The Princess Louise, was a Victorian Gin Palace, with mirror and tiles galore, segregated seating and extraordinary urinals. With pints of beer just over £2 you're laughing. It gets packed so we come for a lunchtime pint.

Morito is a few doors down from it's well know sister restaurant Moro. This not long open tapas restaurant feels like it could be in a little back street in Barcelona. The food is great, and it has a buzzy but relaxed atmosphere. You might need to wait a little while for the table, but I promise it's worth it.

Whipps Cross boating lake is a true hidden East end gem. Located on Whipps Cross flats midway between Walthamstow and Wanstead.

I love the Brixton markets, they are about as far from the food aisle of any multi national supermarket as you can imagine. One minute you can be in Thailand, then Jamaica via Turkey the next. Franco Manco is pretty busy, but it’s very special to me.

The second coffee shop has to be Kaffeine. Having only recently come across this one, I was certainly impressed and they may even have the best coffee I've had, since a short stay in Portland, Oregon.