There’s nowhere quite like Shoreditch, let’s face it. This London district, which more or less straddles the divide between the central and east regions of the city, is nowadays renowned as a ridiculously cool part of town, particularly popular with young revellers, thanks to it being filled with quirky, vibrant attractions, and renowned for being the stomping ground of the UK capital’s homegrown hipsters.
So, if you’re looking to come to London for a stay at a chic hotel (making sure you respect the likes of the Montcalm Care Protocol when you do), what should you seek to do in Shoreditch…?
Brick Lane Food Market
The Shoreditch area’s resplendent with awesome markets and perhaps the most appealing of them for those from out of town is this one, located on Hanbury Street. It’s where to pop to for fresh, tasty treats derived from all over the world – everything from Argentinian Arepas to Nepalese momos to Taiwanese bao buns. Delicious.
Junkyard Golf
Brick Lane’s also where to head to for some very millennial London fun; namely indoors crazy golf with a that Shoreditch feel, thanks to the interior’s urban-edgy, neon-tinted vibe. There’s also a bar here that does very decent snack food and, naturally, you can take a bar-ordered drink with you as you putt your way round the course. Not to be missed when enjoying one of those London getaway deals, no question.
Box Park
This retail park that’s made up of independent, boutiquey outlets that occupy huge containers from which they dispense their wares (cutting-edge fashion being the particular highlight) is what you call shopping, Shoreditch-style. Again, a hipster-ish experience that’s just got to be had.
Beigel Bake
If you’re a fan of pastry creations, especially of the beigel variety, then you should definitely head Brick Lane-wards, for here you’ll also find the renowned local phenomenon that’s Beigel Bake. Why? Because it’s acclaimed for serving up the most delicious beigels – morning, afternoon and evening (so ideal for London overnight trips) – in not just the capital but the entire land.
Old Spitalfields Market
Another market – and one of London’s legendary ones – Spitalfields isn’t at all old-school, though, being an upmarket, tourist-tastic destination, where the stalls vending delicious foody-friendly eats are complemented by boutiques and bars around the indoor market’s four sides. Great for food shopping, then, but also for enjoying a tipple. That being said, on that score, you might alternatively try…
An East End-style pub crawl
Yes, über-hip it might be, but Shoreditch, lest we forget, is on the tip of the East End, which means there’s many a decent boozer to choose from if you want to sample that most classic of British social activities – popping into a pub. For instance, you might want to try the traditional-as-you-like Ten Bells on Commercial Street, not least due to its intriguing ties to the legend of Victorian lore that’s Jack the Ripper.
Late night bars
Should you fancy making a real night of it in Shoreditch (before returning to the luxury likes of the Montcalm Marble Arch), then both the bowling, karaoke and, yes, drinking and dancing at All Star Lanes aren’t to be sniffed at, while the famous Old Street is, well, famous because of all its colourful bars with their very late-night licences.
Shoreditch street art
Finally – and, maybe, best of all, especially because it won’t cost you a penny – another ever-popular highlight of this area is its street art. For many, it may merely be graffiti but for those of the urban-and-artistically-minded, the two-dimensional creations that animate walls here, there and everywhere are special, indeed – not least because one or two are courtesy of the most legendary street artist of all, the ever-enigmatic Banksy.
