So the smoking ban is now almost three months old and London's bar scene has weathered the storm with barely a whimper.

Those smoke-filled terraces that are now de-rigeur might well resemble a designer crack-den but who's complaining so long as the mild weather continues and the nicotine-fiends can get their fix.

But isn't moving the affected en-masse to a bar-within-a bar kind of missing the point? The hazy sea of wooden benches, leaking canopys and heaving ash trays does not really constitute a great night for many smokers (or their non-smoking friends.) Luckily, help is at hand with the more discerning venues now thinking outside the box.

Hoxton's Bavarian Beerhouse is getting around the ban by offering customers a range of Bavarian Snuff, serving various tobacco options in addition to Snuff and Schnaps specials. Meanwhile, the Hotel du Vin chain has installed heated outdoor ciger shacks (at select venues) where guests can puff away in luxurious comfort.