Alexandra Soveral

Tucked away on an idyllic street in Islington, this pretty Georgian pub boasts a lot of outdoor space—a rarity in London. On summer evenings and weekends, the best spots in the house are in the front courtyard for beers and cocktails, and out back for classic pub fare in the wisteria covered courtyard. This being one of the most popular gastropubs in the area, dinner and Sunday roast reservations come in handy.

This is the kind of Hampstead Heath go-to where everyone, even the family dog, is welcome. The atmosphere is cozy and traditional with maroon leather seats, chalkboard menus, and lots of distressed wood. Don’t miss the bread basket, homemade ice cream, and ale (for grownups only).

The scrumptious, simple, yet interesting food (squid pancakes, for example) and hip yet relaxed Exmouth Market vibe make this one of our favorite places for brunch. It's also a great place to go for a coffee (which is roasted on-site) to linger over and enjoy with a book. This spot became so popular that they opened up a much bigger, industrial-inflected space at Kings Cross that serves the same great mix of small plates.

This relatively new and growing chain of modern Indian restaurants reveals a new dimension to a city already well-versed in the cuisine. Expertly decorated to resemble an old Iranian Bombay cafe, the vibe is casual and, as tradition dictates, ideal for both large groups and singles reading the paper and having a chai. The long menu of rotis, naans, grilled meats, and stews is spice-inflected but not necessarily curry heavy. There are three more locations in Shoreditch, Carnaby, and Covent Garden.

Hidden away on a quiet street in Islington, the Draper’s Arms attracts a faithful following who come for casual tipples and full meals. The British gastro-pub fare is wonderful as is the small selection of wines; and, this being England and all, the beer and ales selection is definitely on point. Old wooden tables, checkerboard floors, board games, and a wall full of classic orange-spined Penguin paperbacks drives the cozy vibe home.

From young families to twenty-somethings who've wandered a bit too far from Essex Road, everyone seems to enjoy this up market gastropub with great organic fare and drinks. It's a perfect location for a post-meal walk to Broadway Market via Regent's Canal.

In a city heaving with pubs, The Engineer—in pastel-pretty Primrose Hill—is top of the list. Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, their traditional Sunday roast is a force to be reckoned with—perfect plates stacked high with roasted meat, buttery vegetables, towering Yorkshire puds, and port reduction jus. The space itself—named for famed English engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, builder of the Great Western Railway—is more stylish gastro-pub than dark watering-hole, with wood-paneled walls, mahogany tables, and cozy leather booths to sink into. Through the long London winter, the roaring fire, well-curated wine list, and comfy seating make lingering into the evening over drinks with friends all too easy. In the summer months, the outdoor patio is the spot to snag a table for an al-fresco afternoon of elevated British grub, booze, and pudding, walked off with a post-lunch amble through nearby, leafy Regent's Park.

The D&D group (of Terence Conran & company fame) has gone and created another classic a la Skylon, Bluebird, etc. This time it's in King's Cross which is going through a major regeneration. In what used to be the German Gymnasium—the first purpose-built gym in the UK from way back in the 1860's—they've set up an eponymous all-day restaurant that's perfectly placed to serve all the EuroStar travelers heading to Paris from St. Pancras across the street. Fittingly, it feels like a gateway to old Europe, where the Sekt and Champagne flow and Schnitzel and Sauerkraut is served in what feels like an elegant Viennese café (with a modern twist). The hulking space has been beautifully reinterpreted.

The white walls and vintage wooden tables with schoolhouse chairs create the perfect setting for those looking for a gastropub with a little something different.

This is pretty much the perfect pub. And in a city famous for its wateringholes, that’s some truly high praise. Long, wooden tables fill a huge, bright dining room, which is packed with locals (and their dogs) on evenings and weekends. The impeccable thin-crust pizza, made with quality ingredients like Parma ham and taleggio, is another huge draw.

Only in London would you have your fish and chips delivered. This clean, friendly and upscale locale makes an excellent fish & chips combo that proves you don't have to look and feel like you just came out of a nightclub to indulge in the national dish.

Hidden on a residential street in Canonbury, in an old garage with a beautiful old sign to prove it, Primeur feels eons away from London's bustle. On a warm day, the garage doors open and diners get to watch the evening light filter in while snacking on a fantastic Spanish cheese and sipping on one of the natural, mineral wines on their expertly chosen list. And then dive into the short but perfect menu, which changes daily, so much so that it arrives hastily handwritten. Share a few small plates of their ultra-seasonal fare and watch the world quietly go by outside the garage doors. For large groups, there's a private dining room downstairs in the wine cave.

Islington is a sort of de facto testing ground for restaurant concepts and only the best stand the test of time—the legendary Ottolenghi and Trullo, for example. And teensy Sunday, hidden away on a residential street with a beige, unassuming awning and low key decor, may just be the next big hit. Walk by any weekend morning only to find a line around the block, waiting patiently for some of the best breakfast London has to offer. Same goes for weekdays, when virtually every local freelancer in the know rocks up for breakfast, coffee, and lunch. The lure: a perfect breakfast, great coffee, and healthy, hearty lunch. Our picks: Buttermilk pancakes and their as of yet undefeated zucchini fritter, halloumi, and avocado pile served on yogurt spiced with dukkah. Enough said.

This Italian spot is great with a few friends because it means you get to share a bunch of the delicious, seasonal offerings. Their menu is constantly changing, so you can always expect to be pleasantly surprised. Downstairs, you'll find a slightly glitzier (though still very tasteful and understated) vibe and small plates that are a little fancier.

Head downstairs here and you'll find a more casual sitting room and bar serving cocktails in addition to the usual food and drink pub offerings. You can eat over a game of chess or Scrabble, too, which is a nice touch. Meanwhile, there's a more formal dining room upstairs.

The lab above the bar is where resident mixologist, Tony Conigliaro, concocts recipes for his unique and delicious cocktails. Despite being open seven days a week with live jazz every Sunday night, the vibe is relaxed and cool. Make sure to reserve beforehand, as it’s a small space, or try the offshoot at the Zetter Townhouse.

With locations all over the city and some of the freshest, most perfect bread we've tasted, you can pretty much count on Gail's for any dinner party. They have a constantly changing list of varieties as well as pastries, light salads, and prepared foods. The ingredients are all completely organic and chemical-free. Pit-stop on Friday or Saturday for a loaf of their unbeatable challah.

The Hummingbird Bakery landed in Notting Hill in early 2004 to become the home of quality American baking in London. This location is cute and convenient to walks in Regent's Park.

As its name suggests, this café and creperie is tiny, though that doesn't hold it back: For one, they work with sustainable, green coffee providers to bring new beans to customers every couple of weeks. For two, their pastries are house-made and include Brazilian pao de queijo cheese puffs and the most decadent fruit muffins ever. Most coffees are to-go, though in warmer weather there are a couple of seats available right outside the shop.

Located in St. John's Wood, Panzer's caters to its American expat neighborhood with hard-to-find US ingredients like Hershey's chocolate chips and Mexican corn tortillas. They also carry plenty of Italian specialty foods and their greengrocer is one of the best in London for unusual varieties of fruits and vegetables.

Pomona is the quintessential neighborhood grocery store. It's the kind of place where the shopkeepers can tell you rich stories about every single item in there. Despite this intimacy, the selection is surprisingly complete. With produce, dairy, meat, fish, and even a bakery, you can pretty much do all of your grocery shopping in this perfectly tiny spot.

Real Food Market launched their food festivals back in 2007, well before the organic and local food movement really took off in the UK. Though they still organize amazing festivals, they’ve expanded to two full-scale farmers markets with easy, accessible weekday hours. While you’ll find some produce here, the emphasis is really on prepared foods—in addition to ready-to-eat street food, you’ll also find cheese, jams, breads, smoked meats, and some of the city’s best pastries.

With its first parlour in Tufnell Park, ice cream innovator Ruby Violet has joined the ranks of major restaurants like Caravan and Dishoom and opened right in the middle of the action in up-and-coming Kings Cross. Now the droves of tourists, students, and area locals get to treat themselves to the incomparable concoctions—chocolate sorbet, licorice, and masala chai among them. Take it to go, or in the colder months, huddle in their gem box of a dining room behind the bar.

Highlights include veggies from Kent, a Greek stand with plump olives, the Wild Country Organics lettuce stand with a variety of all-organic greens like mustard, rocket, and others you've never heard of, plus a Celtic baker with a really nice variety of breads and baked goods.

John Lewis is great for home goods, kitchenware, clothing basics, and more. You'd be surprised at what you can find here. They deliver, and very quickly at that, making it so convenient you never even need to step foot in the store. Don't miss their home section for great, affordable, and durable English design.

This is a favorite among Primrose Hill natives. Tucked into a small street, you have to ring the doorbell to get in. Once through the door you'll find a quiet and intimate shop that offers plenty of APC and Raoul, Vivienne Westwood, and Humanoid.

People all around London flock to Primrose Hill for the breathtaking 360 degree view. On summer days the hill is covered in picnickers taking in the sun. On winter days, there's always a dog walker or two, and when it snows, this is a prime sledding park.

Straddling Westminster and Camden, Regent's Park features the largest grass area for sports in London, plus an open air theater, Regent's College, Regent's Canal, the London Zoo, restaurants, cafés, and so much more.

From the Reverb festival that brings modern excitement to classical music, to hosting the hip Camden Crawl festival every May, Camden's Roundhouse is a hub for London's music scene, with young people at its heart. Acting as a community center of sorts, the goal of here is to inspire young adults to become interested and trained in the arts. Check their website for listings and details of their current events: expect rock, jazz, classical, folk and everything in between.

This is the place where young couples go in Islington to furnish their East London homes with high-end, contemporary and modern classics created by the likes of Le Corbusier, Hans Wegner, Robin Day, and many, many more. The shop has recently expanded, but the floor is still just the tip of the iceberg. Make a point to inquire about their other stock.

The trek out to Barnet to see reflexologist Chantal Freegard (she makes North London home visits upon request) is a worthwhile exercise for anyone dealing with stress, insomnia, back problems, and infertility. Some say the energy changes in a room the minute she walks in. Part of her success comes from her long-standing practice in reflexology, and part comes from her foray into crystal healing. At the end of each session, she incorporates sound therapy using vibrating crystals from her personal collection, which she chooses intuitively for each client.

Trained as a traditional obstetrician, Dr. Gowri became frustrated with conventional birth methods and has developed her own technique called "The Gentle Birth Method" which incorporates traditional Ayurveda among other modalities. She insists the entire process needn't be as painful and fraught with stress as it has become for many women. Her method is all-encompassing: Through a mix of private consultations and group sessions she helps women with infertility issues to become pregnant, and assists pregnant women through the process into birth and care-giving.

We were sad to see Triyoga's beautiful, Primrose Hill location go but 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 checking out the infrared sauna sessions, craniosacral massage, intuitive readings, and nutritional, EFT, and CBT therapy (depending on what you're after).

This is one of Britain’s oldest independent theater groups—with cinemas in Hampstead, Belsize Park, Maida Vale, and more—and as such, they know how to entertain. Loved for their comfortable and stylish interiors—armchair or couch seating comes complete with footstool and a side table for that glass of wine and gourmet snack (no fake-buttered popcorn or boxed chocolate to be found).

Gill's classes run every holiday from 9am until 3pm, over the course of which they teach about five to six dishes. Gill demonstrates and then the kids learn to make everything from scratch. Many courses are themed around seasons and holidays like Valentine's, Halloween, and Christmas. She also runs children's birthday parties with international cuisine themes like American, Italian, and Japanese.

High up on Rosslyn Hill in Hampstead, this recently-expanded shop stocks an ample mix of conventional toys along with science and craft projects. Wrapping paper, party favors, and plenty of stickers are also available, making the birthday present-buying chore a bit easier. Anyone who has a child caught up in the Lego or Sylvanian Families mania will be well taken care of here. Their Schleich shelf, full of those classic and very realistic plastic animals, totally triggers nostalgia.

The animals at the London Zoo are well kept, so a visit here is always a happy one. Plus, a recent renovation converted many of the animals' enclosures, making them truer to how they live in nature. There are also a number of daily kids activities that are heavy on fun without skimping on education.

This colorful indoor climbing frame for 6-month to 11-year-olds is part of the Talacre Sports and Community Center, and just a short walk from the Kentish Town West station. If you want to bring your really little ones to play, a good time is between 9-10:30am on weekdays for the "Under 5 Only" session.

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.

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.

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.

The Grace is a boon to womankind as far as we're concerned: A private, women-only club in one of London's upper-crust neighborhoods, it's as great to hit for a business meeting as it is for a spa break, a green juice, a healthy lunch, or any number of holistic treatments with some of the city's most renowned healers. It's a one-stop shop for everything from colonics to IV infusions, and those who have the spare cash might consider the three- to five-day Intensive Cleanse, which includes a nutritional plan and everything from lymphatic drainage to Acqua Calda hammam treatments. It's a pretty great place to kick-start a health and wellness regimen.

Dr. Joshi's clinic is one of our first ports of (detox) call in London. In addition to colonics, Dr. Joshi also offers a pretty in-depth list of other wellness-centric services including personal training, massage, Endermologie, and his signature twenty-one-day nutritional plan, which are all designed to help detox. The clinic also offers a spectacular Moroccan riad retreat for the weary.

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.

While Gazelli is already known for its skin-care range developed by Dr. Zarifa Hamzayeva, you can expect the therapies offered at the sumptuous new HQ to go way beyond the surface. Membership to the beautiful townhouse on Walton Street comes with two signature diagnostic treatments. Whether you go for a facial or a body treatment, each session is completely bespoke and could include anything from microdermabrasion to radio frequency. After that, Gazelli also offers introductions to a variety of other practitioners, from life coaches to hypnotists, to get you glowing from the inside out.

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.

Though the hotel is located right in the center of the city overlooking Piccadilly, its subterranean spa feels miles away from the bustling streets above. The space itself is gorgeous, and spending a couple of hours between the sleek and modern gym, pool, and hammam facilities makes for a pretty spectacular spa day. When you book in with some of the expert healers—a resident Reiki master, nutritionist, etc.—the spa also doubles as the most luxurious practitioner's office ever.

With a chiropractor, psychotherapist, gynecologist, and even a sports therapist and podiatrist all in the same place, the London Wellness Centre is focused on prevention above all else. With all these services available, it's also taking a completely integrative approach to health care. Co-owner and lead chiropractor Joanna Lowry-Corry is an incredibly thoughtful practitioner who takes the time to get to know her patients and is a font of knowledge when it comes to overall wellness. With locations in Canary Wharf and right near the Shard, it's hitting London's nerve center when it comes to stress-related issues.

Yoga is big in London (as it is everywhere), but there are few places we have enjoyed practicing more than Yogarise. Held on an upper floor of a South London warehouse, classes are large, but the experience feels incredibly intimate. This is no run-of-the-mill Ashtanga. Classes are taught to music that stretches from classical and instrumental to traditional Indian. The yin class, taught by Emma Peel, not only focuses on stretching out the hips and lower back but is a meditative experience unlike any we’ve had. Peel recites poetry, the music seems to ebb and flow with the stretches (which you hold for up to five minutes), and the room smells comfortingly—never overwhelmingly—of incense. Mats, blocks, and blankets are freely provided, and the relaxation area, filled with art house magazines, herbal teas, and works by local artists, is a space you could spend hours in.

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.

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.

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).

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.

A new discovery for us, Agua Spa is located under the hypermodern Sea Containers hotel (formerly the Mondrian) and designed by Tom Dixon. It’s the antithesis of a normal spa. There are no hard corners, only undulating surfaces that curve into corridors and communal spaces, and the color scheme is white, grey, and silver. The whole vibe is more akin to a spaceship or a futuristic cocoon than the usual wood/cotton/natural-light mix. The manicures and pedicures are both indulgent and blessedly efficient, but of all the treatments, the Soveral Signature Facial is one we come back to again and again. If you’re into lymphatic massage, aromatherapy, and nontoxic beauty, you won’t be disappointed. We also found ourselves in the womblike relaxation area sipping herbal tea and reading newspapers (thoughtfully left by each bed) long after our appointment ended.

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.

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.

This studio was founded by superfacialist Vaishaly Patel, and the skin-care treatments are incredible. The signature facial combines Patel’s famous techniques (deep cleansing, extraction, microdermabrasion, and high-frequency treatment) to create a custom plan to improve your skin on the day of your appointment. All facials include a craniosacral massage to treat tense areas at the scalp, brows, and jaw—heaven.

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.

Andrea Pfeffer’s passion for glowing, balanced skin led her to create this beautiful, intimate studio with a menu of novel, high-tech facials. The salon started a bit of a craze for collagen-supporting copper microneedling, but what really sets it apart is that no matter how cutting-edge the treatment or how hard-core the extractions, needling, or vitamin infusion, there's an exquisitely relaxing facial massage built in to your session.

Danish skin-care brand Själ incorporates gemstones and high-quality minerals into its formulations, which are said to vibrate at high frequencies that cause cellular regeneration. When those properties are put into action in the form of chief facialist Henrik Gaardsal's facials, you're in for a treat. He uses rose quartz and amethyst wands for a head-to-toe gemstone massage that relaxes the body and stimulates lymphatic drainage, followed by the most soothing facial around. Some call it a bioregenerative treatment; others call it heaven. Book in advance, as London is just one of Gaardsdal's many international stops.

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.

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.

Xochi Balfour is quickly becoming the face of millennial healing in London, working with clients in their twenties and thirties who need coping strategies for stress and burnout. Xochi meets with clients at her home for one to two sessions and uses a range of techniques customized to individual needs. Through anything from guided chakra meditation and sound healing to nutritional and skincare advice, she helps her clients develop their own personal toolkit for wellness and sets them on their way.

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.

Keah Lan has quite a following for her at-home Pilates, yoga, and reflexology sessions, so much so that she's trained an entire staff in her methods to help satisfy demand. She's an exacting teacher and when it comes to reflexology; a session goes far beyond deep relaxation. Integrating her background in Qi Gong and traditional Chinese medicine, she can also identify vitamin deficiencies and posture problems, help with insomnia, and more—though she's probably best known for her pre- and post-natal reflexology and yoga sessions. Bring your kids, she works wonders on them, too.

Will Williams and Jess Cook took a two and a half year hiatus and traveled to India (and then the world) to learn everything they could about Vedic Meditation, only to return to London to bring it to the masses. Learning the technique takes place over three consecutive sessions: they'll give you a personal mantra in the first session, followed by two sessions of meditation training after that. Then, you're ready to practice on your own and reap the benefits—better sleep, less anxiety, focus, the works—or join their popular group sessions in Victoria (no lotus position required).

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.

It's rarely a health issue that takes people to Diane MacLelllan, though her lessons in Alexander Technique can certainly help in that department, especially when it comes to back and neck pain. In addition to teaching better posture, she’s an expert in body language, presentation skills, and Neuro-Linguistic Programming, which means you can visit her for the suite. The idea is that if we train ourselves to better our language and posture, we’ll train (or program) our brains to feel better, too.

You might go to Giulia for hay fever and be surprised by the totally non-related questions she asks—about your character, habits, how you sleep—but that's because she's looking for root causes rather than simply treating symptoms. After your first consultation, you'll receive her homeopathic remedy in the mail, which she hand blends herself. The number of sessions depends on the complexity of the issue—a hay fever remedy may just take one visit, while skin disorders, hormonal issues, back aches, arthritis, etc., will take a few. Whatever it may be, she's effective, and incredibly affordable, so it won't break the bank.

Using a mix of yoga, herbal remedies, bodywork, and nutritional therapy, Sunita helps clients through everything from back pain to skin conditions and hormonal issues. It's no wonder she's well-versed in a variety of modalities, as she grew up helping out at her family business, Maitri, a natural food store and holistic health center in South London. Nowadays, she's the clinical director there, where in addition to practicing a variety of holistic therapies, she mixes her own custom herbal remedies for clients.

Trained in yoga, neuroscience, psychotherapy, and medical physiology, Heather is about as expert a yoga therapist as you can find. In fact, she founded The Minded Institute in London, which uses Mason's scientific research in neuroscience to teach yoga practitioners, doctors, nurses, therapist, clinicians, etc., how to integrate yoga therapy into their practice. When she's not steeped in research and running workshops for the Minded Institute, Heather does take on private clients and can help with anything from anxiety and mental health issues to back pain and chronic disease. She recommends a minimum of six sessions, which include a general consultation followed by weekly visits which involve a mix of yoga, mindfulness and general lifestyle management according to each client’s needs. Her practice focuses on providing some immediate relief to a variety of ailments, but is also aimed at creating what she calls neurological resilience, meaning that patients learn strategies to manage their ailments on their own, while re-training their brain at the same time.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Gabriela Peacock took an interest in nutrition as a model and now helps clients achieve their model ambitions through nutrition. Beyond prescribing eating plans, Peacock places a strong emphasis on testing for intolerance and hormonal imbalance, to find the root causes of many issues. It helps that's she's based at the Grace in Belgravia, with just about every lab and specialist available at her fingertips.

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.

Founded over fifteen years ago by nutritionists Ian Marber and Vicki Edgson, the Food Doctor is to this day an excellent first port of call when it comes to nutrition. All of the practitioners here provide solid nutritional advice, whether you're looking to shed a few pounds or cope with illnesses such as diabetes. You'll leave your first appointment armed with easy-to-follow worksheets, charts, and suggestions for meal plans.

Amelia Freer is a strictly science-based nutritional therapist with a huge demand in London, not to mention two bestselling books under her belt. She's a steadfast researcher, and she won't tout a superfood or a strategy until it's proven to work, which is probably why she has a long list of devotees. There's also the fact she's a great cook, and she won't just reteach you how to eat but will recommend doable and delicious recipes (see our story with her, here) that won't make you feel like you're missing out. Though she's not currently taking clients, her two books—Eat. Nourish. Glow. and Cook. Nourish. Glow.—are a great start and offer her sensible, user-friendly approach to nutrition. Photo: Candida Boddington

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.

Quite possibly the most qualified professional in acupuncture we've ever come across, Dr. Tran is trained in both eastern and western medicine, Qigong and even bone-setting. What this means is that he's an incredibly thorough, no-nonsense doctor who can treat a huge variety of ailments from neck and back pain to digestive issues, muscle spasms, and more.

While Dr. Vara can treat just about any musculoskeletal injury, it's his abilities when it comes to pain management—everything from treating back pain to recurring headaches—that make him so popular. He's also great with (and qualified to treat) children. With two clinics in Sussex, he's a busy guy, but he does make it to his London clinic every Monday.

Fabi Waisbort's West End practice is a go-to for the London theatre crowd. Using a mix of osteopathy, acupuncture, and massage, Fabi and his team will cure just about any pain or ailment whether you're performing or not.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

COMO is the most quietly luxurious hotel group you’ve probably never heard of. It’s been around since 1991 with Zen-dedicated locations in Bali, Thailand, Bhutan, and more, and its forty-one-bedroom central London property is so discreet that until recently, we didn’t even know it was there. And that’s the idea. The exterior could be another sophisticated building common to the neighborhood, but stepping inside is like stepping into another world. Guest room doors and corridor walls are indistinguishable from one another, flowing in an undulating line of textured wood to mimic walking through a forest. The rooms are almost like sensory deprivation tanks—in the best way possible. Creamy walls, creamier carpets, white sheets, touches of earthy mahogany, and blackout curtains mean your bedroom is a place to rest, recharge, and maybe eat in. Room service at the Halkin is top-notch (and faster than any room service we’ve ever had). Sitting down to dinner wrapped up in soft hotel robes before tumbling into bed after a long day traipsing the city is how we like to vacation.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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.