Duo evenings, two companions and a single plan

You might already have two names in mind, or one, or none. Send what you have, and the desk fills the gaps from the evening you describe. It only puts forward a pair when both women are free on the night and would genuinely enjoy the same kind of evening, and each says yes to the pairing before you ever see it. Every woman in the gallery is open to duo bookings when her diary allows.

A pairing tends to work best when the two women differ a little: one who steers a conversation and another who draws quieter guests into it, one who knows the wine list and one who knows where the music is. The desk weighs balance as carefully as availability, and it will say so if two names you have chosen seem likely to pull the evening in opposite directions. That is advice, never refusal; the choice stays yours.

Some combinations almost arrange themselves. Danielle and Milena both live in South Kensington, one composed and literary, the other direct and glamorous, which keeps a table lively from both ends. Cindy and Stacy share Chelsea and a love of the camera, one chasing evening light on the river, the other neon reflections along the King's Road. Thea and Nancy could compare sushi counters for an entire evening, and both are listed among the blondes, as Cindy is too.

A duo suits evenings with some energy in them: a birthday dinner on the Fulham Road, a night at the 606 Club where the music starts late, an evening that opens in the drawing rooms of The Ampersand and ends somewhere with a dance floor. Two companions who already know each other's rhythm make those evenings flow. Tell the desk what the occasion is and whether other guests will be at the table, so the pairing fits the company as well as the plan.

If part of the reason for a duo is a friend joining you, that friend should know about the arrangement beforehand and welcome it. The desk checks this before confirming, which keeps the evening comfortable for everyone at the table.

The checks are the ones any booking receives: the reservation name matched to the hotel and room, or the building and flat for a residence, before either companion leaves home. Nobody at the table should be surprised by the arrangement, and every guest there must be over 18. The two can arrive together or a few minutes apart, and both stay in touch with the desk, so a change of venue takes a single message.

Two diaries are more fragile than one. If one woman has to withdraw, the desk writes to you immediately with an alternative it thinks will suit. Accept it, carry on with the remaining companion for a single fee, or move the whole evening to another date at no cost while three or more hours' notice remains.

Nothing about the arrangement changes because two women are present. Both fees still buy time and company, and only that; any cancellation is measured against the whole booking rather than each half of it, and the booking page sets out every stage in order. A duo can also visit your hotel or residence without going out at all, on the same checks as any single visit.