Sadiq Khan

The Mayor of London collected the Food and Travel Reader Award for City of the Year from Mark Sansom. He took time out to share his favourite holiday destinations and places to eat

Where do you go on holiday?

I’ve always loved British seaside resorts. As a kid my parents took us to Brighton and I did the same with my daughters. The holiday hadn’t started until we’d had fish and chips from The Regency and a bag of doughnuts. I love Venice, too. It’s one of those cities that’s got everything, from history to quality food and it’s all within walking distance.

Where have you been recently?

I discovered Barcelona for the first time this year. It’s gone straight to the top of my list of favourite cities. You can really see the legacy of the 1992 Olympics in the city’s regeneration. I stayed at the W Hotel and we loved it; my wife got an excellent last-minute deal. We always book late as she’s a busy lawyer and I’m a rather busy mayor, so our schedules are sometimes tricky to synchronise.

Where do you eat near home?

I’ve lived in Tooting my whole life and now it’s fizzing and buzzing with quality restaurants. It’s got some of the best South Asian food in the country. We go to Mirch Masala and Lahore Karahi regularly but I couldn’t pick a favourite. It’s been great to witness the renaissance of Tooting Market. Franchises like Honest Burgers and Dirty Burger are great, but they sit next to top independent Lebanese places, pizza restaurants and coffee shops. The area hasn’t lost its soul.

What’s the food like at the Palace of Westminster?

When I started as an MP in 2005 it was awful and overpriced. It’s got a lot better, though. There are plenty of good restaurants nearby. The Cinnamon Club is a great Indian and J Sheekey is just down the road. I used to take quite a few lunches with journalists but I put on a stone in a year. Now I’ll just go for coffee.

Where do you eat out in the rest of London?

My wife and I are huge fans of Ottolenghi. We head up to the one in Islington quite regularly. I like the sharing plate vibe and the flavours that come with Persian food. It’s healthy and delicious.

Do you do much cooking?

My wife and I cheat. We’re lucky to have inlaws close by who are excellent cooks. The whole family love watching Great British Bake Off. Channel 4 has done a decent job of it to be fair. My eldest daughter gets inspired and bakes all manner of excellent cakes. We’ve all got a sweet tooth.

Where do you go to celebrate?

It’s my birthday this weekend actually and my wife has a surprise planned. Last year we stayed at Sanderson and it was superb. London’s hotels have seriously upped their game in recent years. They’ve been put under pressure by Airbnb and realise that while they can’t compete on price, they need to excel in service. One of my worries surrounding Brexit is how we are going to fill some of these service jobs and keep quality high. With the value of the pound in Europe we’ve seen huge tourism numbers in recent years and this is only going to increase. We need to continue to excel in what Londoners have always been superb at: showing people how to have a good time and giving a warm welcome.