Watering hole: I don’t drink a lot and local pubs hold no fascination for me, but if it’s a pre-theatre drink then nothing beats The American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in the Strand where the piano tinkles delightfully, the martinis are superb and the nibbles are by far the best in London.

Restaurant: I have a list of special restaurants as they feed the mood: I love breakfast at the Wolseley in Piccadilly where porridge, tea and toast or the ‘full nine breakfast yards’ are available. Lunch at any of the Giraffe chain of restaurants is cheap and cheerful, but brimming over with attitude. Tea is great at Fortnum and Mason in the mezzanine and dinner at Rules in Covent Garden for English food of distinction or Vijay’s in Kilburn, which has a great London following for the best South Indian food.

On Sunday afternoons I usually go for a walk in Hyde Park, regardless of the weather, with a friend, often Rosie who introduced me to this pastime. I start at Marble Arch and cut diagonally across this mammoth green space, through the rose garden, ending upstairs at Harvey Nicks for a glass of Champagne. It’s easy to get lost, but that’s part of the fun as one can always ask for directions, and it is also a good way of meeting knowledgeable foreigners.

First-time visitors to London should definitely do all that the tourist trail offers. One can see so much for so little. First, make sure you buy an Oyster card from the tube (London Underground) station for inner-city travel unless you are loaded and can take the very expensive taxis. London transport is fantastic but expensive, and the Oyster gets you tickets at roughly half-price. Major Sights: the London Eye (I like it at night), visit as many museums and galleries as you can since they are all free and are of world-class standard. The National Gallery, The British Museum and the Victoria and Albert are essential. I wouldn’t miss the Science Museum for the world. You could take a walk across the Hungerford Bridge, which joins the Strand to the South Bank and extol the views of the city to the left and right, then wander among the stalls and concert halls, the theatres and the bookshops on the South Bank. For those who shop, Selfridges is a great experience but Oxford Street is now a bit of a hassle. Primark Oxford Street, for cheap bargains, is a magnet but the crowds are really quite extraordinary.

Insider tip about London: research has revealed that every Londoner is photographed by security cameras at least 300 times in any one day when they leave home, and it will be more during the Olympics… so don’t drive with your phone to you ear, don’t jaywalk, don’t sit in a priority seat for the elderly, don’t try a ting…it aint worth it: there are no ‘blighs’.

I am really looking forward to seeing my golden Jamaicans on one of the ginormous open-air screens and waving my black, green and gold flag.

Mischa Mills

1. Fave watering hole:

Without a doubt, Trailer Happiness, the coolest rum tiki bar in London. www.trailerh.com.

2. Fave restaurant:

Roka, 37 Charlotte Street. The ultra-cool HK owners also own the Zuma chain. It is a fusion Japanese restaurant with a basement shochu bar and good looking staff and clients.www.rokarestaurant.com.

3 On Sunday afternoon I am usually in bed, reading the local papers, and surfing international papers online.

4. First-time visitors to London…Should definitely take the double-decker ‘hop on, hop off’ bus around London to understand how it is laid out. Stop off at the London Eye, the Tate Modern, have a drink at the National Portrait Gallery’s rooftop bar, and stroll through any one of the massive parks.

5. My insider tip about London:

You can almost always get a “Bob Marley discount” if you tell people you are Jamaican.

6. I am really looking forward to showing off in 2012. We will rule at the Olympics, especially since the men’s 100m victory ceremony will take place on the 50th anniversary of Jamaica’s Independence. Wouldn’t it be great if we swept the medals?