Things we think about with alarming regularity: otters using their little otter hands to open things, whether Eeyore is a prime candidate for cognitive behavioural therapy, and Hoppers’ indulgently buttery bone marrow varuval. It’s a fixture on the menu of this Sri Lankan spot’s three London outposts—the cosy Soho original, the shiny one in King’s Cross, and this sophisticated Marylebone kari house that has an aesthetic that is part spa day trip, part week-long escape to a leafy holiday resort with a climate that calls for strappy sandals. On the ground floor, friends tuck designer shopping bags beneath the black banquette as satellite-sized hoppers arrive at their table, and couples chat weekend plans while mopping up the luminous remnants of a fiery prawn kari. But downstairs is where you want to be for a good time. With a low, wood-panelled ceiling, it feels like a prohibition knees-up bunker sponsored by exuberant chutney consumption and several rounds of the aromatic, coconut-y pandan Negroni. It’s the ideal space for bedding in for a double date destined for a notable two-day hangover, or a fun, spice-fest birthday where your guests of honour will definitely be in attendance: the epic tear-and-share hoppers, the tropical mindset cocktails, and of course, our permanent cardamom crush, that bone marrow varuval.