An obvious choice but no 'best of London' list is complete without the Barbican

I found out an amazing fact recently about this place which weirdly enough relates back to my interest of analogue TV distortions in my work. The building where the restaurant stands is where John Logie Baird gave the first public demonstration of Television. If that doesn’t want to make you go there, the band Pulp also wrote a song of the same name on their Different Class album. Apart from these two great facts their food is pretty darn good too!

The best place for a glass of wine*. It's the perfect balance – not too formal, not too informal either. Food is consistently good. Lamb's Conduit Street is a little oasis in the midst of Bloomsbury. (*slightly overpriced)

Camping in London? Absolutely! This is one of a few sites which has direct access to Epping Forest from the campsite. Easy to get to by tube, with a fire field and 50 acres to spread out in, this is a great place to recharge your batteries.

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.