OK, this isn’t strictly a neighbourhood guide per se, but how could our round-up of London’s best bakeries not be in your Top Ten? We shared some of our most frequented spots – from bakeries that moonlight as restaurants with ever-changing menus to grab-and-go establishments for daily loaves – and it went down a treat. After all, when it comes to bakeries, London really does have it all: somewhere to pick up a Filipino milk loaf in the morning, make a sandwich from gluten-free charcoal sourdough for lunch and have freshly-made salt beef sandwiches delivered to your door by dinner time.

Stoke ‘Stokey’ Newington and Newington Green share the north-west corner of Hackney, with a strong community spirit and a village-like feel – perhaps most evident around Stoke Newington’s Church Street and Newington Green itself – in part because they are not on the tube map (they are instead serviced by the Overground network). Even so, there’s plenty to do and see: wander around leafy Clissold Park or through the pleasantly wild Abney Cemetery (a private nature reserve with more than 2,500 varieties of plants), dine at independent restaurants Escocesa, Perilla or Rubedo, or browse the edits at stores Search and Rescue, Hub or Array. Oh, and don’t miss Newington Green Fruit and Vegetables, quite possibly the best greengrocer in London.

Over the past decade, Walthamstow – once in the county of Essex until it joined Greater London in the 1920s due to its suburban growth – has grown significantly, welcoming families and creative types who have found their money goes further here than in other popular east London neighbourhoods. We can sure see the allure: democratic and independent design is weaved into its history – from the Arts and Crafts of William Morris to the work of housing developer Sir Thomas Courtenay Warner in the 19th century – and still very much exists today. Our guide to the area includes the William Morris Gallery and Warner’s estate, but also Walthamstow Village, the beating heart of E17, and, of course, Walthamstow Wetlands, a nature reserve made up of 10 reservoirs.

If you weren’t a regular at your local grocer or deli before the pandemic, there’s a high chance you are now – shopping locally became even more important during lockdown. Many delis quickly adapted, expanded and quickly took their produce online, while grocers became more reliable than supermarket chains. London’s cultural diversity also makes for a rich tapestry of produce available all over the city: from north London’s Jewish and Turkish communities to the Korean population of New Malden, or the pocket of Vietnam in Hackney. It means that we have a veritable selection of authentic local food shops in which to find a range of ingredients.

When we visited Edinburgh earlier this year, we discovered its natural wine bars, independent shops and the best spots to pore over its grand Georgian buildings. The Scottish capital never fails to impress: Unesco World Heritage Site, an architectural masterpiece and cultural hub (lest we forget, it’s home to the world’s largest arts festival, the annual Edinburgh Fringe Festival) – it’s a city of many parts that together create a theatrical whole. Our tip? Stroll beyond the bagpipers on the Royal Mile and seek out contemporary art at Ingleby Gallery, as well as restaurants serving imaginative dishes made using seasonal produce, such as Fhior and Borough.

It seems that, even as international travel opened up, we’ve all fallen in love with the charms of a holiday at home. South Cornwall is rightfully known for its beautiful beaches – so much so, we could write a whole guide on the subject (our favourites include Prussia Cove, Porthleven Beach, Kynance Cove, to name a few). It faces the English Channel, meaning it’s the fairer counterpart to its rugged, Atlantic-bashed northern side. But what it lacks in surf schools and Barbara Hepworth, south Cornwall makes up for with a softer-sell of quiet coves, sailboats and coastal walks that end at idyllic pubs. There’s also David Gingell and Jeremy Cometto-Lingenheim’s fine diner Fitzoy, Dan Dan the Lobster Man serving – yes, you guessed it – freshly caught lobster (plus a variety of other seafood), and farm shop Tre, Pol & Pen, which sells the best goods grown and made in the county.

From the community-centric areas of Clapton and Stoke Newington to the vibrancy of Dalston and Hackney Wick, the many happenings of Shoreditch and Haggerston and Hoxton and the weekend hub of London Fields, there truly is something for everyone in Hackney. Naturally, there’s a lot going on here, but thankfully, our guide combs through it all to create an edit of the very best spots to frequent. Where to start? Visit Wilton Way for Violet Cakes, London Fields for the year-round lido, Broadway Market for Donlon Books and Fin and Flounder – just a handful of haunts that explain why Hackney is land of all that is happening.

Between them, this pair of south-east London suburbs have plenty of leafy parks, exceptional viewpoints due to their hilly landscapes and thriving high streets of independent shops and grocers – oh, and several traditional Victorian boozers. Our tour of the areas includes several walks perfect for crisp winter mornings and warm summer evenings alike, many good coffee spots and a retro cinema-cum-ballroom for disco dancing. Depending on where you are in the capital, they might be slightly tricky to get to, but what they lack in stops on the tube (instead, they run on either the Overground or National Rail), Brockley and Nunhead make up for in charm.

We love a local market and London has more than enough on offer. In all parts of the city, you can find local producers selling everything from sourdough to sausages, okra to oysters. Fresh, quality produce makes home cooking – and the weekly food shop – all the more enjoyable. Our most-frequented in the capital range from the iconic, such as Borough and Broadway markets, to more local spots like Walthamstow Farmers’ Market, Brockley Market and Queen’s Park Farmers’ Market, where regular attendees will know stall-holders on a first-name basis.

One of our most-loved aqueous delights in London is Regent’s Canal, part of London’s Grand Union Canal that snakes 14 delightful kilometres between Little Venice and Limehouse, where it meets the Thames. Whether venturing by bike or foot, it’s an almost unbeatable way to explore London – and, with sustaining snacks along the way, it can be easily managed in a day, too. Some of our favourite places to pit stop? Regent’s Park for a stroll around the rose gardens, De Beauvoir for a bite to eat at Towpath and Victoria Park Village for wine from Bottle Apostle, to subsequently sip on a sunny day in the park.