Seven things to do near the Barbican, picked by a local author

The Barbican is more than just grey – the area is also home to great coffee, delicious restaurants and fascinating museums. If you fancy exploring the City’s concrete playground, look no further. We asked Anton Rodriguez, photographer and author of ‘Residents: Inside the Iconic Barbican Estate’, to share his favourite insider spots.

1. Dose

‘This is a really tiny coffee shop right around the corner from Barbican station. It only seats around six people, but it does excellent takeaway coffee, as well as pastries, brownies and sandwiches.’
70 Long Lane, EC1A 9EJ.

2. Museum of London

‘Whenever I have family coming over, I always take them to this museum. It has a lot of exhibitions on London history, and does pop-ups too. It’s quite varied, and it’s free.’
150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN.

3. Geranium

‘Geranium is a little general goods store located inside the Barbican, below one of the towers. It’s run by one of the residents. It sells fresh meat, produce, vegetables, natural wine… a bit of everything. Even if you don’t live in the Barbican it’s quite cool to visit.’
Lauderdale Tower, Barbican, EC2Y 8BY.

4. St John

‘St John serves British food and does a really good bone marrow with toast. The crispy pig-skin salad is another dish I’d recommend. The place is super-relaxed: there’s a little bar so you can go for just a drink or you can sit in the dining room and have a full meal.’
26 St John St, EC1M 4AY.

5. Monohon Ramen

‘Most people would probably walk past this little ramen shop, but it does some of the best tonkotsu ramen I’ve had in London. It’s got quite a cool story: the guy who opened it worked in the City and went to Japan for work. He fell in love with [the country and its food] so much that he quit his job and opened a ramen shop.’
102 Old St, EC1V 9AY.

6. Luca

‘This Italian restaurant is a ten-minute walk from the Barbican. The menu changes quite often, but all the pasta is handmade every day, so I’d go for a pasta dish.’
88 St John St, EC1M 4EH.

7. Breddos Tacos

‘This restaurant is on the corner of Goswell Road and Old Street. It does really good tacos with really good frozen Margaritas. I love the Baja fried fish tacos. You can sit in the window or go into a little booth.’
82 Goswell Rd, EC1V 7DB.

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