'''Brick Lane''' is a small but diverse neighbourhood in the East End of London, named after a long road starting in Whitechapel and running north into Shoreditch. The area has come to be known as "Banglatown" in recent years on account of many of its inhabitants and proprietors originating from the Indian subcontinent (especially Bangladesh), you can see evidence of this on the bilingual road signs which where placed to help immigrants in the 1980s who couldn't speak English. The Hugenots settled in the area which became well know for its silk weaving and was well known throughout the country for this industry. The markets date back to the 16th century, when the area was a stop on the road from London. The neighbourhood, now complete with its own annual festival, is now most famous for its curry restaurants, markets, speciality shops and vibrant but relaxed nightlife.
Understand
Although now largely a Bengali (and other Indian subcontinent) neighbourhood, within living memory this was a Jewish district (and before that, a Huguenot area). As well as some obvious remnants of this history, such as a few remaining bagel delis, there are some subtler ones too, such as small synagogues in the back streets. Many of the larger synagogues have now been converted into mosques.
Get in
Travellers to London would probably find it easiest to catch a train or tube to one of the stations listed below, then make the short (5-10 min) walk to Brick Lane:
Aldgate East Tube station (District line, Hammersmith & City line)
Liverpool Street ''National Rail'' / Tube station (Central line, Circle line, Hammersmith & City line, Metropolitan line)
Eat
Unfortuntately many of Brick Lane's curry restaurants have become victims of the success of the area. Most restaurants now employ pushy touts, who will hassle you to eat in their client's restaurants. The discounts may sound tempting, but they frequently inflate the prices simply so they can offer you a 'deal'.
The largest concentration is between Woodseer Street and Fournier Street. The old-style, flock wallpaper curry houses have now largely given way to shiny, light wood and aluminium eateries for the tourists and City workers. Whichever style you go for, though, it's always worth checking that they've got a licence to sell alcohol before taking up a table. A lot of the restaurants will allow you to bring you own alcohol along.
Another option for curries is to visit Tooting.
For 24-hour eating, there are the two famous bagel (actually spelled "beigel" and pronounced "bye-gel") shops at the north end of Brick Lane, serving up freshly baked hot bagels at a rapid rate to a varied clientele. Both shops bake their own bagels fresh on site.
Brick Lane Beigel Bake. 59 Brick Lane, E1 6SB. 44 (0)20 7729 0616. 4 hours. Closer to Bethnal Green Road and with a white sign. A local institution, Beigel Bake is more celebrated of the two and rated by some as the freshest most delicious bagel you'll ever have. Their salt beef is more highly rated than Beigel Shop and a salt beef bagel with mustard and pickle is highly recommended for a post-clubbing snack.
Britain's First & Best Beigel Shop. 55 Brick Lane, E1 6SB. 44 (0)20 7729 0826. 4 hours. Further from Bethnal Green Road and with a yellow sign. While less celebrated than its near neighbour, Beigel Shop is still well worth a visit. While Beigel Bake is a local institution, it is reflected in its limited range. As a result, Beigel Shop works harder for your cash, providing a wider range of fillings and an excellent sausage roll, making it the preferred destination for those who aren't enamoured with salt beef.
Bengal Village . 5 Brick Lane, E1 6QL. Definitely one of the best places in Brick Lane. Very good food, good value, pleasant atmosphere and good service!!
Drink
Coffee @ Brick Lane. 54 and 157 Brick Lane E2 6RU. 44 (0)20 72476735. On the corner of Buxton Street and Brick Lane, this small and slightly artsy cafe serves up a good selection of lunchtime snacks and coffees, as well as the Internet access. The coffee maybe a little hit and miss, the atmosphere is also a little stuffy and the servers might be a little nonchalant and it may feel like the way-cooler cousin of Starbucks, but it does have the feel of a local_fs hangout, _gFriends_h immediately comes to mind. these shops are now closed the company went into administration
Verge Bar. orner of Brick Lane and Bethnal Green Road. pposite the funky LCB Surf shop. 20 7739 0552. It is open everyday for food, flat whites, espresso and cocktails. It has outside seating for you to watch the exciting Brick Lane World go by or you can relax on a sofa inside a gaze out of the huge windows that open to the Brick Lane. A grand spot to relax with the papers and their excellent Bloody Mary on Sunday Morning.
Vibe Bar. 1 Brick Lane, E1. 44 (0)20 7426 0491. ttp://www.vibebar.co.uk. -Th 7.30PM-11.30PM, F-Sa 7.30PM-1AM. ree entry except F-Sa after 8PM. The main advantage of this place is the huge courtyard which is usually packed out in the summer, and directly competes with cooler neighbour, 93 Feet East opposite. But inside although dingy, spreads out into some nooks where you can hide away for a chat from the booming speakers. Plenty of varied DJ nights and live bands. No dress code.
93 Feet East. 50 Brick Lane, E1 6QL. 44 (0)20 7247 6095. ttp://www.93feeteast.co.uk. ?Th 5PM?11PM, F 5pm?1AM, Sa noon?1AM, Su noon?10.30PM. This club/bar is made up of three areas: downstairs a loungey bar with low-lit sofa seating everywhere and chilled out music, the main room with a full on sweaty dancefloor (where the headline DJs/bands perform) and an upstairs bar which is mix of the two, plus a large cobbled area outside for the summer. Mon-Thur is mainly live music, and the weekend has the line up of eclectic DJs playing a variety of hip-hop, house and rock music. Charge on the door for gigs, on Fri/Sat usually free before 9pm, __5 after. No dress code.
LCB Surf Store and Coffee Shop. at the corner of Brick Lane and Bethnal Green. Not only is the coffee delicious, it's always prepared with Fairtrade and Organic Beans, roasted in London by the Tea and Coffee Plant. You can sip a hot Organic breakfast tea with a splash of Organic milk, or eat a sandwich prepared fresh and packed by The Organic Sandwich Co. Surf the web for free with provided computers or log on wirelessly with your laptop. Shop and watch movies while you eat because opposite the cafe is a Surf Shop, complete with surfboards, skateboards, snowboards as well as shoes, watches, men and womens clothing and more. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, smoke free and totally comfortable for chilling out, shopping or surfing the net.
Sleep
City Hotel. 2 Osborn St. t the end of Brick Lane; tube: Aldgate 100m. 44 (0)20 72473313. ormal rate is __140 but you can deals around __60. WiFi __5/day.
Do
Buy
For secondhand clothing (male and female) try '''Beyond Retro''' (110-112 Cheshire Street [http://www.beyondretro.com]) and '''Rokit''' (101&107 Brick Lane [http://www.rokit.co.uk]) but between these you'll find plenty of other interesting clothes shops to distract you.
Brick Lane Market. ube: Shoreditch. u 8AM-2PM. Running from Shoreditch tube station to Bethnal Green Road and spreading out into Sclater St and Cheshire St. Selling second hand clothes, bric-a-brac, books, household goods and electronics.
Brick Lane Newspaper Co. 57 Brick Lane. Open 7 nights a week. Get tomorrow's newspapers tonight.
Oh Baby London. 62 Brick Lane. 44 (0)207 2474949. ttp://www.ohbabylondon.com/. 0-6pm. Sweet little shop selling the grooviest baby clothes and accessories.
Spitalfields Market. ube: Liverpool Street; just off Bishopgate. ttp://www.spitalfields.org.uk. Once a large thriving market, it has slowly been shrunk to a third of its size by development in the area. But, it still features a good variety of clothing, crafts and food stalls/shops. Rather promisingly sellers have set up another market in a new space off Hanbury Street, (between Spitalfields and Brick Lane).
Tatty Devine. 36 Brick Lane. 44 (0)20 77399009. ttp://www.tattydevine.com. -F 10AM-6PM, Sa-Su 11AM-7PM. This little shop is hidden up at the quiet end away from the hustle and bustle of the market and curry houses. It specialises in accessories for men and women, such as volume level brooches and newspaper print ties.
Unto This Last. 30 Brick Lane. 44 (0)20 76130882. ttp://www.untothislast.co.uk. -Sa 9AM-7PM, Su 10AM-6PM. This furniture/homeware shop produces pieces computer cut from wood onsite. The highlights are the wall mounted circular CD racks that bulge from the walls and the large donut chairs. They also offer bespoke variations if requested.
Dragana Perisic. 0 Cheshire Street, London, E2 6EH. ight off of Brick Lane! . 44 (0)20 77394484. ww.draganaperic.com. uesday-Sunday from 11am to 6pm. Tactile textiles, obsessive detailing, designed to fit, quality unsurpassed, clothes that look and feel good. Dragana's clothing could never be considered simple, although it is subtle. It is far from elaborate, yet cleverly thought out. It is an imaginative mix of the landscape of her native Yugoslavia and the sophistication of big cities: A melting of both of the worlds she now inhabits. The work now, apart from the garments, includes delicate fabric jewelery, belts and scarves. The Dragana Perisic shop was recommended as one of London_fs top 50 boutiques in Timeout.
The Brick Lane Gallery. he Brick Lane Gallery exhibits an eclectic variety of contemporary art and street art by British and International artists, focusing mainly on exhibiting emerging and mid-career artists. We present an integrated programme of exhibitions, including solo-shows as well as group exhibitions, introducing innovative developments in painting, sculpture, photography, performance, video and works on paper.. 96 Brick Lane | London | E1 6SA . earest Tube: Liverpool St or Aldgate East. 44 (o)207 729 9721. nfo@thebricklanegallery.com. ttp//www.thebricklanegallery.com. pen Daily 12 - 6pm. ree but you also can buy the paintings.