Whitechapel

With its fan base firmly established after years of popping up in small cafe's in Peckham and then Shoreditch, Som Saa has since settled down into a cozy space with wooden tables and exposed brick walls, remained jam packed with walk-ins, and been nearly impossible to book. The reason: uber-spicy Northern Thai curries, soups, and salads that simply surpass most all the other Thai spots in London. Their Burmese-style curry and fresh, green papaya salad alone will make the standard pad thai a thing of the past.

The store Hostem is among the most avant-garde in London, at least when it comes to fashion, so when owners James Brown and Christie Fels turned their impeccable eye to decorating, we pricked our ears. Located in a Georgian house in Whitechapel, they've created a deeply moody and beautiful, totally shoppable space that houses six for any number of days. The pantry is stocked with items from gourmet shop Leila's, the wine cupboard with a selection by the team behind Primeur, the kitchen is completely functional with wares by cult shop Labour & Wait, the rooms are decorated with pieces by Faye Toogood, Hans Wegner, and more: In short, only the best. It's a veritable dream of what East London living can be.

The Hummingbird Bakery landed in Notting Hill in early 2004 to become the home of quality American baking in London. Today it has five branches across the city in Spitalfields, Soho, South Kensington, and Islington, and is famed the world over for its delicious cupcakes and other sweet treats and desserts.

This long-standing market epitomizes the cool, cultural, and eclectic vibe of the neighborhood. Independent vendors sell everything from vintage boots to vinyl, art deco sofas, and more.

What you'll notice first, is that this is a beautiful Grade II* listed Georgian terrace house with a series of 10 striking rooms that appear to have stepped straight out of the 18th- and 19th-centuries. Follow the house's story as you are escorted, in silence, from room to room. No booking required, tickets £10.

This is a totally unique way to work your body, as you spend the class in an AntiGravity Hammock-basically a hammock made of silk that you can lie, hang, stretch in, and more. People who do this type of yoga swear by the mind/body connection and the deep stretches and relaxation that comes from the postures, which, without gravity, take minimal effort. If you can't get to Whitechapel, Richard, and his hammock, can come to you.

Unlike most of Soho House’s buttoned-up and exclusive restaurants, the Dirty Burger brand is a series of down-and-out tin-clad locales churning out ridiculously tasty and super-cheap cheeseburgers. (Vegetarians can order the "Cop Out," which is just as satisfyingly dirty.) It’s very purposefully a no-frills situation that’s totally worth the wait. There are more locations in Kentish Town, Shoreditch, and Vauxville.

Chef Nuno Mendes shot to fame with the opening of the ever-so-scene-y restaurant at the Chiltern Firehouse—namely for his crab-filled doughnuts. At Mendes' follow-up, Taberna do Mercado, the concept is almost the antithesis of his glitzy, star-filled restaurant at the Chiltern. Here, in a whitewashed space decorated (or rather, undecorated) in simple wooden, country-style furnishings, Mendes and head chef Antonio Galapito are re-creating the food of Mendes' childhood memories in his native Portugal. In a sense, it's homestyle cuisine, but served up anew in the chef's trademark molecular gastronomy style. It's a tiny, well-priced menu accompanied by an extensive selection of excellent Portuguese wines and fortified wines.

Fancified Indian seems to be the trend in London at the moment, with more and more modernized, gourmet offerings popping up right and left all over town. One of the standouts is this new spot that's serving up homestyle Indian in a cleverly restored ex-curry house. Here, small plates made for sharing like the Chettinad Pulled Duck and the Spicy Venison and Vermicelli Doughnut are the creation of their chef Nirmal Save of the Oberoi in Mumbai. Fun fact: The name Gunpowder is a fun twist as it happens to be located right near London's old artillery and is also a reference to the classic spice mix of the same name.