My London: Alan Davies

Comedian Alan Davies is all for Ken's congestion charge, The Knowledge and getting tourists on the London Eye. He tells Charlotte Williamson about his memorable moments in London.

Where do you live and why? In Highbury, because I can walk to the Arsenal stadium, and there are 87 restaurants between here and the Angel, apparently.

How long have you lived there? For two years. When I first moved to London, I lived in Stoke Newington.

What have been your most memorable London meals? When I first started on the comedy circuit in 1989-90, I used to hang out at the Red Rose Club on Seven Sisters Road with people like Jo Brand, Eddie Izzard and Mark Lamarr. We'd congregate at 2am at a late-licence Cypriot restaurant called Kostakis or something.
There was always lots of laughter. Memorable meals depend more on who's there than where you are.

Harvey Nicks or Selfridges? Selfridges, because it's nearer. But I like the Wagamama in the basement of Harvey Nichols.

What do you miss most when you're out of London? What London is, I suppose - the bad as well as the good. Outsiders have an astonishing ignorance of what London is like - people still think you can't do things like park or drive. I remember Frank Skinner saying that when he first started working in London, he would drive from Birmingham, park in Colindale and then take the Tube into the centre.

What are your extravagances? Nice holidays always seem to cost a lot. I'm going scuba diving in the Indian Ocean next.

What is your life philosophy? Always stand back to see the bigger picture.

Do you have a favourite pub? I have a couple, just off Upper Street in Islington: the Compton Arms and the Canonbury Tavern. I grew up with the notion of a local pub, which I don't think exists any more. Now pubs are full of people talking on their mobile phones.

Where was the last place you went on holiday? Last Christmas I went on an eight-week round-the-world trip to LA, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia and Indonesia. My favourite place was South Island in New Zealand. Geographically and geologically, it's all there - mountains, huge reflective lakes, the lot. You can hire a car in Queenstown and drive for miles without meeting anyone.

What are your favourite shops? Bookshops. I used to go to Housmans on the Caledonian Road a lot when I was a student - it was the place for Leftie books. It's cool, great and groovy, plus you don't have to wade through a stack of chick-lit.

How do you get around town? I love black cabs, especially the concept of The Knowledge, the idea that people should be trained and qualified for a job. There should be a Knowledge for all jobs, especially television producers.

What was the last book you bought? Them by Jon Ronson. I'm more of a book buyer than a reader.

What would you do if you were Mayor? Make cyclists stop at red lights and not ride on the pavement. In fact, make London pedestrianised. I'm all for the congestion charge.

What's in your winter wardrobe? A parka I've had for the past two winters. I believe it's very fashionable now. I was made to wear it for some TV thing I was shooting on Southend Pier, and then I went home in it.

What is your earliest London memory? Going on the Tube with my grandad.
He'd take me to Trafalgar Square and then cover me in birdseed. Being on the Tube is so exciting when you're little.

What advice would you give to a tourist? Go on the London Eye --you can see the Eiffel Tower from the top. Well, that's what I'd tell them - you can actually see Crystal Palace.

What was the last CD you bought? A John Lennon compilation. I've just done a programme on him [Great Britons] and am still enthralled.

What was the last play you saw, and did you enjoy it? Probably Benefactors, the Michael Frayn play that was revived earlier this year. Emma Chambers from The Vicar of Dibley was in it. She was great, but overall I thought it was dull.

Who's in your secret address book? A deli on my street called Fields (it's next to Highbury Fields). It's an extraordinary shop that only sells one of everything - the best brand --so there's one type of pickle, one type of pasta. It makes shopping really easy, a bit like going to the grocer in Little House on the Prairie. I never have to leave my street.

Alan Davies appears in Auntie & Me at Wyndhams Theatre from 14 January.