The Premises is cozy café attached to a recording studio in Hackney (frequented by Nina Simone, Al Green and Jarvis Cocker over the years.) Lovely people serve up tasty breakfasts and Turkish food in the evening.

London is blessed with many fine parks, but Brockwell is a real jewel in south London. A short walk or bus ride from Brixton, or right by Herne Hill overground station, the park includes large grassy areas, the fantastic Brockwell Lido (a vast open-air pool – hectic mid-summer unless you get in early - a 7am swim is utterly blissful), tennis courts, a bowling green, a BMX track, a mini-railway, a secret garden, and a few newly landscaped ponds. Perfect for a lazy summer day.

My friend Guillaume opened the swankiest rooftop in London that still feels like a house party. Louie is a French-Creole restaurant, live jazz music venue and oyster bar too.

Great place to work and even better coffee. The roastery at the ground floor gives off a nice scent that fills the whole space. Sit near the bar at the kitchen area and look at all the delicious stuff the chefs whip up - and try their V60!

The V and A houses a public collection of prints and drawings of every kind imagineable from old master drawings to photographs, playing cards, fashion plates and wallpapers. You have to select what you want to see from the collection http://collections.vam.ac.uk/and book in advance. The behind-the-scenes route up to the study room of v and a is a treat alone (pictured)