The best things to do in east London

What is it? One of London’s most visually appealing markets, Columbia Road’s Sunday market sees the quaint little East End street overflow with bucketfuls of beautiful flowers.

Why go? Because it’s a weekend institution in east London, and one of the best places to buy flowers, bedding plants and even a banana tree – if you’ve got the patio space at home. Turn up early to avoid the crowds or late to pick up a bunch of bargains. 

Columbia Road, E2 7RG. Every Sunday.

What is it? Tasty to-go items that've been served up at this charmingly scruffy bakery since 1977. 

Why go? After wonderfully cheap curry, Brick Lane’s second greatest contribution to London’s gastronomic index is the salt beef beigel (or bagel). It’s salty, it’s beefy, the mustard will singe a layer of skin from the inside of your throat (you have been warned) and it’s an absolute classic. That’s why they’re consumed by everyone from night-shifting taxi drivers to savvy tourists.

159 Brick Lane, E1 6SB. Salt beef beigel from £7.90.

Read all about the history of Brick Lane’s bagel shops.

What is it? Known as the ‘People’s Park’, Victoria Park is one of London’s favourite open spaces.

Why go? In the summer it’s often taken over by festivals while in the autumn park-goers are treated to epic fireworks displays. But that’s not all: parts of the park are Grade II-listed, there are two expansive lakes (one with a Chinese pagoda island), a boating pond and the Pavilion Café, where you can grab a bite to eat. 

Victoria Park Road, E3 5SN. 

What is it? One of London’s oldest surviving cinemas and a fixture on Dalston’s main thoroughfare for over a century, this magnificent Grade II-listed Art Deco spot is one of the last truly independent movie houses in the city.

Why go? To check out an unparalleled programme of independent cinema that dutifully caters to the local community. As well as the latest blockbusters, the day-to-day programming encompasses hotly anticipated indie releases, a great selection of classics and foreign flicks, and regular open caption and subtitled screenings, while the cinema also hosts screenings as part of several of the city’s major film events, from Doc’n’Roll to the London Short Film Festival.

107 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PY. Ticket prices vary.

What is it? This East End institution is proof that all caffs are not equal, and has been providing carbs and protein in eggy, meaty and pan-fried form to the good people of Bethnal Green since 1900. 

Why go? Traces of bygone eras, like art deco interior details and Formica tables have earned it Grade II-listed status – but what diners love best is that the fry-ups, grills and Italian dishes are still served by the same family. 

332 Bethnal Green Rod, E2 0AG. Cooked breakfasts from £12.60.

What is it? Formerly called the Geffrye Museum, the newly refurbed Museum of the Home, is situated in a collection of eighteenth-century almshouses and offers a vivid physical history of the English interior.

Why go? Displaying original furniture, paintings, textiles and decorative arts, the museum recreates a sequence of typical middle-class living rooms from 1600 to the present. It’s an interesting way to take in domestic history.

136 Kingsland Road, E2 8EA. Free entry.

What is it? Occupying a chill, open space on Clapton’s main drag, chef Abby Lee’s first bricks-and-mortar spot churns out truly showstopping modern Malaysian food. 

Why go? To sample sensational dishes that earned it a Bib Gourmand this year, and the number one spot in our 2024 Best Restaurants list. Order the whopping big kam heong mussels, sensational in their messy, lip-smacking sloppiness, and wash them down with a juicy glass of natural wine.

78 Lower Clapton Road, E5 0RN

What is it? A 200-year-old warehouse that tells the actually pretty interesting story of the Thames and the people who settled alongside it. 

Why go? To understand the rich history of the area, from Roman times right through to the rise of Canary Wharf. Lose yourself in historic photographs and source material from the Port of London Authority Archive, Metropolitan Fire Brigade footage and captured Nazi footage and testimonies that explore the port’s role in top-secret wartime projects. 

Hertsmere Road, E14 4AL

What is it? A fizzingly warm and welcoming Korean restaurant that’s become one of east London’s most nattered-about places to eat in 2025.

Why go? To sample burly, full-bodied plates of exceptional, nuanced cookery that earned it the top spot on our latest list of London’s best restaurants. Order the soy braised shortribs, or galbijjim; more tender than a Boy Genius ballad, they’re served with pear, carrot and shitake mushrooms that soak up the meaty juice like sponges.

What is it? Part tourist attraction, part utterly bodacious public transport option, the IFS Cloud Cable Car (formally sponsored by Emirates Air Line) runs cable cars between Greenwich Peninsula to Royal Docks.

Why go? This one’s not exactly the most popular mode of transport for the daily commute. Thankfully, that means you can treat yourself to a largely unspoiled view of the city without having to pay through the nose for it. With pay-as-you-go, a 20-minute round trip costs £12 (free for kids under five). Bargain. 

27 Western Gateway, E16 4FA. £12.

What is it? A time capsule attraction in which visitors are immersed in a unique form of theatre.

Why go? Imagine you’ve stepped into a painting by one of the Old Masters. Walking into Dennis Severs’ House is rather like that. In silence, visitors pass through its ‘still life drama’, visiting each room to see evidence of an eighteenth-century silk weaver’s family life without ever meeting a soul: a dinner lies half-eaten, a fire still crackles, a chamber pot needs emptying. 

18 Folgate Street, E1 6BX. From £16.

What is it? One of the 2012 Olympic Games’ iconic venues, designed by the late, great starchitect Zaha Hadid.

Why go? To swim in the pool of champions and by some kind of peculiar chlorine-osmosis, perhaps become one yourself. You can use the ten-lane 50m competition pool, which is 3m deep; the training pool, where you can frolic or swim; and the diving pool or a dry-land diving facility for both newcomers and Tom Daley-level twizzlers. 

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, E20 2AQ. From £7.30 per session (concessions available).

What is it? A taste of the countryside in central London.

Why go? To meet the characterful creatures at this welcoming and brilliantly maintained green spot just off Brick Lane. Friendly residents up for a pat include Bayleaf the donkey and a lovable pair of hairy hogs. Plus, the farm shop sells homegrown produce like freshly laid eggs and the range of veg grown is remarkable for the location. 

Buxton Street, E1 5AR. Free (donations encouraged). 

What is it? The Victoria & Albert Museum’s east London outpost is home to the world’s finest collections of children’s toys, dolls’ houses, games and costumes.

Why go? For a proper trip down memory lane aided by its vast displays of Barbie dolls, action hero figurines and puppets, or to entertain your little ones with a host of hands-on activities. The museum shines brighter than ever these days, having reopened in 2023 after extensive £13 million refurbishment.

Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9PA. Free (additional cost for some temporary exhibitions). 

What is it? The oldest music hall in the world.

Why go? If ever there was a venue the term ‘shabby chic’ was invented for, Wilton’s Music Hall is it. Starting life as five humble houses in 1690, the Grade II-listed venue has undergone multiple regenerations, including a stint as an alehouse, and is still standing, replete with period features like its ‘barley sugar’ cast iron pillars, sloping wooden floors and classical arches around the upper walls. These days it stages around 300 perfromances a year, randing from classical music concerts, opera and cabaret to dance, puppetry and magic shows. 

1-4 Graces Alley, E1 8JB. Tickets from £12.

What is it? A 376ft tall tower, with two spectacular viewing platforms and a tunnel slide.

Why go? Anish Kapoor’s curiously curvaceous ArcelorMittal Orbit was one of the more unexpected sights at the Olympic Park in 2012. But even more thrilling than the architecture? A good hurtle down it. If you dare to take the drop (without closing your eyes) there are clear plastic windows at strategic points so you can see out.   

5 Thornton Street, E20 2AD. From £7.

What is it? The largest urban wetland in Europe, measuring at an astonishing 211 hectares.

Why go? Consisting of ten reservoirs, it’s a prime wildlife-spotting site, particularly for swans, kestrels and geese. E17’s industrial history gives the area an unusual aesthetic, with old metalworks and even gunpowder mills dotting the fecund green spaces. It’s a place to fish, spy, walk and go on smug couple runs. No need to escape to the countryside: it’s all right here.

2 Forest Road, N17 9NH. Free.

What is it? One of London’s most exciting clubs, The Cause originally opened in Tottenham in 2020, before relocating to a massive warehouse space in Canning Town in 2022. 

Why go? To dance ‘til you drop at some of London’s biggest and best club nights across the dance music spectrum. Regular nights include legendary queer techno party Adonis, the monthly TranceParty, veteran disco and soul night Cirque du Soul and the collective’s own legendary Halloween and New Year parties.

60 Dock Road, E16 1YZ. Ticket prices vary.

What is it? A hip Hackney booze hole from the same folk as cult sandwich slingers Dom’s Subs, Rasputin’s is the latest addition to Mare Street’s collection of astutely un-grotty dive bars (alongside long-reigning rock bar Helgi’s and cocktails-and-tacos spot Easy 8). It’s a giddy little space, decked out in mid-century furniture and lit mainly by sultry red light and TV sets pumping out cult movies.

Why go? To sample one of east London's funnest drinks menus, which features a sweet-but-powerful £7 five olive martini and mystery shots for £3, plus a ‘Recession Special’ of a pint and two hot dogs for just £11. Pay an extra quid and you can swap the pint for one of the afforementioned martinis. Welcome to the high-low dinner you’ve always dreamed of.

171 Mare St, E8 3RH. £12 for one martini and two hot dogs.

What is it? One of Londoon’s few heated lidos, this 50-metre pool in the centre of London Fields is one of London’s most popular open air swimming spots, welcoming over 340,000 visitors annually.  

Why go? Open year-round, London Fields Lido is a glittering open-air pool where you can splash about beneath the sun. Loved by locals, it gets pretty busy during the summer holiday period and although picnicking is not allowed, you can find post-swim grub at one of the on-site cafés. 

London Fields Westside, E8 3EU. From £6.40 (concessions available).

What is it? The UK’s first vegan restaurant to earn a Michelin star, Plates is an intimate, rustic spot in Shoreditch serving up a plant-based tasting menu created by mild-mannered Great British Menu winner Kirk Haworth, alongside a long list of low-intervention wines. 

Why go? Anywhere that makes vegetables this dazzling is a long-awaited addition to London’s vegan landscape. Unsurprisingly, there’s a waiting list many months-long to score a spot in this cosy, cottagecore-adjacent Old Street space, but it’s worth it to sample the cheapest Michelin tasting menu in London, an eight-course procession of visionary veg. 

320 Old Street, EC1V 9DR. Tasting menu from £90pp.

What is it? An eclectic shopping street and market which runs between London Fields and the Regent’s Canal.

Why go? Broadway Market continues to thrive following its clever makeover nearly 15 years ago. A bustling hub for the Hackney hipsters and East End creatives who have settled down and started families, it welcomes around 135 stalls selling a fabulous array of fresh produce, vintage clothes, flowers, coffee, books and groceries. 

Broadway Market, E8 4PH.

What is it? The Viktor Wynd Museum  of Curiosities, Fine Art and Unnatural History (to give it its full name) is a curiosity sho-cum-absinthe parlour owned by eccentric collector Viktor Wynd. The sort of place you might imagine coming across a velvet-cloaked Victorian explorer, it may well be the weirdest places you’ll find in the whole of London. 

Why go? Where else will you see a lock of Elvis’s hair, the skull of Pablo Escobar’s hippo, a mermaid skeleton and a collection of work from British surrealists all in one place? And its cocktail bar, The Last Tuesday Society, is one of the few places in London where you can sample absinthe (from local distilliery The Devil’s Botany) served with a traditional absinthe fountain. 

11 Mare Street, E8 4RP. Absinthe from £9.

What is it? A leafy sanctuary and garden on an old railway line hidden behind Dalston’s hectic junction, and maintained by local volunteers. 

Why go? To get a welcome dose of nature amongst one of London’s most densely populated neighbourhoods; this spot is a real lifeline for locals who don’t have their own garden. For a peaceful afternoon, sip juice or coffee from the café and take part in a workshop for either gardening or craft, or swing by in October for a glut of glittering Halloween pumpkins. 

13 Dalston Lane, E8 3DF. Free.

What is it? An east London classic in the making, Sesta is a playful new restaurant borne from the ashes of Michelin-starred spot Pidgin, opened by that iconic restaurant’s former head chef Drew Snaith and one-time manager Hannah Kowalski.

Why go? To sample playful food using seasonal British ingredients and featuring southeast Asian flavour twists and fermentation along the way, served in an intimate space reminiscent of a monied millennial’s living room. A bar snack of burly, nduja-scotched olives might have been is one of London’s best bar snacks, arguably bested only by coastal cheddar and cider scones topped with a turbo mouthful of creamy, fluffy cheese.

52 Wilton Way, E8 1BG. Nduja scotched olives for £6.

What is it? Built in 1535 for Henry VIII’s first secretary of state, Sir Ralph Sadleir, the red-brick Sutton House is the oldest house in east London.

Why go? Beautifully restored with authentic original decor and real Tudor kitchens, Sutton House boasts Jacobean and Georgian interiors, as well as an Edwardian chapel, medieval foundations in the cellar and 1980s graffiti under the roof. Be sure to check out its 16th century garderobe, which is one of London’s oldest loos!

2-4 Homerton High Street, E9 6JQ. £8.

What is it? One of London’s ‘magnificent seven’ garden cemeteries, this historic parkland dates nack to the early eighteenth century. These days it’s managed by the Abney Park Trust, and hosts a variety of community-focused events throughout the year. 

Why go? To learn about some of the fascinating historical figures laid to rest here From Abolitionists and trailblazing feminists to political campaigners, performances and pioneering educationalists, the cemetery’s residents have some very interesting stories. Visitors can learn more about them on one of the park tours, which run more or less monthly on a donation basis. 

Stoke Newington High Street, N16 0LH. Donations welcome. 

What is it? A showcase of the late neon artist Chris Bracey’s personal collection of work, based in a salvage yard in Walthamstow.

Why go? To check out some truly eye-popping designs. God’s Own Junkyard contains everything from Bracey’s signage for Soho sex clubs from the ‘60s to his work for the movie industry, including pieces that were used in ‘Captain America’, ‘Eyes Wide Shut’, ‘Byzantium’ and more. Sandwiched in between all of this, you’ll find his artwork, some of which have been exhibited in his gallery shows, and others that were specially commissioned by other artists and clients.

Ravenswood Industrial Estate, E17 9HQ. Free.

What is it? A swanky new 550-seat sister venue to Islington’s hallowed dance theatre, Sadler’s Wells East opened in spring 2025, more of less doubling the quantity of contemporary dance work appearing on London stages. 

Why go? For its diverse programme of dance performances by troupes from all over the globe, from ballet to flamenco and hip-hop to kathak. The Dance Floor at Sadler’s Wells East also offers free workshops and events for anyone interested in dance and performance, from puppet-making workshops to Bollywood and Afro-Cuban dance classes.

101 Carpenters Road, E20 2AR. Ticket prices vary.

What is it? A canalside restaurant from hospitality power couple Honey Spencer and Charlie Sims, with ex-Pidgin chef Michael Robins in the kitchen doing the whole modern European/seasonal produce/cooking with fire thing.

Why go? Gripe all you want about east London’s current preponderance of boho bistros specialising in the small plates-and-natty wine, but when it’s done like this, it’s a knockout formula. The level of depth, detail, thought and skill in Sune’s picture-perfect dishes is staggering.

129A Pritchard’s Road, E2 9AP. 

What is it? An iconic (and we don’t say that lightly) queer party palace on Dalston’s main high street, Superstore has been a mecca for east London’s arty queers for the past fifteen years.

Why go? To catch one of the city’s longest running, weirdest and most wonderful drag brunches, to sweat it out on the basement dancefloor or kick it with the fabulous bunch of immaculately dressed scene queens cackling in the smoking area.

117 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PB. Ticket prices vary.

What is it? An unpretentious, homely canal-side café in the heart of Haggerston, the Towpath has won the hearts of east everyone from Alexa Chung to St. John legend Fergus Henderson.

Why go? On a sunny morning, there are fewer more idyllic spots in London to slurp a coffee and munch on granola (served with fruit and maple syrup). Or stop by later in the day for poshed up renditions of classic café lunches such as grilled cheese sarnies served with quivering slabs of quince jelly, or a hearty kneidlach and chicken broth soup. 

Regent's Canal Towpath, N1 5SB.

What is it? One of Hackney’s worst kept secrets, Rooftop Saunas comprises of a series of private sauna cabins, showers and cold water plunge barrels perched on top of Netil House.

Why go? Sauna has taken London by storm of late, but you won’t find a more scenic spot to enjoy the city’s hippest new hobby. Slots can be booked for 30, 60 or 90 minutes, and it’s a great innovative date idea or way to catch up with a sauna-loving pal. And once you’re all sweated-out, head across the roof to Netil360 for pizza, drinks and a chill out.

2 Bocking Street, E8 4RU. From £11.

What’s better than having a delicious sauna to sweat out all those city toxins? Having that delicious sauna with awesome views across that very city, of course. 

What is it? A chic Hackney Road listening bar from the same team as Sager + Wilde, Equal Parts serves up killer cocktails and low-intervention wines in a plush, mid-century setting partly inspired by Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks.

Why go? To sample one of London’s most quaffable cocktails. The ‘Flor’ is a clean, pleasingly saline and thoroughly refreshing martini made with olive oil-washed vodka, fino sherry and distilled tomato water with just a hint of basil. It’s everything that’s good about the savoury cocktail trend, and dangerously drinkable. 

245 Hackney Road, E2 8NA. Cocktails from £13.

What is it? London’s biggest ice skating facility, Lee Valley Ice Centre recently underwent a £30 million refurbishment and now boasts two Olympic-sized skating rinks, along with a gym and multi-purpose fitness studio. 

Why go? To learn how to glide around the ice like a pro. As well as offering ample training facilities for professional and semi-pro skaters and ice hockey teams, the centre is open to members of the public and welcomes almost half a million visitors annually for skating lessons, ice skating sessions, gym workouts and fitness classes. With weekly lessons starting at a very reasonable £46 a month, tou’ll be giving Torvill and Dean a run for their money in no time. 

Lea Bridge Road, E10 7QL. From £10 an hour.