How to Spend the Perfect Autumn Day in London

There is something magical about autumn in London, when the city seems to move at a different pace and the leaves turn to jewel-like colors.

Start at 9am with coffee at Monmouth Coffee Co in Covent Garden, where the scent of roasting beans fills the air and outdoor tables stay packed despite the chill.

At 10am, walk to Bloomsbury for cinnamon buns at St John at The London Review Bookshop. The neighborhood, once home to writers like Virginia Woolf and Charles Dickens, has a definite September energy.

Spend 11am shopping in Marylebone, wandering between Marylebone High Street, Marylebone Lane, and Chiltern Street. Browse indie stores like Daunt Books, KJ's Laundry, Monocle, TOAST, and James Smith & Son, an old-school umbrella shop.

For lunch at 1pm, try The Hart for its banoffee pie, Cafe Murano for Angela Hartnett's Italian comfort food, or Jikoni for Ravinder Bhogal's warm, spicy menu.

At 2:30pm, visit The Wallace Collection in Manchester Square to admire fine art from the 15th to 19th centuries in a quiet townhouse setting.

Then walk through Hyde Park at 3:30pm, crunching through burnt golds and rust-colored leaves.

At 5pm, browse Farm Shop Mayfair for fancy items from its Somerset farm, then head to The Audley at 5:30pm for a pint of Guinness and a packet of Taytos in one of the city's prettiest pubs.

At 6:30pm, enjoy cocktails at The Connaught, where a martini works for every season.

Finish at 8pm with dinner at Wiltons in St James's, an institution since 1742, serving classic British dishes like twice-baked Stilton souffle in cozy booths with wood-panelled walls.