The Wheatsheaf hotel and pub in Virginia Water is set in an ideal location as it is right by Virginia Water Lake and Windsor Great Park. It is cosy with its open fireplaces and it has a large beer garden at the back. The inn welcomes families for dining and staying. Traditional, freshly cooked English food and light bites are available.
For a bit of history, King George III and Queen Charlotte are known to have stayed at the inn in the early 1800s.

www.chefandbrewer.com/pub/wheatsheaf-hotel-virginia-water/c4306/
London Road, Virginia Water, Surrey GU25 4QF
+44(0)1344 842057
Google map: bit.ly/RPdXMJ

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The Dock is a newly-opened restaurant in Docklands, just a short walk from Canary Wharf. It's a bit off the beaten track but a real hidden gem. It serves delicious seafood - I had the scallops with bacon, and tried some of my friend's calamari. It was really good! I was tempted by the steak but in the end opted for the fish and chips which were great. The batter was light and crispy and the chips nice and chunky. The food is top-class but there's nothing stuffy about it - it's very relaxed and the owner and staff are very friendly. It's great value too. I am looking forward to my next visit to try something more adventurous. I would really recommend it as a place for lunch, or for meeting friends after work.

www.thedockseafoodrestaurant.com
2 Mastmaker Road, London E14 9AW
+44(0)20 7515 4334
Google map: bit.ly/RNgJlC

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This transformed warehouse is a hidden haven for anyone trying to avoid the obvious crowds in Dalston. They serve hearty British food, sourced locally, seasonal and fresh. The eating area is warm, friendly and relaxed, and the kitchen in plain view, which is always a good sign when they have nothing to hide! A perfect place to come for a quiet read or to go with friends for a sensibly priced dinner. It also hosts exhibitions and live music events.

therusset.wordpress.com/hackney-downs-studios/
Downs House, 11 Amhurst Terrace, London E8 2BT
+44(0)20 3095 9731
Google map: bit.ly/SD1e0K

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For those who want everything a classic French Cafe/Bistro has to offer, including atmosphere, Tour de France cyclists in full gear (on a Sunday morning anyway) and right at the base of South London's Eiffel Tower (i.e. The Crystal Palace Communications Antenna), look no further than the complelely brilliant Cafe St Germain. The menu is authentic too, and you can light up your Gauloise on the terrace whilst watching Gay Palace stroll by.

Cafe St Germain, 16-17 Crystal Palace Parade, London, SE19 1UD, 020 8670 3670
www.cafestgermain.com/
Google map: bit.ly/zOyfqP

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I recommend Brula as an authentic and exquisite French Bistro experience in St Margarets, south west London. It has an amazing interior with stained glass windows and original block wood flooring. A delicious seasonal menu of traditional French classics with a twist keeps things fresh. If you're with a group I'd book the private dining room upstairs. I had a great evening with all the family on the eve of my wedding as they do a superb set menu and on a warm summers evening with the sash windows flung wide open, candles lit and champagne flowing. Magnifique!

www.brula.co.uk/
43 Crown Road St Margarets TW1 3EJ
+44(0)20 8892 0602
Google map: bit.ly/yWqthe

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Great restaurant, really delicious food, easy going atmosphere.
Italian food, small plates to share (two per person was recommended by the waiter and is right).

6 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7NA
+44(0)20 7836 8448
Google map: bit.ly/xz54yz

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So many visitors in the crushing crowds inching down Portobello Road completely miss the wonderful antique stalls in the rambling arcades. So go early - 8 o'clock on a Saturday morning - and enjoy the opportunity to talk unhurriedly to experts in their trade, then buy some beautiful, unusual presents for your friends or yourself. At 10 o'clock have coffee and freshly baked cakes at 'Books for Cooks' and leave the Road to the growing throng.

Portobello Road, Notting Hill, W11 www.portobelloroad.co.uk/
Google map: bit.ly/GYCQzz

Books for Cooks:
www.booksforcooks.com
4 Blenheim Crescent, Notting Hill, W11 1NN
+44(0)20 7221 1992
Google map: bit.ly/Hi7DVH

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FM mangal is a really friendly and welcoming Turkish restaurant, kebab joint and take-away venue nestling in the heart of Camberwell's resto-street.
I enjoyed a great late Sunday lunch (after a strenuous pingpong championships on Camberwell Green!) with two friends and we sat up in the high gallery and treated ourselves to cool, refreshing, post-pingpong pints of Efes beer.
'Mangal' is, apparently, 'grill' in Turkish and the 'FM' refers to the initials of the head chef, who prepared a delicious aubergine and minced lamb dish, complete with a vast range of salad selections.
Not being a cheapskate, but what really won us over was the hospitality and all the complimentary items!
While we were perusing the menu, the friendly waitress brought us some amazing, smoky barbecue-flavoured flat bread and fresh, sweet lilac onions marinaded in a divine balsamic vinegar mix. After the meal, we were presented with slices of pineapple - although, strangely, no plates or cutlery to devour it with!
Finally, we were offered tiny shot glasses filled with a selection of three liqueurs: banana, coffee and tangy cherry.
What a great way to round off a great afternoon!

54 Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8QZ
+44 207 701 6677
Getting there: buses 12, 36, 171, 345, 436 to Camberwell Green
Google map: bit.ly/oSDdwX

* Lucy is our Been there local for London. You can read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/london-local-lucy-mallows.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/LucyRM.jsp

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Elephant offers authentic Pakistani street food in a modest setting in the uber-cool Brixton Village market. Meat curries, naan breads, daals, salads, rice dishes and divine samosas are served up by owner Imran Bashir using his mum's secret spice concoctions and the price is very reasonable.

55 Granville Arcade, Coldharbour Lane, Brixton Village, London SW9 8PS
+44 7590 389684
www.elephantcafe.co.uk
Google map: bit.ly/mQpVAk

* Lucy is our Been there local for London. You can read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/london-local-lucy-mallows.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/LucyRM.jsp

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The Crooked Well opened recently in Camberwell as the brainchild of some serious foodies who love British cuisine but the inventive and inspired menu also incorporates elements of the Mediterranean and tastes of sunshine. The venue is just beautiful, with gorgeous blue tiles behind the bar, giving the ambience of a Portuguese bar - more Coimbra than Camberwell! - and indeed, there are several bottles of excellent port to accompany the dishes or to sip while the sun goes down.

thecrookedwell.com
16 Grove Lane, Camberwell, London SE5 8SY
+44 207 252 7798
Google map: bit.ly/q4oKka

* Lucy is our Been there local for London. You can read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/london-local-lucy-mallows.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/LucyRM.jsp

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The Flask is a pub in Hampstead which was built in 1874 on the site of the Thatched House, which used to bottle spring water and sell it to taverns and coffee shops in London.
A beautiful Victorian gem, after you've had a blustery weekend walk from Highgate over Hampstead Heath, this is definitely the place you want to go to. The food is top notch, you can get a venison burger there if you so wish, and with a range of ales on tap and a warm dark wood interior that has plenty of little corners in to sit this is the place to go to warm up and relax.

www.theflaskhampstead.co.uk
14 Flask Walk, Hampstead, London, NW3 1HE
+44(0)20 7435 4580
Google map: bit.ly/nqf7x2

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Pasha claims to be London's only Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan restaurant, hiding at the back of an exterior that seems straight out of a scene from Borat.
Pasha also hosts a hotel and a sauna and hammam (Turkish steam bath) on the premises. Quite an unusual venue and a great, if somewhat wacky, night out.

www.hotelpasha.com
158 Camberwell Road, SE5 0EE
+44 207 277 2228
Buses 12, 171 to Camberwell Road
Google map: bit.ly/nWrFaj

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Johanssons looks like a tiny deli and sandwich bar from the front but behind it stretches out into a Tardis of wonderfulness. There is a small bistro behind with a lovely garden where you can enjoy a quality bottle of plonk and some olives. The Mediterranean/Swedish menu has sea bass, wild boar, home-cured salmon and scrummy pork belly plus there are plenty of veggie options.

2 Grove Lane, Camberwell, SE5 8SY
+44 207 701 4944
Buses 12, 36, 171, 436 to Camberwell Green
Google map: bit.ly/p0Vmh0

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After swimming lengths, I'm always famished.
Actually, I need no excuse to pop into the Brockwell Park's Lido Cafe, swim or no swim, I'll be there enjoying a cup of coffee or a hot chocolate. The menu is extensive and inspired with smaller portions for kids, and food served throughout the day. When the outdoor pool is open, there's even a little hut where swimmers and 'sunbathers' (ha!) can get snacks.
Special events include live jazz and flamenco evenings and five-course supper parties.
Art Deco fans can also admire the interior, when not gazing at all the beautiful bodies by the pool. Dream on!

www.thelidocafe.co.uk/
Dulwich Road, Brockwell Lido, London, SE24 0PA
+44(0)20 7737 8183
Google map: bit.ly/nnf7Ex

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When I'm feeling flush, I like to treat myself to a dinner on the eighth floor of the OXO Tower and marvel at the views of the city from the huge summer terrace - summer weather permitting!
The British-Asian fusion cuisine is pretty tasty too.

www.harveynichols.com/oxo-tower-london
OXO Tower Wharf, Barge House Street, London SE1 9PH
+44 207 803 3888
Google map: bit.ly/pc6Yst
Nearest tube: Waterloo, buses 171, 176

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Located in Brixton Village market, the Brick Box is more than just a cafe, it's a meeting place for artists and dreamers, the creative folk of Brixton town. As the website proclaims: 'art, love & magic in the heart of South London'. It's a fun, chilled place to hang out with the arty crew.

The Brick Box
Brixton Village market, London SW9 8PS
brickbox.terapad.com
Open Tue-Wed 10.30-18.00, Thur-Sat 10.30-22.00, Sun 10.30-17.00
Nearest tube: Victoria line to Brixton, buses 3, 35, 133, 159
Google map: bit.ly/nkW5Dn

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Amazing sourdough bread that you can buy to take away or toast there and then in the huge Dualit toasters on tables outside the little venue. Lots of fantastic loaves, cakes and sausage rolls. Yum.

88 Brixton Village Market, Atlantic Road, London SW9 8PS
+44(0)7717 642 812
www.breadsetceterabakery.com
Nearest tube: Victoria Line to Brixton, buses 3, 35 133, 159
Google map: bit.ly/nkW5Dn

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Come early (especially at weekends) to get a seat at one of south London's best Thai cafes.
Located at the open Coldharbour Lane end, the bistro spills out into the sunshine and can stay open after the market traders have long since shut up shop and gone home. Great Thai flavours.

1 Granville Arcade, Brixton Village, London SW9 8PR
+44 207 095 8922
Nearest tube: Victoria line to Brixton, buses 3, 35, 133, 159
Google map: bit.ly/nkW5Dn

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Granville Arcade, the covered part of Brixton's amazing market, used to be a forgotten, dowdy spinster aunt of the younger, more vibrant Electric Avenue section. That all changed a few years ago and now you can't move on a Saturday morning without tripping over yet another new cafe, restaurant or retro clothing stall, jostling for space with the remaining grocers, fishmongers and haberdashers.
La Cabaña is a modest Colombian-Venezuelan eaterie near the Coldharbour Lane entrance. Snacks sell for £3, main dishes for £8-13 and there's a huge selection of interesting fruit juices; lulo, guanabana and the unusual Pony Malta.

1 Granville Arcade, Brixton Village, London SW9 8PR
+44 207 924 0992
Open Sun-Wed 09.00-18.00, Thur-Sat 09.00-21.00
Nearest tube; Victoria Line to Brixton, buses 3, 35, 133, 159
Google map: bit.ly/nkW5Dn

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Located in one of the arches under the railway line, Secondo is a delightful cafe and second hand clothing emporium. The arch is crammed with all manner of retro clothing, furnishings, there's even a caravan and a dinky bubble car! The menu is great and customers can request bigger portions if required to give strength to sort through the vast selection of vintage and retro clothing. A DJ plays music from the 1950s and 1980s in the caravan on Friday and Saturday evenings. Great idea, great place.

www.secondouk.com
642 Voltaire Road, Clapham SW4 6DH
+44 7525 026 962
Northern Line tube to Clapham North
Google map: bit.ly/nXuugB

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