My London - Matthew Pinsent

Matthew Pinsent: a fan of The Ivy

14 April 2012

The rower and four-times Olympic gold medallist spends his money on suits, cheese and plasma TVs.

Where do you live and why?

I live in West Kensington with my wife, Dee. It has easy access to the A4, which is how you get out to Henley where I do all my training.

How long have you lived there?

Four years. Before that I lived in Henley itself.

What advice would you give to a tourist?

Whatever you do, don't take an open-top bus tour of the capital - just walk around on foot. Aside from all the obvious monuments, take time to discover the parks, and check out all the posh houses in Holland Park. It's just about possible to get a flavour of London in a day.

What is your earliest London memory?

Staying on my godmother's houseboat in Chelsea. I must have been about seven at the time.

What do you miss most when you're out of London?

That feeling of excitement and energy that is unique to London. All big cities have a buzz, but London especially so.

What would you do if you were Mayor for the day?

If I could sort out the Tube in one day, I'd do that. Also I would ensure that there were more motorcycle bays. You can get ten motorbikes in one car space. It makes sense to promote motorbikes: they ease congestion.

What were the last books you bought?

Mountains of the Mind by Robert Macfarlane. He traces the history of mountaineering and why man has always been fascinated with conquering them. A friend recommended it and, so far, it's great. I've also read quite a lot of John Grisham and, more recently, Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code.

Do you have a favourite pub? What's so special about it?

The Atlas in Fulham. It has great food, and that's what marks out good pubs from average ones for me.

What are your current projects?

I've just finished my autobiography, A Lifetime in a Race. Life has been a bit of a whirlwind since I won my fourth gold medal at Athens.

What is your greatest extravagance?

My plasma TV. That pretty much broke the bank.

What items are in your autumn wardrobe?

I like to spend money on my clothes. I always get my suits from Dunhill on Jermyn Street and my shoes from Oliver Sweeney. In both cases, they cater for men of my size - I'm 6ft 5in, with a shoe size 13.

What are your favourite home comforts?

My duvet, my wife's home cooking (she does a mean lasagne) and episodes of American TV such as The West Wing, Six Feet Under and The Sopranos. America is churning out some quality drama at the moment.

What have been your most memorable London meals?

I've been to the Ivy several times, which is always excellent. I'm also quite into my Japanese food: I like this sushi place in Covent Garden called Taro, and a restaurant called Itsu on Wardour Street. I went to the Oxo Tower for a lovely meal after I did Parkinson recently.

What was the last play you saw in London and did you enjoy it?

I'm more of a cinemagoer, really. The last film I saw was Fahrenheit 9/11. Definitely worth the entry fee, but not worthy of an Oscar. I was interested in the concept of the film, but not particularly the politics of Michael Moore.

What aftershave do you wear?

Eau Sauvage.

Where were the last three places you went on holiday?

Most recently I went to Los Angeles for a long weekend, to attend a friend's wedding. Before that, I holidayed around northern Italy, near Milan. Prior to that, it was Fiji, where my wife and I went on honeymoon. My training schedule only allows for about three weeks a year. Sometimes I go to Toronto, as I have family there.

How do you get around town?

I have an array of motorised vehicles: an MG V8 car and two motorbikes - a Yamaha XJR 1300 and a Triumph Tiger.

Who is in your secret address book?

I love Paxton & Whitfield on Jermyn Street. It's a very traditional shop with some gorgeous cheeses. If you want to push the boat out when you're buying cheese, that's the place to go to.