Mylène is a French art director, currently based in London. She’s currently art director for the books and gifts lists at Laurence King Publishing, part of Orion/Hachette UK.
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)
Coming here as a child and even now the collection is utterly astounding I can spend hours in the fossel and mineral room. Plus the architecture of the building is completely unique and breath taking.
A walled secret garden, the Physic Garden is like a time capsule, founded in 1673 to allow apprentices of the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London to study the healing properties of plants, it is now a living museum. Tours are offered by volunteers with immense knowledge of botany and the cultural history of the garden or visitors can wander the grounds alone and spot odd and fascinating plants such as the mystical Mandrake.
St. JOHN is famous for its 'nose to tail' dining which encourages people to eat ‘unusual’ parts of the animal. St. JOHN also have their own bakery and winery and you can just visit for a drink and small bite in the bar (Clerkenwell and Spitalfields).