Johns.

Just a hop, skip and a jump from Old Street and you're a whole world a way and a few centuries back in time. Ignoring the now-ubiquitous Thai-restaurant-within-a-pub (though I'm assured the food is both good and cheap), you find yourself in an intimate, old world jazz bar. The usual Shoreditch crowd are nowhere to be seen, as jazz lovers relax on comfy sofas to hear the best resident and visiting bands and local jam sessions (Mondays), whilst sipping on reasonably priced drinks. At the weekends its a rowdier, but still unpretentious and music-centric affair and there's almost no hint that the post-modern world ever came into existence.

Passing Clouds will challenge everything you think a good night is all about and prove to you that there is so much more. What could be just another cavernous warehouse space playing minimal, electroclash and whatever else with a few LED displays has been transformed into something else entirely. Cooperatively run by forward-thinking, left-leaning artists, musicians and other creative types, Passing Clouds serves as a space to showcase the best of the rich variety of live music available in East London. Lavishly and eccentrically decorated - the downstairs resembles the inside of a huge tent, and the upstairs is somewhere between Moroccan hookah lounge and '20s cabaret - Passing Clouds is a feast of bright colours, with free face painting, and people dressed not to latest trends but in whatever looks the most fun. Drinks prices are low, and the music policy is of course eclectic, with performers playing everything from tango and salsa to electro-jazz to reggae. Just don't expect repetitive beeping. It goes without saying that the crowd is perhaps the most diverse and friendly of any venue I've been to, possibly ever. A blow-your-socks of amazing time is guaranteed for even the most hard-hearted anti-party people.

Moustache has pretty much all the ingredients for a great club: a cool theme, carried through with gusto by way of hilariously altered paintings and photos that literally cover the walls; great music; a great location; a hip crowd; cheap drinks prices (and often no entry fee); and ever-so-fun-when-you-are-wasted light displays. It does have one big drawback though: it's absolutely teeny tiny - making it pleasant earlier on in the night but frustrating when you'd really quite like to dance without spilling a drink over someone or knocking them out with a stray elbow. Oh well, chances are you've probably not paid to get in, so you can always head to one of the many other clubs, parties and raves in Dalston.

There are, as Londoners know, a lot of bars in Shoreditch. A LOT. And most of them are at least half-way decent. So it really takes something special to stand out from the crowd. For me, at least, the Book Club has got it. Small enough to be intimate but big enough to not get boring, the Book Club comprises a homely, chilled out upstairs bar-café and a sleek, industrial-chic downstairs bar-club. With a ceiling of undulating light bulbs, an artfully destroyed wall partitioning the space, and lots of inviting corners to sit and drink in, this is a perfectly done-out space: stylish and interesting but not over the top. It was pretty crowded when I went, but you never had to wait long at the reasonably-priced bar. The crowd is full of East London's beautiful and stylish young things, but it doesn't feel intimidating or unfriendly. The music policy is eclectic, and the place plays host to a variety of nights. If dancing away to electro interspersed with indie and party classics still isn't your thing, come on a week night and play ping pong or snooker. Or during the day for food which an acquaintance assured me was pretty damn good. This place is just win, win, win - the only minor complaint I could make was that at 9pm the music was already far too loud to make conversation easy.

Shiny and sleek yet somehow a bit quirky, the friendly service at Tomato was my first experience of Slovenians' incredible hospitality. The food might not be spectacular, but prices are very reasonable, and I had a fantastic, huge breakfast featuring a memorable slice of strudel.

I can't really think of any reason most people would be on a side street in a residential part of North London but if you're anywhere in the neighbourhood and feeling peckish, make Flavours your first stop. The cakes are unbelievable moist and flavoursome, the genovese pasta is literally the best I've had outside of a restaurant, or Genoa for that matter. Everything is delicious, the staff are extremely friendly and chatty, the prices are low... what more do you want? I can't think of a thing.

Some bars have a vague retro vibe and odd bits of antique furniture. Trailer Happiness, on the other hand, entirely eschews the 21st century and shows them all how it's done. In a basement of the chic Portobello Road, you really can imagine you are in the '70s, sipping a cocktail with one of Charlie's Angels on Honolulu or somewhere. And even if drinks aren't especially cheap, they're pretty big and it's ever so much silly fun.

...thus spake Ms. Winehouse. And it's true, despite the shift of cool to the east and the encroaching tourists, Hawley Arms shows that Camden can still party with the best. Sure, there are a million wannabe Kings of Leon/Libertines members walking around, but with decent prices, bucketloads of atmosphere and characters and reasonable prices, you can ignore them and just imbibe.

There is a massive diplodocus skeleton. Yeah, i know what it is because once upon a time I was a six year old that liked dinosaurs. The fake velociraptors aren't exactly terrifying, but the fake earthquake is kind of fun if you're not hungover, and you can actually learn stuff whilst being entertained or at least vaguely impressed by the scale and architecture. Though taxidermy-phobes may want to give it a miss.

If you've watched more than a couple of British-set rom-coms, the chances are the view from Parliament Hill may be somewhat familiar. Admittedly, London doesn't have the rugged topography of San Francisco, picturesque spires and domes of Rome or Prague or the skyline of Manhattan, but the view is still pretty damn awesome - particularly just before sunset as the last light hits the buildings of the City and Docklands. You can play spot the sight too, most of London's famous buildings are fairly easy to see from here.

Once much derided, the National Theatre is now feted as one of Europe's finest examples of, er, brutalist architecture. Whatever you think of the building, you can't argue with the stellar programme of performances, events and free exhibitions. The café isn't particularly cheap, but it does offer a lot more than the pre-show basics you might expect. The location is pretty awesome too.

Okay so this is kind of my local, so I'm biased. But it is very cheap for London, and manages to pull of being big enough to bring pretty much everyone you know and their extended family whilst still remaning cosy and atmospheric. No mean feat if you ask me. Roaring fires, extremely comfy squishy sofas, a massive beer garden, low prices, friendly (largely pretty hot) staff... what more do you want? Come in winter and try the mulled wine, it's ridiculously cheap, strong and tasty. Just what the doctor ordered when it's below freezing outside.

Known locally as 'The Dog', the Crown and Greyhound is definitely the best spot in the area for a quiet drink or three. Its beautifully preserved interior, air of relaxed elegance, fairly reasonable prices and large terrace all add up to the very best that a traditional British pub should be.

Forget the bright lights of the West End - if you want some of the best theatre London has to offer, look no further than the capital's hottest neighbourhood for a venue where you can get innovation, talent, intimacy and even a great cup of coffee for less than half the price of a back seat in one of London's more famous theatres. The Arcola plays host to a huge range of plays, from old classics reimagined to daring new pieces. It may not be the Cabaret Voltaire, but it's pretty much as close as it gets these days.

The Queen of Hoxton tries its hand at pretty much anything: come some nights and it's a hip NY style loft bar, come another it might be channeling the 60s, hosting theatre or be in full-on rave mode. Clearly an eclectic venue, I have to admit that it does seem to lack a certain je ne sais quoi, but that might just be me after all.

If you search Tayyabs you'll find a million good reviews from critics and diners alike. And here is another one. I wouldn't go as far as to say this is the best Indian subcontinental restaurant I have ever been to, but I've been to a lot, and this is most definitely up there. It does not offer a massive range of the standard British bastardisations, but focuses on the highest quality cuisine from the Punjab. The food is subtle, delicious, full of flavours, with as much or as little chilli as you like and perfect portion sizes. My prawns were beyond succulent and the mango lassi was a liquid dream. The atmosphere is low key and friendly and manages to still cultivate a vague air of sophistication. If I was being extremely picky, one of the waiters could have been a little friendlier but this was a tiny flaw in a fantastic, huge and shockingly cheap meal.

This lovely, clean, white art deco building stands out in the grime of Kingsland High Street, beckoning to you like a beacon. And this being Dalston, it's an affordable beacon that we should all love. With a great range of independent, foreign and art house releases as well as some mainstream choices, there's guaranteed to be something good on at the Rio. Popcorn won't set you back much and the tickets are pretty much the cheapest you'll find this far into London.

The Old Blue Last gets derided for an often posey crowd and its Vice connection, and whilst prices are high for what is essentially a hip dive/Victorian-style pub/bar, it is in a prime location and is reliably busy with some decent music nights.

This unassuming warehouse on the border of Shoreditch and the City has become London's venue du jour for big name electronica DJs and does add the comforts of a reasonably stocked bar, decent toilets and sofa area to the usual warehouse experience. It goes without saying that the music is the main focus here, and the line-ups at Scrutton Street's many parties will not disappoint even the most discerning electro-connoisseur. A couple of notes of warning however: the untreated cement floor does have a tendency to get all over your shoes, and the cloakroom isn't necessarily a very safe place to leave your coat and valuables...

If you sit outside on the terrace (who cares if it's drizzling and coat-and-scarf weather), and block out the small block of post-war flats to the left, you could imagine yourself in Victorian times, albeit with added traffic noise and dramatically increased prices. This atmospheric pub feels quite the Dickensian Gin Palace, and has a decent range of reasonable priced beers and other drinks. It might not blow your mind but how many pubs really feel like fireworks? An all-round winner.

This isn't a crumbling, authentic, hole-in-the-wall taqueria selling a burritto the size of your head for almost no money. That's because we just don't have those places in the UK - or a significant Mexican population. However, Tortilla's total lack of atmosphere is made up for by eminently reasonable prices, pretty decent food, fairly generous portions and fast service - even if the menu is somewhat limited.

Okay, so Cuba Libre isn't exactly cheap - but the extra money spent goes towards the fact that not only is this a fun-time, lively bar with great drinks and an almost authentic feel, but that it also serves some of the best Cuban food this side of the Atlantic. The crab, pineapple and cassava dish I ate was literally heaven. I died and ascended a little bit. Honestly. And then had some more rum.

In a few months, the Superstore has gone from hip-in-the-know bar to London's hottest club, with a cover charge and queues on weekends. Don't worry though, the crowds haven't driven it all mainstream, and if you're not wearing something at least a little weird or bang on trend (or at least sporting a moustache, guys), you won't fit in in this achingly hip and quirky nightspot. Decor-wise, gritty, industrial chic meets retro kitsch, which works surprisingly well. Upstairs is home to some of the best (and not the cheapest) drinks in East London (and a great little café during the day), whilst downstairs hosts some of the capital's top club nights, from legendary Trailer Trash to Polaroid. With all the local dandies out in force, it will come as no surprise that this place is also extremely gay-friendly.

There's no denying the almost labyrinthine, cavernous spaces that make up Cable are impressive. Equally, the chill damp air is actually quite refreshing when you find yourself dancing with a thousand other sweaty bodies. As one of London's hottest new clubs, Cable is also pulling in some seriously big name DJs. The drinks prices aren't too bad either... having said all this, something for me didn't quite mesh. The crowd has a pretty high rah contingent for one thing, and it somehow lacks a cohesive atmosphere or identity. Still, it's early days, and I'd definitely give it a second chance.

This place is everything you hope for: low prices, surprisingly good service (for France), and of course, absolutely delicious food. I had a three-fish special, and whilst I'm not sure exactly what I ate, each was cooked to perfection and served with a variety of tasty sides. The coup de grace is the location - on both sides of the street at a pretty corner, the restaurant pretty much takes over the area and is a place to linger all evening with an affordable bottle of wine and savour every last crumb of your meal.