There’s just something about Shoreditch. Colourful, vibrant and youthful, you would have never thought it was a once-decaying part of London. With just about something for everyone, we guarantee that 24 hours is all you need to fall in love with Shoreditch.
Morning
Breakfast
We start off with the most important meal of the day, and trust us—here in Shoreditch, you wouldn’t want to miss it. Easily one of London’s best restaurants, Dishoom pays homage to the Iranian cafes of old Bombay, featuring an eclectic mix of modern and traditional Indian cuisine. The breakfast options are all equally delightful, but if you have to pick just one, go for the bacon naan roll. Do yourself a favour and order a cup of their refillable masala chai to wash it all down.
If you’re feeling for a hearty English breakfast, look no further than The Breakfast Club. This lively restaurant serves all sorts of delightful breakfast and brunch fare. Get the full Monty, a plate piled with the goodies of a traditional English Breakfast, or have a go at the pancakes & berries, which features a stack of fluffy pancakes and dollop of sweet cream. Head there early, it gets pretty crowded!
Appreciate street art
It’s easy to forget how the rest of London looks like once you step into Shoreditch. Home to a thriving art scene, Shoreditch has a fantastic collection of street art, some of which are done by the elusive Banksy. Bold, vibrant and vivid, these murals are hard to miss and fill every street and corner. To fully appreciate Shoreditch’s street art scene, we’d really recommend a street art walking tour, but if you’re short on time, just take a stroll down Brick Lane for an excellent introduction to what the rest of Shoreditch has to offer.
Trawl the iconic Brick Lane
Perhaps one of the most iconic streets of Shoreditch, Brick Lane also happens to be the primary residence of London’s Bangladeshi community. It is full of curry restaurants! If you’re visiting on a Sunday, lucky you! Every Sunday, the streets of Brick Lane come alive with the Brick Lane Market, a flea market selling just about everything – from second-hand clothes, to curious artifacts and a plethora of other items. Take your time to look around. As they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure—you may just pick up something you love.
Don’t leave the area without grabbing a salt beef beigel (yes, beigel, not bagel, mind you) from the iconic Beigel Bake at 159 Brick Lane. This legendary bakery is open 24 hours, all year round, and has been serving beigels since 1974. For a mere £4.50, you get a hot beigel choke full of tender beef brisket, gherkins and mustard—an absolute steal by London standards. The beigels move fast (they sell a whopping 7,000 bagels in a day!) so you can be guaranteed that the ones you are getting are fresh!
See the flowers at Columbia Road Flower Market
Another great spot to hit up on Sundays, Columbia Road Flower Market is London’s only street flower market. Between 8am to 3pm, the street transforms into a lively venue filled with blooms of different colours, shapes and sizes. Arriving later is a great option for those looking for a good bargain—traders knock down prices to clear their stock before they head home for the day. Look out for the number of independent cafes selling lots of delightful goodies throughout Columbia Road as well.
Afternoon
Lunch
Sunday roast may be one of the most traditional English meals ever, and the Sunday roast served at Blacklock is truly a thing of beauty. The plate comes with generous slabs of lamb, beef and pork, alongside a bed of potatoes and of course, Yorkshire pudding. Douse it with the accompanying rich, hearty gravy (ask for extra, even)—this is English comfort food in its finest form.
Alternatively, head to Smokestak, a rustic joint serving up barbecue, and boy, are they getting their barbecue right. Their beef brisket bun (with a touch of pickled chilli) is an absolute winner—think a fluffy bun with smoky, tender goodness sandwiched in-between. Another must-try dish is the dry rubbed pork belly, which is simply oozing with melt-in-your-mouth flavour.
Pick up some new (old) clothes
Acquiring the perfect vintage pieces for your wardrobe may just about be one of the easiest things to do in Shoreditch. Vintage shops are scattered through Shoreditch, featuring collections of carefully curated vintage pieces. Check out Hunky Dory Vintage for a smart selection of pieces from across different eras, Rokit, with a wide range of affordable classics and vintage denim from labels such as Levi’s, as well as ATIKA, featuring a collection of both original label items and reworked pieces.
Explore BOXPARK
The epitome of industrial chic, BOXPARK is a pop-up mall housed in old shipping containers. It is filled with a hip accolade of unique shops including Get A Drip, an IV cafe where you can get your nutrients delivered directly through your veins. Buzzing with life, this shopping mall is truly one-of-a-kind.
Night
Dinner
There are lots of adjectives we could use to describe Gloria, but none quite do it justice—the restaurant is a charming little thing, encompassing the same fun and playfulness that seems to radiate throughout Shoreditch. While they tout their specialty to be their carbonara, we say skip that and go straight for the woodfired pizzas, which are just about the paragon of a perfect pizza—crisp and crackly, each bite more satisfying than the last. With all there is to Gloria, it is no surprise that this place is always packed—reservations are highly recommended if you don’t want to wait.
Embark on a post-dinner pub crawl
End of your day in Shoreditch with a bang, and what better way than through a pub crawl? Shoreditch has a fantastic night scene, with a variety of bars and pubs waiting to be discovered. The Culpeper is a snazzy bar that also houses a restaurant and a hotel. Head up to the open-air rooftop which provides fantastic views of the surrounding area. If you’re a fan of beers, BrewDog is your go-to for delicious Scottish craft beers. If you’re in a group, you’ll love Fight Club, a darts bar with an electric atmosphere. For music lovers, head to Nightjar live jazz performances to accompany your evening cocktails.
If you ask us, 24 hours in Shoreditch definitely isn’t enough to fully immerse yourself in this fantastic part of London. If you can, by all means, spend more.
