Siddi Jebsen

Tucked between the Fulham and Gloucester roads is an old-fashioned pub – with Chesterfields and Victorian partitions – that has the propensity to feel like the Mediterranean. On any summer’s evening it’s buzzing, with people perched on the wall outside sipping Aperol Spritzes. The south- facing terrace is always fully booked on sunny weekends. And in the winter diners will find reliable British favourites such as beef Wellington on the menu. A classic London pub that isn’t sticky or stuck in a rut.

This independent NGO (housed in an old military building) is one of Hong Kong's greatest restorations. Asia Society's ultimate goal is to understand Asia's role in the world through lectures, screenings, performances and exhibitions. We recommend keeping an eye on their programme for what's new and exciting.

Sadie Coles was managing Jeff Koons’s New York studio when she was encouraged by artist Sarah Lucas to set up her own space. Her 1997 inaugural show featured the YBA and now Coles runs three London galleries. This Soho spot is a bright, open-plan space that champions emerging talent such as the traditional modernist painting of Caribbean-American Alvaro Barrington and moving image installations by Diego Marcon. A much-admired gallerist with a great roster of names.

Austrian dealer Thaddaeus Ropac is probably the most charming man in the art world; number one on any party guestlist. He fended off a members’ club, a fashion label and multiple hedge-funders to bag Dover Street’s Grade-I listed Ely House – a former meeting spot for the suffragettes. And he convinced Julia Peyton-Jones to leave her post at the Serpentine to become the gallery’s global director, now delivering shows from artists such as Antony Gormley and Joseph Beuys.

The Public House group is quietly reminding punters why we all love the British pub. It kicked off with The Pelican in 2022, but was quickly followed by The Hero in Maida Vale and Cotswolds’ spot The Bull. Each one has a soft but serious smartness as well as putting a focus on local produce. The Pelican’s menu includes blistering Welsh rarebits and scampi reimagined with monkfish. The team’s Italian restaurant, Canteen on Portobello Road, is also worth a trip. First-rate hospitality that always hits the mark.