This may not be much of a secret but deserves a mention. I find it hard to go anywhere near this place without having to go there. Freshly baked Beigels hot salt beef and it never closes, 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Cosy little restaurant with a giant kitchen island unit in the centre which doubles as a display and seating area. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a focus on fermenting.

Raisin bread and sausage rolls; plus madeleines, palmiers, financiers, croissants, and cinnamon buns for breakfast with a Parisian jazz soundtrack

My favourite no-frills Malaysian restaurant and takeaway hidden away in a basement. Expect to queues for up to 30–40min, but well worth the wait.

Being an East London boy at heart I am partial to an occasional fix of café culture. Pellici's has been running since the start of the last century, to which me, my father and my father's fathers have all enjoyed its mix of tasty Italian/London grub and energetic atmosphere. If you're visiting, make sure you drop by, as it will provide a valuable, forever-depleting education into what East London is really all about.