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

My favourite local beer garden.

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.

It is a music store in Brick Lane. You can spend there the perfect Sunday afternoon, listening to lot of new good music, thumbing through cool books while relaxing in their café. Oh, and the Rough trade photo-booth is a must if you go there!

Travelling on these uncrowded river buses is such a relaxing way to see the city's landmarks from the Thames. A really quick and lesser-known way to travel from central London to Greenwich, especially on a sunny weekend.