Get on the list for tickets and surprise someone who will appreciate the 'village of books' upstairs in particular.

Small restaurant on Highbury Corner that started off focusing on (basically) posh kebabs, but which is now producing some of London's most innovative dishes, focused around unconventional meats, cuts, and breads. Not often you can eat incredible food while listening to heavy rock and metal, but Lee Tiernan has nailed a winning formula.

A great place for an informal lunch or dinner while in East London. It’s one of Nuno Mendes’ projects and it is housed in the impressive Town Hall at Bethnal Green. We filmed with Mendes in his kitchen when the restaurant first launched.

Epping Forest is a 2,400 hectares area of ancient woodland between Epping in the north and Wanstead in the south, straddling the border between Greater London and Essex. I tend to get off at Loughton Tube Station (Central Line), which is about 10–12min walk to the forest.

The number 9 bus is the last of London’s old Routemasters. It’s a reminder of how far London has come over the years both in technology and design. The route itself is also one of the Heritage routes going past all of London’s key attractions such as Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Hyde Park Corner and the Royal Albert Hall and the buses are still run by a traditional conductor which is fun and keeps things personal. It is a quintessential London journey.