Meet Our Friends – Our Favourite Things to do in London

We have some fantastic suggestions for great places to eat and drink!

And things to see! while you are in the East End. Checkout the map and links below to find out about what some of our friends have to offer. We’ve also put together a list of other tours and things to do that we recommend in London, the U.K and the rest of the world!

Make Your Alternative London Experience Even Better!

To meet our friends, click in the links below to jump to that section, or just scroll down to see al the incredible options we have for you!

Eating & Drinking

1. The Canvas         
Social Enterprise Café where you can draw on the walls
42 Hanbury St, London E1 5JL
www.thecanvascafe.org

2. The Water Poet
Traditional London Pub with £10 lunch deal on weekdays, inclusive of a drink.
9-11 Folgate St, E1 6BX,
www.waterpoet.co.uk

3. The English Restaurant
Family owned and run coffee shop and restaurant set in an original Georgian House
52 Brushfield Street, London E1 6AG
www.theenglishrestaurant.com

4. Golden Heart
Where the Brick Lane creative revolution started. Landlady Sandra was named one of the most influential people in British art.
110 Commercial St, London E1 6LZ

5. 10 Bells
Opened in the 1850’s and still retaining its Victorian tiling, has a good selection of craft beers.
84 Commercial Street, London E1 6QG
www.tenbells.com

6. Poppies 
Fish & Chip Shop
6-8 Hanbury Street, London E1 6QR
www.poppiesfishandchips.co.uk 

7. Brick Lane Brasserie 
Family run Curry House on Brick Lane
67 Brick Lane, London E1 6QL
www.bricklanebrasserie.com 

8. Masala 
Amongst the best curry shops on Brick Lane
88 Brick Lane, London, E1
www.masalabricklane.com 

9. Pride of Spitalfields
The best local pub in East London
3 Heneage Street, London E1 5LJ
No website

10. Needoos 
Highly acclaimed traditional Punjabi food
87 New Road, London E1 1HH
www.needoogrill.co.uk 

11. The Carpenters Arms 
Great food and a large selection of beers from around the world
73 Cheshire Street, London E2 6EG
www.carpentersarmsfreehouse.com 

12. Dark Sugars 
Chocolate Shop
141 Brick Lane, London E1 6SB
www.darksugars.co.uk/ 

13. Brick Lane Beigels 
London’s original and best Beigels, the only Jewish businesses surviving on Brick Lane
159 & 155 Brick Lane, London E1 6SB

14. Brick Lane Coffee 
Hipster Coffee hangout
157 Brick Lane London
www.streetcoffee.co.uk 

15. Well & Bucket 
Beautiful beer, oysters & sliders and a little secret bar down below.
143 Bethnal Green Road, London E2 7DG
www.wellandbucket.com 

16. Owl and Pussycat 
Shoreditch Pub with lively beer garden
34 Redchurch Street, London, E2 7D
www.owlandpussycatshoreditch.com 

17. Dishoom 
Bombay Café style restaurant, recently voted best food in the U.K by Yelp.
7 Boundary Street, London E2 7JE
www.dishoom.com 

18. Book Club 
Food, drinks, D.J’s and free ping pong!
100-106 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4RH
www.wearetbc.com 

19. Queen of Hoxton 
Book Club’s ‘older sister’ great roof terrace and live music nights 1-5 CURTAIN ROAD LONDON EC2A 3JX
www.queenofhoxton.com 

20. 98 Curtain Road 
Zebra prints, lavish colourful fittings and Victoriana lend this cocktail bar a fairy tale vibe.
98 Curtain Road, London EC2A 3AA
www.ninetyeight-bar-lounge.co.uk 

21. Old Blue Last 
Refurbished East End boozer, with live music venue upstairs, attracting trendy young crowd
38 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3ES
www.theoldbluelast.com 

22. Bar Kick 
Spacious bar with table football, hung with flags and memorabilia and showing matches on big screen. Daily happy hour.
127 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6JE
www.cafekick.co.uk 

23. Syd’s Coffee Stall 
Serving hot drinks since 1918
On the corner of Calvert Avenue and Shoreditch High St.

24. Paper n Cup 
Not for profit coffee and book shop, supporting the Spitalfields Crypt Trust.
18 Calvert Avenue E2 7JP
www.paperandcup.co.uk/ 

25. Dragon Bar 
Amazing £5 lunch menu during the day, lively Shoreditch bar by night.
138 – 139, Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6JE

26. Shutterbug 
Cool, intimate bar and creperie serving bespoke pancakes and cocktails, with DJs plus a courtyard.
1 Rivington Place, EC2A
www.shutterbug-london.com 

27. Bedroom Bar 
Bohemian, traveller-inspired rooms on 2 floors with live music and DJs on 2 sound systems.
62-68 Rivington Street, London EC2A 3AY
www.bedroom-bar.co.uk 

28. Franco’s 
Traditional East End Café, serving breakfast lunch and sandwiches
67 Rivington Street Shoreditch

29. Calooh Calay 
Low-lit Shoreditch bar with Lewis Carroll-themed interior and long menu of innovative cocktails.
65 Rivington St, London EC2A 3AY
www.calloohcallaybar.com/welcome 

30. Barley Mow 
Traditional, compact corner pub with bench and stool seating, stripped floors and real ales on tap.
127 Curtain Road, Shoreditch, London EC2A 3AU

31. Portside Parlour 
Candle-lit bar with leather sofas and illustration-covered walls, plus over 50 rums and cocktails.
14 Rivington Street, London EC2A 3DU
www.portsideparlour.co.uk 

32. Red Market (May – October) 
Street Food market by day, bar and D.J’s in the evening.
1-3 Rivington St. London EC2A 3DT
www.redgallerylondon.com 

33. Chico Bandito 
Mexican Restaurant
74 Luke Street London EC2A 4AR
www.chicobandito.co.uk 

34. Vietnamese Food 
There is over 10 Vietnamese restaurants on Kingsland Rd, London E8 4AAU. Take your pick!

35. On the Bab
Brilliant and affordable Korean restaurant
305 Old Street, London EC1V 9LA
www.onthebab.com/ 

36. Frizzante at Hackney City Farm 
Hearty Rustic Food by the farm.
Hackney City Farm, 1 A Goldsmith’s Row, London E2 8QA
www.frizzanteltd.co.uk 

37. Jaguar Shoes 
Hipster cafe bar behind glass shopfront of an ex-wholesalers, with candlelit, bare-brick basement.
32-34 Kingsland Road, London E2 8DA
www.jaguarshoes.com 

38. E. Pellicci 
Vintage Art Deco workers’ cafe offering the full English breakfast and Italian classics since 1900.
332 Bethnal Green Road, London E2 0AG

39. Bistroteque 
Modern European classics in a trendy loft-restaurant with cocktails and stage shows downstairs.
23–27 Wadeson Street. London E2 9DR
www.bistrotheque.com

Shops & Galleries in East London

1. Whitechapel Gallery 
Opened in 1901, the first permanent gallery in the East End.
77-82 Whitechapel High Street, London E1 7QX
www.whitechapelgallery.org 

2. Stolen Space 
Compact art gallery hosting temporary, contemporary underground and urban art exhibitions.
17 Osborn Street, London E1 6TD
http://www.stolenspace.com

3, Blitz
2-storey Victorian warehouse for vast vintage fashion, lifestyle and second-hand homeware bazaar.
http://www.blitzlondon.co.uk

4. Rough Trade 
Music emporium in old brewery with a coffee shop, also selling books and hosting in-store gigs.
Dray Walk, Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London E1 6QL
www.roughtrade.com 

5, Backyard Market (weekends)
A large variety of local independent traders under one roof.
The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London E1 6QL
http://www.backyardmarket.co.uk 

6. Brick Lane Books 
Specialists of books about London and the East End.
166 Brick Lane, London E1 6RU
http://www.bricklanebookshop.org

7, Spitalfields City Farm
Local city farm with events and happenings all year
Buxton Street, London E1 5AR
http://www.spitalfieldscityfarm.com

8. Graffiti Life 
Contemporary artist-run gallery
26 Cheshire Street, London E2 6EH
http://www.thegraffitilifegallery.co.uk

9, Beach London
Gallery focused on design and illustration, selling books and gifts, plus original artworks.
20 Cheshire Street, London E2 6EH
http://www.beach.london/

10. Beyond Retro 
Vintage clothing retailer
110-112 Cheshire Street, London E2 6EJ
http://www.beyondretro.com

11. Red Gallery / Alt Ldn H.Q 
Alternative London Bus and Alternative London pop up Gallery
1-3 Rivington St, EC2A 3DT
www.redgallerylondon.com 

12. Material 
Books, magazines and prints.
3 Rivington Street, London EC2A 3DT
http://www.materialmaterial.com

13. Pure Evil Gallery
A showcase of urban artist Pure Evil’s work, alongside other street art
http://www.pureevilgallery.virb.com

14, Jealous
Print studio and gallery specialising in street art and urban contemporary art
2A Luke Street Shoreditch EC2A 4NT
http://www.jealousgallery.com

15. Moniker
Gallery and organisers of the annual Moniker Art Fair
73 Leonard Street, Shoreditch
www.monikerartfair.com

16. Hoxton Gallery
Gallery space with regular pop up exhibitions
9 Kingsland Road, London E2 8AA
www.hoxtongallery.com

17. Good times Tattoo
Rated one of the best studios in the world with top class artists. Owned by Nicole Lowe of London Ink.
147 Curtain Road, London EC2A 3QE
www.goodtimestattoo.co.uk

19. Nelly Duff
Edition House & Gallery established in 2005, nestled amid the creative heart of London’s East End, on Columbia Road
156 Columbia Road, London E2 7RG
www.nellyduff.com

Other Stuff We Love
TOURS

1. Alternative Berlin
The original and best Berlin experiences
http://www.alternativeberlin.com/

2. Alternative Hamburg
The love child of Alternative London and Alternative Berlin, how cold it not be amazing?!
http://www.alternativehamburg.com/
tours.php

3. Alternative Budapest
Budapests premium independent tour company, see Budapest like a local.
http://www.alternativebudapest.com/

4. Alternative Prague
One of the best independent Alternative Tour providers in Europe
http://alternative-prague.com/

5. Secret Liverpool
There’s much more to ‘the ‘Pool’ than The Beatles and Liverpool F.C. These guys have got the lowdown.
http://www.seecrettours.co.uk/

Other Stuff We Love
BLOGS

1. Hookedblog
London’s longest running and best street art blog.
http://www.hookedblog.co.uk/

2. Street Art News
Up to date info from the International street art scene.
http://www.streetartnews.net

3. Spitalfields Life
‘I am going to write every single day and tell you about life here in Spitalfields at the heart of London’ A promise made five years ago, and so far upheld…