For many bleary-eyes travellers, the journey between Heathrow and central London is an anonymous journey on the Piccadilly Line. However for the more adventurous (or more wide-awake) traveller, the suburbs between the airport and the centre of town holds a few treasures.

One of my recent discoveries is the magnificent Osterley House and Park. If you’re an aspiring stately home owner like me, a few hours exploring the neo-classical rooms or wandering through the gardens will make you feel like the lord or lady of the manor.

Exploring Osterley House itself is like stepping into a Jane Austen novel. In its heyday, the house was mainly used for entertaining and impressing guests. The ornate furnishings, rich tapestries and detailed references to Classical architecture all add to the home’s personality. And if cinematic rumours prove true, then Osterley House will be standing in as ‘Wayne Manor’ in the next ‘Batman’ film.

Although there is an admission fee to see the home and garden, walking around the grounds is free. Plus the stables have been converted to a neat cafe – ideal for a lazy brunch.  For gentle spring afternoons and upcoming summer mornings, I can think of few better ways than strolling around the lakes, listening to birdsong and enjoying the splendour of Osterley Park.

German cuisine in London is not as well-known as other countries’ cuisines.  Every Londoner seems to have a favourite Indian curry house or Australian coffee shop, but how many have a favourite German cafe? After sampling the goodies at Bakehaus, many Londoners will be sure to return.

Located on the busy high street in Hammersmith, Bakehaus stands out among the bland poundshops and discount chains.  Its freshly baked offerings go beyond the German stereotype of humble pretzels.  For fans of sweet baked goods, try the yeast crowns – a light but sweet baked roll.  The butternut crest pastry with hazelnut filling is also an option for those who want something a bit more indulgent.  Try to get there early when the baked goods are fresh from the oven; the smells of all of the breads is intoxicating!

If your tummy is looking for something more filling, Bakehaus serves many salads and sandwiches.  There aren’t the usual packaged sandwiches here.  German dark rye bread smeared in a tangy ramoulade sauce gently hug the German meat, cheese and pickle fillings.

If you simply cannot do without pretzels and bratwurst, well they are here too.  For the amount of food you’ll get, the prices are very reasonable, which makes for a return visit quite obvious.  Wunderbar!

Situated on Chiswick High Road (and just a couple minutes from the pizzeria Franco Manca), the Old Cinema is an unexpected treat amongst the coffee shops and chain restaurants. From the outside, it looks like an old-fashioned cinema that may have once showed silent films (in fact, the building was once a picture palace dating back over 100 years). Instead of cinema seating and the smell of buttery popcorn, this quirky department store holds a collection of retro furniture and vintage gifts to please the designer in each of us.

Wandering around the Old Cinema is like walking around the backset of a Hollywood movie studio. Rather than decorate rooms with the precision of an IKEA room display, the store groups items loosely in the showrooms and allows customers to explore the treasures individually. The Old Cinema sources items from all time periods and from a large number of countries, so a clock that looks like it might come from a 50s roadside American diner can sit above a delicate Edwardian writing desk.

Recently, the popular BBC programme ‘The Apprentice‘ filmed here as part of a task.  Perhaps even Lord Sugar is a fan of the shop?

Although I cannot afford most items here, I enjoy imagining how I would decorate my own flat if I ever won the lottery. I have my eye on old signs from the London Underground; I just need to buy a place big enough to fit them in!

To enjoy top quality pizza, I find that one needs to look beyond the pizza chains and all-you-can-eat buffets that litter central London. And don’t even get me started on those places that display overpriced stale pizzas with rubbery cheese under the heating lamps – it’s a pizza travesty!

When I have a pizza craving, I hop on the London Underground and travel to the west London neighbourhood of Chiswick. Making a 40-minute journey solely for a pizza may sound extreme to some, but once you experience the sourdough pizzas of Franco Manca, you’ll make the journey as well.

What makes the pizza so tasty is the focus on quality ingredients. While other pizzerias may smother their pizzas’ crusts with a mountain of ingredients, Franco Manca has enough confidence to gives its soft sourdough crust the starring role. The mozzarella and ham toppings are all locally sourced, and they never overwhelm each other – each bite is a perfect harmony of Italian flavours.

An added bonus to any visit to Franco Manca is the price. Pizzas start at only £ 4.50 – less than half of what you would pay at most of the pizza chain restaurants. It’s quite possible to have a pizza, a glass of wine and an espresso without breaking a ten pound note. 

There are also branches of Franco Manca in Brixton Market and in the new Westfield Shopping Centre in Stratford, but this will always be my local (albeit a 40 minute journey).

Convenient is the best word to describe the Alexandra Pub or the Alex as referred to by the locals. This is primarily due to its location in Clapham, the converging point for young professionals coming from within the vicinity or beyond. It is easily reached by the Underground on the Northern Line and cannot be missed as soon as you come out from Clapham Common tube station.

It is also convenient in the sense that you need not worry about what you wear. The Alex offers a laid back atmosphere where you can meet up with friends either after work or during the lazy weekends. It is also a great place to go to watch a major sporting event like football or rugby.

The Alex has two floors of seating (and at times standing) area and each floor has a bar making it convenient to order more beer, ales and cider. The interior is a typical pub scene with plenty of memorabilia items on the walls and unused corners. The upper floor has recently undergone some refurbishment to better suit private parties and large groups.