Elizabeth Street, SW1

For years now, Charlotte Street has been my favourite London street for eating and drinking. It's lined on either side with great places: Rasa, Passione, Roka, The Charlotte Street Hotel, Fino etc etc. But for shopping as well as eating, Elizabeth Street has become my new favourite.

The other day, I was meeting a friend in Oliveto, a low-key Sardinian place that I'd heard did great pasta and pizza. She was late when I called her from our table and I could tell she'd only just got into a cab. I ordered a coke, ate the whole bread basket, read my book and studied the menu. The waiter was clearing away the table next to me when I mentioned to him that I'd never eaten a sea urchin before (it appears twice on the menu once raw as a starter and once with pasta) he looked at me and said, "Just a moment please" in a very, very strong Italian accent and walked off. I thought he might be struggling a bit with my Derby accent and had gone to ask someone else to see to me when he came back a few minutes later with a piece of hot bruschetta and a little dish with a raw sea urchin in it! How's that for service!

He told me how in Italy he loves to eat them straight from the sea and something about only harvesting them when there's a full moon. Actually I found the urchin a bit full-on and more than a little slimy, but I loved his passion for them and obviously I had to eat it all because he'd given it me specially. Anyway, eventually my friend showed up and I chose a glass of rosé and Malloredus Sardi, a pasta dish with sausages - it was amazing. My pasta was homemade, every little single piece rolled by hand and not only that but the sausages were homemade too. And all for just £11. Great service, great food, good wine, good prices. We were both delighted!

Then my friend noticed that we were directly across the road from The Chocolate Society so we ran over and had spectacular chocolate ice cream (with a piece of hokey pokey chocolate and an espresso) for pudding. On the four minute walk to Sloane Square we stopped at surely the best food shops and clothing boutiques London has to offer: Poilane, Ben de Lisi, Jeroboams, Baker & Spice

Elizabeth Street, then. If you are female and have a spare hour or two, you need to take a walk down there very, very soon indeed...