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.
Slightly off the beaten track, the distillery and bar of the East London Liquor Company occupies a corner of this former glue factory. Walk inside through the heavy wooden stable doors and the shining copper still greets you from behind the bar. The gins are great. They currently make three types, all brimming with subtle botanical flavours (thyme, lemon peel, sage and bay leaf amongst many others). They also make small batches of rum, whisky and vodka too, all of which can be bought at the bar or in their fantastic little bottle shop next door (see the separate posting for more info on the shop). The East London Liquor Company makes for a good night out with a group of friends (there is space and it doesn’t get annoyingly overcrowded), or an afternoon drink in the sunshine before heading down to the park. There's also an outside area that almost manages to disguise the fact it’s a car park, with a seating area walled with fragrant lavender.
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