The Principal Hotel has joined forces with ex-Unabomber DJs Justin Crawford and Luke Cowdrey – the team behind Volta in Didsbury – to create a stunning all-day drinking and dining destination. The jaw-dropping late-Victorian space (once home to The Refuge Assurance Company) includes a 139-seat restaurant with open kitchen, an elegant granite bar, and a sparkling winter atrium serving afternoon tea and exquisite cocktails. The globe-trotting menu is inspired by DJ-ing trips, with small and large plates including Volta classics such as crispy lamb shawarma, slow-cooked with fiery harissa and yoghurt. Our slow-cooked ox cheek was exemplary, the succulent fatty flesh topped with an oozing fried egg and spicy Sriracha. Smoky lamb chops came with a zingy fattoush salad. Desserts shouldn’t be missed either, especially the creamy white chocolate and cardamom brûlée. With high-quality well-priced food presented in an elegant yet comfortable venue, the Refuge is a welcome sanctuary on Oxford Street.