Dance, perform, party in Hackney Wick

One of my favourite venues in London is The Yard Theatre. Taking up one corner of the courtyard that is also the home of Crate Brewery and a short walk from another important nightclub, Bloc, the Yard has managed to carve a niche as a lighthearted venue that programmes interesting contemporary dance and theatre, as well as some of the best underground nights in the city, from migrant solidarity techno night Free Movement of People to queer dance party Knickerbocker. The theatre space is intimate, while the dominating feature of the bar/club space is the bulging underside of the theatre’s seating. The Yard also has a sheltered outdoor space of its own, making it great for summer partying in London.
• theyardtheatre.co.uk

Support London’s DIY scene, Deptford

If there’s a single venue in the capital that demonstrates the power of collective creation then it has to be DIY Space for London. The arts and social space in Deptford opened in 2015 after three years of fundraising and it now runs a programme of gigs, screenings, talks and performances, as well as being home to Tome Records, which has a distractingly good selection of vinyl, as well as tapes and zines. One of its best (and most ambitious) events is First Timers, which calls on people who may have never played an instrument before to form a band, with a focus on diversity and encouraging those who usually don’t get on stage to do so. Check out the much-anticipated 2017 edition (7 May), not least for the inspiring band names. Anyone is welcome to show up but DIY Space is a members-only venue (it’s only £2 a year). Joining involves agreeing to its accountability agreement, which lays out guidelines to ensure the venue is welcoming for everyone. The results are palpable: a relaxed-but-electric atmosphere, where you feel comfortable to share ideas, but in which you also feel compelled to listen.
• diyspaceforlondon.org

Tour Dalston’s best bars

Over/not over; either way Dalston is still home to really spirited bars, and by spirited I don’t mean getting off with multiple strangers in the Alibi or falling asleep in the toilets at the Shacklewell Arms. It’s hard to narrow it down to one bar, so I’m just going to shout out to a few of my favourites. First up is Servant Jazz Quarters, an intimate spot on Bradbury Street. It’s small, buzzing and has that sepia-tone appeal that I always like in a cocktail bar, while downstairs there’s a basement that hosts interesting little nights (disclosure: I’ve hosted stuff there myself). Another favourite is Viva, which serves tapas that are so good it’s worth squeezing onto the corner of a bench full of people to eat them. Across the road, High Water has a kind of wintry European cabin feel, with wooden ceiling beams and another great cocktail menu. And on a summer night, Dalston Curve Garden is like stepping into another world altogether: a tree-covered green space hidden behind a door next to Dalston’s peace mural where you can have a drink and a pizza. You know it’s just full of people having excellent Tinder dates.

The best Vietnamese salad on Kingsland Road

If you want to have an argument with a Londoner that’s more interesting than which of Brick Lane’s two Bagel shops is the best (answer: it’s whichever has the shortest queue), then try asking which is the best Vietnamese restaurant on Kingsland Road. I’ll admit that mine has changed several times over the years but as of 2016 it’s been BúnBúnBún. I know it’s a bit cooler and newer-looking than old favourite Sông Quê Café, with its paintings of galloping horses, but, I promise, this assessment is based solely on the food. BúnBúnBún specialises in big bowls of bún salad or noodle soup, all topped with bunches of fresh herbs and garnish such as roasted peanuts, pickles and crispy shallots. The sides are great too, including salt and chilli squid and huge summer rolls, as is the desert of bright green matcha ice-cream.
• bunbunbun.co

Contemporary cabaret in Soho

Soho is full of countless great spots but nothing warms up a night in the West End like the Soho Theatre, which hosts fantastic comedy, dance, performance and a whole lot of intellectually stimulating weirdness; it’s the leftfield sensibility of its programming that makes it so appealing. I’ve seen so many great shows there, from comedian Bridget Christie to alt-drag variety duo Bourgeoise and Maurice – it’s also recently been showing the original play version of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s acclaimed TV show Fleabag. Whatever’s on, it’s always the most fun down in the basement, where there’s cabaret seating and a particularly special, energising atmosphere.
• sohotheatre.com

Party in a working men’s club, Bethnal Green

Guardian Travel recently put together a round up of some of the best clubs in London, but one omission (in my opinion, anyway) was the Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club. Despite the unfussy interior and downbeat decor it hosts some of the capital’s most flamboyant events, from cabaret, variety and drag nights (Sink the Pink will always feel synonymous with the place), to late-night parties with great DJs; last year Optimo held its Until The Music Stops series at the club. In 2016 it opened a new basement pub room, for cosy pre-drinks before heading up into whatever kitsch party weirdness is happening that night. If you like dressing up, this is a good place to go.
• workersplaytime.net

Hang out with Peckham’s art kids

Peckham has tons of great places that are well known beyond the area: Bussey Building/Rye Wax, Bar Story, Frank’s all do a good job at persuading people to go south of the river. As a North Londoner though, it was only recently that I visited the Pelican, a cafe/gallery/bar in a big converted industrial room, with large windows and heavy iron beams and pillars overhead. It hosts regular exhibitions and live art events (it’s quite art school, this place), as well as spoken word nights and book launches. It’s just a really easy-going place to hang out and, with any luck, sink into one of the big Chesterfields. It also serves pizza – for me, another very good thing about the Pelican.
• thepeckhampelican.co.uk

The cheapest, fastest pizza in London

Oh yes, pizza is important. Icco, a canteen-style corner cafe on Goodge Street (which just opened its second branch on Camden High Street), is a service station for pizza lovers. Pizza starts at £3.95 for a margherita and £5-£6.70 for the rest. Order at the bar, get a buzzer and then collect it a few minutes later. It’s difficult to know what else to add, but when I used to work around the corner from Icco, I once ate lunch here four times in one week – and given half the chance, I would again.
• icco.co.uk

Have a really late one, Elephant and Castle

Hidden (or hiding) beneath a railway arch behind Elephant and Castle station, Corsica Studios is a club and art space that has thankfully hung on for 15 years while one of the capital’s biggest “regeneration” projects goes on around it. The two-room club, which recently opened a third space next door in a Colombian restaurant, is big enough to get immersed in but small enough to still feel personal. Room one creates a perfect party atmosphere, with people dancing on a raised stage on one side and beams of light shooting through the air. But for me, it’s all about the more intimate room two, where the DJ plays in a small booth covered in bamboo and tropical plants. It often feels like it’s full of people who planned on passing through but never left. On that note, the club is also home to notorious after hours techno night, Jaded, which runs until 3pm on Sunday.
corsicastudios.com

Discover Lower Marsh, Waterloo

Lower Marsh is one of those little London streets that could be a set for a soap opera. It’s got a market, greasy spoons and independent shops punctuated by fetish specialist Honour and gay sauna Chariots. The market (open every day, except Sunday) is a great place to get a cheap lunch, as are Korean cafe Po Cha and the Borough Produce Cafe. Also wander down into Waterloo’s secret art space, The Vaults, a dungeon-like venue that takes up several railway arches and hosts theatre, film and experiential events. It can be tricky to find: turn down Leake Street and go through a graffitied tunnel – The Vaults will be visible on the right hand side.