Don’t miss

COCKTAIL BARS

Mayfair, Covent Garden and St James’s are awash with smart cocktail bars that are well-suited to both business and pleasure. Try the American Bar at the Savoy, the cocktail bar at Rules, Dukes Bar, the Connaught Bar, the Rivoli Bar at the Ritz… The list goes on.

MARKETS

From flowers to antiques, London adores markets. One of the oldest and best food markets is the reinvented Borough Market, which, alongside fruit, veg, butchery, bakery and deli goods, is home to restaurants, bars and street-food stalls. Try oozing toasted cheese sandwiches from Kappacasein, fine coffee from roastery Monmouth Coffee and a scoop of Italian ice cream from 3Bis.

INDIAN FOOD

Britain’s love affair with Indian food reaches its apogee at upmarket restaurants such as Mayfair’s Gymkhana, Jamavar, and Bombay Bustle, or Cinnamon Club in Westminster. Cheaper, but still great, are the no-bookings Hoppers and Darjeeling Express in Soho; and the more-than-reliable Dishoom, which has branches scattered throughout the capital.

SPORT

Iconic sporting events abound, whether tennis at Wimbledon, rugby at Twickenham, cricket at Lord’s, the London marathon or the Boat Race on the Thames – not forgetting football at Wembley (where Tottenham Hotspur plays its home games this season). If your visit doesn’t coincide with any of them, east London’s Olympic Park not only offers the opportunity to spectate but also to get involved. Emulate 2012’s heroes in the velodrome during a taster session, or go for a splash at the Aquatics Centre.