London

Cult Thai relocated from Leytonstone to Shoreditch. Best Thai in London right now. Fried whole mackerel in red curry, epic tom yam mama noodles. Hard to book — avoid weekends, try weekday lunch.

Still full most nights after a decade. Isaan-leaning, open kitchen, genuinely fiery and confident cooking. Isaan-style deep-fried seabass with herbs and roasted rice powder is the move. Cocktails made with Thai ingredients too. Best all-rounder Thai for this trip.

Modern Malaysian that moved from a Peckham food market to a proper Clapton restaurant. Chef-owner Abby Lee — intensely flavoured, casual style. Make a beeline for anything fish-based. Otak-otak prawn toast is a menu staple. The finest sambal in town.

First and only Filipino restaurant in the UK to receive a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Modern Filipino led by Florence Mae Maglanoc — bold soulful sharing dishes using British seasonal produce. Adobo mushroom croquetas, chicken inasal, lechon with liver and peppercorn sauce. The pick for Filipino food.

Greek-inspired live-fire from David Carter (Manteca, Smokestak). Menu from the Ionian islands to the Levant to the Balkans. One of the most talked-about rooms in London. Book well ahead.

Counter seating, charcoal-smoked kebabs, buzzy and dark. No wine pressure — food-forward all the way. Good dinner with Sophia.

Henry Harris's return. Classic French bistro, one of London's best by many critics. Quiet and serious. Good solo lunch near Hatton Garden. Walk to Exmouth Market after.

Basement Malaysian institution. Specialises in roti canai — soft, flaky flatbreads made to order, served with curry. Also char kway teow, nasi goreng, laksa. BYOB and very cheap. Queue at peak but moves fast. Locations in Euston and Waterloo.

No-frills Chinatown spot with cult following for its laksa — two regional variations, sour assam laksa and sweeter coconut Singapore-style. Also does char kway teow and nasi lemak. Casual, central, good for a quick lunch.

Open kitchen, wood-burning ovens and grills, counter seating only. No reservations — queue outside. Clay pot with brown crab meat is the highlight. Dishes from the regions bordering Burma, Laos, Yunnan. Best for a central spontaneous dinner.

Southern Thai food hall stall inside Arcade Food Hall — faithfully composed, fiery. Miang phuket starter of coconut and cashews with palm sugar is excellent. Almost all the curries are fierce. Decked out like a roadside spot in Thailand — lurid tablecloths, officious light. Very casual walk-in.

Thai street food, neon-lit, loud, brilliant. Thai racing boats on the ceiling. Deep-fried pineapple pie. Two locations — new Portobello branch. Maximum flavour, minimum fuss. Good with Sophia.

Full English in the morning, proper Thai stir fries the rest of the day. Not much to look at, staff welcoming, prices very low, BYOB. Dead convenient for the NOX/Waterloo phase. No-frills neighbourhood Thai — not a destination but genuinely good.

Michelin Bib Gourmand Thai in a Peckham railway arch. Close-ish to the Catford/Lily's phase. Worth it for a SE London evening out — pair with a wander around Peckham.

From chef Ferdinand Budgie Montoya — charcoal-grilled meat, fish and veg skewers inspired by Filipino street food. Meats marinaded in 7UP, banana ketchup, coconut vinegar. Very casual Market Halls food hall setting. Good walk-in option if you're in central London.

Hand-pulled noodles made fresh, extremely cheap, no frills. Beef brisket, crispy siu yok or fried pork chop with noodles are the popular orders. Spicy peanut noodles for meatless. Best quick Chinese in central London. Open late.

Xinjiang Chinese, lamb skewers, hand-pulled noodles, cult London following. Genuinely the best of this style in the city. Close to Catford/Lily's phase — this is the one to do from that base. BYOB, cash preferred.

HK-style noodle bar, three days a week only. Prawn wontons in fish broth. Counter seating, queue moves faster than it looks. Worth planning a Hackney morning around.

Handmade pasta, walk-in only. Queue moves. Worth it for the pappardelle beef shin ragù. Go before noon or after 2pm.

The reference point for London coffee. A roaster with a small standing/sitting area. Borough branch is quieter. Go early.

Welsh neighbourhood canteen. Morning buns, focaccia sandwiches. Egg mayo with peanut rayu is the move. Good slow morning before exploring Hackney.

London's foremost cheese retailer — British and Irish farmhouse cheeses, matured in-house. Work with ~40 cheesemakers, visit regularly, select every batch. Genuinely world-class. Hard aged cheeses are fine for you. Ask for tastings.

Artisan cheese and deli with a tasting bar. More curated and calmer than Borough — good for a slow Marylebone morning. Also stocks charcuterie and pantry items.

Best Japanese grocery in London. Miso varieties, dashi stocks, pantry staples, wagashi, fresh tofu. Worth a browse if you cook Japanese at home.

Serious Indian spice selection — whole spices, blends, lentils, flours. Large store, good prices, no tourist markup. Combine with Columbia Road Sunday wander.

Lebanese/Middle Eastern grocery, genuinely beautiful shop. Quality preserved lemons, pomegranate molasses, rose water, dried limes, unusual spice blends. Worth the detour if you cook Middle Eastern at home.

Swiss needle files (Vallorbe, Grobet), saw blades, burnishers, stone-setting burrs, Bergeon precision tools, optivisors. The main event.

Precious metals, findings, wire, settings. Also has a scrap service if you have silver to sell.

Gilding supplies, dry pigments, specialist mediums, calligraphy nibs. Not for general art supplies — specialist materials only.