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Best breakfasts

Breakfast at Inn the Park

Inn the Park
Perhaps inspired by his starring role on BBC2’s ‘Great British Menu’ last year, Oliver Peyton has trawled the UK for superb artisan-produced bacon, sausages, duck eggs and black pudding to feature on the new morning menu at his smart café-restaurant in St James’s Park.
Inn the Park, St James’s Park SW1 (020 7451 9999/www.innthepark.com) Green Park or St James’s Park tube or Charing Cross tube/rail.

The Providores & Tapa Room
Whether you fancy a fry-up, Turkish eggs, toast and jam or a macrobiotic brown rice porridge with apple and miso, the menu of this restaurant and bar will hit the spot. Mornings are also the most serene time to enjoy the antipodean vibe of this Marylebone fixture.
The Providores & Tapa Room, 109 Marylebone High St, W1 (020 7935 6175/ www.theprovidores.co.uk) Baker St tube

Roast
With views over Borough Market, Roast’s breakfast menu appropriately name-checks leading producers (Ramsay of Carluke smoked Ayrshire bacon, Inverawe Smoked Loch Etive trout, Marmite) and offers rarely seen treats such as baked grapefruit with brown sugar and sherry, tattie scones, buck rarebit, and slow-roast tomatoes with Worcestershire sauce and celery salt. There is also a fine selection of teas.
Roast, The Floral Hall, Stoney St, SE1 (020 7940 1300/www.roast-restaurant.com) London Bridge tube/rail.

Smith’s of Smithfield
Unlike a lot of other TV cooks, John Torode is an experienced chef with a popular restaurant – this four-storey set-up opposite the famous meat market. It’s open from 7am for hot sandwiches, a choice of five ‘all-day big breakfasts’, porridge, French toast, waffles and pancakes.
Smiths of Smithfield, 67-77 Charterhouse St, EC1 (020 7251 7950/www.smithsofsmithfield.co.uk) Farringdon tube/rail.

The Wolseley
Although it only opened in late 2003, The Wolseley’s breakfast menu has become so legendary that a book is being produced on it. The superb omelette Arnold Bennett may even outclass that of The Savoy, where it was invented.
The Wolseley, 160 Piccadilly, W1 (020 7499 6996/www.thewolseley.com) Green Park tube.

Best gallery settings

Fine specimens on show at the Horniman

Horniman Museum
Bringing the world to Forest Hill was the original and rather ambitious aim of its founder, nineteenth-century tea trader Frederick Horniman. But apart from wanting to view the eccentric and idiosyncratic natural history specimens, superb music gallery and fantastic new aquarium, south Londoners come in droves to walk around the pretty hillside gardens.
Horniman Museum, 100 London Rd, SE23 (020 8699 1872/www.horniman.ac.uk) Forest Hill rail.

Kenwood House
Set on top of a hill at the edge of Hampstead Heath, there are few more spectacular settings than Kenwood. Now that the outdoor concerts appear to have been scrapped, head indoors for the visual feasts of Vermeer, Rembrandt, Gainsborough and Reynolds.
Kenwood House, Hampstead Heath, NW3 (020 8348 1286/www.english-heritage.org.uk/kenwoodhouse) Archway tube then 210 bus.

Orleans House Gallery
Break up your riverside walk from Richmond to Ham House by stopping at this distinctive building with an octagonal baroque room and stables converted into galleries. Or you could park your yacht out front.
Orleans House Gallery, Riverside, Twickenham (020 8831 6000/www.richmond.gov.uk/home/leisure_and_culture/arts/orleans_house_gallery.htm) Richmond tube/rail.

Pump House Gallery
One of London’s quirkiest art spaces is by the lake in Battersea Park. Originally a Victorian pumping station, it now houses temporary shows and hosts a residency programme for artists who want to get away from it all and feed the ducks.
Pump House Gallery, Battersea Park, SW11, (020 7350 0523/www.wandsworth.gov.uk/gallery) Battersea Park or Queenstown Rd rail.

Serpentine Gallery
The best of contemporary art is only ever a short stroll away from the Serpentine lake in Kensington Gardens. After its restoration a decade ago, the former teahouse now benefits from an annual temporary summer pavilion designed by a famous architect, hosting 24-hour talks and late-night parties.
Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens, W2 (020 7402 6075/www.serpentinegallery.org) Knightsbridge or Lancaster Gate or South Kensington tube.

Tate Modern
The top-level restaurant has some of the best views over the Thames and the Millennium (formerly known as ‘wobbly’) Bridge that you could wish for. Oh, don’t forget the six floors of world-class cubism, surrealism, abstract expressionism and minimalism underneath you.
Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 (020 7402 6075/www.tate.org.uk/modern) Blackfriars tube/rail or Southwark tube.

Best hip music

The capital's blistering music scene (Buffalo Bar)

Anything organised by Sean McLusky
Promoter McLusky is practically an institution in himself and, although he tends to put on rather too many shows to keep the quality super-high, you can’t fault the man’s enthusiasm for new music. He (with Arthur Baker) was behind the excellent Return to New York night at the Great Eastern Hotel a few years back; he promotes two or three club nights, such as Sonic Mook Experiment, with a nu-rock ’n’ roll emphasis and keeps opening up new venues to live music (the latest is the MacBeth). He still DJs out and about every week and he runs his own label, 1-2-3-4 Records.

Buffalo Bar
Within spitting distance of Highbury & Islington station, this sweaty hipster hangout is situated below the Famous Cock Tavern. It puts on mostly garage rock, no-wave and punk pop bands, with leather-clad rock ’n’ roll lovers Artrocker hosting every Tuesday night.
Buffalo Bar, 259 Upper St, N1 (020 7359 6191) Highbury & Islington tube/rail.

The Klinker
Home(s) of London’s most challenging nights out. Leftfield jazz and odd folk rub up against experimental electronica and underground cinema. You never really know what you’re going to get, or if you’ll necessarily enjoy it, but you’ll definitely leave with something to talk about.
Thursdays at the Ivy House, 40 Stuart Rd, SE15; Fridays at the Black Horse, 37 Wedmore St N19.

The Pigeon Hole
London’s best underground folk club, popular with established names (such as Martin Carthy) and new young alt-folkers (like Findlay Brown). It’s as itinerant as the music it represents, which means it’s never held in the same place twice, but it’s worth making the effort to track down.
See myspace.com/thepigeonholeclub for details.

RoTA
The RoTA session is every Saturday afternoon (4-8pm) at Notting Hill Arts Club. It’s been around for ages and continues to range far and wide musically. An unplugged Johnny Borell played there, back in the day. The music policy is wide open, And it’s free!
Notting Hill Arts Club, 21 Notting Hill Gate, W11 (020 7460 4459) Notting Hill Gate tube.

Upset The Rhythm
They rock! Mostly in an experimental, skronky and noisy stylee. A London promoters’ collective launched in 2003 and ‘run with a sense of fun and a DIY ethic’, dedicated to all things avant and cool in the music world, treating musicians well, and keeping ticket prices low. Plus it runs a record label of the same name.
Visit www.upsettherhythm.co.uk for gig news.

Best fetish shops

All kinks catered for at Fettered Pleasures

Coco de Mer
Sam Roddick’s erotic emporium practically secretes kinky classiness. For the shopping list: a polished wooden paddle and a copy of ‘The Complete Spanker’.
Coco de Mer, 23 Monmouth St, WC2 (020 7836 8882/www.coco-de-mer.co.uk) Covent Garden tube.

Fettered Pleasures
There are few kinks that this friendly fetish superstore doesn’t cater for. Whips, canes, floggers and paddles are available for the sadistic; masochists can pick up a pair of spanking shorts for extra pain.
Fettered Pleasures, 90 Holloway Rd, N7 (020 7619 9333/www.fetteredpleasures.com) Holloway Rd tube.

Honour
There’s something to suit all fetish budgets here. Upstairs is the ‘bondage attic’, where you’ll find the serious hardware, from cuffs and collars to restraints and clamps.
Honour, 86 Lower Marsh, SE1 (020 7401 8219/www.honour.co.uk) Waterloo tube/rail.

Liberation
The most fabulously perverted curiosity shop in town. Role-play paraphernalia is big here: choose from horse bits, antique riding crops and a headmaster’s cane.
Liberation, 49 Shelton St, WC2 (020 7836 5894/www.liberationlondon.com) Covent Garden tube.

Sh!
It’s not women-only here, but if you are a man you’ll need one accompanying you to get in. Once through these hallowed pink portals you’ll find plenty of feminised fetish gear, including candy-coloured bondage tape and fur-lined handcuffs.
Sh!, 57 Hoxton Square, N1 (020 7613 5458/ www.sh-womenstore.com) Old St tube/rail.

Best small museums

Cabinet War Rooms
The war rooms were Churchill’s underground headquarters from 1939 to 1945. They’ve been preserved as they were left in August 1945. Among the rooms on show are Mrs Churchill’s bedroom and the seat from which Winnie addressed the nation. The museum is dedicated to the life and achievements of the former British prime minister.
Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, King Charles St, SW1 (020 7930 6961/ www.iwm.org.uk)Westminster tube.

Design Museum
As well as a great Thames-side location by Tower Bridge, the Design Museum has a permanent collection of modern and contemporary industrial, graphic and fashion design, architecture and multimedia, augmented by regular temporary exhibitions showcasing everything from car design to cat-carriers.
Design Museum, 28 Butlers Wharf, Shad Thames, SE1 (0870 833 9955/www.designmuseum.org) London Bridge tube/rail.

Foundling Museum
Devoted to the history of the Foundling Hospital for abandoned children started by Thomas Coram in 1739, the museum has a fine collection of paintings by Gainsborough, Reynolds and Hogarth as well as a collection of Handel memorabilia (the composer was a benefactor) and a touching social history display.
Foundling Museum, 40 Brunswick Square, WC1 (020 7841 3600/www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk) Russell Square tube.

Museum in Docklands
This museum’s not physically small – it’s in a huge warehouse that opened in 1802 to store sugar, coffee and rum – but it deserves to be much better known. The museum tells the story of the Thames, its port and the people from all over the world who settled in the area extremely well, and has an excellent WWII section. There’s an excellent adjoining restaurant-bar called 1802.
Museum in Docklands, West India Quay, Hertsmere Rd, E14 (0870 444 3857/www.museumindocklands.org.uk) Canary Wharf tube or West India Quay DLR.

Sir John Soane’s Museum
Designed by Sir John Soane to house his own eclectic collection of architectural fragments and paintings by Hogarth, Canaletto and Turner, this is a peaceful warren of a place, a domestic setting modified by the ingenious Soane to show his treasures to best advantage. Highlights include a 3,300-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus.
Sir John Soane’s Museum, 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, WC2 (020 7405 2107/www.soane.org) Holborn tube.

Best comedy clubs

Banana Cabaret
Satisfaction guaranteed every Friday and Saturday at this exciting club in a big roundhouse setting at the Bedford Arms in Balham. Promoter Dave Vickers knows the business inside out. Click here for listings

Bearcat Club
Out in Twickenham and one of London’s oldest clubs. All the big acts have played here. Worth a Saturday night visit, but perhaps not on a day when the England rugby team have a game. Click here for listings

Comedy Store
Still the greatest and most influential comedy club on the planet. Six nights a week, sometimes seven. Who could ask for more? Click here for listings

Headliners
The only purpose-built club in west London, and it has highly experienced Simon Randall – who also operates Ha Bloody Ha in nearby Ealing Studios – at the helm. Click here for listings

Lee Hurst’s Backyard
Owned, run and often hosted by one of the leading stand-ups of the last decade, this purpose-built club in Bethnal Green benefits from Hurst’s finely tuned crap detector – he’s able to spot lack of quality in a comic within seconds. Click here for listings

Click here for a full list of London's best comedy nights

Click here for full comedy listings!

Best classical

BBC Proms
Utterly London, though copied all over the world (some countries even religiously recreate the jingoistic Last Night, complete with a barely understood – thank God – ‘Land of Hope and Glory’). British ideals can be seen in the ritual queueing, the discomfort of standing (or squatting or lying) through lengthy performances, the staggering value for money, and impressing foreigners, who are as moved by the atmosphere (‘We love you,’ said a collective letter from the Vienna Philharmonic to the prommers via the Times) as they are baffled by the Albert Hall’s impossible acoustics.

Churches at lunchtime
These represent a wonderful tradition of music for voluntary donation. Beginners, students, tomorrow’s stars, packaged with architecture and history. Try St James Piccadilly, St Anne and St Agnes, Gresham Street, St Giles-in-the-Fields – and, naturally, the ‘musicians’ church’, St Sepulchre without Newgate, possibly the only church in the world boasting stained glass depicting a scene from ‘La Bohème’ (the Melba memorial window).

ENO
It has had more than its share of downs in recent years, but a visit to English National Opera is still livelier and pleasanter than the stuffy purlieus of the Royal Opera, starting with the wonderfully opulent Edwardiana of Frank Matcham’s variety palace (aquatic spectacles and real racing horses were early specialities). People go for what’s on stage rather than in the auditorium. If you’re lucky, you’ll get booers and cheerers turning their critical differences into foyer fisticuffs, especially when a Calixto Bieto production has depicted male rape or a chorus sitting on a row of toilets. The opera’s sometimes quite good too.

Wapping Hydraulic Power Station
A Victorian industrial monolith transformed into an exciting performance venue, complete with food. The concerts put on here tend to be cutting-edge but fun. A hotbed of new compositions, the Wapping Project also brings the old up to date and does things with virginals that virgins wouldn’t dream of.

Wigmore Hall
London’s most famous venue and, typically, a small one. Ideal for chamber music and song, loved for its intimacy by artists and audiences alike. The latter know their stuff. Performers who don’t know theirs wouldn’t dare set foot on its historic stage.

Click here for full classical listings

Superior shoes at Black Truffle

Best shoe shops

Black Truffle
Colourful, handmade shoes of the comfy and quirky variety from all over the world – from Canadian John Fluevog to Spanish Jocomola.
Black Truffle, 74 Broadway Market, E8 (020 7923 9450) London Fields rail.

Georgina Goodman
Goodman’s first-class degree from the prestigious shoe-making course at Cordwainers is evident in her beautifully made heels and boots which transcend catwalk trends.
Georgina Goodman, 12-14 Shepherd St, W1 (020 7499 8599) Green Park tube.

John Lobb
Originator of the expression ‘got a lob on?’, John Lobb was a Cornish farmboy who became a cobbler in Victorian London. Exquisitely made leather and crocodile shoes, and jodhpur boots.
John Lobb, 9 St James’s St, SW1 (020 7930 3664/www.johnlobbltd.co.uk) Green Park tube.

Lollipop London
A selection of some of the best independently designed shoes in the world. UK exclusives include German designer Alexa Wagner and French shoemaker Avril Gau.
Lollipop London, 114 Islington High St, N1 (020 7226 4005/www.lollipoplondon.com) Angel tube.

Sniff
This cute boutique offers style and affordability; established designers and Sniff’s own brand, featuring 1940s-inspired peep-toes and wedges.
Sniff, 1 Great Titchfield St, W1 (020 7299 3560/www.sniff.co.uk) Oxford Circus tube.

Best bookshops

Have guide, will travel - Daunt Books

Daunt Books
Superlative specialist travel bookshop.
Daunt Books, 83-84 Marylebone High St, W1 (020 7224 2295) Baker St tube.

Foyles
London’s largest independent bookstore – now better than ever.
Foyles, 113-119 Charing Cross Rd, WC2 (020 7437 5660) Tottenham Court Rd tube

London Review Bookshop
The shop of the highbrow organ, with a little bit of everything – including esoteric tomes.
London Review Bookshop, 14 Bury Place, WC1 (020 7269 9030) Piccadilly Circus tube.

Murder One
Simply London’s best for crime and romance.
Murder One, 76-78 Charing Cross Rd, WC2 (020 7539 8820) Leicester Square tube.

Tales on Moon Lane
This small but perfectly formed kids’ bookshop is Herne Hill’s pride and joy.
Tales on Moon Lane, 25 Half Moon Lane, SE24 (020 7274 5759) Herne Hill rail.

Best classic clubs

Cool and famous - Fabric

Canvas
Someone should give owner Billy Reilly a medal – this is a stunning example of what to do with an old film studio. Tarted up bit by bit, it’s now the biggest London venue for cool one-off nights, with an Ibizan-styled tree and sofabed-filled terrace, and Roller Disco twice a week. Click here for listings

The End
Favoured by underground DJs for its island DJ booth (be worshipped from all sides!), this West End nightclub is anything but West End – killer electro nights collide with bassbin-tearing D&B parties and, at their As One parties on Saturdays, there’s the AKA bar to get more comfortable in, too. Click here for listings

Fabric
They come from far and wide for arguably the most famous cool club in the world and is still breaking DJs no one else has even heard of, which explains why the queues of hip clubbers snake right around the block. Click here for listings

Ministry
You’ve bought the compilation, used the record bag and worn the T-shirt. It’s only this lot who can afford the likes of Masters At Work, Danny Tenaglia, Moby and all the other international superstar DJs. Click here for listings

Turnmills
The friendliest club we know. Fridays jump to long-running trance and tough house night Gallery, while Saturdays rule when Together takes over every bit of available space for one hell of a festival-styled bash. Click here for listings

For details see Nightlife listings.

Best barbers

A close shave at Trufitt & Hill

Briggs Brothers
Owned by Cypriot Phillip, who set it up in 1949, this shop is unchanged, with worn leather barbers’ chairs and chrome towel steamers.
Briggs Brothers, 5b Ormond Yard, SW1 (020 7930 2070) Piccadilly Circus tube.

F Flittner
A haven of original fittings and fixtures, the traditional but pretension-free Flittner has been shaving London’s gents since 1904.
Flittner, 86 Moorgate, EC2 (020 7606 4750/www.fflittner.com) Moorgate tube/rail.

Geo F Trumper
Allegedly the name that Prince Charles trusts, Trumper was established in 1875 and is still run by a descendant. Its shaving ritual, complete with cut-throat blade, is more than worth £30,
Geo F Trumper, 9 Curzon St, W1 (020 7499 1850/www.trumpers.com) Green Park tube.

Murdock
Unlike other trendy barbers in the area, Murdock favours idiosyncratic merchandise and a deep sense of tradition and integrity. Two hours of pampering costs £65.
Murdock, 340 Old St, EC1 (020 7729 2288/www.murdocklondon.com) Old St tube/rail.

Truefitt & Hill
According to ‘Guinness World Records’, Truefitt (est 1805) is the world’s oldest barbers. Wood panelling and military prints are the order of the day.
Truefitt & Hill, 71 St James’ St, SW1 (020 7493 2961/www.truefittandhill.com) Green Park tube.

Best offbeat world cuisine

Chakalaka (South African)
Tiger-skin walls (no, not really, it’s a paint effect) and a menu featuring kudu, springbok (two types of antelope), ostrich and biltong. This is one of the best places in London to sample South African wines which range from cheerful, budget options to premium bottles.
Chakalaka, 136 Upper Richmond Rd, SW15 (020 8789 5696/www.chakalakarestaurant.co.uk) East Putney tube.

Kaz Kreol (Seychelles)
The cooking of the Seychelles blends French, African, Indian and Chinese cuisines and this homely restaurant serves them up with a friendly smile and a chilli kick. On the ground floor of the St Martin’s Tavern, this spot is a boon for the area and a must for seafood lovers.
Kaz Kreol, 35 Pratt St, NW1 (020 7485 4747) Camden Town tube.

Masa (Afghanistan)
Kebabs, curries, pilafs, dumplings and flatbreads form the crux of the menu at this smart yet affordable restaurant at the tip of the Bakerloo line. Bring your own wine and beers.
Masa, 24-26 Headstone Drive, Harrow, HA3 (020 8861 6213) Harrow & Wealdstone tube/rail.

Mandalay (Burmese)
Head to the astonishingly inexpensive Mandalay to sample Burma’s fascinating blend of familiar and exotic ingredients. Tamarind, shrimp paste, pungent fresh herbs, coconut and chilli are the key flavourings. If you like Thai or Vietnamese food, give this a try.
Mandalay, 444 Edgware Rd, W2 (020 7258 3696/www.mandalayway.com) Edgware Rd tube.

Tiroler Hut (Austrian)
A cowbell cabaret, yodelling and accordion music add to the authenticity of an evening at this riotously kitsch Bayswater venue. Expect lashings of sausages, sauerkraut, and strudel. Vegetarians are catered for well, too.
Tiroler Hut, 27 Westbourne Grove, W2 (020 7727 3981/www.tirolerhut.co.uk) Bayswater or Queensway tube.

National Theatre, national treasure

Best new writing

The Bush
This small pub theatre has an illustrious history, often challenging the Royal Court as the best place for new writing. After ten years, director Mike Bradwell is abandoning Shepherd’s Bush Green and a successor has yet to be announced. Click here for listings

National Theatre
The National has a wider brief, of course, than just new writing. But its smallest theatre, the Cottesloe has seen a constant stream of quality new plays which are invariably quick to sell out. Artistic director Nicholas Hytner has also endeavoured to find big new plays to stage in the Lyttelton and Olivier, including ‘The History Boys’. Next up is Joe Penhall’s ‘Landscape with Weapon’ in the Cottesloe. Click here for listings

Royal Court
The grand old lady of the new writing theatres has just finished celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. It’s a more competitive world than it was in 1956 and the theatre has sometimes struggled to hold its own. However, Dominic Cooke has just taken over as artistic director and the omens are looking good. Click here for listings

Soho Theatre
Soho Theatre has broadened its remit since it moved into its new home to include comedy and cabaret as well as theatre. It’s still a great place to catch new playwrights, though. In yet another changeover, Lisa Goldman has been appointed the new artistic director and is bound to steer the theatre in a more political direction than her predecessor did. Click here for listings

Theatre 503
Another theatre that has just acquired new leadership. In this case, two new artistic directors follow Paul Higgins, who put the theatre on the map by indefatigably pursuing interesting work. Tiny space, big ambitions. Click here for listings

Click here for full theatre listings!

Best proper caffs

Alpino
Chapel Market traders lead the custom at this ’50s caff using charming old crockery to serve its classic cooked breakfasts and comforting cups of tea hot from the urn. Nestle down in the red booths and imagine you’re Lily Allen, who filmed the video for ‘Smile’ here.
Alpino, 97 Chapel Market, N1 (020 7837 8330) Angel tube.

E Pellicci
Featuring a remarkable art deco marquetry interior – which is now Grade II-listed by English Heritage – this East End institution has been in the same family since Edwardian times and remains a friendly place to enjoy a full English breakfast or pies and pasta at lunchtime.
E Pellicci, 332 Bethnal Green Rd, E2 (020 7739 4873) Bethal Green tube.

Gambardella
A caff of two halves: the front part is early art deco, the back is all authentic 1960s swivel stools, red walls, white-tiled floors and caff-standard laminate tables.
Gambardella, 47-48 Vanbrugh Park, SE3 (020 8858 0327) Blackheath rail.

The New Piccadilly
A vintage set piece of laminate, vinyl and faded showbiz glamour, The New Piccadilly starred in Richard Curtis’s film ‘The Girl in the Café’, along with Kelly Macdonald and Bill Nighy, yet keeps its feet on the ground with budget prices and hearty plates of sausage, egg and chips.
The New Piccadilly, 9 Denman St, W1 (020 7437 8530) Piccadilly Circus tube.

Paul Rothe & Son
This gorgeous old provisioner supplies Marylebone office workers with top-notch sarnies and delicious homemade soups still made by Mr Rothe himself.
Paul Rothe & Son, 35 Marylebone Lane, W1 (020 7935 6783) Bond St tube.

Best cathedrals of sport

All-England Lawn Tennis Club
The players still dream of getting out on a Centre Court being rebuilt to thwart the British weather.
All-England Lawn Tennis Club, Church Rd, SW19 (020 8944 1066/www.wimbledon.org) Southfields tube.

Hampton Court
The real tennis court constructed by Charles I in 1625 is still in use for championship play today.
Hampton Court Palace, Hampton Court Way, East Molesey, KT8 (020 8977 3015/www.hrp.org.uk/hampton) Hampton Court rail.

Lord’s
The blend of ancient and modern at cricket’s HQ never fails to captivate – even when it’s only Middlesex playing on a dull midweek afternoon.
Lord’s, St John’s Wood Rd, NW8 (020 7616 8500/www.lords.org) St John’s Wood tube.

Twickenham
With its new south stand open, Twickers is now a state-of-the-art arena. All it needs is an England rugby team fit to grace it.
Twickenham Stadium, Rugby Rd, TW1 (020 8831 6666/www.twickenhamexperience.com) Twickenham rail.

Walthamstow Stadium
The famous art deco façade still pulls in the punters, proving the dogs haven’t yet had their day.
Walthamstow Stadium, Chingford Rd, E4 (020 8498 3300/www.wsgreyhound.co.uk) Walthamsow Central tube.

Best cinemas

BFI Southbank (formerly NFT)
With its ‘rejuvenation’ complete this week and a new moniker acquired to go with its gleaming new mediathèque and additional gallery dedicated to artists’ film, video and new media, hopes are high that the beloved Thames-side temple to all things cinematic will present a fresh face to the future. Click here for listings

Curzon Soho
With its numerous events, seasons and special screenings, alongside its reliable major releases, excellent café, triple screens and central location, the Curzon Soho has, since the demise of the Lumière, become London’s premier arthouse flagship. Click here for listings

Electric Cinema
Equipped with big leather armchairs with side tables, and a bar serving drinks and tubs of hot food, the lounge-like Electric offers a premium cinema-going experience. Which is why many of its patrons refuse to go anywhere else. Click here for listings

Odeon Leicester Square
To feel the full force of a 70mm Bruckheimer blockbuster you need a huge screen and punchy, in-yer-face Dolby Surround Sound. That’ll be this impressive 1,679-seater auditorium, then. Click here for listings

Roxy Bar and Screen
Have you ever come out of a film screening and just wanted to dance? The Roxy Bar and Screen is making that dream a reality with regular VJ nights and cutting-edge digital screenings. Click here for listings

Click here for film listings!

Best kids’ days out

Walking with dinosaurs at Crystal Palace Park

Battersea Park Children’s Zoo
A charming little zoo with domestic animals alongside more exotic species such as lemurs, Asian short-clawed otters and a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig. In the meerkats’ enclosure, children can make their way down a tunnel to pop out on a level with the creatures. The zoo also has indoor and outdoor play areas, picnic tables and a coffee shop.
Battersea Park Children’s Zoo (near Chelsea Bridge Gate), SW11 (020 7924 5826) Sloane Square tube. Open daily 10am-4.30pm (last adm 4pm) in winter.

Crystal Palace Park
Kids always enjoy a visit to ‘the monsters’ – five dinosaur sculptures that lurk among the trees around the lake, the remains of a Victorian prehistoric theme park created on the site by Benjamin Waterhouse-Hawkins.
Crystal Palace Park, Thicket Rd, SE20 (020 8778 9496/www.bromley.gov.uk) Crystal Palace rail. Open daily 7.30am-dusk.

Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground
The big attraction at this playground for kids aged up to 12 is the vast wooden pirate ship sailing on a sea of sand. It also has some delightful play sculptures among the shrubs and bamboos.
Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground (near Black Lion Gate), Broad Walk, Kensington Gardens, W8 (020 7298 2117/7298 2141) Queensway tube. Open daily 10am-dusk.

Discover
A magical world where under-eights embark on a story trail, helped by characters whose role is to help kids invent their own stories. Dressing-up outfits, finger puppets and the Story Garden outdoor play area help fuel young imaginations.
Discover, 1 Bridge Terrace, E15 (020 8536 5555) Stratford tube/rail. Open Tue-Sun 10am-5pm termtime, daily Newham school holidays.

It's a jungle in there - Kew Gardens fascinates kids and adults alike

Kew Gardens
As well as the botanical gardens, there’s the aquarium in the Palm House, a human-scale badger set and insect-eating plants in the glasshouses. Best of all, for young children, is Climbers and Creepers: a plant-themed indoor play area for accompanied three- to nine-year-olds (sessions, which are bookable on arrival, last 20 minutes).
Kew Gardens, Kew Rd, Richmond (020 8332 5655/www.rbgkew.org.uk) Kew Gardens tube. Open daily, hours subject to change.

Best London pubs on film

'Mission: Impossible' features a scene in The Anchor on the South Bank where oft-duped super spy Tom Cruise can be seen sharing a cheeky half with Ving Rhames.

The Windmill Theatre on Great Windmill Street in Soho acted as the backdrop to Stephen Frears' wartime romp, 'Mrs Henderson Presents'.

The Mother Red Cap on Tavistock Cresent melded with the nearby Black Cat which features in the opening scenes of the seminal boozing flick 'Withnail & I'.

The pub in Edgar Wright's rom-zom-com, 'Shaun of the Dead', although named The Winchester Arms in the film, is in fact The Duke of Albany on Monson Road in New Cross Gate.

The Newman Arms on Newman Street is the location where Mark Lewis commits his first murder in Michael Powell’s 'Peeping Tom'.

The Magdala features in ‘Dance with a Stranger’, the film about Ruth Ellis – the last woman to be hanged in Britain – who shot her lover outside this South End Green boozer. Purportedly, bullet holes can still be seen in the tiles outside.

In Hitchcock’s ‘Frenzy’, the pub in which Jon Finch overhears the city gents drooling over the wave of sex killings is the Nell of Old Drury on Catherine Street opposite the Drury Lane Theatre.

The Blue Anchor pub in Hammersmith was used as a location for the film ‘Sliding Doors’ in which John Hannah achieves the stupendous feat of running from there to Primrose Hill in a worldbeating five minutes.

The Lowndes Arms Pub on Chesham street in Belgravia is where the characters plot the assassination in 'The Crying Game'.

After being chased by a marching band of bagpipers in full regalia playing 'Scotland the Brave', The Beatles dive into The City Barge Pub in Chiswick in the film ‘Help!’ and proceed to order 'two lagers and lime and two lagers and lime'.


Best film shops

Angels

The Film Shop
Superlative rental shop with a vast range of DVD and (whisper it) VHS. Their commitment to supplying complete back catalogues of key directors means they also have a few imports knocking about the place too.
The Film Shop, 239 Liverpool Road, Islington.

The Cinema Store
-Soundtracks, posters, magazines, DVDs, lifesize cardboard cut-outs of Captain Janeaway: The Cinema Store will cater for all your cinematic needs.
The Cinema Store, Upper Saint Martins Lane, Covent Garden.

Flashbacks
Tucked away in a Soho sidestreet, this unassuming, cavernous little shop sells a vast array of vintage film posters from across the globe as well as lobby-card sets and other promotional film ephemera. Very knowledgeable staff too.
Flashbacks, 6 Silver Place.

VinMagCom
Film and cult TV memorabilia store that stocks everything from Hitchcock fridge magnets to ‘You talkin’ to me?’ Travis Bickle T-shirts. They also have a massive range of antique magazines and posters.
VinMagCom, 39-43 Brewer Street.

Forbidden Planet
Hulking sci-fi merch store which sells comic books, graphic novels and a fine range of horror, fantasy and sci-fi DVDs. Go in wearing Klingon ears for a 10% discount (not really).
Forbidden Planet, 179 Shaftesbury Ave.

Stage & Screen
Having trouble tracking down that hard-to-find Ex-rental VHS copy of Dudley Moore’s 1984 laugh riot ‘Best Defence’? It’s highly likely that S&S will be able to sort you out.
Stage & Screen, 34 Notting Hill Gate.

Today is Boring
Super trendy rental shop that’s run by an ex-pole dancer. Specialises in 'artsy, intellectual and frivolous titles'.
Today is Boring, 15 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch.

The Cornflake Shop
Specialists in the design and installation of “audio/video home automation”, so if you got a few quid lying around, they can turn your house or flat into a giant stereo system.
The Cornflake Shop, 37 Windmill Street.

Angels
A shop-sized dressing-up box that supplies film costumes to the great and good.
Angels, 119 Shaftsbury Avenue.

Nicholas
Vintage projectors and camera equipment available for those looking to make their own old-school movie masterpiece.
Nicholas, 15 Camden High Street.

Best fitness clubs

Gymbox
The aim here is to make working out fun and sexy with some of the most innovative and wittily named classes in town.
Gymbox, 100 High Holborn, WC1 (020 7400 1919/www.gymbox.co.uk).

The Third Space
There’s a huge choice of activities at this ultra-trendy place, including a hypoxic chamber to mimic training at altitude.
The Third Space, 13 Sherwood St, W1 (020 7439 6333/www.thethirdspace.com).

Southbank Club
This former cinema is a smart, friendly and unintimidating jewel in an unlikely location.
Southbank Club, 1§24-130 Wandsworth Rd, SW8 (020 7622 6866/www.southbankclub.co.uk).

KX
An Eastern-style spa, 38-strong team of personal trainers and martial arts dojo are highlights of this exclusive Chelsea hangout.
KX, 151 Draycott Ave, SW3 (020 7584 5333/www.kxgym.co.uk).

Peckham Pulse Healthy Living Centre
The emphasis at this slick yet affordable centre is on pioneering community work and a holistic approach to well-being.
Peckham Pulse Healthy Living Centre, 10 melon Rd, SE15 (020 7525 4999/www.fusion-lifestyle.com).

Kieser Training
This tranquil and focused centre is dedicated to strength training, particularly for back pain sufferers.
Kieser Training, Greater London House, Hampstead Rd, NW1 (020 7391 9980/www.kieser-training.com).

Central YMCA
There’s an unparalled range of activities here, from Pilates to pottery, capoeira to canoeing – and at affordable prices, too.
Central YMCA, 112 Great Russell St, WC1 (020 7343 1700/www.centralymca.org.uk).

Rebok Sports Club
Spanning three spacious floors, this state-of-the-art club takes gym membership to a new level of corporate luxury.
Reebok Sports Club, Canada Square, E14 (020 7970 0900/www.reeboksportsclublondon.com).

Sunstone
The pick of London’s women-only clubs, with a wide range of classes, welcoming atmosphere and creche.
Sunstone, 16 Northwold Rd, N16 (020 7923 1991/www.sunstonewomen.com).

Laboratory Spa
This beautifully maintained centre in the shadow of Ally Pally offers a sophisticated blend of exercise and pampering.
Laboratory Spa, The Avenue, N10 (020 8482 3000/www.labspa.co.uk).

Best footballers to watch right now

Carlos Tevez, West Ham
‘The pocket-sized pitbull from the pampas’ (copyright Match of the Day’s Steve Wilson) won’t be around much longer. Don’t miss him.

Ben Foster, Watford
The young England goalkeeper is on loan from Manchester United and doing his best to keep Watford in the Premiership.

Dimitar Berbatov, Tottenham Hotspur
The tall Bulgarian striker is the instinctive finisher Spurs have long lacked.

Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal
The Spanish playmaker is still only 19 yet controls midfield with his crisp passing and remarkable vision.

Aaron Lennon, Tottenham Hotspur
Lennon’s startling pace and imagination can unlock even the best Premiership defences.

Didier Drogba, Chelsea
By far the leading Premiership scorer and a strong candidate for Footballer of the Year.

Darren Bent, Charlton Athletic
Charlton’s bid to avoid relegation largely depends on the fit-again striker regularly finding the net.

Theo Walcott, Arsenal
Forget the folly of his trip to last year’s World Cup finals, Walcott remains England’s most promising young player.

Michael Essien, Chelsea
The powerhouse Ghanaian is the ultimate ‘multifunctional midfielder’ according to his manager Jose Mourinho.

Brian McBridge, Fulham
The 34-year-old American is a firm crowd favourite and the Cottagers’ top scorer.


Best experimental theatre

The Barbican

BAC
Assuming it survives Wandsworth Council’s efforts to turn it into a minor local attraction or even to close it down altogether, BAC continues to be the place to see the best of the new young companies, most of whom prefer to devise their own shows rather than working with playwrights. Many of them explore the essence of theatre. If you’re adventurous take in a Scratch night and get involved at the tentative beginnings of a new project. Click here for listings

Lyric Hammersmith
Artistic director David Farr has invited many of the companies first seen at BAC onto his more substantial stage. Popular Cornish company, Kneehigh, are regular visitors, most recently with their own take on ‘Cymbeline’ and David Farr’s own recent adaptation of ‘Metamorphosis’ made striking use of the stage. Click here for listings

Barbican
Graham Sheffield and Louise Jeffreys have made the Barbican a mecca for mind-altering large scale foreign theatre from the irony and wit of Robert Lepage to the scenic ambitiousness of Thomas Ostermeier. Recently a ritualistic, Ukrainian ‘Macbeth’ left even those who knew the play well baffled by the plot but entranced by the visuals. Click here for listings

Chelsea Theatre
Francis Alexander recently re-branded this theatre as a space for Live Art, something that’s been lacking in recent years in London. Its Sacred season has seen Gary Carter, Kazuko Hohki and Mem Morrison performing there, all very different but all creating new work without leaning on the conventions of traditional theatre. Click here for listings

Camden People’s Theatre
Small theatre in a bleak part of London that manages to produce a lively festival of physical and devised theatre every year.

Best historic restaurants

Bleeding Heart Tavern
Named in memory of seventeenth-century It-girl, Lady Elizabeth Hatton, who was found murdered in Bleeding Heart Yard, this drinking and eating den also featured in Dickens’s ‘Little Dorrit’. Although here since 1746, much about the tavern is bang up-to-date: the provenance-based British menu, the interesting drinks list and links to a New Zealand winery.
Bleeding Heart Yard, off Greville St, EC1N (020 7242 8238/www.bleedingheart.co.uk) Faringdon tube/rail.

The Ritz
Everyone should take tea at The Ritz at least once in their life. Frequent winner of the Tea Council’s award for Top Tea Place of the year, you need to book well in advance but the hotel’s Palm Court with marble columns, chandeliers, ornate ceiling and heavy drapes is a spectacular setting to enjoy finely cut sandwiches and raisin and apple scones fresh from the oven. The list of 17 teas graciously welcomes even those avoiding caffeine.
150 Piccadilly, W1J (020 7493 8181/www.theritzhotel.co.uk) Green Park tube.

Rules
London’s first restaurant is a tourist trap on Sundays when everyone turns up for the trademark roasts, but on weekday lunchtimes it is a cosy, rather refined treat and one of the best places in town to sample game. Sit among the stuffed animals, stained glass and cartoons for dishes such as braised roe deer cobbler with horseradish, walnuts, crispy bacon and carrots.
Rules, 35 Maiden Lane, WC2E (020 7836 5314/www.rules.co.uk) Covent Garden tube.

Sweetings
Take a high stool at Sweetings’ linen-covered counter for potted shrimp, fish pie and spotted dick. This restaurant has been serving lunches to City gents since 1830 and remains charmingly shabby.
Sweetings, 39 Queen Victoria St, EC4N (020 7248 3062) Mansion House tube.

Wiltons
Established in 1742 and appropriately set on genteel Jermyn Street, Wiltons blends good food with a delightfully old-fashioned interior of cosy booths and sporting pictures. Fish, shellfish and game are the specialities and there’s a choice of savouries to enjoy in place of dessert.
Wiltons, 55 Jermyn St, SW1Y (020 7629 9955/www.wiltons.co.uk/www.wiltons.co.uk) Green Park or Piccadilly Circus tube.



Best friendly neighbourhood theatres

Orange Tree Theatre

Arcola
A relatively new arrival (opened 2001), this converted clothing factory has one of the liveliest and most appealing bars as well as two performing spaces. Productions often have a local theme, as when ‘Come Out Eli’ looked at a local Hackney siege and its effect on those nearby. Click here for listings

Menier Chocolate Factory
What could be more welcoming than a meal before a show? Appropriate too, to be able to eat in a converted chocolate factory which combines a gallery, restaurant and theatre. Shows are ambitious and often make the jump to the West End. Click here for listings

Orange Tree Theatre
Audience can be a bit elderly but Sam Walters continues to present an ambitious programme in his theatre in the square in which every seat is a good one. He can be justly proud of being the first theatre to produce Vaclav Havel’s plays in Britain. Click here for listings

Theatre Royal Stratford East
This Victorian theatre is a small delight surrounded by overpowering buildings. An illustrious history once made it a destination venue both for theatre buffs and local east Londoners. Kerry Michael is now appealing to the changing population with a series of rousing shows. Lottery development has increased the elbow room in the bar. Click here for listings

Tricycle Theatre
Kilburn High Road is changing rapidly but the Tricycle still stands out, especially now that it’s acquired a new and striking cinema. A programme of black, Irish and political theatre keeps it in touch with the surrounding community. Good café food available. Click here for listings

Young Vic
Its stunning new building is a glowing presence on The Cut, encouraging everyone to come inside. Plenty of space to eat, drink and hang out as well as three theatres to visit. Click here for listings


Best cabaret

Spanky appears on Fridays at Bistrotheque

Battersea Barge
It’s not the most glamourous of venues, although they deck it out best they can, and some shows are exceedingly hit and miss, but it’s always worth checking out the shows on offer here. Chances are, you ‘ll find cabaret gold (if you look hard enough!). Click here for listings

Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club
Still a beacon for, well, Mexican wrestlers and poets with pointy beards speaking only in German, if it ‘s quirky, out there and downright strange, it’ll get a performance slot here. Click here for listings

Bistrotheque
The drag shows are twisted and surreal, and that’s on their more mainstream Saturday offering. If it’s polysexual experimental cabaret you’re into, you’ll see Scottee or Ryan Styles trying out new material on a Tuesday, or the outstanding new drag star Spanky working up a storm on Fridays. Click here for listings

Royal Vauxhall Tavern
Head south, young man, for the Spit ’n’ Sawdust session every Thursday (rude puppets! evil puppets! strangely attractive puppets!), this is where David Hoyle chose to host his sell-out ‘Magazine’ run, and is home, of course, to long-running envelope pushing Duckie. Click here for listings

Soho Revue Bar
Plush, lush and full of velvet, down a Soho sidestreet you’ll find our fave West End cabaret space. Upstairs is a small cocktail lounge but down mirrored stairs is the main room, with tiered tables, dancefloor and a stage that fills with magicians, musical crooner, comedians and more. It’s all about the glamour here, less about the show-stopping edge. Click here for listings

Best swimming pools

London Fields Lido
The capital’s first ever Olympic-sized heated outdoor pool reopened last year.

Highbury Pool
This popular two-pool centre is light, airy and laudably clean.

Acton Swimming Baths
These charming century-old baths have cubicles and lockers around the poolside.

Hampstead Heath Swimming Ponds
The six ponds are perhaps the city’s most idyllic settings for an outdoor dip, attracting a weird and wonderful cross-section of London society.

Oasis Sports Centre
The outdoor pool here is London’s most central, and a haven for sun seekers and sturdy winter dippers alike.

Larkswood Leisure Centre
The wood-clad exterior of Waltham Forest’s finest wouldn’t be out of place in Scandinavia.

Hampton Open-Air Pool
This fabulous heated pool is open every day of the year – even December 25.

Queen Mother Sports Centre
There are three well-maintained pools at this justly popular centre in Victoria.

East Ham Leisure Centre
Newham is proud of this appealing blend of old and new, and rightly so.

Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre
This glittering architectural jewel repoened last year. Even if it isn’t your local, it could be worth the commute.