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…

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…

DUB – LDN (Part 2)

(Part 2 of 2)

From the moment we arrived in London, our hosts (Patrick’s sister, Lauren, and  her boyfriend, Ian) continued to suggest one particular pizza place in the vicinity which we had to try. Bravi Ragazzi looks and feels like a traditional, family style pizzeria that has been updated to fit comfortably into a trendy south London suburb. Stone baked pizzas, freshly made to eat in or take away, are their speciality and are churned out from their tiny eatery just off Streatham High Street, SW16.