The best things to do in East London

In today’s London guide, I’m sharing all the best things to do in East London. East London is such a fun part of the city to explore – with its great markets, lots of interesting streets to wander, pretty canals and parks and really good food and coffee shop scene.

There are always lots of great things to do in East London, but here are 9 of my absolute favourite.

The best things to do in East London

1. Columbia Road Flower Market

One of my all time favourite weekend activities in London is visiting Columbia Road Flower Market. This lovely East London market takes over Columbia Road every Sunday, when the street becomes filled with flower & plant stalls and such a great buzzy atmosphere.

It’s the perfect place to go buy yourself flowers in London, with lots of reasonably priced blooms to choose from. After perusing the flower stalls, you can grab a great coffee a pastry at Pavilion bakery in Columbia Road, or head round the corner to the Lily Vanilli Bakery. Lily Vanilli is in a cute little courtyard in Ezra Street and it’s a lovely spot to grab a sweet treat in, especially on a sunny day (however rare they seem to be in London at the moment!)

Even if you’re not stopping at Lily Vanilli, you should make sure to stop at Ezra Street (just off Columbia Road.) This gem of an East London street is home to a great little Italian restaurant – Campania – and also just comes alive at the weekends. While the market is on, you’ll find a lovely lively atmosphere, often with live music and people sipping drinks and chatting in the street.

Beyond the flowers, Columbia Road is lined with cute little independent shops and cafes. If you’re not able to visit the market on a Sunday, then it’s still worth having a wander along the street any other day of the week (though do note not all the shops open every day of the week, as weekends are so much busier.)

Columbia Road Flower Market opening times – the market is open from 8am-3pm every Sunday

2. Brick Lane

Another street that’s synonymous with East London – along with Columbia Road – is Brick Lane. This super vibrant street is known for its street art, curry houses, bagel shops, vintage stores and street food.

Visit at the weekend to get the best of Brick Lane buzzing atmosphere, or come on a weekday to enjoy browsing the shops and cafe hopping away from the crowds.

Some of the best things to do in Brick Lane include grabbing a bagel from Beigel Bake (come prepared to queue, but this iconic East London bakery is open 24 hours a day, so you can also always come back at a quieter time!); browsing books at the lovely independent Brick Lane Bookshop, admiring the street art; trying some delicious curry at one of the street’s many curry houses. But you should definitely come and discover Brick Lane for yourself.

3. Spitalfields

Spitalfields is a must visit area in East London. Another fun area of East London, in this neighbourhood you’ll find lots of shops and restaurants, a great food market and some really picturesque historic streets.

Make sure to go try some delicious food in Spitalfields Market – a covered market with street food stalls, shops and restaurants. If you’re in the mood for something sweet, Humble Crumble – with it’s iconic pink tubs – serves up very tasty takes on the classic British crumble. Or for something savoury, I love the bao at Yum Bun.

After you’ve had your street food fix, I’d recommend exploring the instagrammable olds streets around Spitalfields. If you’re into photography, definitely be ready to take some pics – some of the best historic streets to discover in Shoreditch are Elder Street, Princelet Street, Crispin Street, Fournier Street and Brushfield Street.

4. Hackney Wick

If you haven’t discovered Hackney Wick yet, definitely get yourself there! This East London neighbourhood is super popular with locals, but not so well known to tourists.

Located by the canal, Hackney Wick is full of great bars and a hub of creativity. You can go for walk or a cycle along the canal, then enjoy some of the great local waterside pubs.

Hackney Wick is especially nice to visit on a sunny day, when you can grab a drink in the sun – Grow & CRATE are both nice great options.

One of the best things to do in Hackney Wick is go to Barge East. This iconic barge boat – with gardens next to it – serves up award winning seasonal dishes, or can just enjoy street food and drinks in the garden.

5. Victoria Park

One of London’s loveliest parks, visiting Victoria Park is another thing that should absolutely be on your East London itinerary.

This great London green space is bordered by two different canals and has a boating lake, cafes (including another branch of Pavilion), a Chinese pagoda and lots of peaceful spots to enjoy.

If you’re visiting at the weekend you’ll also get to enjoy Victoria Park Market (open 11am-5pm on Saturdays and 10-4 on Sundays.) On Saturdays the market is filled with street food stalls, and on Sundays – along with street food – it has local traders selling seasonal fruit, veg and other delicious delicacies.

6. Regent’s Canal

Another one of my all time favourite things to do in London is go for a walk along Regent’s Canal. Regent’s Canal runs through the heart of East London, and if you want somewhere to go to unwind from the busyness of the city it’s a place I’d highly recommend.

The canal is lined with super cute houseboats, as well as waterside cafes and pubs. It’s a great London hidden gem – well known to East London locals, but much less so to visitors.

If you’re looking for food & drink stops along the canal, try the Towpath cafe – where you can get super tasty brunches right by the water.

7. Broadway Market

Broadway Market London — Broadway Market

East London is such a good place for food markets and street food, and any foodies need add Broadway Market to their London list. Located just off Regents Canal, Broadway market is a great little street filled with nice pubs, restaurants & cafes and interesting shops.

At the weekend Broadway Market is filled with food stalls and it’s a perfect weekend pitstop. You can grab some street food at one of the stalls then head to the canal for a stroll. Or stop for drinks at one of the local pubs like the Dove, coffee at Climpsons & Sons, or brunch at The Bach.

8. Hackney City Farm

For a wholesome activity in London, Hackney City Farm is perfect. This cute city farm is home to a variety of animals, including sheep, goats, pigs, and chickens. The farm is completely free to visit, so also one of the best free things to do in London!

As well as offering you the chance to visit the farmyard animals, there’s also an onsite cafe serving up seasonal farm-to-fork Italian inspired food. The farm also offers some fun experiences like workshops, pottery classes and woodworking.

9. Coffee shop & bakery hopping

Last but not least on the best things to do in East London, is coffee shop and bakery hopping. There are so many nice little cafes and food spots in this part of London, so you should definitely try and sample as many as you can!

A few faves are Nagare Coffee – a great cosy coffee shop in Spitalfields, Jolene – a delicious bakery in Redchurch Street and Pophams – one of the best places to go for pastries in London.

The best places to stay in East London

If you’re on a bit of a budget – Mama Shelter is a brilliant option. This very cool Shoreditch hotel is surprisingly reasonably priced and comes with stylish rooms and a garden bar.

The Hoxton – in the heart of Shoreditch – is another great option. It has cosy modern rooms and great bar and cafe space downstairs (that’s also a really good spot to work from.)

If you want to go a little more luxe – Redchurch Townhouse is a Soho House hotel with gorgeous 1970s inspired rooms.

Fun experiences in East London

If you’re looking for a good way to meet new people while you’re exploring East London, I’d definitely recommend looking at booking a tour or local experience.

This L ondon Sunday market tour takes you around Columbia Road, Broadway Market and Victoria Park with a local guide

Or you can join this street art and graffiti guided tour that takes you through some of East London’s most vibrant areas

Or foodies can take this super fun “No Diet Club” food tour and try some of East London’s most delicious street food and treats

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