The former headquarters of the Sunbeam Talbot Motor Company has been breathtakingly restored by Ghanaian-British starchitect David Adjaye. The multi-use space is now home to the Carpenters Workshop Gallery, recording and photographic studios, a secret garden and live jazz every Friday night. In the restaurant, Pollini, an enormous light installation by Nacho Carbonell resembles a glinting swarm of jellyfish. Dogs are welcome, kids roam free and there’s always something fun to see.

Getting a reservation here is not easy. It’s also off the beaten track, on the eighth floor of the Rotunda (once the BBC Television Centre) in White City. But there are few places quite so universally well regarded. Chef Endo Kazutoshi is a third-generation sushi master and his omakase-style menu of mostly fish (all day-boat catch from named locations) is faultless. Join the waiting list to be informed of cancellations.

For some of the most colourful and beautiful bouquets we have ever seen we always head to Absolute Flowers & Home. Here, no bouquet is too extravagant. Grab a present for a friend or family member or one for yourself. 

Run, don't walk to Layla Bakery. From their seasonal specials - including a blood orange pistachio danish, or an earl grey meyer lemon - to the classics, Layla Bakery is the neighborhood spot of Ladbroke Grove. Sit on the patio on a sunny day and watch the people go by.