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.
Depending on the time of day you visit, the Cemetery Park can be a spectacularly peaceful place… or, rather expectedly, eery. Opened in 1841, burials stopped here in 1966 and ever since the site has existed as a nature reserve open to the public year round. In the summer Shuffle Festival takes place in the park, erecting temporary tree houses, cinema screens and pop up bars and restaurants. Thanks to the festival's success, the park lodge is being restored as a new permanent community space.
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