The Bloomsbury sibling of north London favourite Xi’an Impression lacks a little of the original’s atmosphere. But as an after-work supper or quick lunch spot that you don’t need to book, it’s the place to come for some of the best hand-pulled biang biang noodles in the city. 

Head to Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair once a month and you'll find yourself spending hours looking at the various stalls. Fashion and jewelry for all. 

There’s always an interesting crowd huddled under heaters on the busy pavement terrace outside this Bloomsbury trattoria. The menu may be an AngloItalian mix of salmon tagliatelle and bolognese, and the pepper grinders comically large, but there are few spots in the city quite this cheerful. Generous plates of pasta and a rabblerousing piano player on weekends.

A combination of the creativity of interior designer Ben Pentreath and decorative artist Bridie Hall makes for one of the loveliest shops in London. Everything from Hall’s alphabet pen pots to the waste-paper bins are exquisite – designed to smarten up any living space. It’s genuinely difficult to leave without a gift for yourself, or someone else.