Small, cozy Italian resto has a quirky Notting Hill dining room. Getting a table can be a nightmare but persevere. It’s worth it for the authentic cooking and lively service.

Photo: Courtesy of Assaggi

A basic menu of superb-quality seafood draws a crowd of actors and foodies to this discreet restaurant on a cobbled back street. Early and late seating make it perfect for pre- and posttheatre dinners, while the adjoining oyster bar is an original spot for a first date.

Photo: Courtesy of J Sheekey

Chef Angela Hartnett serves up modern European dishes in the restaurant of this North London boutique hotel owned by Gordon Ramsay. There are also a bar and deli, where you can find a range of posh cheeses and cured meats to take away.

Photo: Courtesy of York & Albany

Take a cultural break from shopping at the 70,000-square-foot gallery (one of the larger in the world) tucked behind the King’s Road.

Photo:  Courtesy of The Saatchi Gallery

Better make some good friends: this members’ only club set in a brick warehouse has a large bar with several fat sofas. The main restaurant serves salads, grills and wood-oven pizzas on long tables. To tempt you further: a spa, bowling lanes and a rooftop swimming pool.

Photo: Courtesy of Shoreditch House