Over the last 14 years, Astrid has collected some of the best kept secret spots in London. From restaurants among the clouds, hidden museums and fine-dining French bistros, you won’t want to miss these next time you’re in the city.
London with Astrid Stavro
Graphic Designer and Speaker
Food & Drink Assaggi
‘Assaggi is a little gem of a restaurant. It’s not on street level; you have to go up to find it. I loved it from the first moment. The food is amazing. It’s never crowded, and there’s no background music, so you can actually have a great conversation.’
First Floor, 39 Chepstow Place, London W2 4TS
Food & Drink Lisboa Patisserie
‘I love Lisboa Patisserie. I love the great coffee and the bolo de nata, which is this amazing Portuguese pastry. The staff uniforms are quite literally to die for. Everything about it is amazing. It feels like you’re in Lisbon having a coffee, but you’re actually in the centre of London.’
57 Golborne Road, London W10 5NR
Culture Trellick Tower
‘The Trellick Tower on Golborne Road is the most fascinating building in West London. The building is amazing — it’s a phenomenal piece of brutalist architecture. If you live in West London, you see the Trellick Tower from wherever you are. It’s like the Tour Eiffel of West London, but much uglier in a fascinating way, which in a way makes it prettier. It’s just a fascinating place.’
5 Golborne Road, London W10 5PA
Culture Sir John Soane’s Museum
‘Sir John Soane’s Museum is one of my favourite museums in London. It’s the home of an art collector, hidden behind the Holborn tube station. I like everything about it. It’s a tiny, very cramped London museum. It’s decades of history inside this tiny place. There’s so much art to look at. It’s just magical.’
13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3BP
Food & Drink The Delaunay
‘The Delaunay is a French bistro, and everything about it is gorgeous. The light is really nice; it’s a great place to have conversations; the food is phenomenal. It feels like being in Paris. It’s a place that is really close to my heart because I go over and over again.’
55 Aldwych, London WC2B 4BB
“London will always be the heart of graphic design for me. You see things on the street that stop you in your tracks.”
On London in one word
Incredibly sunny? I’m joking.
Effervescence, because it is just nonstop, like a glass of champagne.
On a London museum you can’t miss
Sir John Soane’s Museum is one of my favourite museums in London. It’s the home of an art collector, hidden behind the Holborn tube station. I like everything about it. It’s a tiny, very cramped museum. It feels a bit like a haunted house, but a beautiful haunted house, with lots of Greek sculptures. It’s decades of history inside this tiny place. There’s so much art to look at. It’s just magical. I love the Tate Modern. It’s my default place to go because it’s always interesting. There are amazing things, whether it’s an exhibition or even the permanent collection that you’ve seen 100 times before. There are always things you’ve missed, or you just see it afresh with new eyes. Whenever I go, I also walk down the river if it’s a nice day. I like the view, and I love seeing St Paul’s from the other side of the river.
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On an icon of West London
The Trellick Tower on Golborne Road is the most fascinating building in West London. The building is amazing — it’s a phenomenal piece of brutalist architecture. If you live in West London, you see the Trellick Tower from wherever you are. It’s like the Tour Eiffel of West London, but much uglier in a fascinating way, which, in a way, makes it prettier. It’s just a fascinating place.
On a favourite London restaurant
In Notting Hill, the best-kept secret is the Italian restaurant Assaggi on the first floor of 39 Chepstow Place. Assaggi is a little gem of a restaurant. It’s not on street level; you have to go up to find it. So if you’re not in the know, or you don’t have a friend that has told you about it, you wouldn’t know it exists. I loved it from the first moment. The food is amazing. It’s never crowded and there’s no background music, so you can actually have a great conversation, which is something that I cherish in restaurants. And it has beautiful views in summer. But one of the best things is actually the pictures hanging in the restaurant. Nothing’s on them; they’re just plain colours.
I like everything about St. JOHN. The inside feels a bit Shaker in decoration, which I really like. The meat is amazing. A restaurant is not only the food — there’s the light and chairs and linen on the tables. It’s down to the smallest details, like being able to talk. St. JOHN is one of those London classics. It’s one of my favourite, if not my most favourite, restaurants in London.
On where to get phenomenal food
The Delaunay in Holborn is by the same guys that did The Wolseley. It’s a French bistro, and everything about it is gorgeous. The light is really nice; it’s a great place to have conversations; the food is phenomenal. It feels like being in Paris. It’s a place that is really close to my heart because I go over and over again. I like everything about St. JOHN. The inside feels a bit Shaker in decoration, which I really like. The meat is amazing. A restaurant is not only the food — there’s the light and chairs and linen on the tables. It’s down to the smallest details, like being able to talk. St. JOHN is one of those London classics. It’s one of my favorite, if not my most favourite, restaurants in London.
On connecting with local culture in London
When I came to London as a student, there was a bubbling and vibrant music subculture, which I was really into. My friends and I spent a lot of time exploring the clubs, as there was just so much happening in the music scene. I wasn’t really too worried about connecting with the ‘design scene’ when I first arrived, but I did pay close attention to what magazines were around and what exhibitions were happening. I appreciated how the city was the place to be for an aspiring graphic designer.
Exploring by foot is the cheapest and best way to see the city, you never know what you might find. But, if you’re hopping on the tube you luckily don’t need an Oyster card anymore – simply tap on with your card or Apple Pay (just use the same card when you tap off so you don’t get extra charges).
On your relationship with London
I have two different Londons. The London of my youth, when I was a student in my 20s, and the London of now with my son. When I was younger I had more time to go out. As a single mother, my time is definitely limited. What both Londons do have in common is that I always lived in Notting Hill in West London. I fell in love with Notting Hill, from the moment I first walked down Portobello Road to the fruit and vegetable market at the end of the road. It reminded me of Spain, with people screaming, ‘Strawberries! Strawberries!’ from the food stalls. I still buy my fruits and vegetables there.
On advice for time in new cultures
Be open, be like a sponge. People travel but don’t really travel because their mind is some place else. They don’t allow their experience of a place to sink in because they are busy ticking things off their to-do list, then they feel like they didn’t even go to that specific place. It’s about the ‘glasses’ you wear and how you see things.
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On life as a student in London
I studied graphic design at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London, and then the Royal College of Art. There I was, in this city that was considered the epicentre of graphic design and visual communication, in the company of like-minded people who saw the world in the same way as me. There were so many ideas, so much energy. We fed off each other, developing our creative identity. My peers had the biggest impact on me. It was such an exciting time.
On a recent project you are proud of
I previously designed a book for Emily Elyse Miller called Breakfast, which was published by Phaidon. She was very happy with the design of the book, and one day she rang me up and asked if I’d like to design the identity of this new venture, which I’ve just finished — a set of cereal boxes with a company called OffLimits. They are these quirky, colourful boxes with characters representing different personalities on them, one for each flavour of cereal. They’re totally bonkers and out there! Maybe they’re not as refined as my usual work in terms of typography and that kind of thing, but they have their own beauty. It’s an ongoing relationship and a very fun project to be involved in.
On how new people and ideas inspire you
I love human beings, I love their stories and complexities. I’ve met so many people on my travels who have inspired me. I think the key is to travel in the right way, though. So often with work trips, you fly sixteen hours to get to a city, then you’re in and out in the blink of an eye. You’re exhausted, and you don’t really feel like talking to anyone. You need to be in the right state of mind to engage with people when you travel. That’s when you really open yourself up to inspiration.
Most often I’m inspired by things outside of the graphic design world. I mean, sure, every now and again I’ll see a work of design or branding that really impresses me, but usually, I try to look beyond that. As corny as it sounds, my inspiration usually comes from the heart, from things that move me on that level. It might be a piece of opera, spending time with my son, or going for a walk in the forest.
On London as a global destination for creativity
London will always be the heart of graphic design for me. You see things on the street that stop you in your tracks. But there are places around the world that are coming up as really innovative design hubs, like Australia and New Zealand. I love some of the work coming out of there at the moment. I even think of places like Singapore, and cities in India that are radically progressive in the design work being created, but these places don’t necessarily have the mouthpiece or reputation that London does in terms of projecting this work to the rest of the world yet.
“London is so diverse. It’s like the European version of New York. There are just so many cultures and people doing their thing. You can meet a waitress in a restaurant who is also a film director and runs another career after hours. You can meet anyone.”
Next Stop: London
Creators
Joey Yu
Illustrator
Our born and bred London illustrator reveals a surprisingly green city. Take a tour with Joey around her favourite hidden parks, one-of-a-kind trinket shops and royal tea houses for a true insider look at the city.
Mariano Vivanco
Photographer
The world-renowned fashion photographer has shot for everyone from Vogue to Vanity Fair. Take a stroll along his streets to discover pocket-sized Peruvian restaurants, queue-worthy cafes and stunning florists.
Ali Alvarez
Film Director
Creating documentaries all over the world, Ali has a knack for seeking out the story behind the story. That’s why her insider guide of London features overlooked and hidden cinemas, cafes and markets she’s uncovered much
closer to home.
For more exceptional creators, visit www.exceptionalalien.com
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