From the minute you step into the tranquil St James’ Courtyard, every memory of fast-paced London melts away. An ornate Victorian fountain plays in a quadrangle of porches and pillars that glitter with a sea-green faience glaze. Linking the eight townhouses that surround this court is an endless frieze of figures - carved from the bricks that dance right round the quad - reputedly the longest Shakespearean sylvan frieze in the world. It makes a perfect backdrop for al fresco meals and drinks in the summer.