An insider's guide to the best of London

"Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."

– Samuel Johnson

Often quoted by Londoners new and old, how true is this quote for you?

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It's very true for me – there's no way I could ever tire of London. I go to the theatre, the opera and the ballet at least once a month. I eat out with clients and friends on a daily basis and I love all of the parks and secret gardens around town like the Chelsea Physic Garden.

What are your favourite places to eat out in London?

My first is the Ivy Chelsea Garden. I frequented it as a teenager when it was Henry J Beans. We would drink pints of Pimm's there. It's been beautifully renovated. The garden is wonderful and the private room divine.

I also love the Wolseley for breakfast (it does the best cappuccino in London) and all the Corbin & King restaurants. And my new favourite is The Ned in the City.

What are your favourite things to do in London?

I love shopping in the best second-hand designer clothes shops like Sign of the Times in Elystan Street. Ask for Lorraine the owner. She's amazing and calls me when people bring in clothes in my size and style, or from my favourite designers.

I also like the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park, the Luna Cinema in the Royal Parks and the English National Ballet. I've been a fan of the ENB for many years and am especially loving it under the stewardship of Tamara Rojo, its artist director. She's taken the company to another level.

What are your guilty touristic pleasures?

I love going to Portobello Road market, followed by lunch at The Electric Diner and then a movie at The Electric Cinema.

The Natural History Museum with my husband's grandchildren is another favourite. I can't wait to visit the new blue whale skeleton in the Hintze Hall.

You travel to some of the best places on earth for your job... what keeps you coming back to the capital?

My beautiful family and home. I have a lovely Georgian gem of a house a minute from Hyde Park and a minute from Harrods. My office is in Belgravia in a gorgeous mews off Kinnerton Street which has a great village atmosphere. Everyone knows everyone, the postman shouts out "Morning Tanya" every morning and the atmosphere on the street is so friendly. Our local newsagents, Mayhews on Motcomb Street, are the nicest people on earth.

How has your experience of London changed over the years? Are there places you now go to that you didn't used to and places you will never set foot in again?

Shoreditch is uber cool but I'm a Chelsea girl at heart. I love Richmond Park, too – Petersham Nurseries is a favourite place of mine. Borough Market is also brilliant.

If you couldn't live in the UK, where would you live and why?

Paris where I studied at the Sorbonne and loved every minute of my three and a half years there.

What do you love about other parts of the world that you wish London had?

I'm lucky and grateful to travel several times a year so I see plenty of sunshine, beaches, souks and sites. But I love London just as it is.

Tanya Rose is the CEO and Founder of Mason Rose, a PR, marketing and sales agency specialising in luxury hotels and wellness brands. Her home is London.