If you’ve somehow found yourself in Piccadilly Circus and need to Hermione yourself out of there, don’t duck into the nearest caff – head to Locket’s. Tucked away inside a glass-fronted building in the quiet Smithson Plaza, if you didn’t know it was there, you’d never think to look.

From the people behind the legendary Wiltons is a small but perfectly formed wine bar and kitchen, with a delicious grape offering and food designed to share. For a mid-shopping pick-me-up, go for the raw red prawns with chili oil (zingy), wild mushroom polenta with parmesan (moreish) and the braised ox cheeks stew with celeriac mash (reviving). We paired ours with a glass of almost-sparkling Portuguese white – the perfect fuel to get you to the next stop. Smithson Plaza, 25 St James’s St, SW1A ● Words by Kat Poole

King’s Cross is a surprisingly relaxing place to shop: the shops are curated and cool (think Space NK, Kitchen Provisions and & Other Stories), and there are no touristy Oxford Circus crowds. Break from browsing at Lina Stores’ new outpost, a beautifully calming Italian restaurant and deli in a converted Victorian transit shed.

As at the iconic Lina Stores in Soho, the food is heavenly – but the vibe here is livelier and more cheerful. It’s also distinctly festive, with golden lighting and panettones and pandoros hanging from the ceiling. Start with the stracciatella with charred heirloom tomatoes and capolina (roasted aubergine, sultanas, olives and pine nuts), before diving into plates of pasta: we had (and loved) the crab and scallop rondini and agnolotti verdi with ricotta and black truffle. Finish with an espresso, and head back out feeling very jolly indeed. 20 Stable St, N1C ● Words by Moya Crockett

Christmas shopping in the heart of Soho is a gloriously hellish affair. And if you can’t beat the busyness and bustle – join it. Ember Yard has recently relaunched after a refurb, and with the vibrant atmosphere (even better if you sit upstairs) comes a new menu of seasonal Spanish and Italian sharing plates cooked on a josper grill.

Standouts are the chargrilled flatbread with thyme and smoked butter, smoky chorizo and octopus skewers with saffron aioli, and deliciously creamy burrata. Plus: if you go on a Sunday, you can try the tasting menu for just £35 – ridiculously reasonable when you see how much food it involves. 40-42 Brendon Street, W1H ● Words by Kat Poole

Regent Street is pure, shimmering chaos at this time of year, so if you need to slink away somewhere you can neither see nor hear a peep of harried Christmas shoppers, The Retiring Room is the place to, well, retire. Open between 12 and 2.30pm, then again from 5.30pm, the underground bar at Bombay Bustle is a glamorous, moodily lit hideaway where you can sip invigorating cocktails and tuck into fiery Indian snacks to power you up before venturing back out.

The Paan Collins, a blend of sloe gin, St Germain, paan (betel leaf) liqueur and plum syrup is a bolstering herbal tonic, while meaty curry patta prawns, Bombay fried chicken and papadums with spicy tomato chutney will sate your appetite without overloading. Godspeed, festive shoppers! 29 Maddox St, W1S ● Words by Jenny Tregoning