Our guest blogger for this week, Taani Lin, tells us about her perfect day in London. Taani, a New Zealand native with a serious passion for travel, has been living in London for 6 months. She says, “I am in love with this city even more than any other. I make it my constant aim to discover unique things about London and I haven’t been disappointed yet.”

My perfect day in London would start out in a stroll down Brick Lane. Brick Lane is one of my favourite places, not only because of the bustling markets held on Sundays but also because the area hosts amazing street art. London is known as an expensive city but for art, it is not. Museums and galleries are free of charge, but if you want to get away from the classics and indulge in some local talent, I find wandering down Brick Lane and Shoreditch to be a real treat. Parts of the area can appear to be a bit run down but this just creates an atmosphere of authenticity. I mean, street art and graffiti just doesn’t seem genuine unless it’s randomly yet strategically placed on the side of slightly rotting building.

Seeing I was already in the Brick Lane area and it would be a beautiful sunny Sunday, I would be tempted to join the crowds at the Brick Lane Market. You can buy anything here for a reasonable price. It can actually be quite a dangerous place to be because the bargains seem too good to be true and I have a weakness for coats of all varieties and end up buying at least one every time I visit

simply because it’s cheap and pretty. The Sunday Up Market in the Old Truman Brewery is always worth a visit, not for the pretty arts and crafts which are usually too expensive for my budget, but for the most delicious chocolate brownies in the world.

Somewhere within this market is a vendor that sells unique combinations of muffins, such as pistachio and ginger but if you ever find him, just beeline for the brownies. It’s worth the calories. All that shopping and absorbing of art would then make me incredibly hungry for proper food and nothing seems more London to me than the Rootmasters Bustaurant. Where else but in London could you find a vegan restaurant inside a double decker bus! At first I was hesitant of the food as it is vegan food only and I am a huge fan of dairy and meat products, but the falafel plate looked amazing and I wasn’t disappointed.

London is just too big to describe in a short blog and well worth just wandering around yourself, however, many people find they get more out of a visit with a guided tour. There are many local tours and really unique ones that run in London, but at Get Your Guide, you can find many of the local listings in London. There’s something like 200 tours available so knock yourself out.

Chocolates by Melt

Perhaps when you think of Notting Hill you picture Julia Roberts falling for Hugh Grant against the Portobello Road Market backdrop, spurring fantasies about visiting fictional coffee shops and the closed-down bookstores used as filming locations for Notting Hill the next time you find yourself in the area. Or maybe you’re dreaming of the gorgeous antiques the guide book said you might find here. But forget that; there’s more to this West London neighbourhood than guide books and cinema have to tell you.

Start out at the Electric Brasserie for lunch near the Ladbroke Grove section of Portobello Road. This restaurant/bar/cinema is open daily from 8am and offers outdoor seating year round alongside mainstream and art house films.  However, they are open till midnight (or later) most nights so it also makes a great place to end a long day of traipsing about Notting Hill.

From here pop around the corner to Rough Trade West and listen to some tunes. The shop is much smaller than the Rough Trade East counterpart, but it’s well worth the visit. Also, unlike the Brick Lane sister store this shop isn’t mobbed at the weekends so you can rock out to their pre-selected sample tracks (which come in every genre and are typically excellent incase you aren’t familiar with the Rough Trade ethos) before deciding if you’d like to buy from this independent music shop. And if they don’t have the album out that you’d like to listen to? Not to worry! Just ask any staff member and they’ll be happy to play what you want to hear.

Once you’re done jammin’ to the personalised tunes on the headphones and read up on what in store gigs are on the Rough Trade schedule, it’s probably time for desert. And what better way to do that then take a detour from Portobello Road Market itself and wander over to Ledbury Road for Melt Chocolates.

This shop is filled with handmade luxury chocolates – note the chocolate kitchen at the back of the store – some of which you are free to sample. Keep in mind that the prices can be a bit steep, so make sure to talk with an employee to hear their opinion of the chocolate you are considering buying. Tell them what you like (or dislike) and they can come up with appropriate recommendations just for you. (And if you’re lucky they may even toss a little treat into your final purchase!)

Finally, when you’re ready to relax, you can head towards Holland Park Tube and up the hill to Holland Park. This park is not usually as crowded as other London parks (ie: Hyde Park) but still presents a high standard of horticulture and gardening. Here you can find peacocks wandering about the rose garden and all sorts of fauna, including trees with giant branches that provide excellent shelter from London’s unexpected rain.

All images by Katie Poole

Recently christened “South London’s coolest quarter” by Vogue, Bermondsey has more than its fair share of top-rated venues. Throw in a friendly community plus London’s best public space and it’s no wonder that people are flocking to the SE1 borough.

Bermondsey Square

Hungry? Then Bermondsey Street alone has it covered. One of the top Italian restaurants in Europe, Zucca is renowned for “beautiful food without leaving you bankrupt.” We’ve heard excellent things about the tagliatelle with a veal ragu and panna cotta “that made you want to lick the plate clean and beg for more.” Definitely our kind of restaurant. Or if you fancy something lighter, sample some of London’s best patatas bravas and dry sherry at José just down the road.

The Garrison

Described as the “elegantly batty ballerina of Bermondsey Street”, The Garrison is a little on the pricey side and should really be booked in advance. But what you get is a beautiful gastropub (perfect for impressing dates) that does everything from a full english breakfast to slow-roast lamb shoulder very well indeed.

If you’re in Bermondsey on a Saturday morning then a visit to Maltby Street Market is essential – you’re guaranteed all the foodie delights of Borough Market but none of the touristy crowds. Expect to find Neal’s Yard Dairy, Monmouth Coffee Company and plenty of cheese, pastry and charcuterie stalls in a “secret garden atmosphere.”

Bermondsey Antiques Market

But there’s more to Bermondsey than (albeit excellent) food. Bermondsey Antiques Market is the place to go for Victorian, Georgian and Edwardian finds on a Friday morning. For a dose of culture, the Fashion & Textile Museum is worth a visit. Founded by designer Zandra Rhodes, it’s unsurprising that the bright building explores fashion, textile and jewellery design.

Shortwave Cinema is billed as “a great addition to the ever-trendifying Bermondsey Street area” and screens a selection of films that you might not find at your local Odeon. Plus, you’re allowed to take in your drinks from the bar.

Know of a hidden gem in Bermondsey? Add it to our guide!

Image of Bermondsey Antiques Market from bagelmouse’s flickr photostream