A lovely healthy cafe in portobello!

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

Slightly biased as this is where I live, but Stoke Newington is great place to spend lazy saturday / sunday afternoons getting sloshed with friends. There are 10 + pubs within walking distance who all are great places for one reason or another. I'll pick out the White Hart for its huge beer garden...

It's a members-only library but you might be granted access with a research request. The writer's room is great but there's a few special, hidden corners among the bookshelves to tuck yourself away in.

Quinto sells second-hand books. I spend a lot of time here and have found some inspiring books over the years, both at Quinto and the other shops on this road. Koenig Books on the corner is good for art books, too.