Your Key To London’s Colourful East End

Let me show you a side of London that you may not know about. These days, it’s quite common for many people from all over the world to have already visited London, as low cost air made travelling very accessible. It’s the number one city in Europe. They are millions of travel guides, books and articles on what to do and what to discover in this town. That’s why I would like to explain how I like to spend my time off in the buzzing capital - my adopted home.

My favourite area in London is Shoreditch, in East London. It’s full of young people wearing clothes two decades old in style. This is what I truly love about this area. If you think you have what it takes to be a hipster, here we go. This one is for you…

This is how I would recommend to spend the day:

Kick off your day at the Breakfast Club Shoreditch to get a feeling for the area and its spirit. The pancakes are a must. If you don’t like it – crazy!  The alternative I would recommend is Ottolenghi Spitalfields. It has the best pastries, cakes and brownies. Enjoy a smoothie or coffee to go and continue your way through Spitalfield market… It’s made up of two different sections. Here you can find antique stuff, handcrafted things, a food market and a lot of nice little boutiques in and around. From here on, we make our journey to Brick Lane. I LOVE this street. Brick Lane and its little alleys are full of street art. Just wander around and get inspired by all the colours.  In the middle of Brick Lane you will find the Truman Brewery where on the weekends it becomes a fantastic street food market, the best vintage market and the backyard market. Oh my, it’s heaven. The backyard market is one of my favourites, it’s full of pop up stalls of British designers. Take a pit stop at Café 1001 – this is my happy place, it’s part of an inner courtyard full of cool little boutiques, designer pop up stores and the place to be for vinyl fans.

If you still have the power to continue your journey, make sure you pop by BOXPARK. Here you can find the ultimate London trendsetter lifestyle products. You will find the world’s first pop up stores in old shipping containers. It’s just amazing. Depending on your time, if you are hungry and you would like to get a different experience, stop by at Red Rooster and enjoy their Sunday brunch with live gospel singing.  They will blow you away…

If you are still discovering Shoreditch and had a little bite at one of the food stands and you would like to have dinner somewhere, I would recommend Blanchette on Brick Lane  or the ultimate fish & chips place – Poppies.

Now I hope you enjoyed your Sunday just like I would, with a drink in your hand. See you at Cafe 1001!

Sandra

PS: If you would like to stay in this district I would book our sister property Andaz located at Liverpool Street.