If you’re planning on doing Perambulation Nº10 and fancy exploring the wider East London area, why not check out Lou Stoppard’s favourite haunts. Shoreditch resident and general arbiter of cool, Lou is a writer and curator specialising in fashion and culture. She has contributed to Vogue, The New York Times and The Financial Times and curated notable exhibitions including ‘Exteriors: Annie Ernaux and Photography’.
East London by Lou Stoppard
What’s the best breakfast spot before a walk?
I am loath to say this spot, because it has already become so astoundingly popular that I am now totally unable to get a table despite it being 5 minutes from my house, but without doubt E Pellicci on the Bethnal Green is the best place. It’s also good for lunch. It’s good for everything basically. The best order – in my opinion – is lasagne and chips, but really everything’s great. I have met so many interesting people there and I only resent that every man and his dog in London seems to have caught on and now the queues stretch down the road. Sigh.
Address:
E Pellicci
332 Bethnal Green Road, London E2 0AG
(Closed on Sundays)
Where’s the best place for a quick lunch?
If you have given up on the queue at E Pellici you could nip down the road to Taş Fırın Restaurant, which is a great Turkish spot. An alternative would be to head up towards Broadway market and grab some bits from Oren Delicatessen (pictured) which is a lovely deli on Ada Street – the challah breads, pitas and labneh are all great. Or you could go to Dal Fiorentino on Hoxton Street – they make legendary Tuscan flatbread sandwiches (I hate the overuse of the word legendary but it’s true in this case. I dream about sandwiches even though I eat one most days).
Address:
Taş Fırın Restaurant
160 Bethnal Green Road, London E2 6DG
Oren Delicatessen
6c Ada Street, London E8 4QU
Dal Fiorentino
74 Hoxton Street, London N1 6LP
WHERE’S THE BEST PLACE TO GRAB COFFEE?
I actually don’t drink coffee – it’s not an annoyingly healthy living thing, I just hate the taste. But if I’m in the market for tea and some kind of delicious snack I tend to go to Pavilion on either Columbia Road, Victoria Park or Broadway Market. My friend Jordan Hearns, the photographer and founder of Smut Press, works there and I enjoy bothering him with long discussions about life and photography. Another firm favourite is the kiosk in Haggerston Park.
Address:
Pavilion
130 Columbia Rd, London E2 7RG
Victoria Park, London E9 7DE
18 Broadway Market, London E8 4QJ
Haggerston Kiosk
Haggerston Park, London E2 8NH
BEST POST-WALK PUB?
I must confess that moving East from North was tough for me as I just couldn’t find pubs that I clicked with. I used to live off Caledonian Road and was surrounded by the best pubs in the world – The Lord Stanley being the best of the best. There’s also a great trail up the Heath – The Southampton Arms, for example. But many of the pubs around our new home don’t have that same sense of serving a local community.
That said I have come to see that The Nelson’s is a real gem and it does exactly that. It feels like a welcoming fun space where one can put the world to rights and I love getting drunk there with friends and ranting about nothing.
Address:
32 Horatio Street, Bethnal Green, London E2 7SB
WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE FOR A BUDGET DINNER?
Koya is perfect if you’ve had a long day and need to be lobotomised by the calming power of noodles. Pizza from Gordos at Netil Market is also good.
Address:
Koya Ko
10–12 Broadway Market Mews, London E8 4TS
World Famous Gordos
Netil Market, Unit C, 13, 23 Westgate Street, London E8 3RL
WHERE IS THE BEST SPOT FOR A FANCY DINNER?
Café Cecilia. The wine. The bread and butter pudding. The Guinness bread. The steak and chips!!!! We had our Wedding dinner here and it’s a really special place to me! Also, like everyone, I adore Rochelle Canteen. And Cycene is incredible.
Address:
Café Cecilia
32 Andrews Road, London E8 4FX
Rochelle Canteen
16 Playground Gardens, London E2 7FA
Cycene
9 Chance Street, London E2 7JB
IF YOU ONLY HAVE TIME TO VISIT ONE SHOP IN THE AREA, WHERE SHOULD YOU GO?
Tough one. I cannot name just one. My favourite place to shop is Troy Town, the pottery off Hoxton Street. One must always keep a keen eye on Instagram for details of their upcoming exhibitions or sales. Then Provisions on the Hackney Road (I am obsessed with cheese). I also like wandering over to Redchurch street if I really feel the urge to shop – Burro e Salvia is great if you want to buy delicious pasta to cook at home and little snacks for presents. And Blue Mountain School is fantastic if you want to really reconsider your life choices and ponder why you didn’t marry a multi-millionaire who could keep you in clothes by Geoffrey B. Small and jewellery by Alice Waese for the rest of your life. If you walk over to Arnold Circus, Luna and Curious (pictured) is also very cute for kid's stuff. And I should have included Leila’s Shop – right opposite! – as a lunch spot (But it's also good for shopping too!) – I feel like I’m revealing something about my personality through this guide... that focus and self-restraint are not my strong points!!
Address:
Troy Town
156 Hoxton St, London N1 6SH
Provisions
308 Hackney Road, London E2 7SJ
Burro e Salvia
52 Redchurch Street, London E2 7DP
Blue Mountain School
9 Chance Street, London E2 7JB
Luna and Curious, Leila’s Shop
Calvert Avenue, London E2 7JP
Photo © Troy Town
WHERE’S THE BEST PLACE IN THE AREA TO SPEND A FEW HOURS WITHOUT SPENDING ANY MONEY?
I have a 1 year old baby so currently spend a large portion of my life at Hackney City Farm or the Young V&A. Both are brilliant for a fun time on a budget. When one has a baby one sees the city in a totally new way – you think a lot about door sizes, pavement textures, spacing between tables etc. You come to appreciate where has good high-chairs and where has the chaotic ones that don’t have a proper strap between the legs (why?!!).
The Young V&A is full of interesting displays, and my partner the designer Jamie Shaw actually has work on display in the section on sustainability but there are also great basics: good cafe, good changing tables, chic and stable high chairs. On a rare baby-free day, I like visiting some of the great galleries in our area. Maureen Paley on Three Colts Lane is always a winner. And Rose Easton gallery is worth a visit.
Hackney City Farm
1a Goldsmiths Row, London E2 8QA
Young V&A
Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 9PA
Maureen Paley
60 Three Colts Lane, London E2 6GQ
Rose Easton
223 Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 0EL
WHAT‘S AN INTERESTING FACT ABOUT THE AREA THAT ONLY LOCALS MIGHT KNOW?
I think few people are aware of the enormous Victorian market building that used to be on Columbia road. See this astounding picture!! The only bit that survives today are the railings. The original building was intended to be a market for affordable food for the people of East London (the patron was the philanthropist Angela Burdett-Coutts who is fascinating for her role in the history of East London) but it couldn't compete with the likes of Billingsgate and was quickly repurposed and later destroyed... There’s a nice article with more history here.
Finally, what’s your favourite building in the area?
Our house. That’s a bit cringe to say, but it was built from scratch by my partner and is a real labour of love. It’s totally tiny, but a credit to the singular madness of Jamie. You can see it here.
I’m also very obsessed with Sivill House, the tower by Lubetkin (with Douglas Bailey and Francis Skinner) on Columbia Road. A friend lives on the top floor and it’s impossible not to be optimistic about the city when having a glass of wine on her balcony. The lights, the expanse, the sound of different music from different parties… It’s so motivating! Ahhh London…
Photo: Lou and Jamie’s house in construction in 2022. Courtesy of James Shaw.