9 Super Cool Things To Do in Bethnal Green London

I can’t believe it took me so long to write about all the things to do in Bethnal Green. I have so far lived in Bethnal Green, Mile End, and Seven Sisters and I have to say I’m team East London all the way. Living in Bethnal Green, I have noticed a real melting pot between the cultures. There, I have encountered countless French, Italian, and Spanish people either living with me or around me. And, much more than just a residential area, I’ve found there were lots of things to do in Bethnal Green. It’s not as lively as Shoreditch or Camden Town, but it’s still a pretty young area with lots of cool shops, cafes, and restaurants, centered mainly around Bethnal Green Road.

Things to do in Bethnal Green London

Since I love and know Bethnal Green, you’re getting first hand information from someone who’s actually lived there and enjoyed every minute of it. One recurring question is: Is Bethnal Green safe? Well, having lived there for about a year, I can say it is. I’ve never encountered any trouble around my home, and it was right in the heart of the area.

Today, I felt like talking about all the cool things to do in Bethnal Green; this includes some restaurants, charity shops in Bethnal Green, and art spots. There is a lot to say about the Bethnal Green Road area, to be honest – it’s filled with places to eat and grab a bite, like the famous Cake Box Bethnal Green, where you can get completely egg-free cakes. And they’re delicious too!

9 Cool Things To Do in Bethnal Green

Right off Bethnal Green station, you have three roads that can lead you to a cool afternoon: Roman Road, Cambridge Heath Road, and Bethnal Green Road. If you’re looking for the best restaurants in Bethnal Green, for instance, that’s where they will be. The area is strategic for whoever lives there or visits for the first time: if you’re craving a bite, you can choose to go to Tesco Bethnal Green or one of the cool cafes like Fu*koffee if you’re just feeling like having an Americano.

If you’re feeling like shopping, on the other hand, you’ll find plenty of charity shops in Bethnal Green that are worth a visit – I’ll tell you about a few here, but rest assured I’ll write about Bethnal Green charity shops in a separate post. It’s all in all a cool area where you can feel free to shop, relax, or discover new art forms at various Bethnal Green museums and art galleries. So let’s get on with the discovery!

Get a Hot Drink From Trendy Cafes in Bethnal Green

There are quite a few cafes in Bethnal Green, and I have my favorites (obviously). While I’m quite fond of finding new coffee shops in London to work, those in Bethnal Green have a unique atmosphere to them.

If you want to do some good around you, Second Shot Coffee is that coffee shop on Bethnal Green Road that allows you to pass it along. When you buy your cup of coffee, you automatically purchase a second one that will be offered to someone in need. On another level, you can also go to Fuckoffee, also on Bethnal Green Road. They have two cafes, both with the same concept of great coffee, and even greater sweary puns. Every day, they write some new blazing words on the board outside, which revolve mostly around social issues like politics and sanitary issues.

One of my very favorite cafes in Bethnal Green, however, has got to be Quarantacinque, at the beginning of Roman Road. This proper Italian coffee shop offers the best coffee in London, for quite a normal price too, given that London is not the cheapest place to get coffee.

Quarantacinque Bethnal Green also sells authentic Italian pastry, like the famous cornetti that I actually eat every morning when I’m home in Rome. Ask on the day what pastries they have, and do get one with your coffee. If you eat and drink standing, you’ll feel almost Italian.

Spend Some Time at the Bethnal Green Library

The Bethnal Green library is located in the Bethnal Green gardens, a really cute green place where you can relax when it’s not freezing like it is now. Built in 1922, this library is part of the oldest libraries in London. It used to be an asylum about which you can read really creepy stories online if that’s something up your alley.

If you’re looking for a free place to read, work, or study in peace, the Bethnal Green library provides a warm atmosphere. It features this old-school English architecture that just makes me feel happy like I’m back a few decades in history. The library is located near the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood, and also near Second Shot and Quarantacinque coffee shop, so you can definitely hit all the places in one go.

Bethnal Green Library Address: Cambridge Heath Rd, Bethnal Green, London E2 0HL

Find Cool Street Art in Bethnal Green

You don’t honestly have to go all the way to Shoreditch or Camden Town to find some of the coolest London street art. If you’re looking for street art in Bethnal Green, you’ll be happy to know that if you walk up Bethnal Green Road, you’ll find plenty of paintings on the roads just off the main street.

A few roads that feature amazing Bethnal Green street art include:

• Squirries Street (pictured above)
• Pollard Row
• Clare Street
• St Matthew’s Row
• Vallance Road

The great thing is that walking down Bethnal Green Road, you reach both Brick Lane, on the left, and Shoreditch, right ahead. So really, there’s more street art in Bethnal Green than you could have imagined. Why not take a walk from Victoria Park, for instance, stop at one of the Bethnal Green restaurants on the main road, and continue down to Shoreditch to explore some more street art?

As you reach the end of Bethnal Green Road, you’ll also spot a really cute Bethnal Green florist that really is worth a look. Siansah’s Florist has a super Instagrammable window shop, in my opinion, and the most beautiful flower arrangements ever. When you leave this Bethnal Green florist, take a direct left and you’ll spot some huge street art, often updated by the locals.

Siansah’s Florist Bethnal Green Address: 216 Bethnal Green Rd, London E2 0AA

Visit Nearby Whitechapel London

I wouldn’t say that Whitechapel is the most lively area in London, but since it’s a stone’s throw away from Bethnal Green station, why not? Most often, I go to Whitechapel because of the fresh produce markets there. Mile End Road is filled with Indian and Pakistani restaurants on the Whitechapel portion, and to be fair if you are looking for great halal restaurants, it’s a place you shouldn’t miss.

We’re straying away from other Bethnal Green restaurants like the amazing halal Nandos and the German Doner Kebab on Bethnal Green Road, and it’s yet another vibe. It feels more local when you’re in Whitechapel, and you could actually even go from Bethnal Green to Whitechapel and walk down to Brick Lane and Liverpool Street to round up a full day in East London.

Walk Around Brick Lane London

A while back, I wrote about the best things to do in Brick Lane – it’s one of my favorite areas in London. Why? Because of the countless amazing halal restaurants in East London, for one. Then, because of the crazy outstanding street art in Brick Lane. Because of the vintage shops, the bookshops, the records, the possibilities that you feel when you’re strolling down Brick Lane.

If you go there, you can either choose to wait until the weekend so you see the Brick Lane Market, and what all the fuss is about. Or, you can go during the week when it’s much quieter, and just have a chilled walk while eating an amazing bagel from the famous Beigel Bake. It’s up to you – it’s just that everything is open on Saturdays in Brick Lane, and it would be a shame to miss some of the coolest Brick Lane vintage shops because you’ve been just a day before they are actually open.

Beigel Bake Bakery London Address: 159 Brick Lane, London E1 6SB

Visit the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood

That’s a lucky strike right there – if you don’t really know what Bethnal Green is about, well, there’s plenty to see, do, and eat. Even on a budget. One of the options would be to visit the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood, a brand of the famous V&A Museum. This museum is dedicated to all things childish, from miniature toys to dollhouses and big installations.

The Museum of Childhood Bethnal Green was renamed the “Young V&A”, and it welcomes hundreds of thousands visitors every year. Although it’s not located in Central London, the collection is impressive enough that people actually come to Bethnal Green for it. And that’s a sign you should definitely go. All the artifacts date back from 1600 to our modern era, so you can learn with your little ones about all the games and toys children have used to entertain themselves until now.

Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood Address: Cambridge Heath Rd, Bethnal Green, London E2 9PA

Check out the Espacio Gallery Bethnal Green

The Espacio Gallery Bethnal Green is located at the end of Bethnal Green Road, almost reaching Brick Lane. I really enjoy going to this art gallery once in a while because of the ever-so-interesting exhibitions they host. Once, I visited a full exhibition there about boredom, and I have to say, it was one of the most amazing exhibitions in London I have seen so far. The Espacio Gallery focuses on all kinds of modern art, and the entrance is free – modern, sometimes controversies, and artistic always.

It’s very much different from the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood, for instance – a whole other vibe that verses in the uncharacteristically imperfect present we’re living. Some of the most recent exhibitions at Espacio Gallery include questioning about our beautiful world, and whether we are doing our best to keep it that way. Poetry, sculptures, designs, drawings, paintings – there’s a real artistic and controversial freedom at Espacio Gallery East London that you don’t often find in art galleries in London.

Since it’s a collaborative gallery run and funded by artists, you can easily understand why the multidisciplinary arts featured at Espacio Gallery are so free and forward-thinking. Worth a visit ASAP.

Espacio Gallery Bethnal Green Address: 159 Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 7DG

Visit Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium on Bethnal Green Road

I think Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium has got to be one of the coolest things to visit in Bethnal Green. I think the name says it all; it’s a coffee and tea shop where cats roam the space freely while you enjoy some downtime. I will most probably write a separate guide for you about the best restaurants in Bethnal Green along with the best cafes, and this is definitely one of them.

Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium opened its doors in 2014, with only 11 cats living their best life among the many toys and cat houses that the East London tea shop proposes. So far, the coffee and tea joint has rescued over 40 cats. If you’ve been looking for a high tea afternoon tea in London, that’s your chance.

While Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium is the first cat cafe in London, it also offers afternoon tea and delicious cakes for a very affordable price. To be fair, from a simple crowdfunding campaign, Lady Dinah’s has grown to be quite an institutional coffee shop in East London.

Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium Address: 152-154 Bethnal Green Road, London E2 6DG

Visit The Bethnal Green Charity Shops

One of the coolest things to do in Bethnal Green, for sure, is go browse the charity shops. Of course. Did you think I would write a guide – ever – without mentioning cheap charity shops?

Oxfam Bethnal Green

I used to live on Canrobert Street, and right off, you have Oxfam on Bethnal Green Road. And that’s one of the best charity shops in London – by the way, I’ve written about some other charity shops in London if you’d like to take a look. It’s always cool to find cheap clothes in London, is it not, folks? Oxfam has a great range of used clothes, books, and some homeware. Everything is clean and quite new looking, for a very affordable price.

Oxfam Bethnal Green Charity Shop Address: 397-399 Bethnal Green Rd, London E2 0AN

Ayoka Bethnal Green

You also have Ayoka, on Old Ford Road, which is an almost hidden gem in London. It’s a colorful charity shop in Bethnal Green whose name means “One who causes joy” in Nigerian. This charity shop focuses directly on giving back to the East London community and carries quite a range of clothes, accessories, and cultural things like DVDs and books.

Ayoka Bethnal Green Charity Shop Address: 23 Old Ford Road, London E2 9PJ

Spitalfields Crypt Trust Bethnal Green

Then, you also have one of my very favorites, located on Bethnal Green Road: Spitalfields Crypt Trust, near the Tesco Bethnal Green. The shop is medium-sized, and I have come across quite a few amazing pieces from high street brands like Bershka, H&M, and Mango. The prices are always very affordable, and you can also find cheap accessories there.

Spitalfields Crypt Trust Bethnal Green Address: 385 Bethnal Green Rd, London E2 0AN

Lama’s Pyjamas Bethnal Green

Another option would also be Lama’s Pyjamas that I have mentioned on The London Local before. This is one of the best charity shops in London, with recurring designer clothes, and an overall very positive atmosphere in the shop.

Lama’s Pyjamas Bethnal Green Charity Shop: 83 Roman Road, London E2 0QN

9 Cool Things to Do in Bethnal Green London

Hopefully, you’ve found quite a few amazing things to do in Bethnal Green with this London Local guide. From charity shops to coffeeshops and art, I’ve tried to list a bit of everything. I am aware I haven’t written much about the Bethnal Green restaurants, but I will make sure to publish a guide about them very soon.

I have a special mention to make if you’re looking for cute things to shop in Bethnal Green: MK2UK (119 Bethnal Green Rd, London E2 7DG). This Bethnal Green jeweller is one of the trendiest and avant-garde jewellers you will find on the road. I have passed by the jewelry shop many times, and every piece there is worth buying, to be fair. It’s located near Brick Lane, too, so you can definitely walk down the street to grab a bagel once you’ve got an amazing new pair of earrings or a bracelet. Take a look, and I promise you won’t be disappointed!