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Once the centre of London’s Jewish population, this street is now the heart of London’s Bangladeshi community. Head here for inexpensive, authentic Indian food at restaurants such as Preem and Shampan, where a three-course meal can be had for a mere £10. Some of the best bagels in the city are made at the Brick Lane Bagel Bake at No. 159 – a famous dawn haunt for late-night revellers. There are vintage clothing/designer shops and, on Sundays, a lively flea market.

The centrepiece of the Docklands development is Canary Wharf and the 240-m (800-ft) -high, 50-storey Canada Tower designed by the US architect, Cesar Pelli. Although the tower is not open to the public, parts of the complex are open to visitors, including the mall, where there are shops, restaurants and bars. The star of area’s exciting architecture is the magnificent Canary Wharf station, designed by Norman Foster.

Vaulted glass roof, Canary Wharf DLR station

Londoners head east on Sunday mornings for the bustling street markets. In addition to Petticoat Lane in Middlesex Street, with its bargain clothes and household items, and Brick Lane’s bric-à-brac, there is the teeming plant and flower market in Columbia Road. Ten minutes’ walk from the north end of Brick Lane, Columbia Road is a delightful cornucopia of all things horticultural at bargain prices.

Columbia Road Market

Devoted to the evolution of family life and interior design, this fascinating museum has a series of rooms decorated in distinct period style. Originally a 1715 almshouse, the building has been transformed and you can wander through an oak-panelled 17th-century drawing room, a 1930s flat or a contemporary loft apartment. Stroll through a series of period gardens between April and October.

This museum tells the story of London’s Docklands, from Roman times to the present day. Displays of shipbuilding equipment and photographs illustrate the late-19th- and early-20th century, when the docks were at their peak, handling more ships than any other country. There is also a wonderful replica of medieval London Bridge.

Streets such as Fournier Street, lined with 18th-century Huguenot silk weavers’ houses, are a reminder that this area, just east of the City, has provided a refuge for immigrant populations for centuries. London’s oldest market, Old Spitalfields Market still has stalls selling food, as well as several cafés and shops dotted around its edge. But Sunday is the day when the market draws hundreds, eager to find a bargain among the fashion, vintage clothing, and crafts stalls here. Opposite the market is one of Europe’s great Baroque churches. Christ Church (1716) was designed by Wren’s pupil, architect Nicholas Hawksmoor (1661–1736).

This excellent gallery has a reputation for showing cutting-edge contemporary art from around the world. The Whitechapel has launched the careers of David Hockney, Gilbert and George and Anthony Caro. Behind the Art Nouveau façade there is also a great bookshop and café.