Contemporary art gallery always showcasing interesting artists. Area is great and building is top

My favourite record shop in London. Old-school record store stocks eclectic blues, dance, soul, reggae and global music on vinyl and CD.

I love the Brixton markets, they are about as far from the food aisle of any multi national supermarket as you can imagine. One minute you can be in Thailand, then Jamaica via Turkey the next. Franco Manco is pretty busy, but it’s very special to me.

6a architects transformed the six-storey building at the corner of Redchurch Street into a multidisciplinary space. A shop, a gallery, a restaurant. 

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)