Como The Halkin

This townhouse turned hotel is tucked away on a singularly quiet, residential street in Pimlico—and it's as homey as it gets for a city getaway. Each of the ten rooms is decorated with quirky, colorful finds and limited-edition prints, in a slightly rustic yet perfectly comfortable and characterful manner that makes you feel like you're staying at a good friend's house (who happens to be an excellent host). The stay here has few bells and whistles (i.e., no gym, spa, or the rest) other than its excellent all-day restaurant, the Cambridge Street Cafe—a Brighton import—but is perfect for a short city break.

This is one of our favorite grown-up hotels in London. It is decorated beautifully in subdued tones and offers pretty wonderful services, many of which are geared toward families (on-call babysitters, goody bags, video games). On sunny days, the rooftop pool is the best spot to take in everything on offer: hula hoop classes, alfresco lunch, and twice-daily kids' swim hours. Beyond than the now-famous breakfast spread, there's no lack of dining and boozing options thanks to the Blue Bar, the Berkeley Café, and the luxe terrace bar.

For a while, Blakes was GP's home away from home in London. Touted as the "original boutique hotel," it has style and sex appeal for days while maintaining all the creature comforts (Bang & Olufsen tech, free-standing tubs) of a luxury establishment. The décor in the rooms is plush—expect lots of crushed velvet and jewel tones—and even a little bit escapist, making them ideal for a romantic night or weekend getaway. Plus, the main floor now boasts a sunny dining room, while the bar downstairs has undergone a classy refurb. This spot is as much of a sleek hideaway as it ever was.

Knightsbridge is not short on formal hotels that could be mistaken for mausoleums. Walking down toward Chelsea several weeks back, we noticed a flurry of activity on the moneyed Queen Anne–style intersection of Pont and Sloane Street and stopped to take a peek. The Belmond Cadogan was closed for a four-year renovation, and each one of those 1,460 days was entirely worth it. Basement to rooftop, every polished corner is considered. From a literary perspective, the property is iconic—Oscar Wilde was arrested here—and each guest room contains its own mini library curated by John Sandoe books just down the street. If you’re going to splurge on a suite, do it here. The Penthouse Suite sits at the tip-top of the property, which means that aside from being the most gorgeously outfitted room we’ve seen recently—fireplaces, custom artworks, a bathroom the size of most bungalows—its outdoor terrace has a view of London most people never get to see. Locals have already adopted the bar as their own, which lends a convivial buzz to the place. But the best entertainment is the hotel itself—just walk around and take in the myriad design details, British art, and private gardens across the street.

You can't miss the impressive, stone-columned, lantern-laden exterior here, which is reminiscent of old-London sophistication. It's an appropriate setting for this five-star hotel, which overlooks Hyde Park Corner. The rooms are done in grand Regency-period style, complete with original artworks and handcrafted furniture, and all the technology in the rooms is artfully concealed to give guests an authentic experience. In addition to the pomp and comfort (the complimentary amenities are impressive as is the incredible rooftop spa and gym), a meal at the hotel's restaurant, Céleste is a real treat.

You can't go wrong with this bastion of hotel excellence, particularly if you're willing to spring for the big-name price tag. The spa, as you'd expect, is exceptional, but it's the restaurants that stand out. Because you can head downstairs for Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, of Fat Duck fame, you might be hard-pressed to find a reason to leave the hotel at all.

Near the posh shopping area of Sloane Square and occupying a series of Victorian townhouses, this small hotel in Chelsea offers some truly attractive communal areas. And you don’t have to be a guest to use them. There’s a small, clubby bar full of leather chairs and dark, moody lighting for an early-evening drink (or to escape the London drizzle). Our favorite spot, though, is the library. Dreamily quiet, its walls lined with old books and its tables stacked with newspapers, it’s a proper oasis for the freelancer or aspiring novelist—especially with a pot (and then another) of English breakfast tea. For those looking to sleepover, guestrooms are a lesson in English elegance, many with roomy, four-poster beds and picturesque views of the leafy park on the adjacent quiet square.

A lighter, more serene counterpart to the moodier 11 Cadogan Gardens, The Chelsea Townhouse comprises three restored Victorian residences that feel more like an elegant private home than a hotel. The communal spaces are charming and intimate—from a sunlit dining room where a small but delicious breakfast or a leisurely pot of morning tea is served, to cozy corners ideal for curling up with a book or a glass of wine after a day exploring nearby King’s Road. Guestrooms exude understated English elegance, with high ceilings, large bright windows, framed artwork, and views of leafy gardens. Guests also enjoy full access to the amenities at 11 Cadogan Gardens, just around the corner.

Nestled in the heart of Belgravia on the absurdly charming Motcomb street, Amaya is one of our favorite spots for Indian food. Most of the dishes are grilled and bite-sized, which is the perfect excuse to order an abundance of their tasty sides. Favorite menu items: the grilled fish, the duck, and the grilled aubergine.

The bright, large, and airy room with tiled floors, cast-iron panes on the many windows, and tasteful garden furniture (it's attached to the classic Conran Shop) has some of the best oysters in the city and magnificently simple seafood. There's a more formal eating space upstairs, but for a true European air, the relaxed oyster bar is where it's at.

This restaurant is situated in a great location, right on the square, making it the ideal spot for traditional afternoon tea in a posh Chelsea environment (the menu is refreshingly well-priced despite the environs). The Botanist Breakfast, which is perfect for kicking off a full day of wandering, includes a generous main dish and coffee and rings in at £12.

This is Argentinian restaurateur Juan Santa Cruz's very first venture in London, a restaurant with a seriously clubby feel serving up European dishes with a slightly Argentinian bent—i.e., protein-heavy dishes, like beef carpaccio and a perfect, blackened chicken. With dark, velvet-clad walls, a stunning copper bar as a central fixture in the middle of the dining room, and decidedly dim lighting, this eatery has serious sex appeal and is a perfect venue to rent as a whole for a party. The upstairs, which includes a secluded and leafy terrace (for London's good weather), is also available for rent.

Not only is the Thai food delicious here but it's served at awesome prices—all amid myriad green, overgrown hanging plants in the back dining room. The bar area in front is traditional English style and gets crowded.

Well, the actual dinner you'll eat will be created by Ashley Palmer-Watts, the executive head chef of the Fat Duck group, who worked with Blumenthal to create the exquisite modern British fare here. Being that this place is inside the Mandarin Oriental, it attracts a high-profile clientele—both hotel guests and locals—who like to linger in the warm, handsome room.

Ffiona's serves traditional, rustic staples, like steak and kidney pie and an amazing sticky toffee pudding, but the raison d'être is Ffiona herself, the ever-present owner who makes every customer feel like a personal guest in her small, wooden, candlelit restaurant. Ffiona has recently added an excellent brunch every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with everything from the a English breakfast to fluffy pancakes (and a free cocktail on Saturday). Her traditional Sunday roast is not to be missed.

Known for his relaxed approach to cooking, Bill Granger has fronted major culinary hits in Australia and Asia. This bright, airy, and generally packed place on Westbourne Grove is his first London restaurant, and like its predecessors, it offers casual all-day dining with a comfort-food slant (awesome mash) and a fantastic weekend brunch. Look for simple dishes, like the signature ricotta hotcakes or the full Aussie breakfast. The no-reservation policy means you'll probably have to wait, but it's totally worth it. For the North Londoners reading, there's a second location in King's Cross, plus two more in Clerkenwell and Chelsea.

If you’re visiting London, it’s sort of a requirement to visit a pub, and the Grenadier is our long-time favorite. It’s tucked away in a cobblestone mews and features a cozy fireplace for rainy days. Once you’ve settled in, take the time to sample the fantastic beer menu and indulge in some classic pub food.

This idyllic little French restaurant in Chelsea is well documented as one of the most romantic restaurants in London. The décor is French countryside without being cheesy, complete with candlelit nooks, dried flowers, and cluttered wall decorations. The classic French fare (ratatouille, coq au vin) lives up to the ambience. The chocolate mousse is not to be missed.

This noisy, crowded spot in Chelsea makes fresh pizza in wood-burning ovens. The crust has that Neopolitan just-chewy-enough consistency that makes it impossible to put down, even after you're a few slices in.

Mazi is pushing the boundaries of Greek food (think feta tempura) with a slight French influence (the husband-and-wife owners are French and Greek, respectively). Dips in jars and innovative signature large plates are served with Greek wines and ouzo in a clean, contemporary space in Notting Hill.

Mediterranean-inspired Ottolenghi sort of defies categorization: The four locations differ slightly in their offerings, but they all feature some level of sit-down dining, a deli with premade takeout, and excellent catering. Don't be surprised to find a line no matter what time you arrive but know that it's worth the wait for the near-perfect pastries, quiches, and salads. If you don't have time to cook before a dinner party, it's an excellent choice for a meal that you can pick up and bring home.

During winter, the garden transforms into a posh winter wonderland, complete with fake snow, fluffy blankets, and real fireplaces. There's nice greenery in warmer months, too. Inside, you'll find a dining area, a bar decorated with leather and books, a lounge, and even a deli counter.

Located on a quiet street in upscale Holland Park, this new British bistro has all the makings of a classic. There's no trendy furniture or lighting, there are no small plates—in fact, there are no gimmicks whatsoever, just great food, service, and an extensive wine list. The seasonal menu is British with some Mediterranean inflection here and there, and the meat, from lamb sweetbreads to boudin blanc, makes for phenomenal comfort food. Even if you're not a Holland Park resident, you'll feel, at least for a few hours, like this is your old neighborhood joint.

Mexican friends living abroad have proudly declared Taqueria the best Mexican restaurant in London. This bustling Notting Hill establishment offers excellent comida corrida, which isn't easy to find in England. The tacos and antojitos are fresh and authentic, and you can even buy the salsas, spices, and tortillas to take home for your own taco night. Dropping in is easy; though it’s always full, the tables turn over quickly.

This elegant gastropub has open fireplaces for a cozy effect in winter and floor-to-ceiling windows that open out onto Elizabeth Street in warmer months. The comprehensive bar menu (which ranges from rock oysters to a steak and Guinness pie) should leave you wanting for nothing, but in case you are, a more formal (and pricey) dining room menu is served on the first floor.

This spot offers small plates and inventive nigiri that's served sans soy sauce to keep the spotlight on the beautiful, natural flavors. The dishes at Yashin are more gourmet than traditional, so imagine offerings like miso cappuccino and truffle infusions in addition to a few hot, tapas-style picks. Come here for excellent food in an unpretentious setting. Case in point: the £30 omakase option.

A few years ago, it felt as if nobody could stop talking about Zuma. Sometimes too much hype can turn you off of a restaurant, but that's not the case here. More than ten years after its opening, this favorite still serves one of the best meals in London. The nouvelle Japanese cuisine remains creative and unexpected, and the sushi chef, Endo, is still dishing up our favorite sushi outside of Japan. The vibe here can be a little bit loud and clubby, but it doesn't matter—we would literally sit outside in the rain to eat this food.

The tea sommelier at The Lanesborough is there to guide you through your experience and selection of teas, many of which have been purchased at auctions. Traditional tea, served with all the beloved trimmings including freshly baked scones, thick clotted cream, and homemade preserves, is taken in the hotel's opulent Céleste restaurant or The Withdrawing Room.

Aux Merveilleux de Fred specializes in delicious concoctions of delightfully light, soft cream and crystallized meringue. These cakes come in six different flavors—all amazing—but the Merveilleux and the Incroyable are probably our favorites. The brioche is also noteworthy.

The David Collins–designed space is true to its name, with blue hues and contemporary furnishings throughout. The cocktails are as good as you would expect from the Berkeley, complete with a liquid amuse-bouche. Overall, a wonderful hotel bar.

With four London locations in addition to their Gloucestershire farm, Daylesford Organic's farmshops—they're also home to small cafés perfect to work or read from—are an amazing place to get a very literal taste of the English countryside. You can pop in to buy the local, organic, and humanely raised groceries, or stick around to try their straightforward (but stellar) menu. Their Gloucestershire farm, home to the largest and most elaborate of their farmshops, is well worth the trip if you have the time (you can also spend the night).

This is one of those incredibly versatile cafés that there aren't enough of: The Wi-Fi flows freely; the space is gorgeous, decked out in sea-green tiles and elegant line drawings; and there are matcha lattes (with every kind of milk, from almond to coconut and beyond) on tap. And then there's the actual food, which ticks every box: There are açai bowls and a fantastic vegan BLT for lunch, plus the fluffiest pancakes or the hard-core rump steak sandwich with harissa for the indulgent. Farm Girl is an all-rounder.

Green juices, superfood salads, acai bowls, and the like are the health-infused, light, protein-packed goodies offered at this all-day café. The concept is further improved by the fact that if you go to the café (and manage to snag a spot), it's Wi-Fi-free and meant for "real" conversation or reading, though if you'd rather take away, you can also have it delivered. This is the original—thanks to huge lines, a second location has opened in Belgravia—but with better-quality food in such high demand, it's bound to keep growing.

Harrods’ food halls are a gourmand's dream. Unbelievably fresh produce, the best fishmonger in London, and almost any obscure ingredient can be found in this maze of delights (with a price tag to match). Alongside all of the gorgeous meats, nuts, breads, prepared foods, and anything else you could imagine are all of the food stalls where you can stop for anything from the finest Belgian chocolate to a NYC deli-style sandwich. Heaven.

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 Soho, South Kensington, Spitalfield, and Islington in addition to the original in Notting Hill—and is famed the world over for its delicious cupcakes and other sweet treats and desserts.

Complete with the Iron Lady's speeches sounding from the bathroom speakers, this tongue-in-cheek club pays homage to the ’80s. Rad graffiti-style murals (including one of Super Mario), Rubix Cube–inspired tables, and a smattering of Thatcher portraits lend it kitschy appeal. It's a great destination for a fun—albeit expensive—night out in Chelsea.

Partridges stocks food from around the globe you can't find anywhere else in London, including a large American section. The original is on Sloane Square.

This small, beautiful, leafy square in the heart of Belgravia transforms into a great farmers' market on Saturdays, selling everything from fresh seafood from the East Anglian coast to amazing homemade cheeses and fruits from the acclaimed Chegworth Valley. It's really an intimate and special food-shopping experience.

We love this thoughtfully packed confectionery for its old-fashioned blue-and-white packaging and sweetly illustrated chocolate boxes. We're hooked on the rose and violet chocolates, but you can personalize an assortment to suit your tastes. Meanwhile, the molded chocolates are beautiful—i.e., they're great souvenirs to take back home.

A large communal table, with an almost equally large bowl of fresh communal pastries, dominates the petite café that serves breakfast and brunch favorites, sandwiches, and all-day nibbles. The coffee is king here, including unique house espresso blends, ever-changing filter options, and impossibly frothy cappuccinos. Additional outdoor seating on Ebury Street makes for prime SW1 people-watching in warmer weather.

A London foodie hub, this store is crammed with cookbooks, food writing, books on nutrition, fiction, and more. New releases and classic tomes are mixed together by this store's knowledgeable staff. The shop has its own test kitchen, where you can sample many of the recipes the Books for Cooks staff is excited to try. Don't miss the themed workshop meals in the demonstration kitchen upstairs, where you'll learn how to make global cuisines from a group of experts in different foodie fields.

Run by husband-and-wife team Ian Paley and Emily Dyson, this multilevel space is stocked with independent designers from all over the globe. While the women's section is home to plenty of international names that are hard to find elsewhere (along with a strong NYC contingent like Rachel Comey and Steven Alan), it's the meticulously edited kids’ selection—Morley tees, Oeuf toys—that's earned the shop praise from locals and visitors alike.

There's a good chance you would find De Gournay without a heads up from us, if only because it's nearly impossible to walk by its windows without getting drawn into the elegant showroom. It offers fabrics, furniture, plates, and custom design services, but De Gournay's true specialty is luxury hand-painted wallpapers in Chinoiserie patterns. Owner Claud Cecil Gurney seeks out painters who have been in the business for generations, and the wallpapers are indisputably the best in this increasingly rare trade.

With ninety showrooms of some of the biggest names in design, this is not for the faint-hearted, so think about enlisting the personal shopping service, which makes the massive space and selection a bit easier to take on. Don't miss Cole & Son, Edelman Leather, Tai Ping, The Nanz Company, and Stark Carpet and Fabric, to name a very few.

From copper pots to the best selection of electric kettles (an English staple), you'll find pretty much every essential for outfitting a kitchen here. It's the big stuff, and the small stuff, including a variety of French presses, the best ovens, and great salt and pepper shakers.

Hidden in a mews house on a noncommercial street, Egg is a total gem of a store, selling simply cut yet luxurious pieces that make for great casualwear. It's hard to find any fault with its clean, airy aesthetic.

From chairs to ottomans, couches to chaise lounges, everything here is upholstered, and handcrafted in the store's own workshops. A majority of the designs (many of which are George Smith's originals) are centuries old and very traditional, but when paired with the right fabrics, they can add a bit of classic elegance to a contemporary interior.

This iconic floristry business is thirty years old—and still going strong. Lush, colorful, and seasonal bunches—inspired by the English countryside—are what's on offer at this legendary spot, which is why they've been endlessly replicated across the city. Harper & Tom's offers flower delivery subscriptions—they will come and arrange all the vases in your house—along with gardening contracts in a similar, countrified vein.

Sure, it's the city's most legendary, over-the-top shopping destination and it stocks all the upscale brands you'd expect (the markdowns at sale time are ridiculously good), but it's the food hall and ice cream shop that keep us coming back, particularly because littles go wild for the tastes-better-than it sounds spaghetti ice cream. The variety, presentation, and quality really are unsurpassed, though the price tags mean that it's only an occasional indulgence. It’s also just a beautiful and majestic space.

Shopping the Harvey Nichols flagship is one of life's great pleasures as it's often quiet and crowdless. Beyond having the most well-curated selection of contemporary lines in London and a shoe department that is never disappointing, the seasonal sales are legendary. As if that weren't enough to make you want to move in forever, there are also salons, spas, and the Fifth Floor—a sort of high-end cafeteria with great food and cocktails.

Here, you'll find around 25,000 books piled on every imaginable surface, from tabletops to the staircase. The shop has a literary slant but stocks all sorts of titles, from architecture tomes to cookbooks to thrillers.

This shop provides a tiny sneak preview into architect John Pawson's vision for the museum. Colorful design objects, gadgets, toys, and gizmos are carefully arranged on a Vitsoe shelving system on dark grey walls, creating a beautiful and contrasting display. It's a great selection of small, affordable gifts and more high-concept pieces for the real design lover like John Pawson designed ceramic bowls, a Barber & Osgerby teapot, Artek's Alvar Aalto stools and the like.

Hand-knotted silk rugs are Luke Irwin's specialty: His work is incredibly luxurious, soft to the touch, and eye-catching. No two carpets are the same, as all his work is made in conversation with the client.

The Organic Pharmacy specializes in herbal and homeopathic treatments and supplements and is a place where you can get a custom mix to suit your specific needs. You'll also find a great range of beauty and skin-care products that you can also buy Organic Pharmacy products at goop.

This Notting Hill shop started out selling traditional tailored swim trunks for men and women, and the brand quickly expanded to include more colorful and extremely well-made basics.

Interior designers, collectors, and discerning shoppers head to Pimlico Road for all things home. Check websites for individual retailers' details and opening times.

Here, a seemingly endless row of stalls is packed with everything from antiques and china to books, furniture, and vintage clothes; in addition, there's a section where you can buy beautiful fresh produce and delicious prepared food. It gets busy on weekends, but squeezing through the crowds on this adorable old street is an essential London experience.

Trained as a restorer and gilder, Rose Uniacke's eye for material is unparalleled. So it makes sense that in her store, the eighteenth-, nineteenth-, and twentieth-century antiques are all given plenty of space to show themselves off. Uniacke also offers an interior design service and a bespoke range made with her trademark appreciation for the age and condition of the materials she uses.

Lulu Lytle has outfitted some of London's most upscale restaurants and hangouts, like Cecconi's, the Connaught, and Soho House. Her work, including understated leather upholstery pieces, is beautifully crafted and made in England: It's the perfect blend of elegance and coziness.

Nicky Kinnaird's beauty emporium has launched more than one of the best skin-care brands known today. Lines like Tata Harper, Laura Mercier, and Eve Lom were virtually unknown before winning shelf space here. If you're looking for some skin-care advice, Space NK is a good place to mix up your beauty regimen. There are locations throughout the city.

Born out of a friendship between June Summerill and the late Bernadette Bishop, their store is one of Holland Park's hidden gems, worth venturing a few minutes out of Notting Hill to visit. With an eye for hand-crafted home goods - June & Bernadette forged relationships with many international ceramicists, textile artists and glassblowers - and merchandise their goods in their own style. The best hand painted tablecloths, in an array of patterns all designed in their in house studio, handblown glassware, plus essential kitchenware round out the offerings. This is a dreamy, beautiful store that is over 25 years strong. They sell internationally through their website.

At this Philippe Starck–designed (and gilded) shop, you'll find all Taschen's trademark tomes on art, photography, fashion, architecture, film, erotica, and more. Conveniently placed right across the street from the Saatchi Gallery, this is a shop for the well-heeled art lover. The gallery space downstairs shows off certain titles in more detail.

Nikki Tibbles' flower emporium is over twenty years strong, making her a household name and her shops—a concession at the entrance of Liberty, a landmarked turqoise street island in Notting Hill, and a formal Chelsea boutique—an institution. You can count on Wild at Heart for their signature graphic bouquets which make perfect gifts no matter what the occasion. Their seasonal jam jar bouquets make a particularly thoughtful gift for the host as they're so easy to throw on the table or mantle for quick dinnertime decor.

Beyond being a beautiful place to pass an afternoon, this is also London's oldest botanical garden (it dates back to 1673). Don't miss the newest addition, the Garden of Edible and Useful Plants, where you'll find foliage with a variety of uses, from perfume to cosmetics. P.S. Closed Saturdays.

This historical garden center—in existence since the nineteenth-century—is where Londoners go to start their urban oases. The variety is as endless as the knowledge of its kind staff. If you're feeling hands-off, there's a design and installation service here to suit your needs both large and small.

Since its opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, Royal Albert Hall has been home to innumerable concerts and performances. In fact, it hosts about 350 events per year, including classical concerts (it has been home to the annual summer Proms since 1941), rock and pop, ballet, opera, awards ceremonies, and more. Every act from Led Zeppelin to Les Misérables, Cirque du Soleil, and Adele has graced the magnificent building, which remains one of London's most distinct and treasured landmarks.

Charles Saatchi's gallery is famous for championing artists before the rest of the art world catches on. Legendary for his early support of Damien Hirst and the rest of the YBAs (that's Young British Artists, for the uninitiated), Saatchi's roster is still one of the most forward-thinking in contemporary art. The excellent on-site Gallery Mess Cafe and its daily afternoon tea service (there's a boozy version that involves a jug of Pimm's and an option for kids, too) deserve mention.

Here, both adults and kiddos can explore virtually every scientific topic of the modern world, including space, agriculture, energy, time, medicine, psychology, and even identity. There's a 3D Imax theater, an Apollo 4-D Cinema, galleries, hands-on displays, flight simulators, and much more. While it's easy to pretend it's just for the kids, you'll be shocked by how much you'll learn yourself.

The Serpentine Galleries are a must-see for contemporary art lovers. Located in a former teahouse, the original Serpentine Gallery continues to champion cutting-edge modern art, and if you walk across Serpentine Lake, the collection extends to the new Sackler Gallery, which was designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Zaha Hadid. Take the time to explore the grounds, including the Gallery’s Pavilion, which provides a site for architectural experimentation with temporary structures that is always worth checking out.

After the 2013 restoration of the grand Victorian building and the chronological rehanging of the permanent collection, it's all the more paramount you make the trip to this classic art institution. You'll find all the British masters here.

The considerable permanent collection at the V&A has been scrupulously curated over the course of almost 200 years—and spans thousands—to fit the museum's design and fashion slant. The visiting exhibit program is just as exciting (like the Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty exhibit). With its Victorian flourishes, the actual space that contains the 140-plus galleries is one giant piece of art in and of itself.

Unlike many aestheticians who rely solely on traditional lotions and potions to treat skin maladies, Anastasia Achilleos targets the facial structures, including the lymph nodes, fascia, and muscles. She offers a huge range of therapies, including deep cleansing, steam, extraction, and bespoke massages to lift, depuff, soften dark circles and hyperpigmentation, and reduce congestion in sinuses. Her sessions are relaxing, and she makes sure to teach her clients how to best manage their skin at home.

The positive affirmations emblazoned on the windows catch your eye first. Then the fluttering pieces of paper taped to the doorframe with words like “gratitude,” “love,” and “forgiveness” (pull off what you need—the equivalent of a wellness fortune cookie, without the cookie) lure you in. Through the Aussie-style café (an amazing spot for a turmeric latte or to plow through emails), down the stairs is Bodyism, a wellness-mecca-meets-private-members’-club. Unlike other private gyms, there isn’t a treadmill in sight; instead, Bodyism is focused on personal training and classes, teaching clients to be kind to themselves with a more low-impact routine than the often punishing cardio regimes found elsewhere. The ballet, yoga, Pilates, and boxing are taught—for the most part—by former athletes and everyone here remembers your name.

While it's no surprise that one of London's swankiest hotels would have a bejeweled spa and gym to match, it's the treatments on offer that really make the Bulgari stand out. Cupping, Chinese Tui-Na, the Bowen Technique, osteopathy, and even emotional healing with a self-proclaimed "Modern Day Wizard" (price tag to match) are on offer here. In addition, the spa's Trend Room is home to the hottest pop-up wellness concepts and changes every few months.

This place is incredible for parents. The idea is that of a members' club, but for families. The kids take over the ground floor (with supervised activities, soft play, and a plant-based café to feed them), while the grown-ups have their own spa-restaurant-tearoom oasis upstairs. The top floor is the treatment sanctuary with acupuncture, colonics, a nutritionist, and cryotherapy chambers at the ready. Refreshingly, membership is completely nonexclusive. Anyone can join (for a yearly fee), and having children is not a prerequisite.

Dr. Dray is a serious name around town when it comes to cosmetic dermatology. He invented mesolift, an aesthetic treatment that involves injecting a custom hyaluronic-acid-based vitamin-and-mineral cocktail into the skin for an intense dose of hydration from the inside out. Don't let the idea of needles scare you; you'll start with a consultation, the injections aren't deep, and Dr. Dray has been at this for close to three decades. The procedure takes fewer than twenty minutes, and the results—supple, more youthful skin—are essentially immediate. There's a host of other skin-care services, plus treatments for your hair and hands, and it's all done in a beautiful new clinic in Kensington.

Esther Fieldgrass has a few clinics around London in neighborhoods including Chelsea, Kensington, and St. John’s Wood. The clinics specialize in invasive and noninvasive aesthetic procedures, and the services and beautiful offices make them a favorite of ours for peels, laser procedures, and microneedling, as well as more-intense treatments.

Fertility expert Emma Cannon specializes in helping soon-to-be and new mothers at her offices in Chelsea and the West End. A registered acupuncturist and an expert in women’s health, her techniques sit between Eastern and Western healing traditions. The Fertility Rooms are her center of gravity, where she provides nutritional advice, acupuncture, and full-body diagnostics to support couples trying to get pregnant or women recovering from postpartum depression. She also runs an IVF support clinic.

There’s only one word for Estelle Bingham’s practice: transformative. Or maybe two: utterly transformative. Her particular combination of crystal healing and guided meditation melts away the anxieties of modern life. She’s done this for twenty years, and if you choose to surrender and commit some time to exploring her methods of holistic healing, the results can be remarkable. You can book sessions either at Bamford’s sparkling new well-being haven in Brompton Cross or privately.

Having worked in fashion PR, Eve Kalinik understands the crazy pace at which some of her clients live and how they might not have the time to make their own meals, let alone eat at regular hours. This is probably what makes her one of the most in-demand nutritional therapists of the moment. Kalinik focuses on teaching her clients new eating habits that they can actually stick to and introducing foods that are within their reach. Plus, she's into the nitty-gritty, looking into hormone imbalances, food intolerances, and digestive issues when needed to get to the root of her patients' issues.

Former Spa Junkie columnist at the Financial Times Inge Theron is the founder of this enterprise. Which makes sense, as only someone who has experienced hundreds of spas, treatments, and Eastern and Western wellness philosophies could have come up with something so smart. FaceGym is not a facial; it’s a workout for the muscles, fascia, and lymph glands that make up your face. And it’s completely noninvasive. A therapist will knead, press, and gently slap your face for thirty minutes, and the result is kind of incredible. Your cheekbones look lifted, your eyes are less puffy, and the rush of blood to the face gives your complexion a healthy glow. The shorter appointment times and convenient locations mean you can squeeze this facial workout into a lunch break.

Josh Wood is definitely one of the best salons in London. On any given day, you'll run into London's editors, celebrities, PR ladies, and people in the know. They all flock here because the haircuts are amazing and the stylists, who are cool and friendly, work with the biggest names out there. You are guaranteed to be pleased with your cut or color.

Trained in both the ancient art of Reiki and the modern science of neurolinguistic programming, Light combined the two to create her own approach, aptly named the Light Technique. Light generally sees patients for a course of four to six appointments and combines talk therapy with Reiki, the idea being that the Reiki relieves pain and helps you relax, while the NLP helps to change our own deeply held habits and beliefs—that's when the real breakthroughs happen. Each session is tailored to the client and Light regularly helps people with everything from stress and anxiety to weight gain, hormonal imbalance, grief, and fatigue. Her massages in and of themselves are a treat.

When it comes to bodily aches and pains, there's often more to it than meets the eye, which is exactly what osteopath Kristian Wood addresses. He's well versed in fixing injuries, but his healing practice takes his appointments much further than that. Part of a session with Wood might involve physical touch to release a trapped muscle or nerve, and the rest is a mix of energy healing and therapy, so that aches caused by emotional stresses and blockages can be dislodged for good.

While the gym and restaurant are open to members only, the spa at Chelsea's KX is open to the (well-heeled) public who might visit for a wax or face sculpting. We would recommend heading there for a functional medicine consultation with Dr. Georges Mouton. If colonics are your thing, see Michelle Laud. The easy-to-use app makes it easy to book on the fly, too.

OG skin whisperer Linda Meredith has worked on everyone from Farrah Fawcett to Kate Middleton, and she's one of the facialists local goop friends swear by. An appointment at her Knightsbridge salon is definitely worth the splurge. Her team identifies, treats, and eliminates skin conditions with restorative algae-oxygen therapy, plumping collagen treatments, and more.

Most treatments consist of a combination of yellow and near-infrared light (longer wavelengths that penetrate skin more deeply and are shown to help stimulate healing and ease pain), but for clients with congestion, courses of bacteria-eliminating blue light are most effective. It's worth making a habit—results are said to be cumulative—and it doesn't hurt that the salon is located inside Harvey Nichols.

A haven for serious and amateur yogis alike—just check into its packed Islington Saturday morning Jivamukti classes for a taste—both Life Centre locations are also hubs for some of London's best alternative therapies, including cranio-sacral therapy, lymphatic drainage, reflexology, Reiki, and more. While the therapy rooms are not what you'd get at a glitzy hotel spa, the therapists are incredible healers. The original location in Islington has also recently opened up a yoga therapy clinic, where personalized yoga sessions treat a suite of maladies, whether they be digestive, endocrine, or emotional.

Using a mix of acupuncture, LED light, and even tuning forks (the vibrations have soothing, stress-easing effects), the facials here leave clients with a serious glow, balanced skin, and an even deeper sense of calm. We’re especially in love with the Chi Rejuvenation Facial, fifty minutes of acupressure, gua sha, and jade rolling, all of which energize skin by supposedly stimulating the flow of chi.

Joanne Evans’s Skin Matters is down a flight of stairs on pretty, Holland Park street. The treatment beds emit infrared light, the neutral-tone rooms and relaxation area encourage deep calm, and the facials are skin-changing. Evans has been tending faces for over two decades, and her specialty is problematic and eczema-afflicted skin. She has a beautifully light touch and uses incredible active formulas, along with collagen-supporting microneedling.

Suman is the brow guru in London as far as we're concerned. Using traditional threading methods, she has a natural knack for creating flattering shapes that don't appear overdone or unnatural, which is why she's gathered a devoted client list across London. In addition, Suman also does LashLift and lash tint treatments. She mostly operates out of a salon in South Kensington, though she also does home visits.

We were sad to see Triyoga's beautiful Primrose Hill location go, but we are more than satisfied with its new airy Camden replacement. Beyond the well-known yoga and Pilates classes—by far, some of the best the city has to offer—it's also worth booking infrared sauna sessions, cranio-sacral massage, intuitive readings, and nutritional, EFT, and CBT therapy.

Vanessa Kandiyoti is a polymath—which alone is reason to be fascinated by her. Born in Belgium, with Turkish origins, the former jewelry designer now resides in West London, where she teaches meditation, compassion, and deep calm. Kandiyoti leads group sessions, but is also available for one-on-ones. Aside from having the most calming voice and soothing manner, Kandiyoti is a fascinating and optimistic person, so whether you’re an experienced meditator or a novice, you’ll leave feeling centered and uplifted.

Though she's probably most famous for her six-week weight-loss program called The B, Wake also provides nutritional advice for people who are recovering from serious illnesses, reteaching them how to eat according to their new needs. The reason her nutritional advice works, and why she's so well thought of by people like Lily Simpson at the Detox Kitchen, is her warm personality and her adaptable programs. She prescribes nutritional plans according to your lifestyle and makes you stick with it under her watch so that it's not just advice but habit-forming change. Wake also doubles as a life coach, and invariably, when you're trying to make big life changes, it often starts with making small food swaps.

This indoor skate park offers full-day lessons for beginner and advanced skateboarders of all ages, as well as skate camps and after-school clubs. Kids especially love Gary, but all the guys are very knowledgeable, friendly, and welcoming. The skate park itself is an iconic scene of punk life in London.

These beautiful boutiques are now peppered across the city and stock impeccably crafted, stylish, yet age-appropriate childrenswear. The clothes are classic with a distinct French feel and a painstaking attention to detail, from the hand-stitching to the organic cotton. Bonpoint also carries shoes, toys, books, and more. It's pretty expensive, but you totally get what you pay for, so whatever you buy for your oldest now will still be in pristine condition for your youngest years later.

Established in London in 1918 by a Japanese immigrant, the Budokwai is still regarded as London's premier martial arts club. Don't let this intimidate the little ones—the juniors classes are particularly great, and in addition to judo, Budokwai offers karate, aikido, and jiujitsu for all levels from beginner to master. Kids are taught carefully, and judo teaches more than just fitness: Patience, discipline and self-defense are among the other qualities gained.

Originally built in 1910, Electric Cinema is one of the oldest movie theaters in the UK: It's been running on and off since that time, but it caught our attention when it was leased to Soho House as part of its Electric House property. The Saturday night Kids Club shows a great selection of films for little ones, and kids love hanging out in the unusual leather sofa seating.

Ball pools, indoor ride, and go-karts are just a few of the highlights offered at this mega kids center. You can keep a littles entertained here for an entire afternoon, which is precisely why it's such a popular birthday party venue.

Divided by the Serpentine Lake, the impossible-to-miss Hyde Park is central London's most prominent chunk of greenery. It's worth getting lost: You'll find the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial; an awesome pirate ship playground; the very cool Serpentine Gallery; the lakeside Lido Café; sports facilities; boating; seasonal events; and many wonderful walks and paths to wander. From November to January of each year, the entire place is decked out in holiday decorations for the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, including an ice-skating rink and a winter festival.

Built in 1881, the Natural History Museum is also a world-renowned research center and boasts as much historical significance as scientific: Specimens collected by Darwin can be still be found in its halls. In addition to permanent galleries (we love the Earth Galleries, designed by Neal Potter) and exciting exhibitions, the museum features a wildlife garden, shows, films, hands-on activities for kids, and more. Especially fun for kids are the Dino Snores sleepovers, where, in Night at the Museum fashion, kids discover what happens when staff and visitors go home. During the holidays, they'll also enjoy the museum's outdoor skating rink (which can be reserved in its entirety for private sessions with an ice marshal). While it's wonderful for families, the museum proves equally interesting for adults, who can enjoy programs like Nature Live and talks with experts in science and natural history. Go right before 10 a.m. and enter on the right-hand side near the science museum to dodge the lines.

This newly refurbished and serene playground at St. Luke's church is tucked away behind King's Road. There are plenty of swings, picnic tables, jungle gyms, and climbing equipment. The gardens just next door are great, too.

This private members’ club comes at a price, but the variety of activities available to kids and parents is pretty astounding. It’s located right in Chelsea, with views of the Thames; parents can enjoy the gourmet food, stunning modern décor, and the amazing views, while kids have the options of beach club (indoor pool), massive soft play center, music booth, kitchen (with cooking activities), music room, and art lab. Kids will love it, and adults will find the whole experience oddly peaceful for a kids’ activity center.

See the city from a different angle: Choose from a sightseeing cruise of your chosen stretch of the river (we like Thames Limo, which leaves from Fulham), enjoy tea on the Thames, or simply use the regular boat service as an alternative to the Tube. Single fares range from just under £4 to £13, depending on how far you want to go. For around £15, you can get a River Roamer ticket that entitles you to unlimited travel to all of London's fifteen piers.

After three deliriously comfortable nights as Southbank’s new Bankside Hotel, we had to ask ourselves: Why can’t every city hotel be like this? It’s smallish, with under two hundred rooms, and utterly contemporary—concrete walls covered in urban photography you wish you could slip into your suitcase, light fixtures that moonlight as sculptures, locally made ceramics for your morning Nespresso, and the chicest writing sets for those postcards you might actually send. When you do leave your hotel, you’ll see the River Thames in the foreground, the Tate Modern for an art fix to the left, and Borough Market (to load up on paella, oysters, and cute to-go flutes of champagne) on the right. If you’re in town on business, take note that the Bankside has decked out a loft space with tables and sofas to type from, art tomes to procrastinate over, and a subterranean gym and spa to keep energy levels soaring.

Bank is undergoing a renaissance. Normally, it’s a neighborhood locals avoid because it’s packed with, well, banks and the casual grab-and-go cafes that feed its bankers, that’s all changing. The Ned moved in first, followed by Brigadiers for dinner, and now the Four Seasons have staked their plot at Ten Trinity Square. We love the subtly elegant guest rooms in shades of grey, and the beds are next-level comfy. They’ll let you choose a firm or soft mattress topper; orthopedic or hypo-allergenic pillows; and the most cocooning down duvets. Given the history of the neighborhood, it’s no surprise that the building is positively stately, and with four food and beverage options (including an especially atmospheric rotunda bar that hosts live music acts), there’s no need to leave.

Covent Garden is one of London’s most charming, central neighborhoods, but until recently, there was no place really remarkable to stay. The Henrietta changed all of that. Rooms are small but plush, with lots of velvet, gold and marble accents and big windows looking out over London’s rooftops. Mini bars are stocked with small batch vodkas, and with the Experimental Cocktail Club recipe book by each bed, provides all the inspiration you need to mix your own cocktail before heading out. The bar downstairs is an Art Deco jewel box and merits a visit whether you’re staying or not.

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.

Hotel Costes is (if you ask us) the most seductive, decadent place to sleep in Paris, and its sibling in London, L’oscar, is no different. It’s all excess. L’oscar is a former Baptist church that hotelier Jacques Garcia stuffed with his signature red velvet everything, Lalique butterfly taps in the bathrooms, and chandeliers aplenty. Guest rooms come with yoga mats, incredible city views, and beautiful mosaic showers. But we especially love the bar, which is swathed in plush navy velvet, wood-paneled walls, and impressively stacked bookshelves.

Soho House’s Nick Jones has, with his signature pizzazz, created one of the more exciting hotels to hit the capital in recent years. The cavernous lobby of the Ned is totally untraditional—and we dig it. Organized almost like a maze, with Cecconi’s on your right, a huge bar on your left, and a raised platform (often with a full jazz band) in front of you. No walls separate any of these elements, so the entire space booms. The rooms are exquisite, many with wood-paneled walls, enormous beds, and beautifully upholstered furniture. It all feels very Tudor. The minibar is one of the better ones we’ve come across: an antique chest filled with crystal glasses, premium booze, and god this makes us happy, decent tonic. Cowshed products, powerful hair dryers and straighteners, and a deep tub comprise a dream bathroom. Bank Street is, predictably, banker land during the week and a dead zone on the weekend, but given how central it is, it’s a breeze to get around—if you can be bothered to leave the hotel at all. Rooms and lobby aside, the listed, Lutyens-designed building has a hammam-style spa, a gym with a boxing ring and pool, and no fewer than ten restaurants.

Brat is Welsh slang for turbot, so it follows that that’s the thing to order here. It’s a perfectly-cooked whole fish, grilled over a fire, and meant for sharing. It’s a technique they use for many menu items, including the bread (always a reliable indicator of the dishes to come), which is almost a satisfying meal in itself, grilled and made of flour from one of last standing stoneground mills in the UK. Even the cheesecake is smoked and accompanied by brown bread ice cream, a familiar treat in the UK and Ireland but rarely seen stateside. Once you have a bite you’ll wonder why.

Dinner at the Indian restaurant Brigadiers ticks all the right boxes: the pickles, the chutneys, the veggies with yogurt. It’s all so satisfying, which isn’t so surprising when you find out it’s from the same team as the one from Gymkhana and Hoppers (two of our favorite London spots). The sides—dal, raita, and several chutneys—are reason enough to come here. The beef shin biryani and the fruity kulfi (basically, an Indian soft serve-style dessert) are reason enough to come back.

French bistro meets British gastro at the upscale boozer the Coach. The dining area is English elegant, which is to say, oak-paneled walls, walls painted minty green, and haphazardly hung artwork. It all comes together to create a warm, cozy, quietly refined room you will happily settle into for many Sunday lunches to come. The owners have taken care to include all the classics when it comes to beer and wine, offset with a notable selection of craft brews and smaller labels. The cuisine is the kind of cold weather fare we always love: cidery mussels with thick fries for dipping, fall-apart braised ox cheeks with sharp horseradish, and the pork rillettes with crisp toast and vinegary pickles. All pair perfectly with a cold beer.

London is the kind of city where residents find it perfectly reasonable to eat sashimi flown in from Tokyo’s Tsukiji market for lunch and an authentic Bangladeshi curry for dinner. Global cuisine is London cuisine—and vice versa. But when all you crave is unintimidating, wholesome grub executed well (especially before a night at the theater), Cora Pearl delivers. From the same people as Mayfair’s Kitty Fisher’s, the menu is made for rainy Sundays when only a rare roast beef and Yorkshire pudding will do. Monday through Saturday however, Cora Pearl's ham and cheese toastie with pickles, proper thick-cut chips, and old-fashioned trifle to share keep us quiet and contentedly well-fed.

Ask any Los Angeleno which restaurant justifies a slow crawl across the I-10 on a weeknight and the answer is almost always Din Tai Fung. The experience runs like a finely oiled machine from start to finish, to the point that it's (blessedly) predictable and outrageously tasty. Now, with an outpost open in Covent Garden, Londoners can breathe easy. Yes, you will wait, but you’ll wait with a ticket and a tick-the-box menu for no longer than half an hour. Once you’re seated, those delectable soup dumplings will be on the table in minutes, and the whole thing will cost you less than your weekly coffee order.

How do you create what is possibly the perfect restaurant? Take a beautiful grey marble bar, put the kitchen right there in the bar, slide eleven seats around it, and serve rich, fresh dishes inspired by southern Europe. Come with one other person or go big and book out the entire restaurant. Then order the mackerel with pickled carrots, the rich duck capelletti, and the unexpected cuttlefish ragu with tapioca crisps. Whatever you order, you won’t regret. And finish it off with a bottle of...sake. The selection is impressive and unexpected (there’s also a wine list if you want to go that route).

Ikoyi is named for the swish Lagos neighborhood cofounder Iré Hassan-Odukale grew up in. The cooked-to-perfection West African fare is prepared by Hassan-Odukale’s school friend, Chinese-Canadian chef Jeremy Chan. Chan, who hails from the kitchens of Noma and Dinner, and Hassan-Odukale have put a great deal of thought into every detail, from the incredibly sleek, almost mid-century modern dining room to the unusual and fascinating cocktail list. Then again, this is St. James's—there is no room for error. Order the suya beef blade with rich, smoked bone marrow and jollof rice, get a side of the sweet buttermilk plantain, and if nothing else, order the Guinness Stone Fence. Guinness is popular in Nigeria, and this cocktail, with cacao-nib-infused rum and lime flower, elevates the humble pint to a sublime creation.

Jikoni owner Ravinder Bhogal is of Indian descent and was partially raised in Nairobi ("jikoni" means kitchen in Swahili). And her food tells the story of her geographic biography: prawn toast freshened up with pickled cucumbers, chickpea chips with Bengali-style chutney, a Scotch egg made with venison instead of pork, scallops and congee. British and African influence is evident, but at its core, Jikoni serves up flavor-packed comfort food that transcends culture. The restaurant itself is a refreshingly colorful break from the cool minimalism sweeping the capital’s interiors. The tablecloths are brightly patterned, the cushions are colorful, and the tapestries that cover the walls are loud and cheerful. Like the food, the décor feels fresh and hopeful, definitely a welcome addition to a stretch of town that often seems akin to a one-note French village of bakeries and cheese stores.

To appease the masses of fans of Smoking Goat, the teensy dive bar that served up some of the—if not the—most incredible Thai BBQ in town, chef Ben Chapman expanded into a much bigger, glitzier space in Soho. Here, thrillingly, with a long bar facing the kitchen you get to watch the action unfold in the mighty kiln for which the restaurant is named. It would be hard to name one dish to go for, as all the sharing plates on the menu are pretty unforgettable, so the best bet is to book downstairs with a large group so you can dive in and share it all—it's a short menu.

What started as two school friends operating a small enterprise out of a ship container at Pop Brixton has grown into a beautiful restaurant in the heart of Soho. Kricket does Indian—flecked with Anglo influence—small-plate style. The menu is direct, divided into declarative categories, like meat and fish, rice, and vegetables. Our favorite: Keralan fried chicken and kulcha bread with date and pistachio, which is perfect for sharing. The space is all industrial: exposed pipes and brick, unexpectedly softened with pink leather stools, and pretty tile floors. Just arrive early; it’s near impossible to get a seat after 6:30 p.m.

South Londoners keep quiet about the food in Peckham. Its restaurants are so good (Peckham Bazaar), so affordable (Banh Banh), and so atmospheric (Artusi), locals want to keep this surprisingly-amazing gastronomical post code to themselves. Kudu fits right in. South African-inflected dishes like braai lamb loin with smoked yoghurt, salt-baked carrots with kefir, vegetable potjie, and spiced biltong (South Africa’s answer to charcuterie) make up the menu. The décor matches the food in terms of detail—mauve walls, chevron wood floors, and intimately small, glass-topped tables. It’s a worthy addition to the already-great Peckham neighborhood.

Every Londoner who frequents Soho knows Lina Stores. The Italian deli has occupied the same spot for close to eighty years, keeping pantries stocked with obscure pastas and excellent tomato sauce. The owners have had the good sense to open a restaurant on nearby Greek Street, and we can confidently say the pasta here is better than anywhere else in the area. Sit at the bar—it’s always the best seat anyway—and watch the chefs prepare your dinner. Classic Roman puntarelle (a bitter chicory) is on the menu, doused, as it should be, in a salty anchovy dressing. Pappardelle arrives in a rich rabbit ragu. The crab pasta is spicy and citrusy, and the gnudi smothered in brown butter and sage are is so good we ordered two. Bonus: practically every dish costs less than ten pounds.

If three chefs wanted to abandon their basement kitchen and tinker around with jars and ferments and natural wines in an airy space, the result would look a lot like Little Duck The Picklery. The restaurant was an experiment for the owners, and it’s a delightfully unexpected dining experience for the guests. Jars of pickles, fizzing kombucha, and vinegars line the windows; many of the contents perk up the dishes. We recommend gorgonzola and pickled quince for a (somewhat) light meal, saffron fettucine with bone marrow and butter for something more substantial—all washed down with biodynamic wine. Little Duck Picklery is the baby sister to Raw Duck and Duck Soup and is the immediate favorite. Take a spectator seat by the bar to watch the chefs at work, or commandeer a window seat for a breakfast sampling of the house-made tinctures and elixirs with a bowl of granola.

The River Café hardly needs an introduction. Serving unmatched Italian since 1987, it is a landmark among restaurants everywhere. They've always been known for their simple, seasonal fare, and the location right along the Thames is great for a sunny Sunday lunch or a special dinner. There's also a private room just off the main dining room that seats up to 18 (fitted out with the Café's signature hot pink rug, and minimal tabletop), which makes an ideal venue for an occasion. You'll definitely want to try something that's been cooked to perfection in their pink wood-fired oven, which has been the central focal point of the restaurant since its renovation, undertaken under the watchful eye of architect (chef Ruth Rogers' husband) Lord Richard Rogers.

Margot Henderson knows a thing or two about cooking—her husband, Fergus, owns London nose-to-tail staple St. John Bread and Wine. But, Rochelle Canteen is about much more than food. This is the place you go to hang out, especially in the summer. At the sunny tables in the pretty courtyard, one glass of wine turns to two (or three?) as the afternoon passes by in a pleasant haze of good food and great people-watching. The food is traditional, almost retro, but there’s a reason the British spent most of the twentieth century tucking into mustardy Welsh rarebit and flaky, pastry-topped leek and chicken pies. It’s mouthwatering comfort food that makes us feel happy, full, and deeply understood. Subtle details like the Aalvar Alto tables and the line of straw hats hung along the walls make for restrained, chic decoration in the whitewashed-brick room. The light streaming through the floor-to-ceiling window is the main decoration.

Yotam Ottolenghi has opened yet another restaurant that Londoners cannot get enough of (his seventh). This time it’s in Fitzrovia—a neighborhood that, until recently, was a kind of a culinary wasteland. The addition of Rovi has changed all that. The magic here lies in the fresh, vegetable-centric dishes slathered in all manner of Israeli and Palestinian sauces and a bright, cheerful dining room with high ceilings and red banquettes. The wine list is stellar and features some rarely seen Palestinian labels.

Heddon Street is the closest thing Mayfair has to a back alley—and nipping down the side street for a feast of full suckling pig and one too many glasses of fine sherry feels suitably illicit. Sabor is flavor—and lots of it. The two-story space cheerily decked out in Spanish tile and exposed brick hits the sweet spot of having both the dip-in-and-out cozy seats at the bar for a few tapas and the communal table packed with your rambunctious extended family for several courses upstairs. From the same people behind Barrafina, the traditional food here is good, really good. Grilled bread with a scraping of smashed tomato; oily, garlicky prawns to tear into with your fingers; and a whole suckling pig (it comes in a half or quarter sizes, too) so meltingly tender it arrives with only a spoon to serve.

Set in a huge, light-filled space in Somerset House, Spring is helmed by chef Skye Gyngell, who won a Michelin star for her restaurant at Petersham Nurseries—and then promptly left. She’s finally returned after a long time away and is back to her old tricks: Light, seasonal, Italian-inflected dishes that are essentially perfect. For a private meal or event, there's the Salon, which is a pretty magical light-filled space located under an original glass atrium that can seat up to 45 at tree-lined tables (yes, tree-lined).

Rose, vermouth, cardamom, and cherry? That’s a Kerala. Fennel pollen, port, and mint: That’s the West Bengal. Welcome to cocktails, as envisioned by Trishna. (The drinks are named after the Indian states their flavors represent.) Like the cocktails, every item on the menu and every piece of furniture and décor was carefully considered. The food is, for the most part, Keralan coastal fare, all the bright, zesty curries and rice dishes brimming with scallops, king prawns, flaky white fish, and spices. If you order the seven-course vegetarian tasting menu you will never question the validity of vegetables as a main ever again. The velvet banquettes are perfect for groups, the mirrored walls and gold-hued lighting give a romantic edge, and skipping dessert for the rose petal lassi is never a bad call.

Marylebone is full of bakeries, bookshops, and quiet residential streets, despite its proximity to bustling Oxford Street. One of our favorite stops is the bar at the Chiltern Firehouse, which feels almost like spending time in a garden (while being inside). Nearly all the seats and sofas are embellished with colorful florals, and dozens of trailing green plants form a cornice around the room. Afternoon tea is a special treat—a silver tea tray stacked with chocolate and coffee éclairs is presented by the stylishly attired staff. It’s a great place to counteract a midday slump, and for the freelancers out there, to get some work done.

The Blind Pig is a proper speakeasy. In other words, it’s difficult to find. (Look for the old-school optician’s sign and knock). Once you’re inside, the dark, moody interior feels a little illicit in the best way. The low ceiling is entirely mirrored, the bar is a long sheet of polished copper, and the booths are a rich brown leather you immediately want to melt into. The cocktails are tongue-in-cheek interpretations named after the figures from our childhoods—Peter Rabbit, Pooh, even Harry Potter—with a full illustrated menu to match. Aptly, the Harry Potter is a reimagined butterbeer bitter, butterscotch included.

This recently renovated watering hole in Soho is a classic pub, a modern cocktail bar, and tiny restaurant, all in one. Downstairs, you can grab a craft microbrew or cider with other locals sipping pints after work. Upstairs, you’ll find The Mulwray for mixed drinks and wine, while in the basement, there’s an eleven-seat kitchen bar, Evelyn’s Table. This means you can eat lunch, have an afternoon pint, grab dinner and a late-night cocktail without having to leave the building. The bar snacks at the Blue Post is maybe our favorite thing about the place. Peanuts dusted in harissa, a fried fish sandwich, and the most perfect bar snack of all: the sausage roll.

A well-made martini is hard to come by, and for this alone, Dukes Hotel Bar merits a visit. This quintessentially British bar is an elegant affair and a perfect spot to decompress in Mayfair. Have a seat at one of the tables and take in the hushed civility around you—portraits of notable Brits, prints of city landmarks. In a few minutes, a bartender in a starched white jacket will come by with the martini trolley and mix the cocktail to your exact specifications. It’s ideal for a calm drink with your parents (the cigar and Cognac garden helps), or come alone, sit at the bar, and enjoy the indulgence of a perfectly mixed drink, just because.

Hovarda is technically an Aegean restaurant, but we like it better for drinks. Part of the appeal is that it's open late and serves great salty snacks until the early hours of the morning. Vegetable fritters and tzatziki with pita for dipping go especially well with a chilled glass of white wine. As evening becomes night, the music gets louder, the DJs set up shop, and suddenly Hovarda feels more like a club than a restaurant—but a club you would happily sit in for a while, with a yuzu margarita in hand.

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.

One of our favorite coffee spots in East London for the killer cold brew, natural light, and brick-lined interiors. This is a spot to hunker down with your laptop or book for the morning with an almond milk latte and house-made croissant. There's definitely a laid-back vibe here, which can be attributed to the backstory: Founder and New Zealand native Michael Allpress was so inspired by the 1980s coffee scene in Seattle that he started the first coffee cart in his home country, which led him to open a roastery in his garage and, ultimately, several cafés and roasteries around the world

You could easily spend the better part of an afternoon eating and reading and hanging at Fabrique. The Stockholm transplant specializes in sourdough bread that's crackly on the outside and super soft on the inside. It’s great for sandwiches, but honestly better on its own. Then grab a few rye baguettes and bullar, Swedish cinnamon-cardamom buns, to take home.

One goop staffer visited this tiny but mighty, absolutely perfect general store every weekend while she lived in London. Shelves, baskets, and crates are stocked with produce: heirloom tomatoes from Italy, mangoes from India, lettuces, herbs, and dairy from the English countryside. Everything has been thoughtfully chosen by Merlin and Genevieve, the owners, and every last heirloom tomato and wedge of English Cheddar is the highest quality money can buy. Despite the size of the store—it’s teeny—all the pantry essentials, like pasta, flour, spices, bread, and eggs, are here, as well as an incredible selection of cheese, farm-fresh eggs, good wine, and pastries. The General Store hosts regular wine tastings, and the line is out the door most days.

The coffee here is among the best in a city of good coffee. The dark walls, neon signs, subway tiles, and modern, low-hanging lamps make for an appealing interior. Best of all, the high bench seating is actually comfortable and encourages you to settle in and maybe drink more caffeine than you really need. You can offset it with one of the great salads. It’s a nice respite in a city that has adopted a duck-in, duck-out coffee shop philosophy.

The espresso here is serious: smooth, heady, and perfect on its own, which is why this café is always packed. In 2008, Nude's founders created their first café on Brick Lane, where they served ethically sourced artisanal coffee. Word spread, and the team moved to its current location on Hanbury Street, which also hosts a state-of-the-art roastery. Every cup served comes from beans roasted on-site by the industry's most eco-friendly roaster. There's also a sister café on Bell Lane.

In a city of a million coffee shops, Shoreditch Grind, the original of what is now a few locations around the city, gets it just right. Perched on the highly trafficked Old Street roundabout, it’s pounded daily by commuters, bankers, and start-up employees—and the menu appeals to all of them. The coffee is roasted at the Shoreditch Grind roaster around the corner, and the interior is industrial-cool with subway-tiled walls and big windows overlooking the hustle. The breakfast is good—acai bowls, scrambled eggs, and smoked salmon, but the lattes (matcha, turmeric, good old coffee) are even better.

While there are outposts all over the city, the flagship Marylebone location is an original Edwardian bookshop, with an emphasis on incredible travel titles. All locations also offer a great selection of poetry to fiction, biography and more, all organized by relevant country. Fun.

Boasting five floors of designer labels, in its brand-new space on Haymarket where they've taken over a grand old heritage-listed building, this wildly creative, gallery-like space is complete with sculptures, taxidermy, and art objects. Whether you intend to bust out your wallet or not, the store is one of the city's more inspired spaces.

London excels at creating retail spaces that are more experiential than commercial. Like the Shop at Bluebird and Dover Street Market, LN-CC is a destination as much for its overall look as its merchandise, encompassing a library, record store, gallery, and café. The likes of Marni, Yeezy, JW Anderson, Gucci, and Rick Owens, plus a futuristic shoe department that looks like a spaceship draws in visitors from all over the world to this Dalton emporium. The kicker: LN-CC is by appointment only—so make one.

Founder and designer Melissa Morris (who cut her teeth at Belstaff), spent years researching, sourcing, and designing her beautifully made Italian leather bags. Aside from the luggage, we love the smaller pieces, too, like the card-holders and leather clutches with compartments for phones, money and iPads. The boutique on South Audley street feels like being in a mahogany-clad library and is always a treat to pop in for a bit of peace and quiet while browsing the goods.

Review is one of those independent bookshops that makes us all wish we read more. It’s staffed with novelists always willing to lift up their heads from the page and offer a suggestion or four. Books are thoughtfully divided—not by traditional categories but into tongue-in-cheek colloquial genres, like “wimmin” for women, making a casual browse substantially more enjoyable. Literary fiction is the preferred genre here, with the best of the new bunch always stacked on the table by the door. Interspersed among the titles are cookbooks, pretty greeting cards, Moleskine journals, and the occasional candle.

Fur is the kind of all-knowing healer you want to pull up a chair beside and spill your secrets to. She is that good a listener. A revered osteopath with a quarter century of experience, Fur is highly observant and seriously intuitive. The first time she met one goop staffer, after a few pleasantries, she cocked her head, inquired whether the staffer always lurched to the side like that, and started to work her magic. Fur endorses a 360-degree approach to well-being, one where the patient’s mental state and emotional baggage are treated as thoughtfully as the physical aches and pains. As far as we're concerned, there is no better osteopath in London.

After a long, dehydrating flight or an intense week at work or really any other time, come to think of it, there are few things we love more than a massage at Agua Spa in the Sea Containers hotel (formerly the Mondrian). Skin specialist Alexandra Soveral’s Signature Treatment is manna to your visage. A deep clean is followed by an intense lymphatic-drainage massage. Hot and cold stones are dipped in fragrant oils and rolled over the face, taking care of puffiness and smoothing out fatigue lines. Soveral’s organic, nontoxic products are made from botanicals grown on her family farm in Portugal—and they smell heavenly. Pick up a jar of Angel Balm, a miracle in a jar that you can cleanse with or smear on as a hydrating mask while up in the air or overnight in bed.

Andrea Hurst, aka the foot guru, is a specialist in reflexology. She's been practicing reflexology for thirty years and has been based in Mayfair for the past seventeen years. Hurst also practices at UME Diagnostics in Harley Street, does home visits, and travels extensively. Her treatments help reset and restore body, mind, and spirit, and a session with her provides a framework for optimizing your well-being.

More than a gym, Blok is a full fitness complex in Shoreditch, a few steps from Liverpool Street station. There are thirty-two different types of classes spanning yoga, Pilates, boxing, barre, and Blok’s own custom classes. The place is beautiful in a stark, modern way—the studios are all glass, brushed concrete, and textural woods with corridors illuminated by soft lights. The café is an ideal post- or pre-workout spot to fuel up with coffee, protein shakes, and plant-based bites that arrive in the prettiest sculptural wooden bowls. Blok’s store, meanwhile, is filled with natural beauty products and workout gear.

Breathwork is a deeply personal practice. Hyperventilating and releasing in a room full of people and the sobbing, laughing, and shaking that often accompany that release require a certain willingness to bare all. This is why our first session with renowned breathworker Stuart Sandeman was a one-on-one. When we arrived at the Scotsman’s Dalston studio (there's a second space in Marylebone), his cheery, confident nature immediately put us at ease. And though the next hour of open-mouthed belly breathing and releasing by slapping our hands and feet against the (padded) ground as we loudly exhaled was intense, the release of emotion (okay, we cried) and the subsequent energy burst is not to be understated.

Holistic healer Jasmin Harsono is the founder of the London-based wellness brand Emerald and Tiger. Harsono is a Reiki master, a sonic artist, and an intuitive guide. (You can get a feel for her bright, uplifting energy from this morning Reiki meditation.) Harsono offers virtual private and group sessions, which you can sign up for on her website. For more from Harsono, check out her book Self Reiki: Tune in to Your Life Force to Achieve Harmony and Balance.

True intuitives are rare. Having someone know your thoughts, read your body, and decipher your energy without knowing you should be impossible, but it’s not. Knowles is a living, breathing intuitive who in her own mystic way suspends her hands over your body, somehow knowing the trigger points without actually touching you. Candles flicker and crystals get hot in your hands as you lie there waiting for Knowles’s reading (which she will record and send to you a day or two after the dust settles). Of course, these healing sessions are different for everyone, but our reading was spot-on. Knowles considers herself a clairvoyant, a reader, an intuitive, a crystal healer, and an author (her book The Power of Crystal Healing: Change Your Energy and Live a High-vibe Life is a must for the crystal-curious), and no two sessions are quite the same.

So much exercise is ticking a box. Cardio, done; strength training, done; yoga...not so fast. Yoga is supposed to be an immersive experience for body and mind, and so much of that transformative experience is dictated by the teacher. Emma Peel is one of those rare beings who describes herself as a yoga instructor, but really a session with her is like a master class in letting go. Two hours of yin with Peel involves holding stretches that go so deep, you feel it in your bones, while she recites poetry, speaks to the seasons, and plays the music that seems to crescendo with the tougher postures and soften with the gentle ones. Peel teaches all over London.

Katy Meade King is a self-described soul sister. As a child, she knew she had otherworldly abilities but pursued a career in fashion. However the pull toward spiritual work was all-consuming, and after years of study, Meade King is now a Reiki healer, a master Anusha healer, and a medium. Each session is different, but overwhelmingly she specializes in helping clients heal from trauma and sadness in her own delicate, deeply empathetic way. (The best way to reach her is via emaiL: katy@soulspirit.co.uk.)

A relatively recent renovation to the spa and gym at London’s grande dame the Lanesborough takes wellness to the next level. The gym is first-class and available to guests and members with a slew of performance specialists on hand for one-on-one and class training,as well as full health assessments. Box, run, weight lift, dance, yoga you name it—it’s all available, plus a café that features nutritionist-led dishes and drinks for lunch after a workout. Highlights at the spa include Ila facials, crystal sound healing (pure sound vibrations made using a pestle and crystal bowl), and Tibetan energy healing. The biggest draw however is an energetic healing facial with the renowned Anastasia Achilleos (Achilleos has a residency on Thursdays, be sure to book early). The pool is one of the prettiest in London, and overall, the Lanesborough feels much more like a retreat than a fitness club.

Several goop staffers are longtime fans of the Lanserhof’s clinic in Austria. So we were delighted when they opened their first UK clinic, across the street from the Arts Club in Mayfair. The custom-tailored programs at this medical spa and gym marry time-honored holistic treatments with modern medicine. Arts Club members and Lanserhof patients can avail themselves of the top-notch facilities that include Britain’s first cryotherapy chambers, treatment rooms for sports injuries, diagnostics with the clinic’s doctors, and a thoughtfully crafted menu of healthy food to tuck into post-treatment.

Not to hate on food delivery, but the sevices we really want on demand lean more to the mani, pedi, waxing, and spray tanning side of things. This is where the Salonettes come in. They’re a team of beauty therapists spread out all over London. And setting up an appointment couldn’t be easier: Create an account online, select your service (or services? Nice!), pick a date and time, and give LeSalon the address for your home, hotel, or office. (Fun fact: goop’s VIP guru Kelly fell in love with LeSalon after one of the Salonettes rushed to goop Lab London to fix her failing manicure just in time for an event). Founder Natasha Pilbrow empowers the team to manage their own hours and work when it works for them, so LeSalon’s hours of operation stretch from early morning to late-late. Another reason we love the company and concept: Among Pilbrow’s priorities is making sure the Salonettes enjoy the high commission rates, regular training, and financial stability that are not easy to come by in the freelance beauty therapist industry. If you’re waiting for the catch, it’s not coming—treatments use modern and luxurious products (Vita Liberata spray tans, vegan, nontoxic nail-care products), and many of the services are undeniably more relaxing in your own home (hiya, Brazilian waxing).

We first encountered Melody Hekmat through Bodyism—a wellness club in Notting Hill a few doors down from goop Lab—and over the years, we have grown addicted to her powerful Jivamukti classes. Hekmat is the kind of gently encouraging teacher who knows how to get the best out of her students without overwhelming them, which helps explain why she’s so in demand around town. You can take her classes at Bodyism, Triyoga, KX, and Sanye Yoga Studio.

Astrology is one of those enthralling specialties that we can never quite figure out for ourselves, which is why we have the London-based Nymph of Neptune on speed dial. With several years of experience interpreting client’s birth charts behind her, this astrologist is an expert at illuminating the significance of planetary positions—specifically Mars, Venus, Mercury, and the moon—at the time and date of our births, and what that might mean for us personally and professionally. An hour or two with Nymph of Neptune is truly enlightening. What’s more, sessions can be conducted in English, Italian, or French, the choice—and the path—is yours.

It's a trek all the way to Harrow to see Raj Bhachu at his practice, Sai Nutrition, but there are converts, including cookbook authors and spiralizing advocates Melissa and Jasmine Hemsley, who are willing to make the trip. Bhachu practices integrative medicine, meaning that he tests for parasites, heavy-metal toxicity, and everything else conventional MDs might not immediately (or ever) jump to. So if you have a health issue that you can't get to the bottom of, a trip to the outskirts of London may be in the cards.

West is a real-life baby whisperer. At the largest holistic fertility clinic in the UK, West, a trained midwife, and her team of medical doctors and holistic practitioners consider and treat the whole person. That treatment can entail acupuncture, nutritional advice, tackling emotional stressors, and IVF. In person, West is both calmly practical and hugely empathetic, with a sense of humor that usually dissolves any nervousness. All courses of treatment start with a consultation and chat on the sofa; for those seeking some of West’s wisdom from home, her informative books and supplements are available online.