Brunch and lunch in a beach-house-style cafe.

Favorite pub in East London. The food is good, as well. Nice to go in the evening after a stroll through London fields or the Broadway market shops

Lots of traditional charming country pubs around the area, but it can a bit hit and miss. A really friendly one with amazing food (and a unusually large veggie selection…) is the Beehive in Epping Green; close to the Great Wood. It's friendly enough you dare going there by yourself with the paper and are not at the mercy of local rubbernecks ("the rubberneck" = person who stares at strangers without any sign of guilt)

An excellent bookshop by Brick Lane, the interior design is incredible and the selection unexpected. A good place to get lost in!

Great comic shop that stocks small press, and everything else you'd expect to find. The kids section starts at early ages and has something all the way up.