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

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.

I couldn't decide which coffee shop to feature so here's the first, Store Street Espresso. It's right round the corner from work and a great place to chill out at lunch time and get that kick for the afternoon. Compared with the other independent coffee shops in the area (Wild & Wood/Lantana/Tapped & Packed) the interior's minimal and light which is great. Anyway coffee's really good and so is the food.

A+ little book store full of publications made by artists. So many beautiful and interesting books to choose from.

Small restaurant on Highbury Corner that started off focusing on (basically) posh kebabs, but which is now producing some of London's most innovative dishes, focused around unconventional meats, cuts, and breads. Not often you can eat incredible food while listening to heavy rock and metal, but Lee Tiernan has nailed a winning formula.