Seen the Stepney Scene?

Stepney: Tower Hamlets enclave, once belonging to the bishop of London, and generally firmly ensconced in the East End. Yes, friends, the stop close to the end of the Hammersmith and City Line‘s pink sprawl has all the makings of a delightful day out. The place has a certain je ne sais quoi, and is close enough to the Shoreditch/Hoxton hussle but with a heftier dose of calm. Besides, who could forget, it’s the stomping ground of Queen Mary College!

The bonus of Queen Mary is that the student village is entirely cnclosed by the campus, making outings with your pals pretty easy–you could essentially roll to each one of your mates’ flats!  The campus itself boasts a variety of lovely cafes, a great-looking bar (alas, it was closed when we stuck our noses in!), not to mention the fact that it backs onto the canal–hello, blissful waterway delight!  All with the picturesque (maybe that’s a stretch) Gherkin rising peacefully to the west… siiiiigh!

But enough about Queen Mary.  The Stepney high street (Mile End Road) is a quirky little number with large adverts for an (elusive) shisha bar (maybe you’ll have better luck than we did finding it!) and a few cozy corner pubs.  We had a few at the lovely Bankroft Arms on Mile End Road, opting against the local J D Wetherspoon, The Half Moon.  To be fair, The Half Moon does look far cozier than most Wetherspoon locations and is most likely worth a visit for the standard cheap and cheerful fare.  At the Bankroft Arms, though, not only were the pints cheap, but the barstaff and clientele were exemplary of the legendary East London warmth.

When hunger called, we found an absolute hidden gem—the Zaytun Restaurant, just west of Stepney Green tube station on the south side of Mile End Road.  The food is phenomenal, the service adequate, and the prices unbeatable.

In all, Stepney Green is  tucked away just enough from the nearby bustle of the rest of the city.  It’s easy to get out and party, but also easy to curl up quietly.

PS—If you do go on a roady over there, please let us know if you find the shisha bar!