The gentrification of London’s once grimy East End continues at a pace that even jaded locals find dizzying. And however derided the term ‘hipster’ may be these days, it’s still the most apt description for the swathes of restaurants, concept shops and cafes that are popping up on, it seems, every corner.
Like the Culpeper, a late 19th-century Victorian public house on Commercial Street that a trio of enterprising creatives are turning into a three-in-one. The ground floor pub leads upstairs to a restaurant where sharing plates of stout-braised beef cheek pudding vie with black risotto and squid, and treacle tarts face off poached rhubarb and pistachio ice-cream.
Fully sated, post-prandial treats now include five new bedrooms that have been carved out of the second floor, their rough, homespun décor – courtesy of Gareth Roberts, one of the partners – featuring an appropriately deconstructed palette of distressed concrete, rescued timber planks as headboards, and textured throws by the Norwegian weavers, Mandal Veveri. A particularly nice touch is the stack of books by a neighbourhood chronicler and blogger, The Gentle Author.
Equally welcoming is the rooftop garden – a rarity in London – with its glass-sheathed conservatory, potted herbs and vegetables, views of the Gherkin, and a breakfast menu of Ginger Pig sausages and bacon, home-made granola, and Allpress juices and coffee.
ADDRESS
40 Commercial Street
-
A first look inside the new Oxford Street Ikea. Spoiler: blue bags and meatballs are includedThe new Oxford Street Ikea opens tomorrow (1 May), giving Londoners access to the Swedish furniture brand right in the heart of the city
-
For the 2025 Eurovision theme art, Swiss design principles get a glow-upLondon-based branding agency NOT Wieden+Kennedy marries graphic design history and exuberance in its theme art for this year's song contest
-
Ten low-pro sneakers that capture footwear’s new streamlined moodSuper-flat soles, narrowed silhouettes: the low-profile sneaker is this season’s defining footwear style. Here, the Wallpaper* style team selects its favourites
-
One Club Row is London’s answer to the Lower East SideLocated at the site of the former hotspot Les Trois Garçons, One Club Row brings back noughties glamour with 19th-century interiors, gourmet bites, and jazz nights
-
Marylebone restaurant Nina turns up the volume on Italian diningAt Nina, don’t expect a view of the Amalfi Coast. Do expect pasta, leopard print and industrial chic
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Treehouse Hotel Manchester: you may not want to leafTreehouse Hotel Manchester offers a nature-infused biophilic sanctuary amidst the city’s ever-growing architectural canopy
-
Dining at Pyrá feels like a Mediterranean kiss on both cheeksDesigned by House of Dré, this Lonsdale Road addition dishes up an enticing fusion of Greek and Spanish cooking
-
London restaurant Tatar Bunar puts Ukrainian heritage front and centreFamily recipes and contemporary design merge at this new east London restaurant by Ukrainian restaurateurs Anna Andriienko and Alex Cooper
-
Corner Corner may be London's most unique entertainment destination yetThe newly-opened venue combines food, jazz and—yes—urban farming beneath one sprawling roof
-
For a taste of Greece, head to this playful new restaurant in London’s ChelseaPachamama Group’s latest venture, Bottarga, dishes up taverna flavours in an edgy bistro-style setting
-
A buzzy Korean pop-up becomes a permanent fixture in East LondonChef Joo Won has turned his Calong pop-up permanent in the arty enclave of Stoke Newington
