Eva Longoria's My London

Desperate housewife Eva Longoria drinks strawberry cream martinis with Victoria Beckham at Maze and stocks up at Topshop...

Home is
Where my heart is: San Antonio, Texas.

Where do you stay in London?
I usually stay at Claridge's, but this time I'm staying at The Soho Hotel where my new perfume is being launched.

What advice would you give a tourist coming to London?
Bring a lot of money to shop! I love the shopping here, especially for clothes.

What's the best meal you've had in London?
I ate last night at Maze with Victoria [Beckham] as well as Gordon and Tana Ramsay. I had the best cocktails: we had this raspberry champagne and a strawberry cream martini. I'm not a big drinker but it was really good there. Soho House has great food as well.

What's your earliest London memory?
The first time I was here I was dating somebody; we went to the London Eye, we did the whole touristy thing and because it was before I was famous, I really cherish the memory. That was probably the last time I could walk around London and experience it as a normal tourist.

What are your guilty pleasures?
Eating, that's what I love most about Europe – the dining experience is really much more enjoyable here than in the US where everything is just fast. Sleep, too. If I can get sleep I'm really happy.

What are you most afraid of?
Failure.

What's your life philosophy?
Do unto others as you want them to do unto you.

Which is your favourite London street for shopping?
Sloane Street. I like all the labels there, but what I buy depends on the clothes themselves. You can't come to London without going to Topshop; most recently I was in the one at Westfield and it was great. I also like to walk around and discover little boutiques.

What animal would you most like to be?
A large exotic cat of some sort, a tiger or a panther because they're feminine and sexy.

What was the last album you downloaded?
Sheryl Crow's most recent album, 100 Miles from Memphis. I love her music, and she's a good friend.

What would you save from a fire?
Photos – memories are the most important thing to me.

What makes you laugh?
My girlfriends, because when we are together we are just really silly.

What are you up to at the moment?
I am promoting my perfume in London and filming Desperate Housewives series 7.

Who's your hero?
My mother Ella.

What do you most like wearing?
Dresses. I love feeling like a woman. I love Victoria [Beckham]'s designs because you can wear them almost anywhere, from business appointments to dinner parties.