Our guide to Haggerston and Hoxton – what to do and where to eat
It’s interesting to think that a nondescript warehouse district on the fringes of the City could end up having a haircut named after it (the ‘Hoxton fin’), being the setting for a TV show centered around its stereotype (Nathan Barley), and even birthing a global hotel brand (The Hoxton Hotel, of course). It was the early 1990s when a group of artists, the YBAs, made a scene of Hoxton. The collective lived and worked here and next door in Shoreditch, and their now-famous anarchic art fair, A Fete Worse than Death, was hosted in Hoxton Square. Other young creatives followed suit, as did the dot coms, and with them what is now known as Silicon Roundabout.
To the north is Haggerston: Hoxton’s younger cousin with a buzz of its own. Unlike its neighbour, it was only 2010 when Haggerston was – quite literally – put on the map with a spot on the London Overground line. Now, it’s home to a revered food and art scene and lively nightlife. Then there’s Regent’s Canal running through its heart – the section of which, known as the Haggerston Riviera, hosts a plethora of art studios and restaurants that sit by its waterside. What was once thought of as a no man’s land between Shoreditch and Dalston is now a place with plenty of spirit itself.
Although many may know this cultural landmark by its former name, the Geffrye Museum, we think its new title the Museum of the Home is perfectly fitting. After all, this is a series of Grade I-listed almshouses on Kingsland Road that were transformed into a museum exploring the concept of home – from the 1600s to the present day.
A highlight is the ‘rooms through time’ section, which gives examples of homes across 400 years: a heavily printed 1970s front room, a polished parlour from the 1600s and a surprisingly still-fashionable 1998 loft, among others. Christmas time is particularly fun and festive when the museum decorates each room as it would have looked in that era. There’s also a chronological look through gardens – a font of inspiration for those looking to makeover their own.
A hop over Kingsland Road from Haggerston brings you to the pretty manicured streets of De Beauvoir. Its garden square, lined by Jacobethan gable-topped houses, is perfect for a picnic. Pick up some snacks from nearby De Beauvoir Deli Co and head to this pocket of peace to pore over its array of beautiful roses in a plethora of rose-tinted shades, from coral to baby pink, particularly abundant in spring
This school is a visual treat for architecture fans, for it was designed by Ernö Goldfinger in the late 1960s – the only English secondary designed by an internationally renowned architect. The building is brutalist in style with modernist lines, blockish brickwork and plenty of timber, glass and concrete.
A local favourite with a cult status: Towpath is the brainchild of chef Laura Jackson and front-of-house Lori de Mori (their cookbook, Towpath: Recipes and Stories, is equally as lauded as the restaurant). Here, a series of hatches under a former canal-side warehouse play host to a few tables that spill out over the towpath.
It’s the sort of place you can come for a cup of coffee and a slice of olive oil cake; a hungover cheese toastie brunch; or a celebratory lunch (favourites include onglet steak and chips and the aubergine parm) – if you can get a table, that is. This place is strictly no reservations. Open spring-early winter.
Hidden within a residential block around the Kingsland Basin (you have to go through a gate to reach it) is this little restaurant turning out authentic, home-cooked Japanese food. The short menu features riceballs in a variety of flavours (bonito fish flake or fried spicy pickle, perhaps), soba and udon noodles, cakes and lunch specials which might include braised pork with seaweed salad and dashi soup. Note that Toconoco means ‘kids on the floor’, so it’s often full of little people (there’s even a playroom).
A Hackney boozer with just the right amount of polish. There’s a mahogany bar, jukebox and flowers that adorn tables. Plus, there’s plenty of beer on offer – mostly from independent breweries. As soon as you head upstairs to the dining room (beautifully designed by Martino Gamper), you know Marksman Public House is a cut above the rest.
The co-owners, Jon Rotherham and Tom Harris, used to work at St John, so expect elevated British comfort food – haddock ‘smokies’, Gloucester Old Spot and devilled mussels and, on the weekend, bacon breakfast buns. Their Sunday roasts are legendary.
The second little sister to Sam and Sam Clark’s celebrated Moro on Exmouth Market. This Hackney Road outpost feels more industrial than the others to echo its address, but the tapas menu is all heart: pan con tomate; wild garlic tortilla; deep-fried aubergines with date molasses and feta (we defy you not to order another plate), plus a couple of big dishes, such as wild seabass and a cuttlefish stew. All are accompanied by wine primarily from Spain and Portugal. The best seat in the house is at the marble, horseshoe-shaped bar. If you don’t want to end there, go to wine bar Sager and Wilde, a couple of doors up, for a nightcap.
Everybody has that one piece in their home that guests ask about – something found by chance on an island off the beaten track, directly from its maker. The essence of interior store A New Tribe is exactly this. Owner Ella Jones has done the research for you, gathering a tight curation of homeware from artisans around the world. “I want the store to be a real discovery of things you wouldn’t find elsewhere,” Ella told us, when we visited her home for our ‘My Modern House’ series.
There are beautiful one-off Beni Ourain rugs from Morocco, jazzy hand-painted ceramics by Marrakech-based artist LRNCE and Marta Bonilla lamps. Best of all, it’s fun: there are glasses shaped like cacti, pop-culture blankets by California-based BFGF, and naked-lady bath mats by Cold Picnic.
Whisper it… is this the best baguette in London? Everything that comes out of this Swedish bakery, set under the railway arches on Geffrye Street, feels like it has been baked in heaven: the sourdough rye baguettes, yes, but also the olive and cheese loaf, the almond croissants and the cardamom buns, for which they are famous.
Brilliant Corners is a particularly brilliant restaurant and audiophile bar on Kingsland Road. The menu features Japanese food – lots of sushi followed by prawn tempura or chicken kara-age – and biodynamic wine. After the dinner service, the tables are cleared to make way for a dancefloor under floating moon-like globes – nights here are often held by local and international DJs. Grab a white port and tonic and get ready to groove.
Ah, the Haggerston Riviera: a stretch of Regent’s Canal home to art studios, cafés and restaurants such as Arepa & Co and the aforementioned Towpath. From here, you can walk down to Angel, past locks and under bridges (a worthy stop-off point is The Narrowboat pub, right on the water). Go, from the same starting point, in the other direction and you hit Broadway Market, Victoria Park and finally, Limehouse.
The Glory is a classic East End pub and LGBTQ+ performance space – think drag bingo and lip-sync battles – with a basement disco at weekends. It’s owned by British drag royalty Jonny Woo and John Sizzle, so expect to see the cream of the scene here – it’s where drag queens like Bimini Bon Boulash cut their teeth.
Yes, technically, this home lies within Bethnal Green, but its incredibly close proximity to Haggerston and Hoxton means its earned its spot here. The wonderfully bright two-bedroom apartment is located within James Hammett House, which is part of the Dorset Estate, a post-war modernist housing development designed by architects Skinner, Bailey & Lubetkin in 1957. Along with the building’s façade, one of our favourite things about this space is that Marksman Public House – located just around the corner – is the local.
