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A café led by the seasons, Kew’s hidden fungi + 3 more London finds
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A café led by the seasons, Kew’s hidden fungi + 3 more London finds
Five London stories worth your time: seasonal food, hidden fungi, changing parks, bold founders and independent art.
Rudy Bay

Rudy Bay

Oct 5, 2026

London, thoughtfully chosen

London rewards curiosity — but there is far more worth noticing than any of us has time to find.

 

So each week, London Favourites will do some of the choosing: places, people, ideas and experiences genuinely worth knowing about.

 

For Issue 1: a seasonal Islington café, Kew’s hidden fungi collection, how the Royal Parks are adapting to a changing climate, two London founders reshaping period care, and an art fair putting artists first.

 

Five stories. One test: would we be glad someone told us?

This week’s favourites

Clementine is the new 20-cover Islington café from Anna Higham, founder of Quince Bakery, bringing its seasonal British approach into a sit-down space for breakfast, elevenses and lunch.

 

Think porridge, tattie scones, Scotch pancakes, toasties, pies and excellent coffee — in a space shaped by Shaker and Arts and Crafts influences.

 

Thoughtful without being worthy, distinctive without being exclusive — and easy to imagine becoming a neighbourhood favourite.


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For the first time, Kew’s Fungarium is opening its doors to the public through limited behind-the-scenes tours.

 

Its collection of more than 1.25 million dried fungal specimens supports research into new species, climate change, plant relationships and medicine.

 

It is a wonderfully unexpected side of one of London’s best-known gardens — especially if your idea of a good day out includes learning something you had no idea you wanted to know.


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The Royal Parks has launched a five-year horticultural vision to prepare London’s eight Royal Parks for hotter summers, wetter winters and more extreme weather.

 

The plan includes more diverse planting, more careful use of water and resources, support for wildlife and protection of the parks’ historic character.

 

The interesting part is how quietly this change may appear: a different border or planting scheme can be part of a much larger adaptation strategy.


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Here We Flo began with friends Tara Chandra and Susan Allen talking in an LSE bathroom about the lack of organic period products.

 

Since launching in 2017, the company has grown into a £10.6 million brand spanning period care, sensitive bladder products and sexual wellness.

 

What makes it interesting is the combination of irreverent branding, commercial scale and a social mission built into the business model.


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Fair Play Art Fair launches at One Marylebone from 15 to 18 October with around 70 independent artists selected for their work rather than their ability to pay for exhibition space.

 

Visitors can meet artists and buy directly from them, alongside live performance, music, food, drink and late-night programming.

 

For anyone interested in contemporary art but less interested in the ceremony around it, this feels like a promising addition to Frieze Week.


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Know something worth knowing?

London is too big for one person to know it all.

 

If you know a place, person, idea, business or experience you think deserves a closer look, reply and tell me about it.

 

Until next week,
Rudy Bay
London Favourites

London Favourites

© 2026 London Favourites.

London Favourites is your shortcut to the good stuff — brilliant places, great food, interesting people, fresh ideas and experiences actually worth your time. Thoughtfully picked to help you discover more, choose more consciously, and enjoy London in a way that feels more exciting, more you.

© 2026 London Favourites.