Image by Phoebe Ferris-Rotman

During the day people bring their laptops or books and work, read and drink coffee sprawled over one of the many mismatched sofas or lounge chairs. At night tea candles are lit and hot drinks are swapped for alcoholic drinks as people unwind and meet friends in what was once the Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane (check the Brick Lane article). In summertime, people swamp to the outside picnic benches and the alleyway, though there is always a lovely cosy feel inside.

The boho and versatile venue opens at a very early 06:00 for breakfast and soups, jacket potatoes and sandwiches are on offer for lunch and dinner. Live music attracts a younger crowd with indie bands on Tuesday and jazz on Wednesday. Bands play in the smaller room at the back on Sunday and a dj spins tunes on Friday and Saturday.

Cocktails made with fresh fruit are available on the weekend and all year round you can grab a burger or corn on the cob from the grill stand outside. Tables and benches outside in front are great for people watching or smoking.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Café 1001 | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Snacks, Restaurants (intern.)
1 Dray walk, 91 Brick Lane | East | +442072479679
Mon – Sat 06:00 – 00:00, Sun 06:00 – 23:30

Copyrights Spotted by Locals London

Image by Phoebe Ferris-Rotman

After a trip to Tayyabs, it’s easy to see why the wall is plastered with framed awards and rave reviews. Most Londoners know the best curries are not found on self-proclaimed curry capital Brick Lane, and those in the know believe Tayyabs, within walking distance, is one of the best.

The no frills Pakistani restaurant is always bustling with an English and international crowd, truly reflecting the rich multicultural makeup of London. Tables are set close together to accommodate the steady flow of people and waiters seamlessly weave between them, providing efficient and fast service.

The food is less heavy than most ghee-filled Indian or Pakistani dishes and the delicately flavoured lentil and baby aubergine curry (dhal baingun) is a must. The fresh mango lassis come by the glass or in jugs to share and are a delicious accompaniment to the meal. Powerfully spiced sizzling grilled meats are a specialty. Although they don’t serve alcohol, you are free to bring your own. There is no corking charge.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Tayyabs | Restaurants (Pakistani/Indian) | Dhal Baingun £ 5.00
83 Fieldgate Street | East | +442072479543
12:00 – 00:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals London

Image by Roomie Rock

It’s small. It doesn’t take bookings. It has a maximum table size of six. You can only pay by cash. It certainly isn’t cheap at £15 per pizza (although wine by the glass is a reasonable £3.50). But it has an incredible rustic charm – as if the look has just been thrown together, although, of course, that couldn’t be further from the truth – and the pizzas are the thinnest and crispiest in town. Stretching the definition of a pizza to its limits. 

This location is (at least) its third incarnation, after Dray Walk just off Brick Lane and then a temporary space just round the corner on Sclater Street, so hopefully they won’t move again any time soon. Each venue had the same signature Story ‘look’ – a look that comes from the owners and their unique taste and style. In fact, there was originally a Story design/home/concept store in Spitalfields from where I once bought an organic leather cleaner/food which I still use on my sofa today. Sadly that store has now gone and we are left with just the Story Deli for our Story fix, but the natural, organic approach has been kept.

Certified 100% organically grown ingredients go to make the pizzas the price they are, I suppose, but, when the Chorizo, Pumpkin and Taleggio pizza tastes as good as it does a little treat every now and then is fine, isn’t it?

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Story Deli | Snacks, Restaurants (Italian) | per pizza € 15
3 Redchurch Street, E2 7DJ | East
12:00 – 22:30 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals London

Image by Chaat

Chaat is a tiny Bangladeshi restaurant serving home-cooked food a million miles away from the bland Brick Lane curry houses which attract the crowds despite themselves. Real curry heads know to head out of Brick Lane and into Whitechapel for either Tayyabs or Lahore Kebab House, but if you fancy something different and something much more intimate Chaat could be the place for you.

Situated on possibly the hippest street in East London at the moment, Chaat serves only twenty five dishes; five starters, five mains, five pickles, five ‘moppers’ (bread or rice) and five sides. I went with a group of seven and we simply ordered one of everything. Possibly a bit greedy, but the structure of the menu and the prices make it possible. The pan-fried Tilapia and the Chaat Channa Salad of chickpeas, spinach, tomato with a mustard and lemon dressing were my favourites. It certainly isn’t the hottest food I’ve encountered but the spicing is more subtle and, if you need the heat, one of the pickles is Naga Morich which carries a health warning because it is so hot!

Because of the size of Chaat and the location it is possibly wise to book in advance, although we got lucky and didn’t need to.

Good food and friendly staff in an uncluttered, unfussy environment, what’s not to like?

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Chaat | Restaurants (Bangladeshi) | Main course € 6.50
36 Redchurch Street,E2 7DP | East | +442077399595
Mon – Sat 18:30 -23:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals London

Image by Andrew Sidford

Broadway Market on a Saturday is a snap shot of what life in Hackney is all about. A true mix of styles and cultures, young and old, traditional and new. It is a microcosm of what living in a truly global city is all about. 

Broadway Market is not a large street yet the market on Saturdays see this street crammed with life. The weekly stalls attract the crowds, but the shops, the pubs, the restaurants and cafes all join in. It is what I want a weekly market to be. Lively, but offering something for everyone. Go for the shopping, stay for the people watching!

The market is primarily a specialist food market where you can get organic meat, fruit and veg alongside fresh fish, cakes, bread, cheese, sausages, the lot – but you can also get vintage clothes, furniture, hand made brooches, bike repairs/spares or hit the shops instead of the stalls and get art books at Artwords, fabulous coffee at Climpsons, all your sewing needs at Our Patterned Hand or a proper East End pie and mash at the historic Cooke’s. The choice really is that varied.

Personally, I always make sure I pick up at least one samosa from the Gujarati Rasoi stall as they are simply the best I have ever tasted. But be aware, if you only get one you will have to go back and get another, and at £1 each why not?

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Broadway Market | Bars, Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks, Restaurants (Various)
Broadway Market,E8 4PH | East
Sat 09:00 – 17:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals London

Image by Andrew Sidford

Victoria Park Village (which obviously isn’t a real village) is a little leafy secret in East London on the edge of Victoria Park. Consisting of just the two shopping streets, Lauriston Road and Victoria Park Road, this ‘village’ feels somehow different. Perhaps it is the proximity to the park itself (which is Britain’s oldest public park, built in 1842!) or the lack of through traffic, but whatever it is, it is definitely working.

House prices around the village are now sky high and the shops do tend to have an upmarket feel to them, but there is a very varied selection of (mostly) independent shops, pubs and restaurants. 

The Royal Inn On The Park has an excellent selection of draught beers and is packed for the very good Sunday lunch. The Lauriston has DJs and excellent pizzas to go with their beers. The Empress Of India is an great restaurant open for brunch onwards, serving meat from the award-winning Ginger Pig butchers across the road. For fish you can go to Jonathan Norris Fishmonger or if you don’t want to cook it yourself head across to the Fish House for a good old fashioned fish and chips! 

Coffee, cakes and snacks are to be found at Elbows Cafe, Amandine Café and Loafing; excellent Vietnamese can be had at Namo; Su Sazzagoni has traditional Sardinian food; Bottle Apostle excellent wines; The Deli Downstairs is great for fresh bread, cheese and hand made pies; while Haus makes sure your own home is tastefully decorated and furnished. Lovely.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Victoria Park Village | Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Shopping, Snacks, Restaurants (Various)
Lauriston Road,E9 7HJ | East
Depending on location

Copyrights Spotted by Locals London

Image by Gavin Mackie

Bistrotheque is an East London treasure hidden away on an industrial estate. The plan was to bring more to the area, but in the five years the surroundings have barely changed. Perhaps this adds to the character.

It’s a fashionable crowd that brunches at weekends and dines during the week, but don’t let that put you off. This is a dining treat for anybody interested in a unique experience.

Start with a trip to the loos on the ground floor where you can admire Will Broome‘s bizarre illustrations that decorate the walls. In the restaurant, there’s a choice of seating. I usually opt for the larger, lighter room for brunches where a guy on a piano tinkles your favourite Girls Aloud numbers on the ivories. For dinner, I prefer the smaller ‘Oak Room’ on the opposite side, apparently the dark oak panels there are from Louis XIV’s palace or something, although my friends could have made that up.

The food is incredible. A full English breakfast (with a modern kick) is more than enough for brunch, washed down with a pomegranate spritzer, or a Camp ‘Arry cocktail. At dinner, the menu is a great mix of British and French haute-cuisine. Fish & chips? Check. Calves liver? Check.

The unique thing about Bistrotheque is, after you’ve had dinner, you can head down to the Cabaret Room at weekends, where you can enjoy weird and wonderful acts like drag superstar Johnny Woo or my favourite, the Lip Sinkers!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Bistrotheque | Restaurants (French)
23-27 Wadeson Street,E2 9DR | East | +442089837900
Mon – Thu 18:30 – 22:30, Fri 18:30 – 23:00, Sat 11:00 – 16:00 & 18:30 – 23:00, Sun 11:00 – 16:00 & 18:30 – 22:30

Copyrights Spotted by Locals London

Image by Matt Bramford

Les Trois Garçons was the first posh restaurant I went to when I first moved to London as a treat for my birthday. My previous experiences of the capital’s food had been Angus Steakhouses at best and McDonald’s at worst, and it was this highly eccentric restaurant that sparked my interest in ‘better’ London cuisine.

Owned by three men (hence the name) who inhabit the upper floors, the building is a typical example of Victorian-era East End pub architecture. The bar still remains inside. The decor is anything but typical, though – ethereal taxidermy is all over the place, handbags dangle from the ceiling, and a mix of cheap and expensive antiques fill all the gaps. It’s a very intimate venue with a not-so-intimate price tag, so I’d recommend it for special occasions but not if you’re on a budget. It’s not somewhere I’d call in for a quick bite!

The service is great once you’re over the slight pomp and formality of it all. The menu covers the best of French cuisine. I usually manage to convince whoever I’m with to go for the Chateaubriand, but I really should sample something else. Other dishes include Dorset crab, venison carpaccio, lots of fish and pork belly. Mouthwatering, no?

Les garçons also run LoungeLover around the corner, and I’d recommend booking a table there for a cocktail afterwards (they’ll ask you when you book). Go on, spoil yourself.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Les Trois Garçons | Restaurants (French) | Two courses £ 39.50
1 Club Row E1 6JX | East | +442076131924
18:00 – 00:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals London

Image by Matt Bramford

Whenever I’m not at the Albion ‘caff’, which is most of the time, I long to be there. It has a great atmosphere, delicious food, home-made bread and a well-stocked shop supplying traditional English goods.

As part of Terence Conran’s redevelopment of the building (including the fabulous Boundary Rooftop bar for summer and the Boundary restaurant for winter) the Albion café opened to huge applause, I’ve never once been disappointed. Serving a great range of traditional English food with modern flair, the menu includes my firm favourites bangers and mash and fish and chips, as well as a huge range of stews and salads. I prefer sitting outside, but in the winter months its cosy enough inside without being stuffy. Crockery and cutlery is sourced from vintage markets, the service is impeccable, and the prices are reasonable for what you get.

My ideal time to visit is Saturday mornings, when delicious breakfasts/brunches are available, or Sunday lunchtimes when they serve side orders of pork crackling that I crave for an entire week. It can get quite busy so be prepared to wait, but while you do you can peruse the cold desserts in the open-plan shop.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Albion Café | Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (British) | Mains £ 10
2-4 Boundary Street, Shoreditch, E2 7DD | East | +442077291051
08:00 – late daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals London

Image by Matt Bramford

The Princess is always at the top of my list when I’m anchoring after a good old-fashioned Sunday Roast with a modern twist, and its recent Time Out Award for New Gastropub of the Year confirms its appeal. The Sunday Roast situation in London has become a bit of a nightmare- it’s impossible to find a good one for less than a tenner and nine times out of ten I begrudge paying it with the view that it will never match my mother’s.

Having said that, The Princess never fails to impress. It’s a bit expensive, yes, but it’s by far the best. A superb choice of meats (usually prime cuts of beef and pork with poultry and vegetarian options, too) come with generous helpings of potatoes and vegetables; a guaranteed good atmosphere and the wine list is longer than your arm. I tend to order a Bloody Mary while I’m choosing my meat, particularly on those rare Sundays when I have a hangover. I think they might be the best in the East End.

There’s an upstairs dining room; I did have a peek once and made a note to dine up there for a special occasion. But if I just desperately need the Roasted Kilravock farm pork belly with all the trimmings to remind me of Sundays at home, you can’t beat an afternoon here downstairs in the thick of it.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Princess of Shoreditch | Restaurants (English/French) | Roast £ 13
76 Paul Street, EC2A 4NE | East | +442077299270
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 23:00, Sun 12:00 – 10:30

Copyrights Spotted by Locals London