SOAS university has a small gallery space dedicated to exhibitions about Asia, Africa and the Middle East. There's a small but beautiful Japanese zen garden on the rooftop (currently closed for refurbishment)

A perfect place for any occasion - or no occasion at all - every table feels like the best one.

These giant spectral cylinders are great at different times of the day but my favourite time is around dusk when the buildings in the city start to light up. The Gherkin and the new Shard building are framed in the lowest ring then the shifting colours of the sky are almost split in the following ellipses.

I really enjoy this vegetarian restaurant. It has everything from amazing healthy soups and salads to healthy dairy free desserts...my favourite is the raw chocolate tart with dairy free coconut ice cream! 

Whipps Cross flats next to Hollow Pond boating lake is where I run. A perfect antidote to the chaos in the city.