Recommendations

Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate, EC2M 4QH
Opened in 1895 ‘for the benefit of the public to promote lectures, exhibitions and otherwise the advancement of literature, science and the fine arts,’ today the Institute contains one of London’s best public archives, including Britain’s largest LGBTQ+ collection, housed within breathtaking Arts & Crafts interiors.
www.bishopsgate.org.uk

Christ Church Spitalfields, Commercial St, E1 6LY
Nicholas Hawksmoor’s towering masterpiece of English Baroque dominates Spitalfields and its austere interior is a spectacular lightbox that refracts sunlight to dazzling effect.
spitalfields.church

The Gilbert & George Centre, 5a Heneage St, E1 5LJ
A gallery dedicated to the work of local residents Gilbert Prousch & George Passmore, who have been creating work together since they first met in 1967 at Saint Martin’s School of Art and have lived in Fournier St since 1968.
www.gilbertandgeorgecentre.org

House of Annetta, 25 Princelet St, E1 6QH
The former home of artist Annetta Pedretti is an 18th-century house now repurposed as a centre for social justice and land reform under the supervision of Turner Prize-winning architectural collective Assemble, with free exhibitions and events regularly.
houseofannetta.org

Sandys Row Synagogue, 4a Sandys Row, E1 7HW
The last working synagogue in Spitalfields, where once there were more than sixty. Since 1867 it has operated in a former Huguenot chapel built in 1766. Visits must be pre-arranged but it is worth taking the opportunity to discover this atmospheric wonder.
www.sandysrowsynagogue.org

Spitalfields City Farm, Buxton St, E1 5AR
Opened in 1978 in a former railway goods yard, today the farm is a lush agricultural haven in the midst of the city with extensive vegetable gardens and livestock. It offers rural escape and includes a playground for children.
wwwspitalfieldscityfarm.org

On Thursdays, you can visit Spitalfields Antiques Market, on Sundays, Brick Lane Market, Petticoat Lane Market and Columbia Rd Market.

Brick Lane Beigel Bake, 159 Brick Lane, E1 6SB
Sammy Minzly has managed the bakery since it opened here in 1976, superseding Lieberman’s Bakery, and crowds have been lining up ever since. Open twenty-four hours every day of the year, it is celebrated as the most visible legacy of Jewish culture in Spitalfields.
www.bricklanebeigel.co.uk

Cafe Grill, 35 Brick Lane, E1 6PU
This is where the locals eat. Choose from a wide range of freshly cooked Bengali dishes on display at the glass counter – especially vegetables and vegetarian food – all at no-nonsense prices, and enjoy the capacious canteen-style dining room as a peaceful retreat from the clamour of Brick Lane.

E Pellicci, 352 Bethnal Green Rd, E2 0AG
London’s most celebrated family-run cafe – into the third generation now and in business for over a century. East Enders have been coming for generations to sit in the marquetry-lined interior and enjoy honest dinners cooked every day from fresh ingredients by Maria Pellicci.
epellicci.co.uk

Galvin La Chapelle, 35 Spital Sq, E1 6DY
Housed in the magnicent Grade II former dining hall of the Central Foundation School for Girls, this Michelin starred restaurant is owned by brothers Jeff and David Galvin who are esteemed for their modern French cuisine.
galvinrestaurants.com

The Golden Heart, 110 Commercial St, E1 6LZ
London’s most famous landlady, Sandra Esqulant, has presided here for over forty years, cherishing this legendary pub that is both a refuge and the centre of life in Spitalfields.

Halal Restaurant, 2 St Mark St, E1 8DJ
The East End’s oldest Indian restaurant opened in 1939 in a former Asian seaman’s mission. Run by Mahaboob Narangoli since 1988 and occupying an 18th-century terrace, the Halal Restaurant has plain decor and an unpretentious menu and a warm, welcoming personality.
www.halalrest.co.uk

The Market Coffee House and Bar, 50–52 Brushfield St, E1 6QH
Pop in for a cuppa or stay for lunch, this local institution is open all day and always full of life. We recommend the booths lined with panelling designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor, salvaged during the renovation of Christ Church Spitalfields.
marketcoffeehouseandbar.co.uk

St John Bread and Wine, 94–96 Commercial St, E1 6LZ
An ever-changing menu of Fergus Henderson’s nose-to-tail cuisine is complemented by fresh seasonal vegetables and a high-quality wine list.
www.stjohnrestaurant.com

Angela Flanders, 4 Artillery Passage, E1 7LJ
Artisan perfumery in a tiny Georgian shop, established in 1985 and offering an intriguing range of exclusive perfumes, pot pourri, soap and candles, all created and produced locally in Bethnal Green.
www.angelaflanders-perfumer.com

Crescent Trading, 41 Quaker St, E1 6SN
Spitalfields’ last fabric warehouse is a treasure trove of textiles. Overseen by veteran cloth merchant Martin White, it supplies an astonishing range of fine British fabrics at keen prices to costume departments, students, fashion designers, makers and retailers.

Hussain Tailoring, 64 Hanbury St, E1 5JL
If your hem drops or your trousers split, or you buy a skirt in a size too large, these gentlemen can fix it expertly at a price that belies their skill. Or you can get creative by taking along favourite old clothes that are wearing out and asking them to make you replicas.

Labour and Wait, 85 Redchurch St, E2 7DJ
If you love shiny kettles, enamel pans, steel watering cans and balls of string, this is the best place for traditional hardware.
www.labourandwait.co.uk

Libreria, 65 Hanbury St, London E1 5JP
Surely the most fashionable bookshop on the planet. You feel as if you have entered a nightclub that stocks books, but we guarantee you will be inspired by the eclectic stock and idiosyncratic selection of world literature to be found here.
www.libreria.io

Rough Trade, Dray Walk, 91 Brick Lane, E1 6QL
When other music shops were shutting, Rough Trade opened in the Truman Brewery and put the vinyl at the front. This is London’s best music shop and you can happily lose yourself for a couple of hours here.
www.roughtrade.com

Spitalfields Antiques Market, Brushfield St, E1 6AA
Every Thursday, Spitalfields hosts London’s best antiques market where wonders of classical antiquity, medieval pilgrim badges, delft tiles, Georgian furniture and vintage haberdashery may well be discovered.

Taj Stores, 112 Brick Lane, E1 6RL
Originally known as ‘Jabbar’s Shop’, it was founded by Abdul Jabbar, a seaman who came here from Bengal in 1934. Savour a rich selection of produce, displays of fruit and vegetables, printed sacks of rice, tall stacks of coloured cardboard packages, cans, bottles and jars, cooking equipment, towers of plastic jugs and bowls, steel pots and pans, and scourers.
www.tajstores.co.uk

Town House, 5 Fournier St, E1 6QE
Fiona Atkins has filled this beautiful 1720s weavers’ house with a unique and desirable range of paintings, antiques and artisan goods. Visit the cosy basement kitchen for coffee and cakes freshly baked to historic recipes.
www.townhousespitalfields.com

Batty Langley’s, 14 Folgate St, E1 6BX
Nestling next to Dennis Severs’ House is one of London’s top hotels. Batty Langley (1696–1751) published handbooks designed to help clients plan their houses ‘in the most Grand Taste’, and the hotel exemplifies this principle superlatively.
www.battylangleys.com