This Wednesday, we are back in Shoreditch. As you know by now, we have been hosting events in London for a while now, and each and every time, it is one of our favourite trips of recent times. After our last time in the capital, we let you know about all of our favourite things to do - you loved it so much, we have had to come back for round two…
Now, we’re looking at Team BODA’s favourite places to eat and drink around Shoreditch in East London. It’s no secret that Shoreditch has become a place of increasing popularity, but don’t be fooled by the number of hidden gems there are. From sparkling cocktails, to dive bar pale ales; fillet steak to 24-hour salt-beef bagel… The options are endless.
So come on, let’s go through the places you need to visit before, or after our WKNDR pop-up event.
Bike Shed Motorcycle Club, 384-386, Old St, London EC1V 9LT
If you know BODA SKINS, you will know that we like bikes. The Bike Shed Motorcycle Club is one of the hottest spots in the capital to get the perfect fix of tattoos, bikes and good beer. This cafe/boutique/barbers is made for everyone - you don’t have to arrive on your bike, you can quite simply arrive in any style you like. The place is friendly, lively and full of biker energy.
You can treat yourself to some of the best coffee in town here, or even tuck into a good portion of food. We would recommend the charcuterie and superfood platters. However, there’s a bunch of wholesome, filling, biker-style dishes that will leave you full and raring to go.
Check the Biker Shed Motorcycle Club on Instagram here.
Burger & Beyond, 147 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JE
When looking for the best burger in town, you don’t need to look any further than Burger & Beyond. They’re street-food experts in this game, and their home-reared meat has brought an up-market, yet urban experience to Shoreditch. The burgers are officially cooked medium, but don’t worry, you’re more than welcome to request your own standard of meat.
While the burgers are extremely thick and filling, there’s always the option to double up. The patties sit inside a sesame brioche bun and can be complemented with an array of options. But, if burgers aren’t your acquired taste, there’s a bunch of chicken bites, lamb croquettes and who can forget about the highly-addictive ‘dirty tots’.
Check Burger & Beyond out on Instagram here and thank us after.
Crispin, Pavilion on The Corner, White’s Row, London E1 7NF
When you’re looking for something a little more luxurious, Crispin is the place to go. Home to some of the finest pasta and seafood on the market, this Spitalfields backstreet provides some of the misty striking backdrops. It’s no secret that this is a head-turning venue, but what some people don’t know is that it is a place of more than one personality.
During the day, it’s all about organic bacon sandwiches, coconut-milk porridge and house coffee. But, visit Crispin in the evening and it fronts ambitious and skilfully dishes. The stand-outs are the celeriac croquettes and the pork belly in broth.
But aside from the food, Crispin has a friendly vibe with helpful staff. We love it here.
Check them out on Instagram here.
Ballie Ballerson, 97-114 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3BS
Here is the place to go to when you’re looking to let your hair down. Ballie Ballerson is Shoreditch’s very own adult-only ball pool, the place that allows adults to channel their younger energies and get drunk while they reminisce on the good old days of childhood.
With an entry ticket, you get two hours of ball pit time. However, if you were to splurge on the VIP package (that comes with a free glass of prosecco), you will also have access to the golden ball bit. The VIP area also supplies waiters on hand, ensuring that you never go hungry and that your glass never runs dry.
But, no matter what package you pay for, Ballie Ballerson allows you to appreciate the true glory of jumping around in hundreds of glowing plastic balls… It’s not something you do every day!
Check them out on Instagram here.
Swingers Crazy Golf, 8 Brown’s Buildings, London, EC3A 8AL
I mean… Who doesn’t like a bit of crazy golf? At Swingers, you can enjoy a bunch of crazy golf, stunning cocktails and London’s best street-food vendors. There’s also a collection of beautiful bars and talented DJs there. There’s no dress code either so feel free to dress as you please.
Having turned into a permanent venue after a successful pop-up in Shoreditch, Swingers London offers its guests 18 holes of immensely creative mini gold in a verdant, plant-filled and beautifully detailed indoor space that - despite being tucked away in a fairly innocuous set of buildings - is probably bigger that some real life golf courses.
The course is split in half with the two 9-hole courses being named The Lighthouse and The Windmill. The course has taken inspiration from a bunch of English country gold clubs of the 1920s, with the industrial accents of the buildings being coupled with lush golfing lawns.
All of the holes include playing golf with cocktails, and also include goles that involve balancing the balls along rails, jumping it over obstacles and shooting through hoops. The learning curve is kept pretty smooth, and there are Swingers caddies on hand at each hole, available to give you pointers, or more drinks should you need them.
Check them out on Instagram here.
Homeslice, 13 Neal’s Yard, London WC2H 9DP
Of course, we couldn’t promote some of the best places to visit in Shoreditch without recommending some good pizza. Neapolitan-style pizza is arguably the most popular style of pizza in the capital - think pillowy bases and spare scatterings of quality ingredients. However, at Homeslice - one of our favourite pizza spots in London - their New York-style, 20-inch pizzas are made for sharing, with the toppings being genuinely well considered as the best about town.
With kimchi, porcini cream and basil or spiced lamb with savoy cabbage and sumac yoghurt alongside standard margherita and salami numbers, you can get them by the slice, too, if you like. We understand that the menu may seem a bit specialist to some, with the experimental toppings and the gourmet-sounding styles, we understand that. But when digging into one of these pizzas, you will come to understand why this place is always one we try to swing by whenever we’re around town.
Feast your eyes on their Instagram here.
Columbia Road Flower Market, Columbia Rd, London E2 7RG
If flowers are the things in life that make you happy, then be sure to visit the Columbia Road Flower Market. The road is blocked off on Sundays, exclusively for plant and flower sellers and has been hidden behind the market. Although the flowers here are the main attraction, there’s also a two-block stretch of boutiques selling kid’s clothes, jewelry, sustainable designs and antiques.
When visiting, we would recommend getting to the market as early as possible. It opens at 8am and closes around 3pm, so getting there as early as possible will ensure that you have the best views of the flowers, and the best chance of taking the perfect bunch home with you.
With the attraction being a 10 minutes walk north of Brick Lane, the Columbia Road Flower Market is in the perfect location, making the ideal day out if you’re looking for a relaxing and wholesome adventure.
Smoking Goat, 64 Shoreditch High St, London, E1 6JJ
It is the perfect spot for some rich, smokey, and simply delicious food. The brazen Shoreditch reincarnation of Soho’s tiny Smoking Goat is the place that promises a smack-in-the-face Thai barbeque in a jam-packed industrial-meets-rustic setting. Here is the place for all of the smoke, loud music and high-strength alcohol you can ask for.
The food is always laced with volcanically hot ‘mouse-drop’ chillies, and best believe, they will knock you for six. We recommend trying the lardo fried rice or the signature fish-sauce chicken wings.
Costing at Smoking Goat is pleasant, too. Even when going for drinks, the bill never comes in at more than what you’re expecting - in fact, it often comes in at less. This is the place to drink, and with the food that accompanies it, they really do go hand in hand.
Have a closer look at them on Instagram here.
Nobu Shoreditch, 10-50 Willow St, London, EC2A 4BH
Team BODA loves sushi. When the crew heads down to Shoreditch, we always ensure that we are digging into the flawless, bottomless brunch at Nobu. When you arrive, you can help yourself to an endless assortment of sushi and sashimi from the colourful buffet bar, as well as a selection of salads and other cold items, including fresh fruit and Asian-style desserts.
As you fill up your plate, staff will be on hand to refill all glasses with your choice of prosecco, Aperol Spritz or mimosa. This is one of the best sushi spots in town, from avocado rolls, to smoked salmon on rice, a variety of flavours are on a takeover as soon as you step foot through the doors.
Follow Nobu on Instagram here and be sure to head down if you get the chance.
Rough Trade, Old Truman Brewery 91, Brick Ln, London E1 6QL
Rough Trade has been a staple figure of vintage music across the UK for a while now, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t visit the Shoreditch branch when you’re next there. The indie music label has its own independent record stores scattered across the UK and also hosts a variety of CD signings and live performances from some of the most popular artists along with some of the most exciting up-and-comers.
Head into rough trade to enter a music time machine across hundreds of genres. You can collect CDs, vinyl, magazines, posters and much more. You can even go in for a coffee or a beer if you fancy. Of course, you can’t forget about the official Rough Trade merchandise either.
Have a look at the Rough Trade Instagram here.
Tag us on Instagram at @BODASKINS if you visit any of the places you havre visited!
