Hello All!
I'm going to be in London on Wednesday through Friday and am really interested in going to Brick Lane. Can anyone tell me about it, have you been? Definitely looking to get good Indian food and unfortunately won't be in town for the market on Sunday. Thanks everyone!
Cheers!
Hi Sandra,
We were in London in March of this year and made a trek to Brick Lane to visit "Beigel Bakery" for a salt beef sandwich on a bagel. The shop is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day and has been there for 40 years.
It was about a 10 minute walk from Aldgate East tube station to Brick Lane and then for us, another 10 minute walk through the Bengali neigborhood to the Jewish end. You can also get to Brick Lane from Shoreditch Station and Liverpool Street station - just depends on what line you're on.
There are plenty of curry restaurants to choose from. Check the menu if you want beer or wine with your menu as many are run by Muslims and they don't serve alcohol. Street signs are in English and Bengali.
Sunday market 6am to 1pm
Backyard Market and Upmarket, Sundays 10am-5pm
Brick Lane is constantly in a state of flux so be prepared for changes - very crowded and I've heard some tourists comment on the squalor of the area (not sure what they were expecting but my impression is they not what they saw). It's a great experience.
Have a great trip!
What is Brick Lane? We are returning to London and would like to see some new sights; this is something I never heard of. Thanks for your time!
Brick Lane is one of the areas in the East End of London where groups of immigrants looking for cheap accomodation have gravitated for centuries. The housing is mostly public and the area has some of the worst poverty in the UK. One of the latest groups to arrive are those from the Indian sub continent/Bengal. Trip Advisor have discusions on the pros and cons of eating in Brick Lane, There is an opinion that since it's been "discovered" it has become very touristy.
The "new" area that people now recommend for genuine Indian cuisine is Southall, a suburb in west London. It is a world away from Brick Lane in that it is predominantly private housing/middle class and the poverty levels present in the Brick Lane area are not apparent there.
Thanks for the update Linda.
It was also part of the area where Jack the Ripper lived and preyed on women in the 1800s, and as it was impoverished and run down in the 1880s, lets just say its not much improved since then and is not very safe at night so be careful if youre there after dark.
I lived in London for a while in 2001 and occasionally used to have a curry in Brick Lane.
Regarding the restaurants that do not sell alcohol, it is more of a licensing issue than a religious one. In other words they have licenses that allow the consumption but not the sale of alcohol on their premises (the license is presumably cheaper that way). Therefore they will generally allow you to bring your own bottle of wine or beer into the restaurant and will advertise that fact clearly in the window of their establishment.
At the time there were a number of off-licenses (liquor stores) in the vicinity, I'm sure it hasn't changed.
Actually Brick Lane is where I first tasted Bombay Duck. I was very surprised to discover it is a type of dried fish.
Re: Linda's comment about Southall. I grew up near there and there are some fabulous restaurants and the clothing and jewellery shops are just gorgeous. And as for the Indian sweet shops...!
It is a bit far out of central London to just pop in for a visit though. You can also occasionally have problems if you are white so you need to be reasonably streetwise.
Gidday all
Visiting London for 2 nites in December and want to eat in Brick Lane getting off train at Euston Station - can anyone advise where nite be a good place to stay close to Brick lane with good access to get there from Euston ? Also want to visit the Aussie Pubs which I cant remember the names of !
Just looking for central to both Brick Lane and Aussie Pubs
Cheers Guys
Tracey
Tracy
If you're getting off at Euston there's a street nearby called Drummond Street which has many Indian restaurants. IMO just as good as if not better than the ones in Brick Lane and less tourist-driven.
Tracey youll need to get the District line to Aldgate east, then take a left out of the station and walk along Whitechapel High Street for a bit, then turn left at Osborn. Osborn turns into Brick lane after a while. Just make sure youre wearing a money belt anytime you venture into the east end.
There's a great book (fiction) 'Brick Lane' by Monica Ali, about the people living there.
