By Matthew Brace

Where to eat in London

British seafood is enjoying a renaissance and three of the best places to taste it are J Sheekey near Leicester Square (try the shrimp and soft-shell crab burger), Bentley’s near Piccadilly Circus (the lemon sole and the duck-egg mayonnaise are both amazing), and Wright Brothers in Spitalfields (best oysters in town).

If you’re after a casual bistro, book at Mon Plaisir in Seven Dials near Covent Garden, which is heaven for coq au vin addicts, or the delightful Wine Bar at Fortnum & Mason on Piccadilly, which has great cheese, cold meats and a fabulous wine list.

For hearty British dishes, try Rules near Covent Garden or the Dining Room at The Goring Hotel near Buckingham Palace. Both specialise in game and October is the month for it. Expect grouse, guinea fowl, pheasant, wood pigeon and early venison.

London is also awash with great pub grub. One spot that you might recognise is the Rutland Arms near Hammersmith Bridge, whose outdoor riverside tables featured in the recent Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. It’s where the band members meet their new manager, John Reid. Settle in with a large G&T (they have a prodigious collection) and a plate of delicious fish and chips.

Where to sleep in London

Extravagance at L'oscar in Holborn.

My favourite London hotel for the past few years has been South Place Hotel near Moorgate tube station. It’s small, well run and hip, with rooms decorated with works from British artists. It hosts the Michelin-starred restaurant Angler, the Chop House bistro, and 3 Bar, which runs a foot-tappingly brilliant soul night – Got Soul – every Sunday. South Place is also perfect for exploring the gritty-but-groovy bits of east London such as Shoreditch, Spitalfields and Brick Lane.

If you want pure glam and decadence (and the sexiest rooms in London), try the recently opened L’oscar in Holborn, a former Baroque church turned into a shrine to old-school extravagance.

For something completely different, check out The Boathouse in Paddington, a canal barge transformed into a super-cosy private bolthole. It’s perfect if you’re in town with your partner, want to avoid the crowds and don’t mind self-catering (although a chef can also be arranged).

At the other end of the size scale is Sea Containers London (formerly the Mondrian). It’s a vast ocean liner of a hotel cruising down the South Bank and just a short walk to the course venue over Blackfriars Bridge. Try to book a room with a view of St Paul’s Cathedral.

Where to play in London

Afternoon tea at The Goring Hotel.

In your downtime, catch the autumn colours in the Kyoto Garden in Holland Park, or further west at Kew Gardens.

Shopaholics should head east to Boxpark Shoreditch where old shipping containers now house small-label fashion stores. Shop ‘til you drop, then refuel with a slice of Voodoo Ray’s New York-style pizza. Also check out the Seven Dials area, north of Covent Garden, for stores selling everything from comic books to fashion to ropes for sailing boats.

“Shopaholics should head east to Boxpark Shoreditch where old shipping containers now house small-label fashion stores.”

Foodies will adore the London Restaurant Festival, which runs all through October. Book a restaurant-hopping tour, attend a food-and-film night and enjoy special menus at neighbourhood bistros and Michelin-starred eateries.

See a performance or an exhibition to make your London visit extra memorable. Concerts on or near 19 October include The London Philharmonic Orchestra, Cher and New Zealand’s Shapeshifter. Exhibitions include Gauguin (National Gallery), Rembrandt (Dulwich Picture Gallery) and fashion icon Mary Quant’s work at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

For light refreshment, try an afternoon tea at The Ritz, The Savoy, or (my pick) The Goring Hotel near Buckingham Palace.

Or for something stronger, here are three pukka London public houses: Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese off Fleet Street, which was “rebuilt 1667” after the Great Fire of London; the Coal Hole on the Strand with its delicious Cornish pale ale; and the Cittie Of Yorke on High Holborn with its cosy ‘confessional’ seating booths.

Good to know

• It’s autumn so pack a cosy jumper, rain gear, good boots and a camera to capture the Insta-brilliant autumn colour of the trees.
• Once you’re in the centre of town, use an Oyster Card to hop on and off buses and trains – oyster.tfl.gov.uk has info. To help navigate London’s vast public transport network, try the handy transport app citymapper.com
• You’ll find tonnes of activities and advice at VisitBritain.com. Also check out Londonpass.com for ways to access lots of activities with one ticket.

An Accountant’s Guide to Cyber Crime, GDPR & Web Exploration

CA ANZ’s London office is holding a one-day course on 19 October 2019 to give accountants technical and practical advice on how to search the web safely, effectively and invisibly, minimise exposure to cybercrime and comply with legislation.

“This course examines, among other things, types of cyberattacks (such as phishing and ransomware), advanced search techniques, geo-location searching, the safeguards required to protect data, the advantages of metasearch engines, and how to hide your online ID,” says course director Stephen Hill.

“Many accountants still use Google even though they know it gives them a visible footprint. This course demonstrates how you can use a variety of techniques and search engines that find information quickly and effectively but do not leave a footprint. This can help you do more in-depth research on, for example, clients or potential employees or asset tracing.”

The third part of the course covers legislation, focusing on the UK Data Protection Act and Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regulation, which are relevant to accountants worldwide.

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