Paul Hedge worked as a postman for nine years after leaving Goldsmiths, delivering letters to galleries in St James while quizzing the staff about exhibitions. He first opened his own gallery in a derelict undertaker’s in Deptford with another Paul, Maslin. And in the interest of being anything but snooty, the Pauls ran a café to draw people in. Now inside the Tea Building along with Shoreditch House, Hales regularly places artists’ works in the collections of the Tate and New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

On any sunny day the candy-striped loungers at Shoreditch House’s rooftop pool are packed. When it opened in 2007, this members’ club was an instant hit. It’s still filled with a creative crew who come here to network, party and work out. The bedrooms are smart but really just an add-on. One-minute around the corner, those at Redchurch Townhouse are the ones to book for a more boutique stay, with the same access to Shoreditch House.

Cleo is yet another dining delight along the chock-block Rantzausgade. Offering a touch more of fancy to this Nørrebro culinary highway, Cleo is the spot for a seven serving feast. Dazzling plates, ranging from sea bass crudo to a white asparagus doused in a baksuld hollandaise, are whisked to the intimate wood tables all to be shared (though, a more laid-back fare can still be chosen on the à la carte). The food is exceptional, the decor an interior designers marvel and the outside terrace a prime sun-trap. 

Upstairs through a blink-and-miss-it doorway on Redchurch Street is one of the most exciting restaurants in London. The name comes from an old English term for turbot, so it’s fitting that the flatfish is the star of the show. Inspired by the Basque Country, everything is cooked over a charcoal grill – the smoked potatoes are particularly good, but there aren’t really any misses on the Michelin-starred menu. The London Fields outpost feels marginally cooler. Either way, order the burnt cheesecake for pudding.