Review: Moka East

From the very beginning of living in the East End, and even before when researching it, we were always seeking out the little nooks and crannies, the nubs of that area that appealed to us most. We believe in seeing the best and finding local, independent businesses to champion in any area we’ve lived in so far, and Stratford was no exception.

Though in saying that, moving to a site of intensive regeneration and a somewhat complete facelift from it’s previous aesthetic in order to host the biggest event in the world doesn’t necessarily fill a person with the hope of finding little family-run pubs, community bakeries, vintage stores and front room-sized restaurants. We knew Stratford was a major work-in-progress when we moved to London a year ago, so we also knew to downplay our expectations somewhat. For the most part, we didn’t need to do that too much actually, and one café in particular has been the shining light of Stratford for us; the new Stratford…

Review: The Hackney Pearl

Hackney Wick wouldn’t be the first port of call for anyone seeking out impressively good dining. It’s still in somewhat of an intermediary stage. Not quite flourishing as flawlessly and fast as neighbouring Stratford is thanks to the Olympic push, yet still retaining it’s bohemian mixed with industrial spirit that it’s been brewing for the past few years. Lots of little cafés, restaurants and art spaces have opened up around the area in the past decade, and Hackney Wick is still treading the line between underground anonymity and Evening Standard-worthy gushing about it being ‘The New…’ something or other. The jury is out on whether that balance will tip one way or the other for us.

We’ve dined a lot at one of it’s best restaurants, The Hackney Pearl – a restaurant/café that has become one of our beloved beacons of the East and housed many a happy meal during our time so far in London. Here’s what we ate, once for dinner, and another time for brunch….

London Grilling: A Bit More About Us

A few months ago we had a little chat with the team behind London Living, a blog organised and operated by the team behind East Village – the community neighbourhood surrounding the site of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Here’s some of the Q&A so you can get to know us a little bit more.

London offers more tasty treats than any other city in the world. We aren’t the only ones who think so. Irish couple Russell James Alford (below left)  and Patrick Hanlon (below right), have a fabulous blog, GastroGays, which explores the plethora of eateries London has to offer, all through the eyes of London newbies…

Not just Westfield…

Okay, yes, it has been named a crime hotspot and a small portion of it was deemed the most dangerous area in Britain. Yes, it somewhat skipped it’s teen years and high-jumped from infancy to adulthood in the blink of an eye due to the super-construction of the Olympics, and okay, we do admit there are many, many dodgy pubs and that there really is a club called ‘Stratford’s Got Swagga XXX’… But Stratford is so much more than only Westfield, and we want to show you why we love it and call it our home.

There’s far more to behold than what’s between the walls of Westfield, not that anything within is much to complain about, but Stratford bears beautiful things within the sizeable perimeter of itself. The ‘City’ of the East End may seem like a shiny shell of newness with little substance brewing inside the proverbial teapot, but there’s places and spaces worth seeing, especially those that pay homage to the quirk and creativity of neighbouring Hackney…

October 2013: Snapshots

The Counter – An Olympic Brunch

It’s been a while since our last review, so here is one place we feel is a must-know-about in London – The Counter at the edge of Hackney.

It’s self-described as “London’s best kept secret” on their website. Coffee, cake, pies, and brunch are their specialities, all served in a happily hipster haven in the East End. This place has been on our hit list for quite some time. In fact, over a year – as far back as our trip to the Olympics last summer. A feature in The Guardian in the run up to the Games had suggestions for eating on a budget around the park while the Games were on and that originally introduced us to this place…