Although it’s largely a flat city, London does have a handful of vantage points with sweeping views: Frank’s famous car park café in Peckham looking north to the City, and from Alexandra Palace looking south. But the slope of Primrose Hill acts as a natural amphitheatre with views across Westminster towards the river. On a summer evening there are few nicer places to head with a picnic blanket and a bottle of wine. 

Owned by Greek Cypriots, Lemonia is a restaurant at the centre of the Primrose Hill community. Pitta bread costs 60p, the taramasalata is refreshingly pale, the tzatziki pungent with garlic and the spinach pie perfectly flakey and crisp. One of those wonderful places that has barely changed since it opened in 1979.

The Rolling Stones, Amy Winehouse and Prince have all played Koko. But after a fire in 2020, the otherwise unchanging music hall took a beat. These days there’s a restaurant making good pizzas as well as a private members’ area with a piano room, a vinyl listening bar and a recording studio. London’s most iconic music venue, but stepped up a notch.

Part of what makes London great is its numerous parks within the city. Within lots of these parks are the iconic lidos, one of which is this gem in Parliament Hill. Open all year round this outdoor pool is also kitted out with a sauna, making those winter swims all the more bearable.