Smart Bow is the sensible grown-up sister to its younger, noisier neighbours, Mile End, Hoxton and Shoreditch. The quiet, terraced streets of beautifully restored period properties run northwards from the Mile End Road up to the shops of Roman Road. Bow residents enjoy their own charming pubs and restaurants, many of which are artfully tucked away in its peaceful streets. Muxima is an artisanal café with an art gallery and performance space.
Green Goose is the pub for lazy Sunday afternoons, serving classic beers as well as a range of homespun cocktails. Italian eaterie Taberna Etrusca offers outdoor dining space all year round in its pretty courtyard area behind Bow Churchyard. Take a bike up to Victoria Park where the Pavilion Café sells its delicious coffees, breads, pastries and vegetarian meals to a mixed crowd of hipsters and local families. Come on Sunday and you can pick up tasty, gluten-free cake at the Farmer’s Market or take a yoga class by the lake. Despite the tranquility of the Bow area, its transport links are excellent. Bow is on the Docklands Light Railway as well as being close to Mile End tube and there are buses running in all directions to the rest of the city.