Something that East London does not lack is bakeries. With everything from Percy Ingle to Violets (where Megan and Harry\u2019s wedding cake was made, duh), if you\u2019re looking for dough then hop on the number 55 bus and take your pick from the top deck. If you\u2019re not in the mood for bus browsing, save yourself some time and hit up our firm favourite, E5 Bakehouse<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n E5 are sourdough connoisseurs. They are passionate about artisan baking methods, organic produce and sustainable, yummy food. They\u2019re also approx. 8.5 lunges from Work.Life London Fields. They start baking as the sun rises, so grab a warm pastry in the morning or try their unreal house made bircher muesli. Their lunch menu changes daily- you can follow them on twitter<\/a> for their daily menu post if you don\u2019t want to waste lunges- but generally, you’ll find gorgeously-spiced dahl, warming soups and mouth-watering, top quality meat sandwiches. Also, E5 is 100 percent the best thing about working on a Sunday as they swerve the Sunday roasts of their pub neighbours and instead their Italian chef, Marcella, uses seasonal ingredients to make heavenly pizzas for the droves who come to sample LF\u2019s weekend delights.<\/p>\n For something a bit more mysterious, we\u2019d recommend the Institute of Light<\/a><\/strong>. Ideally located just one of your best long jump efforts away from WL London Fields, IOL is a multi-cultural social space- think cinema, bar, restaurant, coffee hang out, music store, event space- set inside one of London Fields\u2019 railway arches. With a programme of curated chefs from all over the world, the food is always different and always amazing. IOL have a knack for making food you didn\u2019t even know you needed.<\/p>\n Right now, Sho Foh Doh<\/a><\/strong> are in town cooking up delicious Japanese tasty treats. Chef Fumio describes his offerings as \u2018unclassic Japanese snacks\u2019. We love the Angry Wings and Hiyayakko tofu. For a bigger meal, try one of their varieties of Hiroshima Style Okonomiyaki, which is basically a stack of crepe like pancakes with delicious savoury toppings. Work.Life members get a free membership, so you can eat, drink and chill there enjoying a 10% discount.<\/p>\n Hurry, before Fumio and his team disappear forever!<\/p>\n Cleverly capitalising on a Londoners love of food and succulents, Twigs Hackney<\/a><\/strong> is our final must-munch London Fields spot. Twigs is part caf\u00e9, part home and garden shop- a winning combo if ever we heard one.<\/p>\n Fill up on their rice waffles (ideal for gluten-free brunchers) or try one of their rice, noodle or salad boxes. Meat eaters must go for the pork shoulder but the maple and soya smoked tofu is just as sassy as it sounds. The accompanying salad is so far from your standard leaf and dressing- perhaps due to their aforementioned plant expertise- and with its pickled carrot and chilli kick, has a real Asian vibe.<\/p>\n A bonus recommendation goes to their line of TWIGS candles that are all inspired by green, natural scents. These are the type of candles you just need to have flickering in your home throughout autumn, especially if you want it to smell like you\u2019re in a spa\/greenhouse which, obviously, you do.<\/p>\n DRINK<\/strong>:<\/p>\n During the summer months, all you\u2019ll need is a picnic rug and a bottle opener but for the other 11 months of the year, London Fields has an abundance of drinking options far away from the samey throng of Old Street.<\/p>\n For pubbing with good tunes and solid snacks, we\u2019d hit up Pub on the Park<\/a><\/strong>. Dutifully perched on the edge of London Fields park, this pub serves its east London locals come rain or shine, and with a heated and covered outdoor seating area, you\u2019ve no excuse but to sit back and smell the cider. For sports lovers, they have outdoor and indoor screens but if you want to catch an autumn international then arrive in plenty of time as you\u2019ll be joined by the rest of London Field\u2019s locals. They have a newly revamped lunch menu and, weather permitting, they offer a lunchtime BBQ buffet Thursday- Sunday to soak up the weekend wines.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re feeling like something a little wilder, Wringer & Mangle<\/a><\/strong> may just be the answer to all of your bottomless brunch related desires\u2026 One of the cheapest in town- \u00a320 for 2 hours of too much fun – Wringer & Mangle is a gorgeous bar in a bright and leafy setting. If you don\u2019t fancy drinking to excess, they have a lovely cocktail menu and a small but meticulously selected wine list which ticks all the boxes for after work sipping.<\/p>\n With a micro-roastery on practically every corner, the coffee competition in London Fields is fierce<\/em>. Work.Life’s favourite is The Bach<\/a><\/strong> on Broadway Market. A rejuvenating 10-minute walk through the park from WL London Fields, The Bach is an exceptionally bright light at the end of your deadline tunnel. Coffee standards are high in this area and boy do they know it. The Bach use Allpress beans, a fellow kiwi run company, who responsibly source and produce their beans to Antipodean (=very high) standards. Plus, much like us, they\u2019re all about finding that work\/life balance, fuelling us with coffee during the day and sweet, sweet cocktails outside of working hours. Follow them for details of events and yoga classes @wearethebach.<\/p>\n EXPLORE<\/strong>:<\/p>\n Ain\u2019t no market like an east end market and London Fields is a cosy home to many. For your perusing pleasure, both Broadway and Netil Markets are great and only a tentative trot away from Work.Life LF. We say tentative because once you go there, you will spend \u00a320 on a selection of dairy free variations of the apple turnover and you will have to resist buying a hand crocheted, multi-coloured baby hat even though you don\u2019t know any babies\u2026<\/p>\n Broadway Market<\/a><\/strong> took off from a solo stall hawking jellied eels in 1900 and after a blip in the 80\u2019s and 90\u2019s, the market was relaunched by the local community in 2004 and has since grown to over 120 stalls. With exceptional food, coffee and farm produce, plus unique pieces from local artists and designers, Broadway Market provides its punters with a dreamy Saturday.<\/p>\n Netil Market<\/a><\/strong> is a little less crowded and dare we say it a little cooler than Broadway. The market gets its name from nearby Netil House, and is the brainchild of a group of designers who created a market for themselves and their community. If you read our blog on our Fitzrovia<\/a><\/strong> space, you may remember the humble car park beginnings of Japanese restaurant, Bao. That very humble car park was in fact the very humble early setting of Netil Market. We love it when things come full circle! They have a bunch of delicious eats- Bao\u2019s of the future- but we love Netil for their vintage glasses shop and interesting crafts and homeware. Plus, it\u2019s open every day! Go early for the best picks.<\/p>\n But what about the grassy field itself? Though they\u2019ve recently banned disposable BBQs (a summer tragedy of epic proportions), the park is sprawling and houses not only a cricket oval but a swimming pool, a p\u00e9tanque pitch, a BMX track, a city farm, tennis courts and two play parks. Plenty of bang for your buck.<\/p>\n Another casualty of the 80\u2019s, the historical London Fields Lido<\/a><\/strong> closed in 1988 after providing over 50 years of family fun. The lido gallantly rose from the ashes in 2006 after nearly 20 years of not-so-secret raves, due to the valiant efforts of the Hackney community and council. It is now a heated, Olympic sized pool, open all year round- a true asset to London Fields and just about the freshest way to keep fit. The lido gets pretty crowded on any day the mercury creeps over 20 degrees but it doesn\u2019t get much sweeter than a twister and a large body of water in the middle of a swelteringly hot city. Otherwise, fitness swims are scheduled every day, as well as classes for adults and children. You can join as a swim member for \u00a332.50 a month or partake in the odd splash for a fiver a go.<\/p>\n EXPERIENCE<\/strong>:<\/p>\n If market meandering isn\u2019t enough for you, London Fields has plenty of intriguing spots to pique your interest.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re feeling a little disconnected from your small-town roots, or just fancy hanging out with a donkey named Clover, we have the perfect activity for you: Hackney City Farm<\/a><\/strong> sits in all its farmyard glory, just a 5-minute walk from Broadway Market. It\u2019s a surprisingly big area, and although it lacks the exotic offerings of its Vauxhaull and Surrey Quays counterparts (Alpacas though), it has a rustic charm and many a hilarious goat to feed. Also, it\u2019s a working farm so let\u2019s just say the caf\u00e9 is delicious\u2026<\/p>\n For loud music and big fun, take in some jazz at Kansas Smittys<\/a><\/strong>. It\u2019s a small space so don\u2019t expect to meet people here for an in-depth chat but do expect to squish up and make new friends: this place is popular and for good reason. Smittys is reclaiming jazz. Far from stuffy and pretentious, it\u2019s buzzy and welcoming and if the music isn\u2019t live, it\u2019s blasting from a record player. They hold pretty regular \u2018Jazz Raves\u2019 where they play everything from big band to ska jazz, so slip on your dancing shoes and get raucous! Buy your ticket ahead of time for their Wednesday night big band special and watch the magic for yourself. This place is guaranteed to put you in a good mood.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/work.life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/e5-300x175.png\")
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