Lots of traditional charming country pubs around the area, but it can a bit hit and miss. A really friendly one with amazing food (and a unusually large veggie selection…) is the Beehive in Epping Green; close to the Great Wood. It's friendly enough you dare going there by yourself with the paper and are not at the mercy of local rubbernecks ("the rubberneck" = person who stares at strangers without any sign of guilt)

The small East London bakery that made Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding cake.

The oldest surviving fire station in Peckham, converted and restored by 6a architects, is now an annexe to the South London Gallery.

An unassuming glass door on an otherwise plain facade hides a cavernous space, with high ceilings and huge sliding partitioned walls producing excellent exhibitions in a space you'll want to go back to.

Need some clean air or just a time-out? Kew Gardens is a short train ride away from the city centre but is provides you with space, greenery and and a small holiday for the lungs. The garden contain tropical glasshouses and interesting architecture, so it is a treat for both body and mind.