An Alternative Travel Guide to Shoreditch
Time marches on and Shoreditch may have had its majestic heyday, but it’s still a wildly creative and curious neighbourhood to explore. Festooned with one-off street art, independent stores, speciality coffee shops and damn good food joints. So, get ready for an alternative walking tour and lets dive right in!
Breakfast of Crodoughs at Rinkoff Bakery
To begin your morning, we are starting slightly off the beaten path in Stepney Green at the renowned Rinkoff Bakery on Jubilee Street. I wanted to bring you here first as their culinary mash up of a croissant and a doughnut is something that really can’t be missed!
It’s famous for being the original home of their celebrated ‘Crodough’ and has been a cornerstone of the community for over 100 years. Getting here early will allow you to choose from the best flavours before they all sell out; which trust me they will!
I can’t put in to words how heavenly these creations are and it’s always such a struggle to decide which filling to choose. Although, my absolute favourite has to be the Dulce de Leche with Sprinkles followed by the Salted Caramel & Pistachio. If you love sweet treats as much as me, I would definitely recommend picking up a couple to go and saving them for later.
There are a few tables and chairs outside if you’re lucky enough to grab one, but if not just hang out in the square and embrace the effervescent East End ambience.
If you are looking for a sit down breakfast instead, then make your way west on Mile End Road where you will find some superb breakfast establishments including: Grounded known for their fantastic fry-ups and Exmouth Coffee Co know for their buzzy local café fare.
Hunting for Street Art
All set and raring to go? Start at the end of Brick Lane, which joins with Whitechapel Road. If like me, you enjoy hunting down unique pieces of street art, the whole area is notorious for its wonderfully decorated buildings by a mix of local and international artists. The first noteworthy piece to discover is located to your right on Heneage Street. Follow the street down a little way to the football pitch and look back to find the gigantic black and white illustrative piece by Sheffield artist Phlegm.
Next, continue on Brick Lane until you find Seven Stars Yard to your left, which is covered in a chaotic mish-mash of paste-ups and graffiti that engulfs the whole building. This is continuously evolving as new pieces are sprayed, painted and pasted over old ones!
Next up, grab a quick photo of the recognisable piece “A Couple Holding Hands in the Street” by local artist Stik on Princelet Street, which depicts the diverse culture of London, before you head on over to Hanbury Street.
Halfway down Hanbury Street you will find one of the area’s most acclaimed works, the spectacular giant crane by Belgian artist, ROA. Also, further along you will find the independent bookshop, Libreria. If there are any fellow bookworms amongst you, you’ll love it in here! Their well curated collection of contemporary titles are a joy to flick through, in a beautifully designed space.
Brick Lane Vintage Market
Now, as you continue on your journey we are getting right into the heart of Brick Lane. As you reach the vast F Block of the Truman Brewery you’ll see a pretty inconspicuous doorway on your left that doesn’t, at first glance reveal many secrets, but as you make your way downstairs you will find one of London’s largest vintage markets!
The first time I visited I was astonished at the amount of specialist sellers, which are all housed under one roof and I couldn’t wait to start hunting through the endless rails of second-hand gems. It’s a must visit for vintage enthusiasts like myself, particularly if you love to shop sustainably!
Dray Walk
Post vintage haul, make your way around the corner to Dray Walk, where you will discover Broccoli Lane Gallery by artist, Adrian Boswell. Famous for his broccoli art, he has created over twelve hundred broccoli pieces to date and if you keep your eyes peeled you will also find some of them decorating the various streets of Shoreditch.
Further along is the iconic record store Rough Trade East. They stock a vast selection of vinyl across all genres and have an excellent punk rock section. If you are with a friend don’t miss out on jumping in their photo booth and getting one of their legendary black and white photos to keep as a memento of your visit.
Continue on Dray Walk and follow it round to the left. Here you will find a cool little pop-up food market, which is a nice spot to grab a coffee to accompany you on your stroll over to Spitalfields Market.
Lunch at Spitalfields Market
Take a right onto Hanbury Street and across over on Commercial Street to find Spitalfields Market. Spitalfields is the perfect place to grab lunch as they have a superb array of delicious food pop-up residences. A few of my go-to’s are Bleecker Burger for their NYC style patties and Yum Bun for their incredible home-made steamed baos. There is so much choice here you definitely won’t go hungry!
Shoreditch Graffiti
Ready to walk off your lunch? Let’s get back to the hustle and bustle of Brick Lane. Exit back onto Commercial Street and follow it north until you reach Jerome Street on your right. You’ll find some more cool paste-ups and artwork along this stretch, which merges into even more graffiti on Grey Eagle Street. Then, take a sharp right on to Quaker Street to get you back onto to Brick Lane.
Vintage Shopping
I personally can’t think of anything better to do next than spend an hour or so rifling through the area’s high-quality vintage stores. First up on your left is the cult favourite Rokit, then keep making your way up Brick Lane to Cheshire Street. Here you will find House of Vintage London stocking rare and unusual finds and Beyond Retro packed with classics from all over the world.
Graffiti Bridge
As you walk down Cheshire Street, also make sure to stop to take some photos of the Graffiti Bridge on your right, which is totally consumed by street art.
Sclater Street
Make your way back onto Brick Lane and continue until you hit Sclater Street on your left. I enjoy seeking out the old Weaver Houses, which are covered in trinkets, artwork and drawings, which make for some really interesting shots. Look up and you will see a hanging typewrite and if look carefully you may even spot some of Boswell’s Broccoli artworks.
Unusual Love Locks
Straight ahead you’ll see the vast shipping container structure of Box Park which houses 27 small independent retailers. More interestingly though, just opposite you will find what I have termed one of the most alternative ‘love lock’ gates in London.
Chance Street / Redchurch Street
If you have time, nip across the road from Box Park to explore Ebor Street, Chance Street, Redchurch Street and its neighbouring avenues for the impressive large scale artistic murals, which decorate the buildings.
Village Underground
From this area take a left onto Shoreditch High Street and make your way up Great Eastern Street. Keep on the left-hand side of the street to be able to admire the graffitied tube carriages, which sit on the roof of the acclaimed music venue Village Underground. The tube carriages have been converted into co-working spaces to offer affordable studios to local creatives in the area.
For us though it makes for a brilliant photo opportunity and the unique typographic design “Let’s Adore and Endure Each Other” written underneath, completes I think, a view that really encapsulates the culture of the area.
The Great Frog
In my opinion there’s one store in Shoreditch, which you can’t miss out on visiting and that’s The Great Frog. They have been creating iconic rock ‘n’ roll jewellery for over 50 years and are already an institution in their own right. They challenge the norms of the mainstream and produce pieces which personify rebellion, expression and pure individualism. If it sounds like your kind of place, take a right onto Holywell Lane to discover this cult jewellery store.
Shoreditch Strolling
Back up slightly and you will find the largest dedicated street art wall in London, which is repainted every three months by well-known artists. Embrace the highly decorated streets leading from King John Court through to New Inn Broadway. Once on Bateman’s Row take a left onto Curtain Road and walk North until you hit Rivington Street. If you are feeling the need for an afternoon pick me up, Fix 126 do some delicious coffee.
Dinner at The Bike Shed
From Rivington Street take a left on Shoreditch High Street and loop round on to Old Street where you will find the unrivalled Bike Shed Motorcycle Club. Described as ‘A place of common ground’, it’s where people from all walks of life can come together to celebrate their fervour for motorcycles. Plus, they serve up mighty fine food!
Hit up a booth in their 100-seater restaurant, located within an atmospheric Victorian railway arch and enjoy the remarkable community spirit that flows through this space. Their menu offers modern classics cooked to perfection such as their Bike Shed legendary burgers, ultimate Mac and Cheese and all the sides you ever dreamed of! Tie in one of their signature cocktails or craft beers and you’ll be pretty much set for the night. Whilst you are there make sure to explore all of their arches, which include a curated retail store, creative exhibition space and even a barber shop!
Mikkeller
By now you may be thinking that a few after dinner drinks are called for and if you are then I would urge you to check out Mikkeller, which is located just a short walk from The Bike Shed on Hackney Road. Here you’ll find the renowned brew pub, which was founded in Copenhagen and is now best known for its famous experimental one-off brews. It’s one of my go-to drinking holes for their phantom creations and crazy flavours.
There really is so much to see and do in this cutting-edge neighbourhood, I’ve tried to find the best route possible, so you feel like you’ve really experienced the area to its full extent. I could have gone on, but hopefully this will give you a good flavour of what the neighbourhood has to offer and encourage you to discover some of the more unknown ‘hole-in-the-walls’ for yourself. Please click the map below to discover the full walking tour route!
I would love to hear about your Shoreditch wanderings and what your favourite local places are to visit, because there’s always something new to discover.
Please give the guide a share with any fellow off-beat adventurers!
Thanks for reading,
V
