I vaguely thought about leaving London recently and the British Library came to mind as somewhere I’d miss. It’s an essential resource because it has almost everything. It also has some interesting exhibitions.

I probably spend too much time here but I love it for the atmosphere. During the day it’s quite empty. The proprietor is often dozing in the back corner and you can read for hours with just one cup of tea without anyone bothering you. It picks up in the evenings as all the regulars pile in with pre-bought bottles of wine.

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 best things in London can be spied from this seat. Fact.

Fischer’s on Marylebone High Street. A classic Austrian café/ restaurant in an Accidental Wes Anderson Interior.