Bloomsbury

The Kimpton Fitzroy took us completely by surprise. Rushing up the steps off busy, buzzy Russell Square, we stepped into the cavernous, mosaic-floored, marble lobby and gasped: The hotel is breathtaking. Taking up an entire city block, the heritage building with its turrets and flourishes contains more than three hundred guest rooms—but you would never know. The sloping corridors, palatial public spaces filled with antique furniture, specially commissioned artworks, and warm tones feel intimate and welcoming rather than austere. A basement gym, several dining spaces—peach-hued Neptune might be the prettiest dining room in London—and the softest beds we’ve slept in for a while have turned the Kimpton Fitzroy into a dreamy pied-à-terre when we’re in town.

While you can walk in and bowl, booking ahead is strongly recommended. This is a great place for parties.

This is a full-on lifestyle store for the geometrically obsessed. There are handcrafted leather goods, hand-bound notebooks, colorful pillows, and throws, all within the very tasteful bounds of the owner's aesthetic. Expect to find many a British brand you haven't heard of yet.

Faux flowers get a bad rep, but in the hands of designer Abigail Ahern they can add mood, beauty, and texture to a room. She first started her pro-faux crusade at her Islington shop, and it quickly caught on to the point that Heal's, the home emporium, has given Abigail a stand-alone "florist" shop. You'll find endless fake varieties—from ferns to hydrangeas, to ridiculously cute moss dog sculptures—another quirky Ahern signature.

One of the best wine magazines by the same name—a magazine that's made wine cool, accessible, and well, un-stuffy—has opened a live extension, a wine bar with the very same qualities. The bar itself has been around since the early 18th-century—cozy fireplace included—but under the ownership of Noble Rot founders Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew, it's alive again with a whole new spirit. There's a delicious, seasonal menu of rich, homey pub-style cuisine for one. And for two, the extensive wine list is more like a booklet, with informative, chatty, friendly descriptions of each wine category—the owners are serious aficionados after all.