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.

Great beer and whisky selection, a friendly crowd, and top quality music programming upstairs, you can't go wrong with The Lexington

Getting lost is an age old suggestion but a good one. Put away your cell phone or your A-Z and just wander around. I still do this regularly even though Ive lived here for nearly 10 years. London is a big city and it drip feeds you its secrets sometimes. You will come across things you wouldn't usually, in amongst the Starbucks and pret a mange there are some amazing sights. Just 'being' somewhere is a great experience and one no guide book can help you find.

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

Escape the Eurocentric vortex here.