Izakaya-inspired dishes, incredible music played through a proper audiophile set-up, in a beautiful looking and low-lit setting. What all restaurants should be like.

Take Monday off! Enjoy a kids-free lunch date with your baby daddy in Barrafina is always a good idea!

Great little independent bookshop in central London run by Tamsin Clark. Weird and wonderful selection of photo books, magazines, artist books, poetry and more.

The gallery was extended into a neighbouring Victorian House space about a year and a half ago, with a real skill in judging the meeting point between the contemporary and the conserved. The architects — 6a — were also responsible for Raven Row near Spitalfields (another favourite place). I'm lucky enough to work part of the week next door, at Camberwell College of Arts. This is about great food and good books. The café — a real haven at breakfast time before work — is run by the nicest team of people, with intertwined relationships to Camberwell. This book, designed by James Langdon, represents the kind of find possible in the bookshop and also the quality of conversation content had, over the best coffee.

The Party Superstore was/is my absolute favourite London shop until it was bizarrely attacked and gutted during the summer London riots. They have been since adopted as a concession by the local Debenhams but you can still savour the full delights of the products and nonsense on line.