Late summer highlights in London’s West End

DRINK: Summertime in London is personified by punters spilling out sociably on to pub pavements. Sip on a cask ale or tomato and basil martini at The George, a traditional 18th-century Grade II-listed pub in Great Portland Street. Fans of David Bowie should also sink a pint at The Starman, a tribute to Bowie in bar form on Heddon Street, which serves up alfresco seating in a popular hub.

NIBBLE: Like cake and bubbles? You’ll love Cake & Bubbles at Hotel Café Royal on Regent Street. This love letter to two of the finest things in life comes courtesy of the ‘World’s Best Pastry Chef’ Albert Adrià, so expect sweet confections as intoxicating as the Champagne selection. Imagine Willy Wonka with a Michelin star or two and you’ll get the idea. Enjoy your roasted-pineapple lollipop, lemon-basil sorbet or golden-egg flan sitting outside, toasting the surroundings with a glass of rosé fizz.

SHOP: Regent Street and St James’s are home to flagship stores such as Apple, Liberty, Aesop and Burberry, alongside a clutch of independent boutiques and characterful shopping arcades. Pick up a holiday fragrance courtesy of Jo Malone London, treat yourself to beauty elixirs from Molton Brown, or dip into the genteel Quadrant Arcade for a spot of grooming and pampering. Browse Creed fragrances, freshen up at Supply 91 barbers, and reset with soothing therapies at MASAJ.

FEAST: There are many reasons to love Brasserie Zédel. Its sugar-puff-cloud îles flottantes, for example, plus its two-course lunch menus for £16.95 and its cavernous dining room and handsome 1930s styling. And its relaxed, off-street ZL Café is where you can pretend you’re in Paris and watch the world go by from the terrace, perhaps sipping a citron pressé or a chilled glass of Crémant or Sancerre. Savour elegant light bites such as croque monsieur, French onion soup, or boudin noir, duck egg and pear salad. Parfait!

Elevate alfresco dining at The Nest, which reveals cinematic cityscapes from its rooftop perch at Treehouse Hotel London. This summer, The Nest’s outside space hosts the Champagne Laurent-Perrier Wildflower Terrace, so start with a glass of something bubbly. Themed by sections such as ‘Plant’, ‘Land’ and ‘Sea’, the menu showcases sunshine flavours and dishes designed to be shared. Nibble on the likes of pan-fried white asparagus with crispy onion, Greek yoghurt and citrus sauce, followed by British scallops with ginger-and-lemon butter sauce.

Perhaps you’re craving a slice of Italy in the city? Step forward Piccolino on Heddon Street, whose expansive terrace is the perfect place for a spot of people-watching. The burrata al pomodoro is basically summer on a plate, especially when paired with a glass of white-gold Gavi. Stay on the same street for Heddon Yokocho, which reimagines the buzz of 1970s Tokyo in a Mayfair setting. Nab an outside table and discover Japanese regional ramen cuisine, with representative dishes from northern Hokkaido to Kyushu in the south, and everything in between.

SLEEP: For a London stay with heritage swag, you can’t beat The Langham, which first opened its doors in 1865, attracting a glittering crowd of emperors, royals, politicians, authors, socialites and celebrities ever since. Billed as Europe’s first ‘Grand Hotel’, The Langham was an early adopter of modern comforts such as airconditioning and electric lights. More recent additions include the very Zen Chuan Spa, the multi-award-winning Artesian cocktail bar, and dapper gastropub The Wigmore, which has winsome outside seating for balmy, late-summer days.

EXPLORE: Soak up the September sun from the area’s splendid green spaces, including St James’s Park, where King Henry VIII was fond of deer hunting in the emerald expanse. Pause for an iced coffee or ice-cream from the café, set amid picturesque scenery.