The food, wine, and creative art magazine of the same name has since spawned three restaurants across the capital, the latest, Mayfair venture occupying a corner plot within Shepherd Market. Here, the French-inspired classics are bold and indulgent: seamed turbot is served in a rich beurre blanc and a roast bavette bathed in bearnaise. Focus is still steady on the wine, with oenophiles and foodies loving it in equal measure.   

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.

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.

Inside a former Victorian warehouse in Bloomsbury is a non-profit gallery from young art lover Alex Petalas, which aims to showcase contemporary artists at pivotal moments in their career. Previous solo exhibitors have included Carmen Herrera and Sarah Lucas. A little less known and all the better for it, this is one of the few galleries on our list you need to book.