A duo in E14: two companions paired because they get on

The strongest pairs on this roster share something real. Tiffany and Stacy both shoot street photography and will turn a walk along the quay into a contact sheet; Tiffany is 169 cm with chocolate brown hair, Stacy 176 cm with near-black hair. Tina and Molly share a love of records and properly made cocktails, and both prefer a late start. Michelle and Milena are the quick pair: tall, dark-haired and fast to confirm, which makes them the simplest duo to book for the same evening. Five of the six appear on the brunettes page.

A duo takes a little more arranging than a single booking. Two schedules have to line up and two journeys have to finish at the same door. Give the day, the hour, how long and where, then either two names, one name and a request for the desk to pair her, or a line about the evening and nothing else. Philippa confirms both companions in the same reply, with one arrival time for the pair. If your building has a concierge, mention that two guests are expected; they arrive together and give their first names, and the check runs once for the booking, not twice.

Tables for three are no trouble on the estate; the larger restaurants around Wood Wharf and Canada Square are used to it. In Limehouse the riverside pubs have corners that suit a trio. North of the estate, Stratford offers the bars around the Olympic Park, and its hotels have lounges big enough for a relaxed first hour. At your hotel or apartment on Canary Wharf, a duo is simply a livelier version of a room visit.

The most common duo runs three hours. It opens at a table for three at Wood Wharf, where the conversation moves around all three of you rather than across the table, and finishes with a nightcap back at the hotel. Two companions who know each other carry a table easily; most guests find they are asked more questions than they ask. For a lighter evening, two hours split between a hotel bar and your suite works just as well, and costs £500 for each companion.

Same-day duos are possible, especially with the quick pair, but an afternoon message gives the widest choice and a day ahead is best for a Friday. Both companions arrive together, within the usual window after confirmation. If one of the pair has to drop out, you hear at once and are offered a replacement or a single booking, never a surprise at the door.

A duo stays a duo for the booked length. Want to continue with just one of them? Say so while the booked time is still running. Should her evening have space, only her additional time is charged. The terms that govern single bookings apply to each companion here, including the 15-minute grace period and free changes with three hours of notice.

Honesty helps here. A duo is rarely the right choice for a quiet evening, a first booking or a working dinner, and if your message describes one of those, Philippa will suggest a single companion and say why. Two companions shine when an evening already has some energy in it: a celebration, a night out that moves between rooms, or a table that would otherwise feel too formal for its own good.