Can an art gallery be inspired by a speakeasy? Is it really cheeky if I say that this Pace location…read moreis a little bit Brooklyn speakeasy-esque? I hope I don't get into trouble for saying that... Pace, is a commercial contemporary art gallery with locations in NYC, Beijing, London and Hong Kong. They are amongst the leading names in commercial art and represent a huge variety of internationally renowned contemporary artists. They operate two locations in London, with Lexington being the smaller and more clandestine space and Burlington Gardens the larger and more imposing one. Tucked away on Lexington off Brewer St, on the side street off Bill's Restaurant, this gallery is a ring the doorbell affair. Ring the one on the right for the door to be opened and head upstairs to the first floor. There's an elevator for those who need it. There is a receptionist who will greet you, through whom you may purchase catalogues and other literature. The accompanying text for the exhibition will be printed out on A4 paper and is free to take. Generally I will come to Pace if they are exhibiting a Chinese artist's work as that is my area of specialty and, it has to be said, also Pace's forte. However they do exhibit a wide variety of works from artists all over the world so it's a good idea to get on their mailing list and stay up to date on what's going on. Exhibitions alternate every 4-6 weeks so there is always something new to see and you have to be on the ball. Not to be missed for those venturing outside of the stock Tate/National Galleries/V&A arena. Keep an open mind will you? Best to have a subscription to ArtReview handy.

With the multitude of galleries in E2, it's difficult to know which to visit. I really like Maureen…read morePaley gallery, plainly because it has some really great exhibitions. Ok, so the space is small and not all that interesting but surely it's all about the art, no?! So, I'd recommend checking the website for their exhibitions; I saw a great Wolfman Tillmans (prominent photographer) exhibition here earlier this year, as well as a fantastic Bank Violets show, an artist famed for his collaboration with drone band Sunn o))) back in 2006. I'd really recommend checking Maureen Paley out if you're doing an E2 art crawl.

Being one of the first galleries to present art in the East End, the Maureen Paley gallery has been…read morea pioneer of the current scene. The gallery represents the likes of Wolfgang Tillmans, Gillian Wearing and Rebecca Warren. The gallery itself is hidden down a side road near Bethnal Green, a larger gallery than some of its tiny east end competitors. The recent Wolfgang Tillmans show made good use of the space, the downstairs room used for his photographic installation and upstairs was divided for the screening of some of his films. As with the rest of the East End galleries, its always hit and miss unless you know and like the exhibiting artist, but the Maureen Paley is one to look out for, I'm always prepared to make a significant detour to fit it into a gallery day.

The Fieldgate Gallery is a non-profit gallery in trendy East London, next door to art supply shop…read moreAtlantis. It puts on a wide variety of shows from video arts to sculpture. It's a great space, surprisingly big from it's single doorway entrance, and full of interesting and exciting contemporary art.

From attending a recent opening night here, I got the impression that this venue hosts work by…read moreemerging artists. Quite a large space, with three artists showing work in this particular exhibition, including sculptural installations, photography and film. I wasn't too keen on the sculptures - they looked like something you would see in an art college undergrad studio - but then again, maybe this guy was an undergrad art student - in which case, fair play for getting the gig, etc. Notably, Sheena Macrae's "Drink" video installation was quite cool - featuring all the excerpts from the "Dallas" TV series where the characters are drinking.

Squashed between businesses and very close to the street, Sesame has a new white look. Refursbished…read moreto look like another commercial gallery it has a number of artists from different geographical backgrounds. They focus mostly on painting and the works I've seen so far are truly colourful and interesting. Spread over three floors; I find it interesting to meet the artist for a chat.

This is a great little gallery located on Upper Street just a short walk from Angel Station…read more I've always been impressed with the shows put on here - from fairly notable London street artists to internationally acclaimed contemporary artists. The exhibitions usually highlight young paintings and most of what I've seen has had some sort of edge or underground feel to it.

Nice gallery on a snazzy street. Their current (November 2008) Garry Fabian Miller exhibition is…read morebrilliant: http://londonist.com/2008/11/review_garry_fabian_miller_at_james.php My visit for the Miller show was my first time to check out James Hyman. But it won't be my last. I was so impressed I made sure to get on their mailing list. It's an appropriately well lit space with pieces thoughtfully appointed in consideration to the constraints of the gallery.

Never even noticed this gallery on the main strip of Shoreditch but heard about the Paraboladig…read moreexhibit and was impressed by the guy there who thoroughly explained all the sketches with passion. Nice space and nice people.

I love this space. Sadly it looks a bit forbidding from the outside. It doesn't feel like one could…read morejust go inside, but one can and one should. Its specialising in photography and it is showing solo as well as group exhibitions. The art work is always so beautiful and I'm always tempted to buy something. The prices are not unreasonable, but I wouldn't expect them to sell things under a grand.

Hamilton's is very high end. A closed door gallery with a private collection of pieces that may be…read moreavailable for sale either in this here place, or at one of the nearby auction houses like Christie's

The Yayoi Kusama exhibition is taking place at present and the venue is perfect for it...albeit a…read morelittle hot on a warm day. The queues are pretty long on a weekend as it's only open on Saturday but worth the wait. Everything is super visual and pretty. Really nice experiences.

I visited this gallery to have a look at the Yayoi Kusama exhibition which is running until the…read more30th July. I arrived shortly before 10am (opening time) to be greeted with a long queue outside. Thankfully the line moved pretty quickly and I was soon inside. The staff did say that the exhibition is extremely popular on Saturdays so it is probably advisable to get there as close to opening time as possible. As the exhibition contains several mirrored rooms, which visitors can go in individually or in small groups, you do end up queueing again to get into each one, although the staff are very helpful and good at limiting the time to keeping things moving (you get 20 seconds in the pumpkin room and a minute in the others). The art itself is very cool, the mirrored rooms are excellent and each provides a very different experience (and some great photo opportunities!) The garden is really relaxing with a big pond containing another installation. If you do visit, make sure you go and have a look at the paintings and also the Rana Begum 'The Space Between' exhibition which is equally beautiful. I really enjoyed this gallery and exhibition and will definitely be keeping an eye on the listings for future exhibitions at Victoria Miro Gallery.