Specialising in photography & fashion books and magazines, this independent shop can be a goldmine for rare and out of print books. Also if you’re lucky you’ll meet Otis, the lovely pug-cross resident.

A great place for an informal lunch or dinner while in East London. It’s one of Nuno Mendes’ projects and it is housed in the impressive Town Hall at Bethnal Green. We filmed with Mendes in his kitchen when the restaurant first launched.

The many book stores dotted along this strip can provide hours of inspiration. Aside from those selling new books, several specialise in second-hand and antiquarian books.

The Barbican Estate is a residential estate that was built during the 1960s and the 1980s. An icon of Brutalist Architecture the Barbican Estate is an unique and complex real life experiment; a city within a city. The main focal point of the estate is the lake and its neighbouring terrace. High above and behind the terrace is the Barbican Centre, the largest performing arts centre in Europe. I really rate their visual culture exhibitions (for instance, Jean-Michel Basquiat and the Bauhaus) and live concerts (Nils Frahm and Ryoji Ikeda). Love it!

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.