The Parlour at Fortnum and Mason

Tucked away on the first floor of London's haughtiest of epicurean institutions is a surprisingly playful little ice cream parlour. 'The Parlour at Fortnum and Mason' is a sherbert-dipped pastel playground for lovers of all things sweet. And never has a pudding purveyor catered so whole-heartedly to a grown-up palet. These are ice cream sundaes with Amadei dark chocolate, stem ginger, Borage honey and 12 year aged balsamic vinegar.

If chocolate floats your boat, try the Rota Plausti sundae. It comes with a little silver jug of melted chocolate on the side that you will remember forever, ruing most other confectionary expereinces. Oh, and before your trip, head to WAH nails for a Neapolitan themed manicure - this place deserves nothing less.

The Parlour at Fortnum and Mason 0845 602 5694

Tayyabs

Don’t waste Tayyabs on a date or meeting the in-laws. Go with old friends who can handle seeing you grabby, hot and going at a lamb chop bone like Fred Flintstone. The mixed grill at this Pakistani institution will sizzle its way into your hungry heart forever. There’s lamb chops, masala fish, koftas and chicken piled high on a Rihanna-hot platter. Each treat has been marinated and chargrilled to gnarly, smoky, punchy perfection.

Granted, the grills are the star of the show but leave space for the curries, dahls and breads. Sauces are rich, parathas are pillowy and warm and the dahls are nutty and fresh. And if that's not enough, it’s bring your own. What with the free corkage and the affordable prices you can come with a tenner in your pocket and leave satisfied.

And there’s another thing to love about Tayyabs. It is seriously nang. There’s multi coloured bubble walls, neon blue strip lighting and own-branded after dinner mints. Yeah.

Make sure you book. Really. There’s a queue every night. And when the guy with the clip board tells you it’s gonna be five minutes he means an hour. You need to book the day before and even after booking you may have to wait a while when you arrive. If you’re too hungry/angry for Alton Towers style queuing head round the corner to Lahore (Tayyabs style food minus the bling).

Tayyabs 0207 247 6400

WAH Nails

Like Desmonds for Kim Jones fans, WAH nails is a heavenly sanctum of chat, Nicki Minaj and massive talons. Sharmadean Reid's nail shops are current darlings of the media and growing fast. The empire was born in this slightly shabby space in Dalston, sandwiched between fried chicken shops and Poundlands.

If you can't afford a new pair of shoes but you're in need some swagger, head to WAH. Come and read some fancy magazines, do some fashion watching (between the staff and the customers at WAH you'll find a street style blogger's wet dream) and feast your eyes on nail colours you never knew existed.

Ms Reid's girls are trained each fashion season in the latest trends. Want nails daubed in some Prada banana print? Done. Want Missoni zig zags on the end of your fingers. All yours.

To find out more about Sharmadean Reid check out my interview with her on the lecool London blog.

WAH Nails 0207 812 9889

Albion at The Boundary

Albion calls itself a ‘caff’. Anywhere that has a website on which to call itself a ‘caff’ is clearly not a ‘caff’. Albion Café is, in fact, part of The Boundary Hotel - Terence Conran’s artsy East London project. The café is light and bright with shared tables (expect to overhear Mummy/ Daughter conversations on how to keep the nanny in check). There are painstakingly ‘down to earth’ touches like sauce pots on the tables and cutlery in Golden Syrup tins.

It is all achingly tasteful. That being said, the food at Albion is refreshingly simple and honest. The menu’s crammed with British classics like devilled kidneys, coronation chicken and sausage rolls. And you’ll get exactly what you ordered. Skirt and chips is just that. No side salad, no sauces, no deconstructions. Simple white plates arrive piled with generous portions of quality ingredients.

And the breads are off the scale. An open kitchen allows you to see the chefs and bakers busy at work. The pass is cluttered with freshly baked loaves and buns cooling on trays.

Mr Conran may have had a bit of neck air dropping a high end eatery into the heart of Tower Hamlets and calling it a caff. But once you’ve tasted the white bloomer you might just decide to let him off.

Albion 0207 729 1051