A short walk from Oxford Circus tube station, Kaffeine is easily one of the best coffee houses in London. Whenever I'm working in the area I pop in beforehand to kick start my day with a well-made cappuccino.

Getting lost is an age old suggestion but a good one. Put away your cell phone or your A-Z and just wander around. I still do this regularly even though Ive lived here for nearly 10 years. London is a big city and it drip feeds you its secrets sometimes. You will come across things you wouldn't usually, in amongst the Starbucks and pret a mange there are some amazing sights. Just 'being' somewhere is a great experience and one no guide book can help you find.

Excellent breads & pastries, including their famous sourdough & doughnuts!

Let your imagination run wild in this surreal London Park. Crystal Palace is a great place to walk around dinosaurs and get introduced in prehistoric vibes.  Sculptor Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins was commissioned to make lifesized models of newly discovered dinosaurs back in 1952. They were the first dinosaur sculptures in the world, pre-dating the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species. They have been recently remodelled in 2002. Note: family and children friendly over the weekends

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.