At the crossroads of the City, Canary Wharf and the Olympic Park you'll find Mile End and Bow — the bustling residential heartland of the East End. Once gritty and rough around the edges — OK, still gritty and rough around the edges — the area has picked up in recent years with new places to eat, drink and shop joining the existing arts venues, charming parks and squares. While the likes of Nandos, Tesco and Starbucks have all started to muscle-in on the area, there's plenty of other places to head to if you're after genuine local experiences.
Since 1937, pies have been served at this shop on Roman Road, each one hand-made in their in-house bakery using a recipe passed down through three generations.
Hidden away down a narrow passageway linking Grove Hall Park to Bow Road, Carmelite Cafe serves up brunches, lunches and great Nude Espresso coffee.
A new addition to Roman Road, Bacaro brings delicious Italian inspired food and a charming atmosphere to an area that had been lacking exactly that. Bacaro is definitely looking to cement itself in the neighbourhood and they've done a good job of using local suppliers where possible particularly when it comes to the drinks menu - they serve Crate beers, East London Liquor Company spirits and cocktails (including the postcode-referencing E3 Bellini). When it comes to the food, the pasta is fresh, the cichetti and antipasti is delicious and morish and the puddings are intriguing. The prices are really reasonable too, so there's no hefty bill at the end.
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