La flâneuse in... London

Last month I spent three beautiful days in London with a friend. The sun was shining and the city was bustling - time went by too quickly. Can't wait to go back...

Discover/ Up-and-coming Shoreditch is my favourite neighbourhood. Start the day with a coffee and croissant at Fix Coffee. Check out the shops at pop-up mall Boxpark. Have lunch at Albion. Try on the beautiful clothing at The Goodhood Store. Take home some timeless, functional products for home, kitchen and garden from Labour and Wait.

Drink/ A perfect cup of coffee at Soho Grind or Shoreditch Grind. The cute baristas make a mean cup of coffee from their house blend. The Soho branch has a cool basement where they serve cocktails at night - the Espresso Martini is pretty good. 

Visit/ The Victoria and Albert Museum. It was my first visit to the V&A and I was impressed. The exhibitions were well-presented, the gift shops had a nice variety of items and the free tours make it possible to discover every nook and cranny of the vast museum.

Eat/ The best burgers and fries at Byron Burger - I went to the restaurant in Fulham, but you can find their hamburger joints all over town. Another favourite is Comptoir Libanais. Eating on the go? Visit Borough Market and buy something tasty at one of the food trucks. Didn't get there this time, but Ottolenghi and Wahaca are on the list for my next visit - I get rave reviews from friends.

Buy/ Beautiful artbooks and fashion magazines at Artwords Bookshop. I bought the biography of Vivienne Westwood and a copy of So It Goes magazine. The big department stores (my favourites are Liberty and Selfridges) are good hunting ground for unique gifts, beauty products and - this time of the year - Christmas knick knacks.

Stay/ This time round I stayed at a friend's place, but for my next visit I want to book a room at the ACE hotel in Shoreditch. The boutique hotel has beautiful rooms, a juice bar and a modernist brasserie. One can happily stay in the building for days...