My Ten Things To Do In Bethnal Green, East London E1 and E2 in the Borough of Tower Hamlets lists my favourite things to do in the area. It’s in the heart of East London, close to Victoria Park, Mile End Park and Roman Road Market. The immediate Bethnal Green area boasts The Young V&A Museum, The Vagina Museum, and an abundance of restaurants, bars and coffee shops. Bethnal Green Road takes you to Shoreditch High Street Overground, the top of Brick Lane, and Boxpark, where you can eat, drink, and shop in the shipping container mall. If you want things to do in East London or exciting parts of London to explore, you’ll enjoy Bethnal Green.
10 Things To Do In Bethnal Green East London:
1. Visit the Young V&A Museum when it reopens
2. Buy a quirky gift from the Vagina Museum
3. Enjoy Victoria Park and Mile End Park
4. Relax in the green spaces of Bethnal Green
5. Eat, drink and hang out at Paradise Row
6. Dine at a Bethnal Green Road restaurant
7. Buy something adorable at Boxpark
8. Stop off for a caffeine fix and sweet treat
9. Meet mates for a beer at the Boxcar Brewery
10. Laugh out loud at the Backyard Comedy Club
My Favourite Ten Things To Do In Bethnal Green
1. The Young V&A, Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9PA, is temporarily closed for an upgrade until Summer 2023. I’ve visited with friends and their kids a few times and have always enjoyed it. That’s why it goes to the top of my list, even though it’s not open now! It’s a place where families can imagine, play and design, so make sure you visit next year!
2. The Vagina Museum is worth popping in for a look and has free entry. There is a small permanent exhibition and temporary exhibits. The museum shop is excellent with quirky, fun and humorous gift ideas.
3. Bethnal Green sits alongside Victoria Park and Mile End Park, separated from Bethnal Green by the Regent’s Canal. Victoria Park is the oldest public park in London, with cafes, playgrounds, sports fields, a magnificent Chinese Pagoda and a Sunday Market selling street food and other produce. Mile End Park is a linear park that sits between Bethnal Green and Bow with a karting track and a climbing wall.
4. You’ll find an abundance of green spaces in Bethnal Green. Paradise Gardens is a patch of greenery flanked by beautiful houses, while Weavers Fields is an open expanse of greenery. Museum Gardens is next to the Young V&A, where you’ll find Chiringuito, a Spanish-influenced restaurant serving tapas, quesadillas and tacos. Bethnal Green Gardens has a play area, basketball courts and a library.
5. Behind Paradise Gardens, you’ll find Paradise Row, a series of railway arches with bars and restaurants. Stop off for drinks at Mother Kelley’s, modern Italian food at Sager and Wilde, Venezuelan cuisine at Arepa & Co, burgers at Boom Bap Burger or Japanese meals at Canteen. I can recommend Sager and Wilde and Arepa & Co.
6. Bethnal Green Road takes you from the heart of Bethnal Green to Shoreditch High Street Station and the top of Brick Lane. The road has an abundance of restaurants. I’ve eaten at Issho-Ni Japanese restaurant, where you can create your own Bento Box and Yan Ji BBQ, a Korean restaurant. E Pellicci is a must for anyone wanting an authentic workers’ café vibe; they’ve been serving full English breakfast and Italian dishes since 1900. If you fancy street food, head to Boxpark, where food options include steaks, wraps, tacos, burritos, burgers, fried chicken, jerk chicken, pasta, pizza and more. Near Boxpark is Rich Mix, a cultural centre with a cinema, bars and Indi-go who serve Indian street food.
7. For shopping, I recommend Boxpark, the shipping container mall. You can buy everything from independent labels to brands, including trainers, jewellery, journals, skateboards and other desirable objects. Bethnal Green Road has some lovely stores; my favourite is Four Store which sells unique terrariums. You’ll also see a few small art galleries along Bethnal Green Road. If you’re a fan of vinyl records, pop into Flashback. If you like traditional markets, you’ll find stalls along Bethnal Green Road selling discount fashion, fruit and veg from Monday to Saturday.
8. Stop off for coffee and cake or pastry at Holy Shot, Coffee Matters, Fuckoffee or Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium (where you hang out with real-life cats for a large sum of money) on Bethnal Green Road. The Beehive on Cambridge Heath Road next to Paradise Gardens is part of the Mission Church. which I can recommend.
9. The Boxcar, 1 Birkbeck Street, is a brewery and taproom where you can experience constantly evolving beers in a railway arch setting. If you prefer a traditional style pub, you’ll find plenty of them in the vicinity, including The Star of Bethnal Green, Old George and The Carpenters Arms.
10. Laugh out loud at the Backyard Comedy Club, 231 Cambridge Heath Road, where stand-up comedians entertain you and cabaret acts as you drink and eat pizza.
Watch My Bethnal Green Video
Helpful Information About Bethnal Green
There is a large Bangladeshi community living in the Bethnal Green area, so you’ll find lots of shops and street stalls selling women’s clothing and halal food outlets. New restaurants, coffee shops and galleries are springing up to cater to the young professionals moving to the area. It’s a vibrant part of London that’s worth exploring if you find yourself in Shoreditch; walk along Bethnal Green Road and take a look. Or you can travel to Bethnal Green Overground or Underground Station to reach the central part of Bethnal Green. If you walk along Cambridge Heath Road, you will come across Broadway Market, the name of a street and the Saturday food market, which is excellent.
While you are in the area, you may like to read my relevant articles:
Sager and Wilde Restaurant Review
Yan Ji Korean BBQ Restaurant Review
Issho-Ni Japanese Restaurant Review
Aldgate To Limehouse Basin Walk
Ten Things To Do In Broadway Market
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Homegirl London. Please check that the places I referenced in this article are still in business before you visit to avoid disappointment.
