Bloomsbury & Mayfair
Storied Bloomsbury was home to Virginia Woolf and Charles Dickens, and when you’re strolling its old streets, the sense of history is very much alive.
Pentreath & Hall
Located behind a diminutive Victorian shopfront in the heart of Bloomsbury, Pentreath & Hall sells carefully chosen housewares and a unique assortment of letterpress goods and prints. Imagine decorating your cool London flat with pieces from this shop’s eclectic inventory. pentreath-hall.com
Persephone Books
This lovely bookshop publishes seemingly forgotten or out-of-print works of fiction and non-fiction by female writers. Each of its nearly 150 titles boasts a custom grey dust jacket (the same shade as the shopfront). persephonebooks.co.uk
Deliciously Ella
There’s so much I love about this bright and cheery deli with its pretty decor, but it’s the food that’s truly the most remarkable. The plant-based menu is vast, offering everything from turmeric lattes to granola and coconut yogurt to warming stews and curries. Be sure to pick up a copy of one of founder Ella Mills’s bestselling cookbooks. deliciouslyella.com
Sketch
Book a reservation to have Champagne Afternoon Tea in the Gallery. The chic pink backdrop is a fitting setting for savouring a fantastical array of teas, bubbly wine and treats. While you’re there, check out the other rooms (and egg-shaped restroom pods) in this weirdly wonderful spot conceived by restaurateur Mourad Mazouz and Michelinstarred chef Pierre Gagnaire. sketch.london
London Marriott Hotel Park Lane
This stylish hotel, conveniently located in the city centre, offers well-appointed amenities that had me feeling like a (nicely pampered) local. marriott.co.uk