We spent the night at the Connaught. It shed its dusty image and got a complete makeover a couple of years back and is now one of the most appealing five-star hostelries in town. After indulging in a hearty, original English breakfast – what else? – we walk the few steps across to Burlington House, the home of the Royal Academy of Arts near Piccadilly Circus.

The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) contains some of the best galleries in London. The most important works in its permanent collection of British art can be found in the refurbished John Madejski Fine Rooms. The forecourt in front of the academy is well worth a visit in its own right, to say nothing of the changing exhibitions.

Art certainly whets the appetite. Luckily, the Wolseley is just around the corner and serves a wide range of dishes from breakfast to dinner. Lunch and dinner there are in the tradition of European coffee houses; in fact, this upmarket brasserie serves probably the best wiener schnitzel in the city.

London has an almost bewildering array of unusual shops. There’s always something new opening somewhere, then disappearing again – or popping up in another place with a different concept. The Kokon To Zai displays avant-garde fashions alongside pieces straight out of a Victorian chamber of horrors.

As we’re already in a browsing mood, we take in Portobello Market, too. Visitors to London’s most atmospheric market can look forward to happening upon anything from books to antiques, food, streetwear fashions and typically British bric-à-brac.

For dinner, we drive to the York & Albany, chef Gordon Ramsey’s elegant gastro pub between Regent’s Park and Camden Town, to claim our reserved table. The open show kitchen dishes up such delicacies as roast English veal with mangold, artichokes, lemon and capers, as well as fried cod, crustacean cassoulet and cherry tomato sauce.

Time is no object for those without a table reservation at the York & Albany, so this is a good opportunity to pay a visit to the Late Night Chameleon Café in Dalston. The name is deceptive: book ahead and you are welcome to browse for hours at the mini department store, which sells clothes, music, books and design.

After that, it’s time for a small bite to eat at the Brick Lane Beigel Bake. The main attractions at this 24/7 bakery with its trademark rough Cockney charm are the salt beef and the entertaining mix of patrons.

Time for a nightcap at Scott’s before heading back to the hotel? This high society restaurant and oyster bar is done out in grandiose Art Deco and serves reasonably priced cocktails and fantastic fish and chips.

Five million visitors pass through the doors of the British Museum each year to goggle its vast collection of antiquities, art and sculpture.

London’s most famous landmark is imbued with legend and superstition. Yeoman Warders offer free tours of its masterful architectural design, glittering royal jewel collection and spooky dungeons.

A roll call of riverside attractions line the south bank of the river Thames, starting with the London Eye, then snaking past the cultural complex of the Southbank Centre and the British Film Institute, before ending at the Tate Modern at the foot of the Millennium Bridge.

Come face to face with London’s princes, politicians, scientists and celebrities at this wonderfully intimate gallery.

London’s historic library hosts excellent exhibitions and events and is the repository of rare and wonderful manuscripts including a 15th-century Gutenberg Bible, Shakespeare’s First Folio and the Beatles’ earliest handwritten lyrics.

Part of the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Observatory overlooks Greenwich Park. Down its centre, the Prime Meridian cleaves the world in two while the state-of-the-art Peter Harrison Planetarium projects far-off galaxies onto its rounded roof.

Henry VIII confiscated Hyde Park from the Church in 1536 to use as his personal hunting ground. Since then it’s served Londoners well for duels, executions, horse races and picnics. It’s separated from Kensington Gardens by the Serpentine, which you can paddle along.

Housed in the belly of an old power station is London’s most sexy (and popular) contemporary art gallery with a collection of some 60,000 works of art on constant rotation.

Christopher Wren’s mighty white dome still defines the London skyline. Climb its 528 steps for one of the best 360-degree views of the city.

Escape to London’s tropical hothouse, the 700-glass-panel Palm House in Kew Gardens. Aside from an aerial walkway there’s a palace and 121 hectares (300 acres) of garden to explore.

Thoughtful and innovative theatre is performed in this iconic complex on the South Bank.

Home of the Proms and London’s most famous classical music venue.

Everyone from the Sex Pistols to Madonna has played at this legendary live music venue.

Enjoy opera and picnic in the park at this quintessential English event.

Great gigs and brilliant performances of anything from comedy to circus acts.

Heston Blumenthal runs five restaurants with a total of six Michelin stars. A pioneer of molecular cuisine, he regards dining as a multisensory affair, a feast for eyes, nose and ears, so to speak. At this eatery close to Hyde Park, the special style of food preparation and presentation, flavor and feel are mutually complementary and make for an unforgettable culinary experience. A table reservation is an absolute must.

London’s finest fish and chips are served up by celebrity chef Mark Hix’s whose eponymous restaurant is kitted out with contemporary British artworks.

Discover London’s culinary heritage with St John’s signature bone-marrow salad.

See how Londoners ate before the city gentrified at this classic Pie & Mash palace.

Join the queue at this Punjabi restaurant to sample London’s finest masala and kebabs.

“What brought you here today?” Only the victims of a (fictitious) crime are shown into the backroom sanctum of the private detective’s office, where mini burgers and classic cocktails are served, while their case is discussed at length. This place is an absolute must for crime fiction aficionados and Sherlock Holmes fans.

A bright pink neon arrow points the way down to this tiny bar, occupying what used to be public conveniences. At this ‘90s version of a speakeasy, open every night, guests can sip cocktails with fanciful names like “ Never trust a flamingo ” and take a pinch of snuff as they sit back and enjoy live music and burlesque acts on stage.

In London’s most exclusive speakeasy, there’s a female ’20s-style Boy George lookalike barkeeper who mixes tinctures from small bottles to create titivating cocktails. Take the Saint-Germain-des-Prés, for instance, incredibly hot and yet with a refreshing cucumber taste. Be warned, though: A little persuasion is required to get past the rather severe lady on the door.

Comparatively easy to locate, this bar modeled on the British gin palaces of yore has a beguiling menu of exquisite spirits and original drinks – including a rum cocktail spiked with absinthe. Cozy: the library setting.

The living room among speakeasies. Tucked away behind a door plastered with comics in the hotel lobby, this plushy red, zanily decorated railway compartment of a bar attracts a classy style of patron (suits and little dresses). But looks can be deceptive, and they certainly know how to party here! Definitely book ahead!