A dream local gastropub with a roaring log fire in winter and a small courtyard out the back for summer drinks. Book a table in the simple dining room for a Sunday roast topped with starters such as Cantabrian anchovies with fennel and tailed with an excellent sticky toffee pudding.

A residential square in Islington which makes for a lovely, quiet spot to enjoy a picnic, ogle at the surrounding houses, and relax in the idyllic gardens. 

Those who haven’t been to the restaurant formerly known as Black Axe Mangal have almost certainly heard of it. Despite the post-lockdown name change, FKABAM is still as loud as ever, dishing up plates that sit somewhere between the nose-to-tail flavours of chef Lee Tiernan’s former employer, St. John, and the Turkish mangal grills that proliferate in the area. There’s no better example of his cooking than the signature oxtail and bone marrow gratin with charred flatbread.

A small theatre with an international reputation, the Almeida is on a mission to launch the next generation of actors. And it frequently does, with productions such as Annie Ernaux’s The Years and Peter Morgan’s Patriots transferring straight to the West End. This is the place to come to be in the know about the London theatre scene.