There is a nice little frisson of irony in watching the good and the great heading for the boutique Courthouse Hotel, after years of seeing the less good, though not always less great arriving at Great Marlborough Street Magistrates Court for their arraignment before The Beak, sometimes before being passed on to a higher court. There are reminders of this previous incarnation in the courthouse furniture, the fine wooden panelling and the architecture that was designed to strike awe and solemnity into the hearts of all those present. All this has been given a chilling out treatment without in any way losing its charms, giving the restaurants in particular immense presence.

The Silk restaurant takes customers on a culinary journey down the old Silk Route with a naturally Asian influence, whilst The Carnaby is much more true Brasserie style. Those waiting to see the Judge for whatever reasons were rewarded for their inconvenience by being accommodated in the Waiting Room, a spacious and elegant area, now made even more so with a colonial décor.

The Bar is an arresting part of the complex and is home not only to an appearance at the bar, but also the three remaining prisoners' cells for those who wish, as earlier inmates might have said, to "drink cosy". You can even book a cell-space for a private party, a facility not available to occupants from the earlier regime.