Sager & Wilde is a small wine bar on Hackney Road, close to many other amazing places on Hackney and Columbia Road. The perfect place for an aperitif or a nightcap.

The Nightingale is the antithesis of the hundreds of soulless gastropubs that a lot of decent pubs have recently become and remains everything a proper pub should be. Britain's pubs haven't had it easy lately. The smoking ban and the general effects of the recession have hammered the industry hard. The Nightingale continues to be what it has always been, a proper pub at the heart of the local community. Its annual charity walk has raised nearly £500,000 for good causes in over 30 years and it seems determined to do the things a pub should do and do them properly. Once inside you feel like you could be in a country pub instead of in the middle of South London. There's no jukebox and the TV is hardly ever on, but there’s a great atmosphere with a good set of locals and good drink and food. Bliss.

Specialising in photography & fashion books and magazines, this independent shop can be a goldmine for rare and out of print books. Also if you’re lucky you’ll meet Otis, the lovely pug-cross resident.

I discovered this hidden gem by pure chance when i explored the area in one of my lunch breaks. Rochelle Canteen is hidden away behind the walls of three former victorian schools on Arnold Circus in London's Shoreditch. The atmosphere, upon entering the ground, is relaxed almost tranquil. The canteen itself is situated in the old bike shed and the kitchens' size almost belies it's output. The food is distinctively modern British; run by Arnold & Henderson, a household name of britisch cuisine. The guests are local creative types so that the atmosphere is more relaxed then anything else. In the summer you can also sit outside.

G.F. Smith's permanent showroom, in Central London. Visits are by appointments only — But I would definitely recommend making the visit. All of their stocks are beautifully archived, along with example publications, and a rotating series of paper installations in both the window & basement, courtesy of Made Thought.