Travel diary | Nooks and crannies

As with good books or addictive albums, I am always immensely indebted to my friends for recommending backstreet bars, bustling bistros and brilliant bookshops they have found on their travels around the world. I thought it was time to pass on those favours.

Having spent more time living in Paris than any other city apart from London, I have plenty of recommendations for things to do (and avoid) in the French capital, but here, also, is collection of those nooks and crannies I have discovered in Berlin, Barcelona, Seville, Budapest, Rome, Istanbul, Marrakech...and a couple in London, for good measure. And I will add more as I find them.

Jump to:

PARIS   //   BARCELONA    //    BERLIN    //    SEVILLE    //    BUDAPEST    //    ROME    //    ISTANBUL    //    MARRAKECH     //    ...and LONDON

Paris

La fourmi ailée

8 rue du Fouarre, 5th arrondissement - map

Set a short step back from the rive gauche of the Seine - just over the water from Notre Dame and the Île de la Cité - this enchanting tea room is nestled on the corner of Rue Danté, better known for its comic book stores than its bistros.

The walls are lined with bookshelves and lamps, a cat prowls between the table legs, and the menu boasts a host of exotic teas, delicious quiches and scrumptious cakes. Only a two minute walk from the tourist bustle of St Michel and a five minute stroll from the avenues of St Germain and Odéon, this is the perfect place to hide from the hubbub and read a book over a pot of tea brought in an antique cast iron teapot.

Shakespeare and Company

37, rue de la Bûcherie, 5th arrondissement - map

No longer the hidden gem it once was (largely thanks to blog posts like these), Shakespeare and Co is an intriguing English language bookshop on the banks of the Seine, with bookshelves crammed into every last crevice of the old wooden walls and rickety staircases.

Upstairs, hundreds of yellowing old first editions from decades and centuries past line the shelves amid camp beds and armchairs designed as a sanctuary for browsers, who can pull a curtain across and snuggle down with a good book and the resident cat. Passing students are sometimes offered beds for the night in exchange for manning the tills beneath the slightly corny mantras painted on the lintels of the wonky doorways.


L’Art Brut Bistrot

78, rue Quincampoix, 3rd arrondissement - map

A stone’s throw or two from the Pompidou Centre and a short walk from the mêlée of Les Halles, this bar is hidden down the gallery-lined rue Quincampoix (as fun to walk down as it is to pronounce). Set in Paris’s 3rd arrondissement, this is one of Paris’s historic backstreets, with tonnes more character and charm than all the grand and slightly samey Haussmann boulevards that criss-cross the city.

One-on-one tables line the wall opposite the bar, which knocks up an excellent meat platter to accompany your demi of beer in the intimate atmosphere of the bar-cum-bistro. It used to be a smoke-filled hideaway, but since the smoking ban it has somehow kept that sultry feel – it is invitingly dark and always thronging with arty types and musicians grabbing a drink or three before (and also during and after) their tours round the local galleries and performance spaces.

Bar Dix

10, rue de l'Odéon, 6th arrondissement - map

This bar in the Latin Quarter manages to make dinginess an asset, set in a dark basement lined with fading movie posters and served by a hoary old barman. Earthenware jugs of sangria and delightfully out-of-date records on the juke box add a dose of the surreal to a bar that lacks the pretention of some of its St Germain neighbours.

Just round the corner from the cinemas and restaurants of Odéon, it is a perfect stopping point on a tour of Latin Quarter delights, with a sort of bookish romance to its small, mood-lit room.

Le Caméléon

57, rue Saint-André des Arts, 6th arrondissement - map

A short walk from the fountains of St Michel is a cocktail-cum-jazz bar, where the alcoholic concoctions are as enticing as the strains of music filtering out of intimate basement.

When there isn’t a band playing, there is usually plenty of room to find a chair or three in one of the cave-like nooks and settle in beneath the peculiar artwork for a few caipirovskas.

Nouveau Casino

109, rue Oberkampf, 11th arrondissement - map

The cutest rock club you will ever see, the Nouveau Casino is on the trendy rue Oberkampf out east and plays host to all the latest in skinny jeaned indie bands and electro-pop outfits, who strut their stuff beneath the artfully out-of-place chandelier. One of the best things about the Nouveau Casino is their monthly events calendar, which folds out into a different arty illustrated poster every month. Do grab a couple as you pass by even if there is nothing on that evening.

Along with the Flêche d’Or and the Boule Noire, it is always worth checking in advance at Nouveau Casino to see what bands are playing Paris, and checking out venues like the Zénith, Olympia and Bercy to see if any big names are due when you will be there.

The Catacombs

1, Avenue Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 14th arrondissement - map

Running for miles beneath southern Paris is a network of dark tunnels that once formed the old stone mines of the French capital. Since the late 18th century, these tunnels have been the final resting place of more than six million Parisians, whose thigh bones and skulls now line the walls from floor to ceiling. The rest of their skeletons are piled high in plain sight behind commemorative plaques.

In the late 1700s, Paris was at crisis point as the city ran out of space to bury its dead. Material from decomposing bodies in mass graves - common for the poor - was seeping into the city’s water supply and something had to be done. Huge new suburban cemeteries, including one at Père-Lachaise, failed to meet demand for burial plots. Hence the creation of one of the world’s biggest ossuaries.

Deep beneath the unsuspecting Place Denfert-Rochereau a (usually quick-moving) queue snakes its way to an unassuming door, which leads to a narrow winding staircase. At the bottom, deep beneath the city, is a stone arch bearing the words: “Stop; this is the empire of Death”. A fascinating, albeit rather morbid, way to spend an afternoon.

Café Burq

6, rue Burq, 18th arrondissement - map

On the slopes of Montmartre, opposite the surprisingly cheap and even more surprisingly clean (given the price) Hôtel Bonséjour Montmartre, is a gem of a restaurant in Café Burq. Its short menu provides an ample list of light, delicious dishes in an unpretentious and effortlessly trendy bistro, which is by far my favourite restaurant in all Abbesses. Reasonably priced with a good wine list and friendly staff, a stool at the bar while you wait a short while for a table is a pleasure in itself.

The gardens of the Palace of Versailles

Jardins du Château de Versailles, Place d'Armes, Versailles - map

The great Château at Versailles is hardly a hidden gem, with its gold-leaf gates and brocaded apartments. But a half-hour train ride from central Paris takes you out to the grand palace which is worth a visit alone for the breath-taking gardens that stretch on to the horizon out the back of the royal houses.

Take a rowing boat and a picnic out onto the waters of the vast lake and potter between the ducklings with a bottle of wine and some good cheese. Then moor up and duck away into the beautifully kempt woodland that fills the estate. Not many of the thousands of tourists bother venturing far enough or staying long enough to explore the woods which, on a sunny spring day with the light filtering through the leaves, is an impossibly romantic place to kill an hour or two.

Walk to the far side of the estate and discover the bucolic village built especially for Marie Antoinette in the Hameau de la Reine. It is all much more alluring and interesting than cramming your way with the tourists through the decadent bedrooms in the main palace.

Ones to avoid: The Champs Élysées

If you want hustle and bustle and shopping, go to the rue de Rivoli. From the grand Hôtel de Ville up to the Louvre, it is a modern shopping street in the vein of Oxford Street. From the Louvre up to the Place de la Concorde, running alongside the gardens of the Tuileries, you will find a large number of boutiques, bookshops and hotels.

Venture past the Concorde and onto the Champs Élysées, however, and you will just find a vast avenue of car showrooms and smog-filled cafés. Your feet will be killing you by the time you reach the Arc de Triomphe, which is hugely impressive, but also strikes you a glorified traffic island in the middle of several lanes of manic car drivers rushing round the roundabout. Just get the Métro straight to Charles de Gaulle Étoile, have a gander at the Arc and then find something more interesting to do.

Ones to avoid: The Mona Lisa

The Louvre is certainly one of those “must-see” sort of places that you would feel guilty for not visiting, but let me alleviate that guilt in advance. Certainly, if you are only in Paris for a weekend or a flying visit, it might feel a little like a waste of time.

You will lose an entire day in the Louvre, almost entirely because of the gargantuan queues and, when you finally get in, you will be treated to what feels like hundreds of paintings of only two things: Napoleonic battles and stages of the cross. It is remarkable to see the Venus de Milo up close but, who are you kidding, you are only there to see the Mona Lisa really, aren’t you?

Make your way down the vast corridors and you will find yourself in a large room in which Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece has a wall all to itself. The painting itself is tiny and dingy and, consequently, rather underwhelming and will, without any doubt, be hidden behind scores of tourists craning their necks and taking photographs with their flashes turned on, which bounce off the protective glass case and entirely obscure the painting. Your smile will be even more enigmatic than Mona Lisa’s when you trudge out of the Louvre, feeling like you should be glad you lost a whole day there, but not entirely sure why.

If you only have a few days in Paris and want to see some art but also see some of the city as well, there are far better ways to spend a day. Take breakfast among the caricaturists’ easels of the Place du Tertre in Montmartre and visit the Salvador Dalí gallery behind the Sacré Coeur. Make your way towards the city centre via the Marais and take in the Pablo Picasso gallery in the 3rd arrondissement via a picnic in the stunning Place des Vosges. Stroll along the river to the rive gauche and visit the Musée d’Orsay, a stunning converted Beaux-Arts railway station that is home to just as many crowd-pleasers as the Louvre, but without quite so many crowds.

Then buy a postcard of the Mona Lisa at one of the tourist shops by the river and save yourself a lot of time and money.

[For a map of this arty day in Paris, click here]

Barcelona

La Perla de Oro

34, carrer de la Unió - map

If it was ever possible to become obsessed with a sandwich (and it is, I can avow) then this delicatessen is the place to do it. The jamón york, goat’s cheese, olive and tomato sandwich must be laced with some kind of narcotic given how addictive it is.

Just down a sidestreet off La Rambla, you will be enticed in by the chorizo and salchichón hanging above the bar, and soon find yourself on your second bottle of red wine, cosied up around the intimate tables and served by the brilliantly friendly staff.

Casa Alfonso

6, carrer Roger de Lluria - map

This is one of those stunning tapas bars where being told there are no tables available is a great excuse to sit on a stool at the bar and hoover up plate after plate of mouth-watering tapas. Busy, beautiful and open late, this restaurant is slightly off the beaten tourist track and ideal as a snacking stopover on a big night out or for a full sit-down meal beneath the art deco paintings. The staff welcome you in like a regular even on your first visit (and even more so on your second and third visits) and are happy to explain the more exotic choices on the menu, all laid out beneath the glass at the bar. Sumptuous.

Casa Almirall

33, carrer de Joaquín Costa - map

A modernist bar dating back to 1860, the bohemian Casa Almirall straddles a quiet street corner in the El Raval district. You can either hide away in the back beneath the arty lighting or sit out front, where the doors of the bar swing back to create an open air terrace where you can sit on a balmy night and watch the world go by. It is just round the corner from the Carrer de Guifré where local residents have set up a simple neon heart across between the balconies of the narrow street. It all has a much lazier and more homely feel than the tumult of the Ramblas, and it even has free Wi-Fi, if you need to plan the next stage of your night out.

Berlin 

Boese Buben Bar 

18, Marienstraßse - map

Like a surrogate living room, this café-cum-bar is like a warm hug on a crisp autumn afternoon, where the menus are stuck inside old hardback books, which also line the walls on bookshelves. Hours can be lost over a coffee, a glass of beer and slice of quiche in the beautifully lit rooms which spill out, weather-permitting, beyond the ivy-covered front and out onto the tables outside. On a backstreet north of the river, not far from the Brandenburg Gate and Friedrichstraße, there is something very Parisian about the feel of the place, but augmented by the natural friendliness of Berliners.

Bagel Coffee Culture

66, Mehringdamm - map

Perfect for a muffin and a chai tea latte, this new café in Kreuzberg is an incredibly friendly place to start to the day, with its flip-down wooden chairs - probably bought second hand from a railway waiting room - and little patio out front, like an outdoor living room. It is inexpensive and airy and has a tantalising menu of ciabattas, wraps and bagels (as the name suggests). A great stop-off point on your way south to Flughafen Tempelhof or north on your way into the heart of Kreuzberg.

Zum Schusterjungen

9, Danziger Straße - map

It may not look much from the outside, but if you are looking for a hearty German meal of sausages, schnitzel, potato salad and other deliciously stodgy Deutsch cuisine in a proper Berliner pub atmosphere, look no further than this cosy place in Prenzlauer Berg. The menus come in a variety of languages - vital if you don't speak German and want to tell one wurst from another - and the service is very friendly, but order an extra carafe or two of wine because it is also a little slow. It is all fairly no-frills, but good food at a good price and will load you with enough carbs to fuel a good few days of wandering around Berlin.

Seville 

Plaza de Alfalfa

Plaza de Alfalfa - map

Though not technically pedestrianised, drinkers take over the streets in Alfalfa in the heart of Seville’s old town, where you can go on an entire pub crawl without ever leaving the same bar-lined street. Plaques on the walls nearby do not mark out historical sites but rather tell you where the great characters of Spanish literature, from Don Juan to Rinconete y Cortadillo, had the sort of adventures which, with a mojito in hand, will seem entirely recreatable in the hot summer evenings.

Pedalquivir 

Riverbank, Calle de Rafael Jardines Montesinos - map

The grassy banks of the deliciously clear Guadalquivir river are an amazing place to lounge beneath a tree with a good book and take a dip in the waters, where the "no swimming" signs are roundly ignored by the locals. Along from the San Telmo bridge, moored on the eastern shore of the river, is Pedalquivir, a floating bar which, for 25 years, has loaned out pedalo boats and chilled drinks in equal measure. With a cold beer in one hand and a pedalo steering wheel in the other, you can paddle out among the salamanders to the middle of the beautiful river, making sure to avoid the odd passenger boat that pootles past, basking beneath the sweltering sunshine of a nuclear Seville summer.

Budapest 

Szimpla Kert 

14, Kazinczy utca, Pest - map

Budapest’s “ruin pubs” would not look out of place in darkest Dalston or any other faintly hipster quarter of a thriving city that lends itself to painfully trendy warehouse conversions. But there is something organic (rather than pretentious) about the chaotic mishmash of styles in Szimpla, whose walls are lined with old Soviet-era TV sets, bits of old bicycles and fairy lights snaking in and out of crumbling holes in the walls.

Located in abandoned buildings and garages or popping up in the cellars of old houses, the ruin pubs are hidden away in downtown Pest and, far from being converted or renovated, are rather inhabited - like a hermit crab choosing a shell - by makeshift bars and taken over by drinkers late through the night and into the morning.

Szimpla is the oldest ruin pub in the city and opens off into dozens of rooms and courtyards, some freezing cold because they are partly open to the elements, others cosy and small. A woman sometimes walks around selling raw peeled carrots for a few forints, should you fancy one of your five a day alongside some oddly flavoured vodka. A fabulous place.

Terror Museum

60 Andrassy utca, Pest - map

Home to the Gestapo in Nazi-occupied Budapest, number 60 Andrassy Way became the headquarters of the Soviet secret police when the Red Army moved in, as Budapest passed from a rock to a hard place during the Second World War. Few museums are as stunningly presented as this one, where every last detail - from the carpets, to the wallpaper, to the plinths that each exhibit sits upon - contributes to the aim of the museum: to convey the terror, paranoia and torture that emanated from the offices and dungeons of this building during decades of brutal oppression. Ghoulish and utterly fascinating.

Patent 46

46, Kiraly utca - map

Hide away from the winter cold by pulling up a stool at the mosaic bar, admire the funky wallpaper, order a luminous cocktail and have a crafty indoor cigarette (no smoking ban in Budapest). The chic, multicoloured decor contrasts strongly with the artfully decrepit ruin pubs all around it, but this small, cosy bar has a great list of cocktails and bar staff you can have a long natter to over a glass of the foul-tasting but authentically Hungarian liqueur, unicum.

Memento Park

Balatoni út - Szabadkai utca sarok - map















.
.
When the Iron Curtain fell, many of the grand statues of communist propaganda were torn down and destroyed. Yet many of the figures that once stood on the streets of Hungary have survived and are now gathered  here, far on the outskirts of Budapest, in a fantastically eerie open-air statue park. Lenin, Marx and Engels stare imperiously down, cast in bronze, stone and limestone amid a host of Hungarian communist leaders and memorials to workers movements. The bus ride out to the park is something of an Odyssey from central Budapest - the bus timetables and routes seem to change regularly, making it a tad confusing - but worth it, especially if you arrive shortly before closing time and see dusk fall around the spectral figures of this bygone age.



Rome

Alfredo e Ada

14, Via Bianchi Nuovi - map

When you enter, the head (and only) waiter Alfredo will look you up and down, as if deciding whether you are the sort of person he wants to welcome into his restaurant to eat the food cooked by Ada, his wife, in the kitchen. The surly welcome soon gives way to a mischievous smile as you take your seat to be read the options for the day. There is no menu - Ada cooks a select number of dishes each night and you must choose between the small but delicious selection of meals, from rich, creamy pasta dishes to tender meats. The house wine, just red or white, comes in a rudimentary carafe in this refreshingly simple hideaway - a welcome refuge from both the winter cold and summer heat.

Mimi e Coco

72 Via del Governo Vecchio - map

Just along the same road from Alfredo e Ada's bistro is an inviting eatery, serving an array of Italian staples, from thin pizzas laced with ham to Roman favourite Cacio e Pepe - bucatini pasta (like thicker spaghetti) with pecorino cheese and black pepper. The limoncello here is an excellent digestif, the fairy-lit terrace and roaring candles are romantic and the staff greet you with a broad smile reserved for locals, rather than the tourists that pack the restaurants in the nearby squares.

Caffè della Pace

3-7, Via della Pacce - map

An historic Belle Époque bar, the Caffè della Pace peeks from beneath its fringe of vine leaves on an artfully decrepit corner before welcoming you into its world of art deco lamps, bronze statuettes and intriguing objets d'art strewn about the walls and ceiling. Find a corner and work your way through the huge list of exotic liqueurs or lounge outside and watch the world bustle by back and forth from the nearby Piazza Navona.

Circo Massimo

Via del Circo Massimo - map

The Colosseum and Forum are certainly impressive and topmost on the must-see list of tourist sites in Rome, but do find a moment to swing by the Circus Maximus, home of chariot races in Ancient Rome. There is something astonishing and slightly haunting about the fact that - while Rome has exhumed and restored many of its ancient monuments - the vast area of land where the great Circus Maximus stadium once stood stands open, windswept and almost unnoticed as a public park. The great hairpin racetrack and narrow central island are still there to be freely strolled upon, and a vast tree at one end stands where the turning-post once stood - well worth a visit for anyone who has seen Ben-Hur.

Staring at the Trevi fountain and harassing pigeons near the Colosseum

Istanbul

Türk Ocağı Tea Garden

Divan Yolu Cadessi, Sultanahmet tram stop, Old Town - map

Set in the heart of the Old Town just a short walk from the Blue Mosque, this tea garden is the ideal place to end a long day of sight-seeing or bazaar-browsing. Serving until about 11pm, it is almost exclusively frequented by locals puffing away on nargile tobacco pipes and sampling glass after glass of Turkish tea. Located in the corner of a striking graveyard, it is a shady escape from the summer sun or a cosy retreat from the winter winds, with bookshelves on the wall and friendly staff. It is quite a sight to be there while there is a Galatasaray match on the television, marvelling at the passion of Turkish football fans while supping on a well-earned hot chocolate... 

Arka Oda

18, Kadife Sokak, Kadıköy - map

A short ferry journey over the water on the Asian side in Kadıköy you will find Kadife Sokak, a street lined with trendy bars that would not look out of place in East London. Arka Oda is a sultry, atmospheric bar with comfy armchairs scattered over its two floors, balcony and back garden. On different nights acclaimed local DJs play different sets - from chillwave to female-fronted indie - as things hot up from a calm bar in the early evening to a louder and more grooving venue as the night wears on. It is worth checking out the nearby Çiya Sofrası (map) restaurant beforehand, a self-service mezze place where you pay for your food by the weight in the midst of Kadıköy's youthful bustle.

Galata House

61, Galata Kulesi Sokak, Beyoğlu - map

 At the turn of the 20th century, the British Empire had its own jail in Constantinople, by agreement with the Ottoman sultans, just yards from the Galata Tower. More than a century later, the jail is now a restaurant, run by the delightful and eccentric couple of Nadire and Mete Göktuğ and dishing out Georgian cuisine passed down in old family recipes. Once you have been served, Nadire will take to the piano in the next room to serenade guests while Mete will tell you, in perfect and charming English, about the building's fascinating history. The food is delicious and slightly pricier than average, but the money is easily saved by sampling a fish sandwich - balık ekmek - or some chicken and rice from one of the seafront vendors in Karaköy the next night for just a couple of pounds.

Parsifal, Urban Bar & Dogstarz

All off Istiklal Cadessi - map

Istiklal Cadessi, the pedestrian thoroughfare leading through the heart of Beyoğlu and up to Taksim Square, is Istanbul's equivalent of Leicester Square - a crowded tourist trap with little charm or appeal. Hidden off the beaten track, however, are a number of excellent places to while away an evening. Parsifal, on a parallel street towards the eastern end, is a delicious vegetarian restaurant, providing an interesting and welcome change from mezze-style fare in a cosy and bookish atmosphere. Back down the road on Kartal Sokak, a side-street, is Urban, an art deco bar with mirrored walls, mosaic floors, a range of liqueurs and cocktails and an excellent and slightly spoiled resident cat. On the same street, through an unmarked doorway and up a flight of stairs, is Dogstarz, an indie club that boasts one of Istanbul's most popular club nights on a Saturday evening.

Marrakech

Maison de la Photographie

46 Rue Ahl Fes - Medina - map

Away from the mayhem, dust and hubbub of the central souks, the Maison de la Photographie is a welcome escape from the heat and boasts a beautiful array of photos, some of which are almost a century old, but of the most stunning clarity and detail. The major draw is the rooftop café, however, with a simple lunch menu and choice of drinks and a great view out over the mêlée of rooftops. It isn't the easiest to find, but then where is in the heart of Marrakech?

Riad Vendôme Hotel

217 Der El Halfaoui - Dar El Bacha - Medina - map

An affordable yet beautiful oasis, this Riad hotel is hidden down a

an alleyway just a five minute walk from the Jemaa el-Fna square, the tumultuous heart of Marrakech. Its small central courtyard, open to the brilliant blue skies, contains a small bar and armchairs around a miniature plunge pool, while the stone-walled rooms are cooling and comfortable, decked out in traditional Marrakchi style. The staff are very welcoming and friendly and the roof terrace offers beautiful views of sunrise or sunset and a moment of tranquility before braving the crowds of vendors, shoppers, stray cats and scooters that pack the city.

No.25

Jemaa el-Fna pop-up restaurants - map

Every night, the Jemaa el-Fna square is transformed into a sea of temporary restaurants. A daily ritual sees dozens of eateries install their benches, tables and awnings in the square for a few hours, as the waiters clamour and whistle to attract passing tourists. The food is simple and hearty. Bread with soup, the ubiquitous tagine, salad - all are available at cheap prices and cooked right in front of you under the starry skies. Each restaurant is numbered and there is little to choose between them, but the cheekiness of the smiles and the speed of the service at No.25 gets our recommendation.

Essauoira

Atlantic coast, via Marrakech's Gare Routière, Boulevard 11 Janvier - map

A cheap three-hour coach journey westward from Marrakech's central bus station (at the northern wall of the Medina) takes you to Essaouira on the Atlantic coast. Where Marrakech is tempestuous and fiery, with its chaotic streets and ochre colours, Essaouira is tranquil and whitewashed, with a sense of calm wafting in on the sea breeze. The beach can be rather windy (a common trait on this stretch of Atlantic coast), but within the town's walls, the salesmen are less pushy, the alleyways are less narrow and the pace is refreshingly languid. It is worth booking a night or two here if you have the time. The Océan Vagabond hotel is affordable and comfortable while it is worth trying the unusual fusion of Moroccan and European food found in the eclectic, junkshop-style Elizir restaurant while you are here - the chicken, fig and gorgonzola tagine is deliciously different.

London

Chez Elles Bistroquet

45, Brick Lane, Aldgate East - map

In among the curry houses, vintage markets and skinny chinos of Brick Lane is a new bistro with an East London take on French cuisine in a very cute, cosy setting. The staff are very friendly and always keen to know how you heard of their new restaurant, and the Angus entrecôte with a Bordelaise sauce is delicious - as is, I am reliably informed, the sea bream with Ratte potato salad and the steak tartare with fries. Perfect for a meal or just a verre or three of vin, or even for a nibble of one or two of the eye-glazingly, mouth-wateringly good cakes and tarts that sing to you like sirens through the window-panes. It gives lèche-vitrine a whole new meaning...

Turk's Head

1, Green Bank, Wapping - map

In the lost land of Wapping, nestled in the apex of the River Thames as it meanders past Tower Bridge and St Katherine Docks, is the Turk's Head, a war-time pub converted into a delightful café. Owned by a charitable trust, the Turk's Head is like a greasy spoon, but without the grease - a family-friendy version of a builders' café. The menu covers all the traditional bases of a full English breakfast, eggs benedict or a pot of tea and while the service can be a little slow (always a source of drama during a lunch-break from the office), the food is worth the wait.

Tapeo

177, Haverstock Hill, Belsize Park - map

Some of the best tapas in London is to be found opposite Belsize Park station, and you will definitely be hungry for it by the time you have scaled from Camden halfway up the hill that leads to Hampstead (it's like a middle-class Everest). The whole front of the restaurant opens out onto the street in summer, as tables spill out onto the wide pavement. The menu is a fantastic mêlée of all the tapas classics, and the chorizo in wine and the patatas bravas are especially spicy and delicious. Combine it with a digestif stroll up the lamplit Primrose Hill to admire the view over London, and it is a great romantic start to an evening.

The Troubadour

263, Old Brompton Road, Earl's Court - map

This gorgeous wine bar hides in its cellar the last surviving folk club from the folk revival - a fantastic venue to watch or play music in. Sip a glass of red wine or take a meal in the gloriously cosy bar, safe in the knowledge that Bob Dylan, Al Stewart and Jimi Hendrix all probably sat in those same seats before venturing downstairs to play a set and have a jam. Well worth the trip out to West London and a short walk round the corner from Earl's Court.

London Vintage Store

162, Holloway Road, Holloway - map

This is an Aladdin's cave of retro clothes, and not just the hipster stylings on offer down Brick Lane, but proper clunky old leather jackets, coarse denim shirts, 1960s football tops, faded cowboy boots, blindingly floral dresses and a vast array of trousers, belts, scarves and hats. The stock of this shop is halfway between shabby chic and fancy dress, and if that also describes your dress sense then you are in luck. There aren't many reasons to wander down the grimy highway that is Holloway Road, but this, and the art shop down the road, might just make it worth it.

The Everyman Cinema

203, Haverstock Hill, Belsize Park - map

Sofas, tables, blankets, bar service to your chair - need I say more? A very decadent, very luxurious (albeit rather expensive) way to watch a film. It makes it hard to go back to watching films in cinemas where you can't have a hot chocolate brought to your elbow during a James Bond fight scene.

Gordon's Wine Bar

47, Villers Street, Embankment - map

If you have never heard of Gordon's Wine Bar, perhaps it is better for the rest of us we don't tell you about it. Its popularity, located just off The Strand and right outside Embankment station, means it is nigh on impossible to find a seat in the evenings and it takes a fair deal of elbow jousting just to get to the bar.

But once at the bar, located down some rickety stairs in the basement you are faced with large barrels of fortified wine, a menu of carafes and full bottles and a labyrinth of candlelit caves, throwing flickering shadows onto the old newspaper clippings of royal weddings and Victorian jubilees on the wall.

If you come in the daytime, you are far more likely to find a seat, which will give you room to enjoy a cheese platter or other nibbles from the extensive buffet, which is well worth a lunchtime escape. With copious seating in the historic alley outside, it is still always worth a try, and do try the mulled wine made by the Hungarian chef Tibor - it really warms the cockles.

Indo

133, Whitechapel Road, Whitechapel - map

This narrow spit-and-sawdust pub, slotted in next to a money transfer store and travel agent, may have some of the most hipster moustaches in the world on show, but the mysterious bottles of ale behind the bar and the yummy hand-made pizzas on offer make this an absolute must if you are passing through Whitechapel or Aldgate and fancy something that hasn't been recently curried. You can also buy all of the artwork on show on the walls, usually illustrations and collages by local artists, if such things tickle your fancy. Or, if you can still focus, you can just admire the collage of strange currencies pinned behind the bar.

The Flask

77, Highgate West Hill, Highgate - map

There is a more famous Flask pub in Hampstead, but don't be distracted, this is the better one, in the heart of Highgate Village. Set on the historic Pond Square, across from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's old house (and also, less impressively, Sting's old house) this is a true country pub but in Zone 2 of Central London, opening out onto a Victorian square and St Michael's Church, the highest in the capital.

Within, you creak over wooden floorboards into the caves and crannies that open out around you, or you can step outside into the garden out the front, where you sit beneath fairy lights and paintings under the outdoor awning. Just ten minutes' walk from Kenwood and Hampstead Heath, it is the place to end a hearty walk with a hearty pint. It is also a fair walk (uphill in every direction) from the nearest Tube stations, so you will have earned a good drink.