Your forty-eight hours better be a weekend, as this is when London really comes into her own.

As the sun sets on another Friday afternoon, the Ten Bells (84 Commercial Street) is as good a place as any to join the throngs of post-work drinkers and soak up the buzz as the weekend gets underway. A proper East End boozer, the Ten Bells attracts East End trendies and local workers from nearby Liverpool Street. Wander through Spitalfields to Shoreditch, where you can dine at Les Trois Garçons, which serves creative French food in boudoir surroundings and is favoured by celebrities. After dinner, you have a world of choice for drinking or dancing destinations. The hype surrounding Shoreditch has started to get a little tired, as the busloads of hen nights from the suburbs testify, but there's no doubting it has its own vibe and a fantastic choice of bars and clubs. Choose from the ultra-exclusive Shoreditch House, the attractive Favela Chic or the up-market Loungelover for top-end drinking. For late-night dancing, 333, Cargo and Plastic People all have great music.

Wake up early the next day and head to Borough Market. It's home to some of the best food in London, but can get extremely crowded as the day goes on, so the earlier the better. From here, visit London's iconic Tate Modern, which has shown modern art from the likes of Gilbert and George, Doris Salcedo and Man Ray. Take the ferry from just outside the Tate Modern to the Tate Britain, a great way to get a view of London from the river. You can also get off at the London Eye, which is convenient for the London Aquarium and the South Bank if the more traditional art of the Tate Britain doesn't appeal.

Jump on a tube and head to West London. Portobello Market starts to wind up around 5pm so arrive before then to make the most of the buzz in this area. Do a little light shopping in the boutiques or go for fish and chips at Geale's Restaurant (2 Farmer Street), where they have gentrified this most British of dishes. Cutting edge music can be found at the Notting Hill Arts Club, but arrive early as it is usually crowded.

Sundays are all about Brick Lane. Head east on the tube and wander the indoor markets and outdoor flea market stalls. Have lunch in one of the lively cafés or try nearby Tayyab's for one of London's finest curries, far superior to anything found on Brick Lane itself. For a real slice of Brick Lane, try the freshly baked bagels at the Brick Lane Beigel Bakey (159 Brick Lane). If it is all-day drinking you're after, then Vibe Bar is sure not to disappoint. If you still have any energy left, All Star Bowling Lanes have opened a new branch of their boutique bowling alley on Brick Lane.

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Have you tried any of the places on this itinerary? Got any ideas we haven't thought of? Have your say using the comments form below.