The best things to do in east London

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. 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? A charmingly scruffy and iconic bakery that’s been serving bagels 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 £8.30.

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

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. In the summer this place becomes one of the area’s best beer gardens. 

13 Dalston Lane, E8 3DF. Free.

What is it? The debut restaurant from Dara Klein takes over a gorgeously gabled Victorian boozer on Columbia Road. It still feels pubby, with a handpainted sign, 1930s-styled stained glass windows, mahogany wood-pannelling and, inexplicably, a giant portrait of Cher above the bar

Why go? The menu dips into rarer regional cracks of Italian cuisine, with historic offerings such as anchovies in saor (a ye olde Venetian marinade), alongside a hypnotic passatelli in brodo, and a furiously fresh chicken Milanese served with dill, fennel, celery, tarragon and crisp green apple.

109 Columbia Road, E2 7RL.

What is it? London’s new cultural quarter in Stratford, courtesy of a bunch of major new developments from the V&A. Within one square mile you can visit the V&A East, V&A East Storehouse and David Bowie Centre. 

Why go? There’s absolutley tonnes of excellent stuff to see in across these three sites. At the V&A East you can see everything from Molly Goddard dresses to 1830s sketches of Victoria Park. The Storehouse allows you to peak behind the scenes at a real working archive, and the Bowie Centre is pure heaven for any fans of Ziggy Stardust. Plus, you can stop by Café Jikoni, probably the top museum caff in town, serving Ravinder Bhogal’s excellent Indian fusion.  

V&A East, 107 Carpenters Road, E20 2AR. Free entry. 

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? 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? 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? 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? 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 goregeous colourful foliage. It’s also a haven for east London’s keenest rollerskaters and runners. 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? A family-run ‘modern Korean’ and Time Out’s best London restaurant of 2025.

Why go? To sample burly, full-bodied plates of exceptional, nuanced cookery. 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.

1 Mare St, E8 4RP. 

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 £8.50 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 Derek the donkey and a lovable hog named Holmes. 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 entry (donations encouraged). 

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? 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. It also hosts monthly history tours, but book early as these tend to sell out. 

1-4 Graces Alley, E1 8JB. Ticket prices vary.

What is it? Found in a pair of railway arches by London Fields station, Café Kowloon feels more like a club than a restaurant. Its interior comeliness would mean nothing if the food wasn’t equally beguiling, and happily, it is. This spot is also home to the cosy and casual noodle bar Wonton Charlie’s. 

Why go? Acclaimed chef Budgie Montoya kicks out Cantonese classics with aplomb here. Come for immmaculate lo bak go – a crispy-edged turnip cake that is a dim sum staple. Even more impressive is the juicy and outrageously thicc prawn toast, which is as prawny as it is toasty, and served with slightly battered heads on the side.

392-393 Mentmore Terrace, London Fields, E8 3PH. 

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? 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 £8 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? 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? 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 – bring your own picnic or 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? 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 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? 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? An iconic glittery gold gig venue that also hosts club nights, comedy and film screenings, housed in a Hackney Central trade hall founded in 1972. 

Why go? Nowadays, you’ll find time-weathered regulars mixing with a hip young east London crowd, with the club playing host to an eclectic programme of live music, stand-up comedy, film screenings and club nights as well as all all of its former MOTH and British Legion meetings.

Valette St, E9 6NU. Ticket prices vary. 

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. Free for National Trust members; £7.50 for non-members.

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? 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? The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art and Unnatural History (to give it its full name) is a curiosity shop-slash-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 £10.

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 £15.

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? Remember The Nest, or, if you’re even older, Barden’s Boudoir? The excellent basement club below what is now the Red Hand has finally got the relaunch it deserves. A roomy 150-capacity cocktail bar from Andy Kerr (founder of Discount Suit Company and The Sun Tavern) and Tom Gibson (Ruby’s, Corrochio’s, The Bluecoats), they’re calling it a ‘1980s NYC style mutant disco’ with classy cocktails and regular DJs.

Why go? Drinks are not just delicious, but pretty reasonably priced – there's a £7 martini (the Umbrella Vesper), and all the rest are a tenner. We like the smooth and chocolately Kinder Bueno, made with whiskey, Irish cream liqueur, hazelnut, cacao and clarified milk, and the punchy Korean Jesus, with tequila, mezcal, plum soju, gochujang, sesame, coriander, ginger and honey.

36 Stoke Newington Road, N16 7XJ. Cocktails £10. 

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? Community Sauna Baths is a not-for-profit venture started by sauna enthusiasts who wanted to make sauna and cold plunge accessible to a wider range of people, including those on low incomes. And, boy, have they succeeded.

Why go? This is the original and probably the most well-known branch of the Community Sauna empire, which now has branches in Walthamstow, Stratford, Peckham and Bermondsey. This sauna is a sweltering oasis in the concrete-y maze that is Hackney Wick. Facilities are nothing luxury – straightforward saunas and cold plunges in metal tubs – but the atmosphere is communal and convivial, and the prices are good with sessions starting at £9.50. 

The Baths, 80 Eastway, E9 5JH. Sessions from £9.50. 

What is it? This gallery is Morris's former family home, the 18th-century Water House. The designer, socialist and source of all that flowery wallpaper lived here between 1848 and 1856.

Why go? Even if you’ve never heard the name, you’ll know Morris’ ubiquitous designs. The William Morris Gallery is a beautiful gallery in a beautiful setting that will leave you with a fresh appreciation for the man’s craft, his political activism and his legacy. 

Forest Road, E17 4PP. Free entry.

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 £14.

What is it? An immaculate all-day Hackney restaurant rooted in chef Max Rocha’s Dublin childhood and our London Restaurant of the Year 2023.

Why go? There’s something of St John’s minimal approach in Cecilia’s simple interiors, wooden tables and white washed walls, as well as the cheery but thorough service. The mains are quietly majestic, a successful experiment in making two or three ingredients sing at the top of their lungs. Café Cecilia has nailed the whole package. Believe the hype.

32 Andrews Road, E8 4RL.

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 skating memberships starting at a very reasonable £52 a month, you’ll be giving Torvill and Dean a run for their money in no time. 

Lea Bridge Road, E10 7QL. From £13 an hour.

What is it? If you’ve spent any time in Shoreditch, you’ll be well acquainted with the two graffitied tube carriages that sit on the roof of gig venue Village Underground. How did they get there? What were they used for? Well, they were the offices for the Village Underground team until they decided to turn them into a cocktail bar. 

Who go? This skyward spot makes good use of its quirky location without turning it into a gimmick. Cocktails are the thing to get – they aren’t pretentious or overly complicated, and with most coming in at £12 it's not bad value. New York style ‘za is supplied by the excellent Bad Boy Pizza Society. 

8A Great Eastern Street, Shoreditch, EC2A 3NT.

What is it? A brilliant independent Clapton bookshop that’s a favourite with authors. 

Why go? As well has having an immaculate selection of contemporary fiction, non-fiction, poetry and classics, Pages of Hackney is a haven for the bookish Hackney dwellers who are looking to rub shoulders with the literary elite. The shop has a packed calendar of book launches, signings and author’s talks, hosting some of the hottest writers around including Booker Prize winners and bestselling novelists. 

70 Lower Clapton Road, E5 0RN

What is it? It does what it says on the tin: this stretch is home to a cluster of independent breweries, taprooms and bars, making it ideal for an afternoon of hopping from one pint to the next. The vibe is relaxed and resolutely unpretentious – although you might bump into a stag-do or two – with plenty of outdoor space, street food and sunny-day drinking spots along the way.

Why go? It’s become something of a pilgrimage for London’s craft beer obsessives, but you don’t need to know your pilsner from your porter to enjoy it. Just come thirsty. 

Blackhorse Lane, E17. 

What is it? A vegetarian bistro so good you won’t just miss meat, you’ll forget you ever needed it, from plant-based pioneer chef Daniel Watkins. 

Why go? Depending on your degree of plant-based militancy, Holy Carrot’s second restaurant either vaguely bends its own rules or totally upends them. At the original outpost in Portobello, head chef Daniel Watkins’s live fire cooking and ferment laboratory established Holy Carrot as one of London’s greats of vegan cuisine. But this new outpost in Spitalfields is not vegan, with all manner of dairy- and/or egg-based wonders across the menu. Don’t miss the pizzettas and flatbreads made using fermented koji and silken tofu. 

61-63 Brushfield Street, E1 6AA.

What is it? Opened in 2025 after 15 years in the making, this 970-seater venue takes over an erstwhile Granada Cinema built in 1930, restoring the Grade II-listed art-deco property to its spectacular former glory.

Why go? Here you’ll find West End-quality comedy and theatre without the West End crowds. Like the original Dean Street venue, there’s a focus on comedy in the programming, with visitors also promised an annual panto, film screenings, theatre and community-focused education projects. Punters can also stick around until the early hours at one of the theatre’s four bars, which stay open until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. 

186 Hoe Street, E17 4QH. Ticket prices vary. 

What is it? Known for its viral kofte and aubergine sandwiches, Logma is an Iranian–Iraqi fusion café serving lunch and coffees by day, and running a coveted supper club one evening a week.  

Why go? To be able to say you secured a seat at one of London’s most sought-after tables, if nothing else. Every Wednesday Logma welcomes 18 lucky guests to have dinner at a communal table at its Logma Lates. The owners, Ziad Halub and Farsin Rabiee, serve up a menu of true fusion food that beautifully pays homage to both Iranian and Iraqi cultures. It’s really something special. 

81 Goldsmiths Row, E2 8QR.

What is it? Hackney Wick may have a bit of a rep for being overrun with weekend warriors on Class As, but there’s much more to this graffitied waterside destination than that.

Why go: There’s a reason why the Wick’s bars get so busy – many of them are great, and there are loads to choose from. Have craft beers at Crate, shop for vinyl and listen to DJs spin at All My Friends, or catch some live weekday jazz on the River Lea at Grow. Colour Factory also hosts a Monday jam session that is well worth a visit.  

Various venues. Hackney Wick, E9. 

What is it? The indie music label Rough Trade – perhaps most famous for signing the Smiths in the early 1980s – set up this 5,000sq ft (465sq m) record store, café and gig space in the noughties. It lives on today as one of London’s most famous vinyl shops. 

Why go? The store boasts a large vinyl collection, books and merchandise, but the main draw is its live events. Rough Trade has something on every day of the week, and its in-store stage has been graced by everyone including Blur, Little Simz and Vampire Weekend. Admission is usually free (with a pre-booked ticket on Dice) or free with purchase of the new album by whoever's playing.

Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, E1 6QL.

What is it? You’ll find none of the pomp and nonsense of the Premier League at Leyton Orient’s Brisbane Road home grounds; no lengthy VAR waits or even lengthier queues at the station for fans who live miles away. This 9,200 capacity stadium thrums with genuine affection, in that quintessentially British, pie-and-mash sort of way.

Why go? In fact, the club’s half-time pie, mash and liquor is better than anything you’ll find at West Ham or Spurs down the road, and only costs £7. Adult tickets start at £26 and, unlike the Premier League clubs, you can usually get one on the day. Or catch the Tottenham women’s team – who have played the majority of their home games here since 2022 – for as little as a tenner. 

Brisbane Road, E10 5NF

What is it? A refined east-London bistro that leans into the hearty mountain food of Abruzzo, a hilltop utopia to the east of Rome known for sheep farms, robust reds and mysterious medieval towns.   

Why go? This is the first real restaurant from one of Time Out’s favourite nomadic chefs, Mike Bagnall (who is somehow simultaneously still running his Elm pop-up at Peckham’s Montpellier pub) and general manager Dylan Walters, formerly of Bambi. Come here to try the arrosticini – skinny, flame-grilled skewers made of salt-marsh lamb, suffolk wagyu and rose veal liver, washed down with an icy cold vesper martini

373 Mentmore Terrace, London Fields, E8 3DQ.

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.