A day in East London

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Perhaps you’re coming to London for the second time, having already strolled through Hyde Park, battled hordes of shoppers in Covent Garden, and taken the obligatory selfie with Big Ben. Now you want to see how and where the locals live. This is no mean feat, given that this vast city sprawls across a total area of 1,583 square kilometres (put into context, you could comfortably fit five Maltas into London). With this in mind, you might want to home in on a particular area. And if vegan breakfasts, vintage clothes, quirky culture and proper pubs are your jam, get yourself over to East London.

Whenever I have the pleasure of showing out-of-towner friends around my city, I always do a variation of the following. 

Brunch

Set yourself up for the day at Mother, a peaceful café on the canal bank in Hackney Wick where you’ll find banana laden toast slathered with peanut butter, crunchy granola bowls and smashed avo sourdough (an East London staple). All the food is organic, vegan and most importantly, delicious. There’s also an array of colourful smoothies and juices to make you feel even more virtuous.

If you’re after something a little more indulgent, head to The Breakfast Club conveniently located right next door to Mother. Here you’ll find towering pancake stacks, breakfast burritos bursting with beans and eggs, and a full English breakfast resplendent with black pudding, bacon and sausage. 

Once you’re done brunching, take a stroll along the canal and make your way into Victoria Park, a 213-acre leafy green haven complete with a lake and Chinese pagoda. It’s London’s most beautiful park in my opinion (sorry Hyde Park) and it makes for a wonderfully lazy post-brunch amble. You can also take advantage of the many Santander bikes and cycle around the park for as little as £2 if your journey is less than 30 minutes. 

Lunch

On the other side of the park you’ll find Broadway Market, a Victorian street market selling food, vintage clothing and more. If the aromas emanating from the piping hot burgers, curries and katsu wraps don’t get your appetite going, take your time to peruse the stalls and shops. There are plenty of vintage gems and handmade goodies to fill your suitcase with. And no trip to Broadway Market is complete without stepping by The Broadway Bookshop, a gorgeous independent bookshop with shelves stuffed full of classic and contemporary treasures. 

Once you’re ready for lunch, I recommend making your way to the very end of the market where you’ll find decadently large falafel wraps at a stall called Urban Falafel. By the time you’ve finished, you’ll have tahini sauce running down your arm and salad on your shoes, but it will be worth it. You’ll also find everything from homemade fudge to cannolis and cupcakes to satiate your sweet tooth. 

Side note: look out for F.Cooke, a traditional market café serving the East London classic – jellied eels. It’s thought that jellied eels date back to the 1800s, with an abundance of eels in the River Thames making it a cheap source of food for East End workers. If you’re brave enough to try it, hats off to you and bon appétit! I did once get chatting to a delightful old woman in a pie and mash shop who extolled the virtues of jellied eels, whilst admitting that yes, they do look off putting. I’m yet to try them though…

Coffee

If you’re in need of a post-lunch coffee (or perhaps something stronger to wash down the eels), head over to Blixen, an oasis of plants and good vibes in the heart of Spitalfields Market. It’s a slice of cappuccino-soaked tranquillity in a crazy city. Try to get a seat in the conservatory so you can sip your beverage amongst the tangle of greenery. (Blixen is also a great option for brunch, lunch or dinner should you want something fancier than the other eateries I’ve listed.)

Culture

With fuel in your belly and caffeine in your veins, it’s time to soak up some culture. Your next destination is the Barbican Centre, a world-class arts centre in the City of London. You’ll find free installations, commissions and events, as well as classical and contemporary concerts, photography and art exhibitions and a cinema showcasing films and talks. There’s plenty to quench your cultural thirst here.

The Barbican Centre is nestled in the Barbican Estate, a wonderful example of brutalist architecture at its finest. It’s a place that divides Londoners, who either wax lyrical about the flower-filled concrete haven or denounce it as the ugliest place in the whole city. I fall into the first category and wholeheartedly recommend you while away a couple of hours here. Top tip: visit before the sun goes down so you can enjoy this magnificent building in the daylight. 

If that’s got you hungry for more art, feast your eyes at Whitechapel Gallery. This gallery may be small but it’s certainly mighty and packs a historical punch. It was opened in 1901 to bring art to the people of East London and has been showcasing Picasso, Pollack and many more ever since. In fact, Picasso’s masterpiece, Guernica was displayed at the Whitechapel Gallery in 1939 on its first and only ever visit to Britain. It’s also a beautiful building (London is full of them!), its terracotta blocks bedecked with delicate golden leaves. 

Dinner

The night is drawing in and your tummy is rumbling. Luckily, you’re a mere 7 minute walk away from Tayyabs, one of East London’s finest curry houses. If the thought of a creamy korma or a fragrant, spicy madras makes you salivate, you’re going to want to check this place out. It’s not a well-kept secret and the queues can be insanely long, so booking a table in advance is recommended. Come armed with cold bottles of beer (Tayyabs is BYOB) and an empty stomach. 

If you find yourself stuck in one of Tayyab’s infamous queues and you’re too hungry to wait, head over to Brick Lane where you’ll find a plethora of curry houses eagerly waiting for your custom. All the restaurants here are BYOB too, so don’t forget those beers.  

After you’ve mopped up the last puddle of sauce, there’s a very real possibility that you won’t want your East London experience to end. In that case, you can continue the festivities at the Lord Tredegar, a quirky pub with beer and board games aplenty. Hole up in one of the pub’s many cosy corners with a pint of Frontier and plan your next trip back East.