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.

A beautiful, neon-fronted, old school, single-screen cinema on Upper St. That anyone would choose to go to the Vue just up the road is baffling

A taste of Portuguese cafe culture on Golborne Road.

Being an East London boy at heart I am partial to an occasional fix of café culture. Pellici's has been running since the start of the last century, to which me, my father and my father's fathers have all enjoyed its mix of tasty Italian/London grub and energetic atmosphere. If you're visiting, make sure you drop by, as it will provide a valuable, forever-depleting education into what East London is really all about.

There are three branches of this South Indian Vegetarian Restaurants across London, two in the West End. They all look pretty unremarkable from the outside, the décor is pretty basic, but don't be fooled - the food is wonderful! It's incredibly cheap and the friendly staff cater for vegans and people with food intolerances really well.