Classic, wood-panelled boozer with banquettes and bar stools, plus a pool table. Situated close to Goldsmiths, University of London. Vibe: Art School meets Football Fan meets Mark E Smith.

A treasure trove in the The City of London. The Archive of London. Strongrooms hold kilometres of shelving; boxes of matter that has somehow been catalogued and categorised in a traceable manner by the public, for academic, genealogical and other research. This beautiful book is from a box on Epping Forest. On the same visit, I looked through photographs of Blitz singsongs in Bethnal Green Underground station, 1980s anti-Thatcher / pro-GLC gig posters and paper concertina optical models of the Crystal Palace.

An obvious choice but no 'best of London' list is complete without the Barbican

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.

London institution, a magical place to have tea and cake and a perfect spot to watch London Soho life unfold before your eyes. The quality is always superb, the staff are friendly and human and the landladies Michelle and Tanya are part of what make this place and London so magical. A little gem that is a must on anyone's visit to London.