red snapper ceviche with tiger’s milk and sweet potato to house-made morcilla and chorizo sausages. But beef is the big-ticket draw,all aged in-house. Make it a surf-and-turf situation by adding jumbo prawns,crab legs or lobster tail to your steak order – perhaps a black angus porterhouse,aged for 72 days until it takes on a slight barnyard funk served with chimichurri.

Such indulgence is best paired with a big bold red,and finished with a Frangelico-laced affogato.