The 20 best things to do in Walthamstow

Fiending for a pint or five? The Bermondsey Beer Mile is sooo 2021. Now, the coolest craft quaffers are all doing the Blackhorse Beer Mile in E17, where you’ll find modern IPAs with a side of industrial chic. This stretch is home to a cluster of independent breweries, taprooms and bars, including the UK’s largest beer hall, Big Penny Social, and celebrated London beer brands like 40FT, Hackney Church, Pretty Decent, Signature Brew and Exale. 

The vibe is relaxed and resolutely unpretentious, with plenty of sunny outdoor spaces, some solid street food offerings, and usually some sort of live music or sports screening happening along the route. 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. 

Soho Theatre’s Walthamstow outpost is finally here, bringing West End-quality comedy and theatre to east London without the West End crowds. Opened in spring 2025 after 15 years in the making, the 970-seater venue occupies a spectacular Grade II-listed former Granada Cinema, built in 1930 and lovingly restored as part of a £30 million revamp. Comedy is at its heart, with regular ‘Neon Nights’ showcases featuring big-name acts and rising stars, alongside theatre, film screenings, an annual panto and community projects. There are also four bars, which stay open until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, making it a good spot to keep the night going after the curtain call.

Housed in the 18th-century Water House in Walthamstow’s Lloyd Park, this beautiful gallery celebrates the life and legacy of the textile designer and Arts and Crafts pioneer. William Morris lived here from 1848 to 1856, and today you still see some of his sumptuous textiles, rugs, wallpaper and tiles around the Georgian villa, alongside more personal treasures including his coffee cup and the satchel he used to distribute radical pamphlets.

Temporary exhibitions delve into everything from his fascination with Islamic art to his unlikely influence on Nike trainers and Dr Martens. There’s also a programme of workshops, poetry readings and DJ sets. Entry is free, so pop in during a stroll around Lloyd Park, and then stop by Winns Gallery to discover work by more local artists.

Despite only opening in 2017, Etles is a proper Walthamstow institution, and easily one of London’s best Uyghur restaurants, serving up authentic dishes from China’s Xinjiang province, where the Uyghur Turkic Muslim community originates.

Run by husband-and-wife duo Ablikim Rahman and Mukaddes Yadikar, the restaurant is unassuming, but the food is packed with tradition and flavour. Expect generous, comforting plates of spicy chicken stew with broad, chewy noodles, plus tender lamb kebabs and plenty of dishes designed for sharing.

You can eat very well here for £30 a head, and it’s also BYOB, so grab a bottle from the off-licence opposite, and settle in for a seriously satisfying feast. 

God’s Own Junkyard is Walthamstow’s gloriously bonkers neon wonderland, packed with thousands of glowing signs from the late neon artist Chris Bracey’s personal collection. Once you’ve stepped inside, you’ll find everything from vintage Soho sex-club signage to pieces made for films including Captain America, Eyes Wide Shut and Byzantium, alongside Bracey’s own colourful artworks and commissions.

It’s one of Europe’s biggest neon collections, making it an unmissable spot for a suitably dazzling photo op. Stop by the Rolling Scones Café for breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea, then make a day of it with a pint at Pilars brewery round the corner. Best of all? Entry is completely free.

Walthamstow Wetlands is the largest urban wetland in Europe, with 10 reservoirs spread across more than 200 hectres. Yep, you heard that right. So it is basically the perfect day out from London's hustle and bustle. Still a fully operational Thames Water site supplying millions of Londoners, the wetlands are also a haven for wildlife, with swans, kestrels, geese, frogs and hedgehogs among the residents.

Birdwatchers and anglers are particularly well catered for, while walkers can explore a wonderfully wild landscape dotted with remnants of E17’s industrial past. For added wholesomeness, don’t miss the former Marine Engine House, built in 1894 which is now a cosy café serving locally roasted coffee, toasties and homemade bakes.

Run by independent operator PDJ Cinemas, this Walthamstow kino opened in summer 2024, in the space left vacant following the collapse of Empire cinemas the previous year. The nine-screen venue was given a makeover and now features an Alfred Hitchcock-themed bar (the director grew up just down the road in Leytonstone) as well as 3D screening capabilities and full wheelchair accessibility.

It screens a great selection of international film fest favourites and mainstream crowdpleasers, and offers plenty to appeal to the local community, including themed movie nights, director Q&As, and plenty of relaxed and parent and baby screenings. It’s especially busy on Mondays, when tickets are just £5.

That there aren’t way more bougie cafes in Walthamstow is a mystery to us, but Dudley’s on Wood Street more than fits the bill, not least because they host yoga and meditation sessions during the summer, plus year-round vinyl parties curated by DJ and co-owner Mr James. Corn fritters, folded eggs, mushrooms on toast, caramelised crumpets and French toast are on the menu; coffee beans come from east London roastery Dark Arts, and at weekends the Bloody Marys and mimosas hit the menu to help with any residual hangovers. This is walk-ins only and things can get seriously busy at the weekends so arrive before you're absolutely starving. 

For the past 100 years, Walthamstow Trades Hall has sat right at the heart of the local community. Open to everyone, members and non-members alike, this not-for-profit grassroots venue is the place to come for a drink, a dance, a gig or simply to get to know your neighbours.

It offers a wide-spanning programme taking in everything from cabaret, karaoke and quizzes to queer line-dancing, Northern Soul all-dayers, comedy, choirs and international metal festivals, with the occasional A-list celebrity DJ thrown in for good measure. Family-friendly and LGBTQI+ welcoming, the Trades Hall has a proudly independent spirit and a genuinely community-minded feel. Whether you’re after a night of live music or just a very reasonably priced pint, this place is an absolute Walthamstow institution. 

Pool, shuffleboard and karaoke are just some of the things you can play at Flukes, the huge 5,000 square foot games hall that sits above the even more cavernous beer hall Big Penny Social. Flukes has six interactive darts oches, two interactive shuffleboards which are the first of their kind in the UK, four pro-standard American pool tables, and three karaoke rooms powered by Lucky Voice, offering more than 11,000 tracks. And obviously, all the beers from Big Penny Social are ready and waiting to be ordered and drunk, too. There's also pizza on the menu to keep your head in the game. But basically, this is the place to go if you need some entertainment in Walthamstow. 

This Grade II-listed former Victorian wastewater pumping station has long since stopped sloshing around sewage and is now home to something far more palatable. Inside, you’ll find trains, planes and landmark automobiles, including some of the first of their kind. See original Victorian steam engines, a huge collection of fire engines dating back to 1800, explore 1960s Tube carriages and admire a model of the iconic London ‘B’ type bus. There’s also a model railway depicting the Chingford to Liverpool Street line during the steam era, alongside fascinating displays exploring the technology, transport and industrial history of Walthamstow and the Lea Valley. Visit on Sundays for the full experience, or book a regular Tube supper club for a six-course tasting menu served in a vintage Tube carriage.

Like gin? Make like the protagonist of a Hogarth scene and head to the Ravenswood Industrial Estate, where you’ll find female-run small-batch distillery Mother’s Ruin. Founded in 2012 by E17 local Becky Griffiths, the produces two award-winning gins alongside a range of delicious fruit liqueurs and cocktail bitters made with locally sourced ingredients.

And you can sample the whole range at the distillery’s cosy on-site bar, the Gin Palace, which is open on weekends and serves up a creative menu of gin-based drinks ranging from classic G&Ts to marmalade negronis, the Rose Between Thorns (made with rose, geranium and fennel gin) and our personal favourite, the Damson In Distress (damson gin, amaretto and plum bitters).

The bar has had a refurb recently, and is really looking its best, with a mixture of indoor and outdoor seating, and a programme of regular events ranging including bingo, book clubs and live comedy.

Allegedly Europe’s longest outdoor street market, Walthamstow Market has been running along the High Street since 1885. Stretching for around a kilometre, it’s a wonderfully old-school place to browse, with stalls selling everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to clothes, household goods and other bargains.

The main market runs from 8am to 5pm Tuesday to Friday, and until 5.30pm on Saturdays, although individual traders may close earlier. There’s also a Sunday Social Market, running from 10am to 4pm, with fresh street food (we love the Cockney pie and mash for a splash of local flavour), local brands and community entertainment. For a quieter browse, arrive early; for the liveliest atmosphere, Saturday is your best bet. You'll be sure to get your step count in here. 

If there’s one wellness trend that defines London right now, it’s sauna. The city has gone crazy for the Finnish pastime in recent years with everyone from run club hipsters to allotment-owning grannies going crazy for a good ol’ steam bath and cold plunge. This Walthamstow branch of not-for-profit mini-chain Community Sauna opened in autumn 2025 on an industrial plot just off Blackhorse Road. 

The new venue features three communal saunas and cold plunge pools, hot and cold showers, changing rooms and a shared relaxation space, with plans for a wheelchair accessibly community garden that will be open to the public. Off-peak sessions start at £9.50 for 60 minutes, rising to £16.50 for peak times, with memberships and bulk packages available too.  

The Nag’s Head is the kind of neighbourhood pub that will make you a regular. Tucked away on Orford Road in Walthamstow Village, this strictly adults-only spot it’s bright, cosy and pleasantly eccentric, welcoming ale drinkers, pizza fans and, crucially, cats and those who love them; the landlady’s furry friends are often lolling around, and the words ‘Pizza, Ale, Cats’ are emblazoned above the bar.

Inside, faded sofas invite you to sink in for the afternoon (after checking for feline occupants first) while a spacious beer garden provides plenty of room for peaceful sunny-day pints. There’s a warm, slightly scruffy charm to the place, with a genuine community feel and regular events including life drawing, pub quizzes and lots of live music adding to its character. There’s plenty to do here, and that’s why people come back for more. 

Waltham Forest Town Hall is quite the sight. All white, imposing and faintly regal, it cuts a striking figure among the suburban streets of Walthamstow. Designed by Philip Dalton Hepworth following a 1929 competition, the Portland Stone-clad building blends Art Deco with Nordic Classicism, with the influence of William Morris thrown in for good measure. Following a major refurbishment in 2020 and 2021, it’s looking particularly handsome these days.

Want to see beyond that grand exterior? You can take a guided tour of the building, starting in the foyer, where you’ll find objects from the former history room, before heading into the council chamber, basement rooms and grounds. The tour also takes in the newly created Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Garden.

The Mill’s Instagram bio calls it a ‘community space created by local people for everyone’ – and, honestly, that’s about as good a description as you’ll get. This is community centre in the truest sense: a welcoming place where Walthamstow residents can drop in, make use of the facilities and, importantly, get involved. There’s an ‘honesty library’, regular exhibitions and plenty of space for locals to run their own projects and events. The programme is impressively eclectic, spanning yoga workshops, Chinese culture clubs, art sessions, Scrabble and knitting groups, alongside classes for new parents and babies. There are tea and coffee stations for a pit stop, plus rooms available to hire. In other words, it’s a place to meet, make, learn and linger – without spending a fortune.

Slowburn isn’t like other restaurants – because Slowburn almost isn’t a restaurant at all. Instead, it’s a slap-up dinner party in a working denim factory, where scrappy paper patterns for jeans line the walls, industrial washing machines loom large and there’s a lingering smell of starch in the air.Come Friday, the sewing machines stop buzzing, tables and chairs are wheeled in and the kitchen fires up for the weekend.

The result is an ever-so-slightly unhinged dining experience, with hearty, globally inspired, veg-forward sharing plates that are big on flavour and love. Think crunchy-shell black bean tacos, purple sprouting broccoli with Thai-style red curry sauce and a hilariously decadent rosti with ox cheek and tail. It’s unconventional, delicious and just a little bit odd.

Built around a horseshoe corridor in a building that was once a cinema, this unassuming Walthamstow market packs a whole lot into its snug space, boasting 30 small shops selling an eclectic range of goods, from antiques, ceramics, vintage clothes and second-hand books to jewellery, artwork, handmade greetings cards and baking supplies.

It’s a proper East End institution, where you’ll find a fun mix of bougie boutiques run by newcomers to the neighbourhood alongside units run by cockney locals. Stop by on a lazy Saturday, grab a coffee from the on-site tearoom and spend the afternoon having a good old mooch. 

Everyone craves a little bit of green-space bliss in London, and if you’re a Walthamstow local, Lloyd Park is one of your best bets. This handsome Victorian-style park was given a major makeover in 2012 with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and has since held Green Flag Award status. There’s plenty here to keep you busy, from play areas and cafés to tennis courts, table tennis tables, bowling greens, an outdoor gym and a dedicated nature area. On a sunny day, spread out a blanket with some picky bits and settle in for some serious sunbathing, while winter calls for a brisk wander through the grounds to get that much-needed chill on your bones.