Lady’s 11 Exciting Things to Do on Brick Lane in London

London has its share of famous streets. From Piccadilly to Oxford Street, the King’s Road to Electric Avenue, the city’s thoroughfares are as famous as its sightseeing attractions. And if there’s one street that stands out in east London, it’s Brick Lane. If you want to discover this road and the surrounding area, read on for A Lady in London’s guide to things to do in Brick Lane.

Brick Lane, London

Brick Lane has changed more than any other street since I moved to London. A decade ago it was known for its Southeast Asian restaurants, many of which promised a lot and delivered a lot less.

But over the last ten years, the street has transformed. While there are still a few of the old restaurants dotted around, Brick Lane has become an area better known for street art, food markets, and vintage clothing shops than chicken tikka masala.

Today, walking down Brick Lane is taking a stroll through the best of east London. From pop-up bars to food trucks and independent bookshops, this area has a lot to explore.

I’ve been teaching blogging and social media classes just off Brick Lane for years, so I’m in the area all the time. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the street changes.

Every week there’s new street art. Every month a new restaurant opens. And every year the area feels more vibrant and exciting. It’s a good time to explore.

How to Get to Brick Lane

If you want to explore, there are a lot of ways you can get to Brick Lane. From the Underground to the Overground, the street is well served by public transport.

The nearest tube to Brick Lane is Aldgate East. It’s a few minutes’ walk away. The Overground stops at Shoreditch High Street, which is also a short distance.

There are plenty of buses that serve the surrounding area, and Liverpool Street station is close by if you’re coming from outside London.

Brick Lane is also an easy walk from London neighborhoods like Whitechapel, Wapping, Shoreditch, Tower Hill, and other parts of Spitalfields.

Things to Do in Brick Lane

Once here, there are a lot of things to do in Brick Lane. From browsing vintage records to singing karaoke, this street packs a lot of excitement in.

Read on for my list of the best of the area…

1. Take in the Street Art on Brick Lane

One of my favorite things to do here is take in the street art on Brick Lane and the side streets that come off it. The road itself has a lot of small art, and it’s fun to notice the details while walking down it.

Side streets like Hanbury Street and Pedley Street are full of walls covered in street art. There’s also more in the alley that comes after Fournier Street and before Fashion Street if you’re walking south down the road.

And that’s to say nothing of 150 Brick Lane and Ely’s Yard, where monumental sculptures take over outdoor bars and courtyards.

2. Go Vintage Shopping on Brick Lane

Another of the best things to do in Brick Lane is go vintage shopping. This street has an endless parade of vintage stores selling everything from clothing to records and shoes.

Side streets like Cheshire Street have shop after shop of vintage goods, too. They’re worth a detour.

The weekend markets also have a lot of vintage offerings, so it’s worth coming down to Spitalfields on a Sunday to browse for lost treasures.

3. Shop for Everything Else

Vintage shopping isn’t the only kind of shopping on Brick Lane, though. There are a lot of other great stores along the road, from bookshops to chocolate shops.

I like popping into Brick Lane Bookshop to see what’s new, and the facade itself is a treat to walk by.

Dark Sugars lures me in with the scent of fresh chocolate, too. I love the wooden accents inside, not to mention the sinfully rich flavors of their chocolate pearls and truffles.

4. Try the Restaurants on Brick Lane

Another of my favorite things to do in Brick Lane is go for lunch or dinner. So many restaurants have opened over the last five years I can barely keep track of them all.

I love the atmosphere and food at Chez Elles Bistroquet, a French place that manages to be stylish and rustic at the same time.

There are also quirky restaurants like Cereal Killer Cafe, where you can order your favorite childhood breakfast foods with all kinds of flavored milk.

As far as coffee goes, there are excellent places for it. My top pick is Nude Espresso on Hanbury Street. It’s one of my go-to coffee shops in London.

5. Do Something Different on Brick Lane

There’s a lot to do beyond the traditional here, too. Some of the best things to do in Brick Lane are some of the most unique.

I’ve bowled and sang karaoke at All Star Lanes, and I love going to annual events like the London Coffee Festival in the Old Truman Brewery.

There are always gigs, shows, and events going on in various venues on Brick Lane, too. Places like 93 Feet East are bars, clubs, and live music spaces in one.

Just north of the street, London Shuffle is a shuffleboard bar in Shoreditch. I’ve played on their outdoor courts, and it’s a fun way to spend an evening in east London.

6. Eat Street Food on Brick Lane

But back to food. One of the most exciting ways to discover Brick Lane is through its street food. Ely’s Yard, a former service yard behind the Old Truman Brewery, is a great place for it.

The resident food trucks in Ely’s Yard offer a range of things to eat and drink, and there are picnic tables laid out between them. From Orange Buffalo with its wings to Mother Clucker with its fried chicken, this place is packed with deliciousness.

7. Have a Drink at a Bar or Pub

But it’s not just about food here. Brick Lane has has great drinks, too. I like going to Casa Blue, where they serve fresh popcorn with their cocktails. The bartenders are friendly, and the place has good ambiance.

On the more traditional end of the spectrum, The Pride of Spitalfields on Heneage Street is a classic spot. Every time I set foot inside I feel like I’m stepping back in time. When it’s sunny, people spill out onto the sidewalk with their pints.

8. Go to the Brick Lane Markets

There’s more food and drink to be found at the markets, too. One of my favorite things to do in Brick Lane is explore all the different ones along the street.

Sundays are great days for it, as the whole road fills with the weekly Brick Lane Market. Food, crafts, vintage goods, bric-a-brac, and second-hand furniture take over the street, and the area buzzes with energy and music.

The indoor markets on Brick Lane cluster around the Old Truman Brewery. This set of historic buildings houses a variety of markets each week.

One of the biggest is the Sunday Upmarket. It has over 200 stalls selling all kinds of fashion, art, and lifestyle goods. It also has a large indoor food area with lots of options for dishes from around the world.

The Backyard Market is packed with the works of young local designers and artists every Saturday and Sunday. It offers clothes, prints, jewelry, and unique accessories.

The Brick Lane Food Hall is a weekend market in the Old Truman Brewery’s 19th-century Boiler House. More than 30 stalls sell food from Japan, Italy, Poland, Malaysia, Morocco, Korea, Ethiopia, and other countries. It’s a great place to go on a global culinary tour without leaving east London.

House of Vegan is a weekend market offering some of the best vegan street food in London. Like the the Brick Lane Food Hall, it’s situated in the Old Truman Brewery’s Boiler House. It’s a great place to get into the UK capital’s plant-based scene.

The Brick Lane Vintage Market is open every day and is the perfect place to stock up on unique clothing and accessories. It offers men’s and women’s clothes from the 1920s to the 1990s.

The Tea Rooms are a treasure trove of furniture, collectables, and antique finds. This weekend market on Brick Lane also offers home goods ranging from handmade aprons to cushion covers.

9. Go for a Walk

If you’re like me, you enjoy exploring on foot. Spitalfields is great to discover on a walk, and the area’s details are easy to spot if you take your time.

I’ve written a self-guided walk in Spitalfields that will take you along Brick Lane and to other parts of the neighborhood. It’s a fun way to spend a morning or afternoon, and good for getting a feel for this part of east London.

I’ve also published a self-guided street art tour of London that will guide you around the best street art in Spitalfields and Shoreditch. It’s a great way to take in east London’s creative scene.

10. Head to a Pop-Up

Also exciting is checking out the many pop-ups around. There are always new things coming into the Old Truman Brewery and the side streets, no to mention Brick Lane itself.

One of the best things to do in Brick Lane is look out for pop-ups as you go. From designer outlets to experimental restaurants, they’re opening all the time.

There are also pop-up markets and fairs on throughout the year, so it’s worth returning again and again to see what’s on.

11. Explore the Old Truman Brewery

I’ve written a lot about the Old Truman Brewery in this blog post. Once London’s largest brewery, the buildings that housed it have now been put to creative use as other things.

They take up a good deal of the street and are home to a lot of Brick Lane’s best markets, festivals, pop-ups, and shops.

There’s always something new going on in and around the Old Truman Brewery buildings, so it’s a good idea to stop by to see what’s on while you’re here.

Brick Lane

And that’s what keeps me coming back to this street (well, that and teaching). I love how it’s always reinventing itself, painting over its past, and pushing London’s creative scene forward.

With so much going on in one place, there’s always an abundance of things to do in Brick Lane. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

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