Like any sprawling modern metropolis, London’s many neighbourhoods each have an energy all their own. The East End embodies the city’s hippest side, home to quirky bar concepts, third-wave coffee shops and vintage retail galore. Independent businesses thrive here – a place where trends are set, not followed.
Get the low-down on this culture-forward hub with our guide to soaking up the best of the East London vibes.
Stay: Aethos London Shoreditch
In the heart of Shoreditch, East London’s creative character meets high-design sensibility at Aethos London Shoreditch. The 164 rooms and suites are appointed in minimalist style, meshing a contemporary mix of light and dark tones with concrete ceilings to create surprisingly welcoming spaces with a hint of Scandi-chic. Outside your lodgings, a hearty breakfast awaits at the all-day Aethos Cafe (soon to be joined by a new Japanese restaurant). After a good night’s rest – or, if you really want to treat yourself, a restorative in-room spa treatment – it’s time to begin our tour.
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See: V&A East Storehouse
The V&A East Storehouse is the edgier baby sibling of the Victoria and Albert, Chelsea’s historic art and design museum. The unique concept opens a working warehouse containing 500,000 artworks from the original gallery’s archives to the wider public, who peruse the space from walkways as the staff continues their cataloguing work. Its enormous size allows for the display of larger artefacts, including the Kaufmann Office, the only complete Frank Lloyd Wright interior outside the USA, as well as the opulent 15th-century gilded ceiling from the now-lost Torrijos Palace in Toledo, Spain. Less intrigued by the prospect of combing through such a vast array of items? The free Order an Object programme allows you to explore the storehouse collection online in advance and pick articles of special interest to view up close on appointment.
Lunch: Beigel Bake
Brick Lane is well known for its vintage market and its curry houses (the area has been a hub for London’s Bangladeshi community since the 1970s); it’s also home to Beigel Bake, the city’s most famous bagel spot. This unassuming 24/7 bakery is a local institution that has been serving the neighbourhood since 1974, and it’s an absolute must-try. We recommend the salt-beef bagel with pickles and English mustard. Don’t be put off if the queue looks long – it’s an efficient operation.
Shop: Brick Lane, Spitalfields Market & Columbia Road
We’re already on Brick Lane, which places us perfectly for some East End shopping – and this part of the city is a veritable hit parade of design stores and vintage treasure troves. The famous Spitalfields Market is also just around the corner, where independent vendors display a wide range of clothing, jewellery, records and knick-knacks of every kind. A little way north, Columbia Road is lined by more than 60 art galleries, antique shops, bakeries and funky cafes. The best time to visit is Sunday morning for the flower market; get there before 9 o’clock to bag the best blooms.
Caffeinate: Allpress Espresso Bar
Shoreditch is full of independent coffee joints, so we’re spoilt for choice for our afternoon break. Allpress Espresso Bar fits right in among the many niche boutiques of Redchurch Street (which, if you’re not already shopped out, are also worth a visit). Drop in for a sublime flat white and, if you’re so inclined, something sweet from the pastry cabinet. Allpress roasts its coffee a little way north in Dalston, so you may spy its beans at various cafes and restaurants around town.
Sup: Daffodil Mulligan
After working up an appetite moseying down Redchurch Street, we arrive at our dinnertime selection, the modern Irish restaurant Daffodil Mulligan. Founded by renowned Irish chef Richard Corrigan as an homage to the Dublin of his youth, it’s deliberately less formal (and more affordable) than his other London establishments. The menu spans tasty small plates including seabass ceviche and excellent soda bread, plus hearty mains from the wood oven and grill and – what else? – perfectly pulled pints of Guinness.
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Sip: Queen of Hoxton
It’s been a busy day, but luckily, it’s only a ten-minute post-prandial stroll to our final destination: Queen of Hoxton. The downstairs bit of this three-storey space serves Bajan food and classic cocktails, but the highlight is the rooftop, which the bar makes the most of in every season with themes ranging from cosy fairy-light-strewn yurts in winter to tacos and margaritas beneath bright paper garlands in summer. To get a dose of that famous British humour, stop by for a comedy night or drag cabaret, or visit on Friday nights for non-stop floor-fillers until 2am. Whichever day you choose, the vibes are always top-notch.
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