DAYS OUTThere's more to the city's galleries and museums than just the Tate and the V&A. It would be hard to beat London for quirky, odd and offbeat collections.
In south London the eclectic Horniman Museum (www.horniman.ac.uk; 00-44-20-86991872) offers everything from a stuffed polar bear and Yoruba masks to electric guitars and the oldest aquarium in London.
Boys of a certain age will love Britain's oldest operating theatre (www.thegarret.org.uk; 00-44-20-71882679), a gloriously poky attic full of gruesome surgical instruments and signs saying: "Please touch me."
Sir John Soane was one of the 18th century's great collectors; his house in Lincoln's Inn Fields (www.soane.org; 00-44-20-74404263) is home to Hogarth's A Rake's Progress, a 3,000-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus and sundry other interesting bits. On the first Thursday of every month, more than 80 of east London's galleries open until 9pm and offer everything from a glass of wine to bus tours to impromptu pillow fights (www.firstthursdays.co.uk). At the inaugural First Thursday, those who turned up at Hauser & Wirth Coppermill were treated to an 18-piece orchestra and a film of a very large penis courtesy of Turner Prize-winner Martin Creed. London Lates is a year-round programme of after-hours culture; check www.lates.org to see what's coming up.
FOOD
It's a good time to make a foodie odyssey to London. Everyone's talking about St Alban (www.stalban.net; 00-44-20-74998558), the latest opening from Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, formerly of the Ivy; think rabbit stew, stuffed quail and paintings by Michael Craig-Martin.
The other hot spot is on Mount Street, a fish restaurant since 1851, which has just had a very fine brush-up courtesy of the Ivy's new owners (000-44-20-74957309). The brilliant Borough Market is now crowded beyond the point of pleasure; instead pick up some pigeon, oysters or porter cake at Nigel Slater's favourite farmers' market, in the car park behind Marylebone High Street (www.lfm.org.uk/mary.asp). If you're out and about in central London, look for branches of the award-winning Leon (www.leon restaurants.co.uk), where fast food means lemon-marinated chicken with salsa verde or mackerel couscous salad.
ON FOOT
If you've splurged all your cash or just need some time out, take a meander along the banks of Grand Union and Regent's Canal. Start with the beautiful barges and willow trees of Little Venice, in Maida Vale, and follow the towpath east. It'll take you right under the Snowdon aviary at London Zoo, with the tapirs and wolves to your right, past some extraordinarily large mansions and a large Chinese junk, then up to wildlife of a different sort at Camden Lock.
If it's Sunday, slip off the canal at Princess Road and head to the Engineer pub in Primrose Hill (www.the-engineer.com; 00-44-20-77220950) for a slap-up lunch.
SHOPPING
You could easily spend a whole day in Selfridges (www.selfridges.com), which now offers botox as well as oysters, Chloé handbags and Gieves & Hawkes suits. If that's a bit overwhelming, head to Liberty (www.liberty.co.uk) on Great Marlborough Street for a more boutique collection of labels for men and women in beautiful wood-panelled surroundings; you can also pick up leather notebooks and silver swimsuits embossed with the famous Liberty print.
Dover Street Market, in Mayfair, is an edgier experience: Comme des Garçons, Martin Margiela, art by Duggie Fields, books and hand-painted Fred Perry shirts all under one roof (www.doverstreetmarket.com).
Topshop/Topman's flagship store in Oxford Circus is a Mecca for all things cheap and Moss-tastic. While you're there, slip down the road to newly opened Cos on Regent Street (www.cosstores.com); it's H&M's upmarket range and a treasure trove for great-shaped pieces in interesting colours.
Of the markets, Portobello Road, on a Friday, is a great source of vintage frocks, Columbia Road on a Sunday will supply armfuls of lilies for a few pounds, and Golborne Road is good for quirky knick-knacks.
HOT TICKETS
In his role as artistic director of the Old Vic, Kevin Spacey has just unveiled a stellar 2007-2008 programme, including a stage adaptation of Almodovar's All About My Mother; a new version of Cinderellawritten by Stephen Fry and productions of Hamletand The Tempestdirected by Sam "American Beauty" Mendes (www.oldvictheatre.com or 00-44-870-0606628). Tolkien fans will be keen to check out the stage version of The Lord of the Rings, which has just opened at the Theatre Royal (www.lotr.com or 00-44-870-8906002); expect orcs in the aisles and dark riders on stilts. Elling, starring Life on Mars's John Simm, was this year's unexpected hot ticket in London, selling out the tiny Bush Theatre in days. A very funny tale of life outside the asylum, it's in the West End until October 6th (www.the ambassadors.com/trafalgarstudios or 00-44-870-0606632).
VIEWS, BOOZE AND A CRUISE
Since 2000 the 135m-high London Eye (www.londoneye.com) has been the first port of call for a bird's-eye view of London. If it's booked up head to Monument (00-44-20-76262717), built on the site where the Great Fire of London started, and climb 311 steps for 360-degree views. What Guinness is to Dublin, Fuller's London Pride is to London; it's the only real ale still brewed in London since the Young's brewery moved last year. Alternatively, blag your way into Wills and Harry's favourite nightclub, Mahiki on Dover Street, and order the £100 treasure chest cocktail, served in a wooden chest with eight straws. London looks great from the river, but rather than shell out for an organised tour, avail of the Damien Hirst- spotted boat service connecting Tate Modern in Southwark with Tate Britain in Pimlico. At £4 it's a snip, and you can hop on and off as you like (www.tate.org.uk/tatetotate or 00-44-20-78878888).