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…

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…