Epping Forest is a 2,400 hectares area of ancient woodland between Epping in the north and Wanstead in the south, straddling the border between Greater London and Essex. I tend to get off at Loughton Tube Station (Central Line), which is about 10–12min walk to the forest.

The Garden Museum and the Garden Museum Cafe are a welcome addition to an area of London that is slow to change. The food at the cafe is modern and seasonal, and the space is beautiful and looks out into a small garden by Dan Pearson. Christopher Woodward, the museum director, is active in improving and campaigning for local green spaces and creating space for the local community. The Museum lives inside an old 18th-century church and has a changing program of exhibits. Worth noting, it is a museum on the subject of gardening, not of gardens, so don’t expect many flower beds. Throughout the summer holidays, the Museum has lots of great events for kids, including cooking and drawing. Luke and I also designed the identity for the museum… the tote bags and visitor badges are particularly nice.

This is one of my favourite places in the whole of London. Cernamic, run by Nam and Susi, they offer some fantastic workshops and at a very affordable price. They have really cultivated a welcoming environment, full of lovely people and a place to share and recieve knowledge.

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.

Beautiful museum with permanent collections on anthropology, natural history and musical instruments. Surrounded by a park with farm animals and beautiful views of London skyline.