A winding side street that links hectic Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road, Hanway Street, with its odd mix of old-style Spanish flamenco bars and second-hand vinyl stores, is a bit of an anomaly. I’ll be surprised if they all withstand the Tottenham Court Road redevelopment but I hope they do.

I only made my first visit to Troy Bar fairly recently but it's already become a Friday night regular, and I feel like I've wasted a lot of nights not being here. Caribbean food, 4 Red Stripe for a tenner, an incredible house jazz band and as good an atmosphere as you'll find in the city.

Teeny, French cafe with amazing pastries, great coffee and incredible croque-monsieur. Long table in the front and small garden in the back or take away and head to Highbury Fields, which is only a couple of minutes away.  

This is one of the only platforms on the London Underground that is not bombarded with billboard advertising. It's a reminder to myself of how an uncluttered environment can give you so much more room to think.

My friend Guillaume opened the swankiest rooftop in London that still feels like a house party. Louie is a French-Creole restaurant, live jazz music venue and oyster bar too.