{"id":109,"date":"2018-08-23T11:50:42","date_gmt":"2018-08-23T10:50:42","guid":{"rendered":"\/?p=109"},"modified":"2022-04-28T12:02:28","modified_gmt":"2022-04-28T11:02:28","slug":"my-city-london","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.secretescapes.com\/escapist\/my-city-london\/","title":{"rendered":"My city: London"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Our \u2018my city\u2019 series puts a new perspective on some of our favourite places, as we catch up with creative residents, asking them to divulge their best-kept secrets. From their recommended cheap eats to their go-to coffee spot, there are plenty of hints and tips on how to stay like a local.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For our London instalment, we pick the brains of our former Managing Editor, Eleanor Cording-Booth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where do you go for the best coffee in London?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Our office is in the Farringdon area and I really rate Prufrock on Leather Lane, though their filter coffee is annoyingly more expensive than other coffee shops. I\u2019d also recommend Ozone Coffee Roasters in Shoreditch: they have a cool converted warehouse space and the food is as good as the coffee (I always order the eggs royale). Another favourite is Caravan \u2013 they have a house blend called \u2018special bru\u2019, which I love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a side note, I get a bit obsessed with hot chocolate in winter, and Ottolenghi make one of the best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Zetter Townhouse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
How about something stronger \u2013 do you have a favourite bar or pub?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not really a big drinker, so I\u2019d always go for a cocktail over a few beers. The Zetter Townhouse in Clerkenwell serves concoctions that you won\u2019t find anywhere else, and the staff are always happy to make suggestions. It\u2019s quite a small place with an open fire and it (intentionally) feels a bit like someone\u2019s posh, eccentric living room. I\u2019m such a fan that we even popped in on Christmas Day!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My favourite place for cocktails with live music is The Nightjar in Shoreditch \u2013 it\u2019s a basement speakeasy with low-lit interiors and a band playing jazz and blues music. For a special occasion or a date, it\u2019s really glam and feels like stepping back in time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a friend\u2019s visiting and you want to impress them, which restaurant would you choose?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

My current obsession is Padella in Borough for amazing fresh pasta. You can\u2019t book, so you might have to wait an hour, but you\u2019ll be rewarded with the pasta of your dreams! The dishes are designed to share, so order two per person. Their pici cacio e pepe won an award for London\u2019s best dish!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For steak, you can\u2019t beat Flat Iron in Covent Garden for steak and chips, followed by a free cone of salted caramel ice cream. The steak is a bargain at \u00a310, plus the cocktails are affordable too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I was meeting someone for brunch, I\u2019d go to Granger & Co. in Clerkenwell for the chic Scandi interiors and insanely delicious Aussie breakfast menu. The ricotta hotcakes and avocado frapp\u00e9 are my favourites. Alternatively, I\u2019d go to Duck and Waffle to watch the sunrise. The restaurant space looks a bit tired in there now but the view always wows visitors to the city. Order the \u2018Full Elvis\u2019, which is the best sweet waffle dish that I\u2019ve ever eaten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And your favourite cheap eat?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

I love Franco Manca for the best sourdough pizza when I can\u2019t be bothered to cook. Homeslice pizza is amazing too (they\u2019re huge \u2013 share one pizza between 2-3 people). If I was meeting a friend for breakfast, I\u2019d choose Dishoom. I love the airy converted warehouse space at the King\u2019s Cross branch and their egg and bacon naan is legendary. Pre-book though, or arrive an hour before breakfast finishes, just in case there\u2019s a queue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you reveal your best-kept London secret?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

On a sunny day, Maltby Street Market in Bermondsey \u2013 it\u2019s smaller than Borough Market but less touristy and has food and drink stalls tucked amongst railway arches. There are plenty of places to sit and people-watch here and there\u2019s a really cool salvage and interiors shop called Lassco \u2013 spot it from the colourful \u2018aloha\u2019 lighting outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I go to the cinema pretty often and we have loads of great ones to choose from. Regent Street Cinema is beautiful inside and plays one-off screenings of independent films and interesting double bills. It\u2019s in dead-central London, but not many people seem to know about it. My favourite cinema for a treat is the Electric Cinema in Shoreditch. It\u2019s owned by the Soho House group, so the interiors are pretty fancy (as is the price). It\u2019s really small and has velvet armchairs and sofas, cashmere blankets, footstools and side tables with lamps. Such a cosy date spot!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tell us something that only a resident of the city would know?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

For fellow fans of greenery and flowers (cut me and I bleed cheese plant), Columbia Road Flower Market is held every Sunday morning in East London. It\u2019s maddeningly crowded but really atmospheric and buzzy, plus there are some lovely independent shops lining the street, a couple of decent pubs and a brilliant Italian restaurant called Campania. Go towards the end of the day (3pm) to get armfuls of flowers for \u00a35. Don\u2019t arrive after 4pm though, or you\u2019ll be too late. Prepare for the stallholders to be a unique combination of charismatic and abrupt (definitely the latter if you try to negotiate).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What\u2019s the weirdest thing you\u2019ve done in London, and why?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m far too safety-conscious and boring to do anything weird. A few out-of-the-ordinary things I\u2019ve done in London that I\u2019d recommend include watching a film under the stars in the courtyard at Somerset House, dressing as a thief to go to Secret Cinema\u2019s Moulin Rouge and taking a guided tour of the amazing Highgate Cemetery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are there any tourist traps that should be avoided?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

If you hate crowds, Oxford Circus on a weekend can be stressful. Marylebone, Spitalfields, Upper Street in Islington and King\u2019s Road in Chelsea are much more manageable for shopping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What\u2019s the best thing to do in London for free?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

I love to walk miles around the city at the weekend. Nothing beats strolling around the handsome streets of Mayfair or Notting Hill and feeling like there\u2019s nowhere else you\u2019d rather be. We also have so many beautiful Royal Parks to enjoy when the weather\u2019s dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the weather\u2019s rubbish, we\u2019re lucky that most of our museums and art galleries have free entrance. Head to South Kensington and make a rainy day of it in the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the V&A, which are all next door to one another. For something more low-key, check out the Hunterian Museum in Holborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are there any local customs or traditions that visitors to the city should be aware of?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Stand on the right of all tube escalators \u2013 this is taken very seriously. On the subject of London transport, don\u2019t waste time queueing to buy a travel card or an Oyster card. If you have a contactless bank card, you can just use that instead and the journey costs the same. It\u2019s worth noting that if the journey you\u2019re about to make is only one tube stop, it\u2019s probably just as quick to walk. Citymapper and Tube Map apps are both really useful when planning how to get around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where\u2019s a good place for a date?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

I love Richmond for a day date. Start at the top of Richmond Hill to take in the amazing views and end with early dinner at the romantic Petersham Nurseries. Sandwich a long walk though Richmond Park to the Isabella Plantation. No matter what the time of year, that would be hard to beat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For an evening dinner date, Dean Street Townhouse in Soho and Blanchette East on Brick Lane are both really cosy and candle lit. The latter especially does amazing food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where would you go to get your fix of London\u2019s cultural and creative scene?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

I live next to the Barbican Centre, which is a Brutalist icon that people either love or loathe. It has a really interesting arts programme \u2013 everything from classical music to photography exhibitions. If you\u2019re there on a Sunday, make sure to check out its huge conservatory, which is free to visit. You can even have afternoon tea there now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In your opinion, what\u2019s the best time of year to visit London?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Definitely autumn! It\u2019s that magical time of year when London looks all colourful and leafy but isn\u2019t too cold. The summer crowds have left by then, the Christmas ones haven\u2019t arrived yet and it\u2019s totally acceptable to hunker down in a cosy pub and eat pies and crumbles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where do you go when you need to get away from it all?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

North Wales is my favourite place to go in the UK. It\u2019s incredibly beautiful with dramatic mountains, lakes and deserted beaches. I\u2019ll probably retire there when I\u2019m old and build a cool glass cabin by the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closer to London, Brighton is perfect for a day of shopping and eating by the sea. It\u2019s one of the few seaside destinations near London that\u2019s cheap to reach by train (it\u2019s about \u00a310 return from London Bridge). If I want calm and green space, I don\u2019t stray too far: I\u2019d go to Regent\u2019s Park for an hour or two and then have a potter around Marylebone, which is great for upscale shopping with a village feel, even though it\u2019s in central London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you didn\u2019t live in London, where else would you live and why?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve always wanted to move to Downtown New York for a year or two. I love the buildings and the energy, it really is just like the movies and it\u2019s the one place I return to over and over. If I didn\u2019t make it across the pond, I\u2019d choose Amsterdam for its laid-back vibe, friendly locals, great shopping and charming streets lined with picture-perfect canal houses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t