our recent trip to london saw us checking out plenty of cafes in the hackney and shoreditch area in east london… after all, we had to make up for lost time after 2 weeks of italian breakfasts with no eggs! the trendy area is full of hipsters, musos + plenty of expats… it felt like every couple of people we were bumping into fellow-aussies or new zealanders. and thankfully, it seems as if our down-under obsession with good coffee + brunch has infiltrated this funky part of london-town!

here are a couple of my recommendations if you find yourself in the area:

1. well st kitchen

well street kitchen in hackney is a small converted townhouse on a picturesque street corner in hackney. i enjoyed an (almost) melbournesque latte and my first london bacon and egg bap. the poached eggs and bacon were excellent, and to match the rainy weather we also went for a porridge with stewed rhubarb and almonds. this warm and cosy cafe would fit right in in melbourne.

203 well st. london e9 6qu
http://www.wellstreetkitchen.com/

2. broadway markets

on a saturday morning in hackney, broadway markets is the place to be! the vibe is amazing – brimming with food, drink and craft vendors – you will find it difficult to choose what to eat! i went for a climpson + sons flat white, which after 2 weeks of italian coffee really hit the spot; and a yummy sushi cone.

broadway market, london e8 4qj saturday: 9am – 5pm
http://broadwaymarket.co.uk/

3. elganso café

located on broadway market, elganso is a tapas bar at night, but serves up a pretty great spanish-inspired breakfast in the morning. the deep-fried goat’s cheese served on toasted sourdough bread with tomato, portobello mushroom and rocket garnish was fresh and delicious!

59 broadway market, e8 4ph, london, united kingdom
http://elgansocafe.co.uk/

4. franz + evans

franz + evans is located across the road from the iconic brick lane, home to the brick lane markets on Saturday’s. with a mediterranean influence, there is an extensive selection of salads, sandwiches + cakes available at the deli counter. we went for the scrambled eggs on toast served with juicy cherry tomatoes.

101 redchurch street, london, e2 7dl
http://franzeevans.com/

5. dishoom shoreditch

this was my favourite brunch of the whole trip. this bombay cafe is located in shoreditch, just a short walk from hackney. the beautiful menu tells the tale of the history of london’s bombay cafes, totally reflected in the relaxing interior:

“the old irani cafes of bombay have almost all disappeared. their faded elegance welcomed all: rich businessmen, sweaty taxi-wallas and courting couples. fans turned slowly. bentwood chairs were reflected in stained mirrors, next to sepia family portraits. students had breakfast. families dined. lawyers read briefs. writers found their characters. opened early last century by zoroastrian immigrants from iran, there were almost four hundred cafés at their peak in the 1960s. now, fewer than thirty remain. their loss is much mourned by bombayites.”

the food was absolutely amazing – an indian-influenced breakfast which was so unique and so delicious! you can’t visit without trying the bacon and egg freshly baked naan from the tandoor with cream cheese, chilli tomato jam and fresh herbs. but we also went for the housemade granola, handmade with oats, seeds, cashews, almonds, pistachios and cinnamon, toasted in butter and honey. served with fresh fruits, kerala-vanilla yoghurt and buckinghamshire honey; and the kejriwal (two fried eggs on chilli cheese toast); and akuri (curried scrambled eggs). the house-made chai tea was also amazing.

7 boundary street, london e2 7je
http://www.dishoom.com/shoreditch/

6. taylor st baristas

for a quick takeaway coffee on your way into the city to explore, or just for a great pick-me-up during a day of walking, you can’t go past taylor st baristas – the aussie owned establishment is serving up great quality coffee with a fantastic taste… and also one of the few places i found with a flat white! there are currently 9 taylor st barista stores dotted around london, so should keep you topped up with decent coffee during your stay.

110 clifton Street, shoreditch EC2A 4HT
http://www.taylor-st.com/

 

feel free to add any other east london recommendations in the comments – i have a feeling i’ll be heading back to trendy hackney again sometime and would love to know if you know any other gems to try! these are some of the gorgeous streets we wandered around in hackney, including the columbia rd flower market. x