First impressions: This lovely red-brick townhouse hotel in a gas-lit courtyard off Pall Mall has the feel of a discreet gentleman's club. You wouldn't be surprised to bump into Bertie Wooster, with Jeeves hovering discreetly in the background. It is very English -- restrained, understated and resolutely unshowy.

Why go now

Bond creator Ian Fleming was a regular at Dukes and came up with his double agent's most famous line, "shaken, not stirred", in the legendary cocktail bar.

This year is the centenary of the writer's birth and, to mark it, a major exhibition -- For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond -- is opening at the Imperial War Museum London next Saturday, April 19. It features never-before seen material exploring Fleming's work as a journalist and his wartime career which inspired the Bond stories.

You can also get a glimpse of the 'blood-splattered' shirt worn by Daniel Craig in Casino Royale and a prototype of Halle Berry's bikini from Die Another Day. It runs until March 1, 2009. Contact 00 44 207 416 5439, www.iwm.org.uk , adults £8 (€10), children £4 (€5).

How it looks

Dukes was recently taken over by Gordon Campbell Gray, who designed the ultra-cool One Aldwych near the West End and Antigua's Carlisle Bay. There are 90 rooms and suites which reflect the ambience of the public areas: classic and classy, with the best of the old retained in a recent makeover. So expect high ceilings, elegant coving, expensive fabrics -- but effective lighting, good use of space, and technology at your fingertips.

Room to book

The penthouse. At the top of the house on the fifth floor, this gorgeous suite has a large sitting room, a dining table, a 7ft bed and a private balcony that looks over Green Park. It can connect to a Classic Room to make a two-bedroom suite.

The food

Ingredients that any English boarding schoolboy would remember -- but finessed in a way that he could only dream about.

Bacon and cauliflower pureed with perfectly realised scallops (and champagne replacing the lukewarm school tap water); cottage pie with pheasant instead of minced lamb (this as a side-dish to perfectly-pink pheasant breast); Brussels sprouts and carrots -- al dente. Plus mashed potato and gravy like you never saw at school.

The wine list specialises in Old World reds, and you'd love to have the money to explore the best of them. But it also has wines by the glass and our Rioja Concordia was gorgeous.

For breakfast, proper tea leaves and (oh bliss!) crispy toast served in a rack. And, as you'd expect, the full English was cooked to order, rather than laid to rest under arc-lights.

The neighbourhood

The hotel is in St James's, the heart of clubby London. We took a gentle stroll after dinner and weren't at all surprised to come across a shop that specialised in hunting and fishing gear. The German manager, Michael Voigt, has guests who fly in from the continent and use the hotel as a base to go hunting in Kent.

What to do

Go for a drink in the bar, which was described by the New York Times as the "the discreet home of the perfect martini". Ian Fleming insisted that his cocktails were "shaken, not stirred", and James Bond always followed his creator's example. The setting is elegant in a nicely understated way; it offers a fabulous compendium of gins, vodkas, brandies and particularly rare whiskies (and whiskeys). Go for the classic martini, prepared at your table in a time-honoured ritual. Extra dry vermouth is sprayed from a crystal atomiser into a chilled martini glass. Next, the rim is swiped with a lemon peel (freshly cut, naturally) followed by the frozen vodka or gin of your choice. Simple, but perfect. The bar food is a mixture of school (again), Jeeves and the East End: Welsh rarebit, potted brown shrimps, devilled lambs' kidneys, and smoked eel sandwich.

Pamper factor

There's a small health club which is complimentary to guests staying at the hotel. It includes an Italian marble steam room and a modern and well-equipped gym with high-tech cardio-vascular equipment. Green Park nearby is perfect for a stroll or a run.

The damage

To mark the Fleming anniversary, Dukes is offering a Bond About Town package. So why not go for the kill with an overnight stay for two in a Classic Double Room; a wet shave for him at Truefitt & Hill (deemed the best in London); a Miss Moneypenny manicure or pedicure for her; a martini masterclass including a Vesper martini each; a three-course dinner and a full English breakfast followed by late check-out until 2pm. The package starts at £450 (€564). Weekend nightly rates are available for £185 (€232) for a classic double room.

Peter Carvosso

- Peter Carvosso