Blake Lively's My London

Home is…

New York. I live in Manhattan.

Where do you stay in London?

I’ve never found the one place to stay but I saw a hotel on the Goop website called Blakes that I really want to try.

Last show you saw?

Rent in the West End, which at the time had Caprice in it. It was very funny watching a musical about New York and the Lower East Side with the cast all speaking in British accents.

First thing you do when you arrive?

Go to the Hat-Gallery M/V on Earl’s Court Road. It has such beautiful, interesting pieces, some of which I would buy but never actually wear. When I’m back in New York I get the staff to send me photos because I love the hats so much.

Which animal would you most like to be?

A bird, because it would be amazing to fly.

Best meal you’ve had?

Nobu is one of my favourite restaurants and the best Nobu meal I’ve had was in London. It does a special jalapeño sauce for the rock shrimp tempura, and the very thought of it makes me want to go back.

Best place to let your hair down?

The Viva Forever! musical. I love the Spice Girls.

Favourite shops?

I love buying shoes from Charlotte Olympia because her stores haven’t come to the US yet. I’m obsessed with Liberty because you can buy something for every hobby you might have. I’ve always had a sweet tooth so I go to Ladurée in Burlington Arcade to buy vanilla and raspberry macaroons. While I’m there I visit the antique jewellery shops in the arcade.

What’s your earliest London memory?

My older brother basically kidnapped me one Christmas break when I was 15 and took me to London. We stayed with his friends who escorted us all over the place. It was an incredible experience. We also went to Oxford for a day because I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and wanted to see where it had been filmed.

Building you’d most like to live in?

The Covent Garden Hotel because it has a beautiful townhouse vibe and is very elegant.

Your finishing touch for a night out?

A really good scarf if it’s cold, and a spritz of Gucci Premiere. Gucci has done what I’ve always tried to do myself, which is mix cologne with perfume to blend a feminine sensual vibe with an empowered masculine vibe.

Has your friend Florence Welch shown you around town?

When we’re together we never leave the house. When she came to visit me in New York I made brunch and then all we did all day was lie in bed and giggle, try on my clothes, listen to music, dance and play dress-up, like a couple of little girls at a tea party.

Most romantic place in London?

The most romantic experience is just walking around, not knowing where the heck you are, and finding yourself on some beautiful cobbled street with old street lamps.

Building you’d like to be locked in overnight?

The castle! I mean, Buckingham Palace. It’s got to be a fun place to explore.

Biggest extravagance?

Lorraine Schwartz jewellery, but I don’t buy it often, so when I do it always has significance. She was friends with Elizabeth Taylor and taught her to only buy a piece when she’d accomplished something, which is what I try to do.