Odile Dicks-Mireaux is a BAFTA award-winning costume designer based in London. A background in Theatre Design led to a contract at the BBC in the 1980s, where she worked on iconic British classics Dr Who and Black Adder. Leaving the daleks and tardis behind, she has gone on to create the looks for hit movies such as The Constant Gardener, An Education and the recent of adaptation of bestselling book by David Nicholls, One Day. Odile may have worked with Hollywood royalty, but the born-and-bred Londoner has always made the capital city her home.
Here, she takes us on a tour of her most-loved central London spots and streets…
“Maison Bertaux (28 Greek St.) in Soho is full of character. A mix of classic French baking secrets and British eccentricity, it’s arguably one London’s best-loved patisseries. It attracts a mixed crowd of locals, artists and in-the-know tourists and sometimes doubles up as an art gallery. Afternoon tea is served with 
traditional china cups and teapots and the windows are piled high with homemade éclairs and strawberry tarts.
Monmouth Street in Covent Garden has changed a lot over the years. The Monmouth Street Coffee shop is often filled with people, and coffee-lovers can take a bag of one of their blends of freshly ground home with them. This road has become a fashionable spot for shopping – personal favourites are Orla Kiely and recent addition, independent clothing store Albam. Lamb’s Conduit Street is also good for smaller fashion outlets, such as Oliver Spencer and Folk.
Australian and Kiwi coffee house Flat White (17 Berwick Street) cooks up a good brunch – sandwiches, salads and their special homemade baked beans. Down the road at Fernandez & Wells (73 Beak Street), the coffee is roasted onsite and the cakes are delicious.
Round the corner, authentic Spanish tapas is served at Barrafina (54 Frith Street) and Polpetto, above the famous French 
House pub (49 Dean Street) is a small Italian restaurant which has people queuing at the door.
Charlotte Street is a great place for dinner and drinks on any budget; try Roka for modern Japanese cooked in an open kitchen and then go for a cocktail downstairs at the Shochu Lounge.
If you’re visiting the wonderful British Museum, you could make a pit-stop for coffee and cake surrounded by books and magazines at the London Review Bookshop cafe (14 Bury Place) or check out the great art and camera shops in the area. Two smaller, lesser known London museums that are definitely worth a visit are The Soane Museum in Holborn (13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields) and the Wallace Collection (Manchester Square) behind Oxford Street.”
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Poppy
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