If you’re in East London and are looking for culture, art, food and fashion, Shoreditch is the place to be.
Though usually known as a ‘hipster’s paradise’, Shoreditch has something for everyone and I challenge you not to love it.
From bowling, karaoke and crazy golf to markets, museums and bingo, here are 31 fun things to do in Shoreditch (as recommended by a local!).
1. Go on a street art tour
Address: Various
In Shoreditch, you won’t be stuck for art murals to take an amazing photo in front of.
But what you may not know is that Shoreditch is home to the works of some of the biggest names in art.
From Banksy and Bambi (known as the female Banksy) to Zabou, Guido Van Helten and Stik, their art is waiting for you to find it.
Some of the best places to hunt down Shoreditch’s street art are Rivington Street, Great Eastern Street, Cremer Street, Princelet Street, Toynbee Street, Shoreditch High Street, Heneage Street, Brick Lane, Bell Lane and Goulston Street – all of which are within walking distance of each other.
My favourite stop is the Splice Building, decorated in 2015 by Camille Walala.
However, prepare to wait for the crowds to part before you get a good photo.
I promise it’s worth the wait though!
If you’d rather hunt out the art on an official tour, look no further than Shoreditch Street Art Tours.
Prices start at £20 for adults and under 18s are £10.
You need to book first though so don’t forget!
2. Boxpark
Address: 2-10 Bethnal Green Rd, London E1 6GY
Phone number: 020 7186 8800
Say hello to one of the most fun things to do in Shoreditch!
BOXPARK launched in 2011 as the world’s first pop-up shopping mall and it’s for that reason that it continues to pull in thousands of people every. single. day.
BOXPARK is packed to the rafters with good food and entertainment, so don’t sleep on it.
If you’re looking for easy-to-grab street food (as the queues for actual street food in Shoreditch can be excessive at the weekend), make sure to grab a table at BOXPARK.
Vendors of note include The Athenian and Poptata.
Arrive hungry!
BOXPARK is also home to a full roster of events every month – check them out here.
3. Bounce
Address: 241 Old St, London EC1V 9EY
Tel: 020 3657 6525
Listen up: ping pong, cocktails and pizza.
Oh, and an incredible atmosphere too.
Has that piqued your interest?
If yes, then you need to head to Bounce on Old Street.
Along with ping pong, Bounce offers ‘wonderball’, beer pong and shuffleboard, so you won’t be short on games to keep you busy as you chow down on their wide range of pizzas.
There are also ‘games gurus’ moving throughout the venue who will be able to help you with the rules of each game (or just throw you a quick-fire question in the case of a draw).
Still not convinced?
Then it’s time for the big guns: they do bottomless brunch too!
I strongly advise booking ahead, so head to the website to confirm your slot.
Bounce also offers a 20% student discount with the UniDays card or app, so go wild.
If you can’t make it, but want to treat a friend to the Bounce experience, you can also buy a gift voucher for those based in London.
4. Columbia Road Flower Market
Address: Columbia Rd, London E2 7RG
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll have seen the iconic Columbia Road Flower Market all over social media.
Only taking place on Sundays, Colombia Road Market is bursting with flowers, plants needing homes and little trinket shops that will start your day in the most wholesome way.
Coffee is, of course, a key accompaniment, so make sure you get your caffeine fix at Hermanos Coffee Roasters or Campania & Jones – both a matter of minutes from the market itself.
Remember a ‘bag for life’ to carry all your new plant-babies home in (or get soil all over the tube, your call).
5. Queen of Hoxton Rooftop
Address: 1 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3JX
Tel: 020 7422 0958
The Queen of Hoxton is one of THE most unmissable event spaces in London.
With wild décor, two incredible DJ party rooms and of course, one of the best rooftop bars in Shoreditch, it’s a non-negotiable when you’re in East London.
For me, the rooftop has to be the highlight.
With a huge menu of burgers, mean cocktails and unreal views of Shoreditch, you need to add it to your itinerary.
Each winter, Queen themes their rooftop and this year it’s Alice in Wonderland.
And let me tell you, it’s crying out for a place on your Insta feed.
The rooftop is open from Wednesday – Sunday and booking is recommended.
6. Brick Lane Market
Address: 85 Brick Lane, London E1 6QL
Open seven days a week with over forty traders, Brick Lane Vintage Market is the touchstone of vintage shopping in Shoreditch.
With traders coming to sell retro ‘garms from all over Europe, Brick Lane is perfect for kitting yourself out for a stylish weekend in London.
If you’re also primed and ready for an Instagram photo, there’s also an abundance of cool neon lights and a lurid pink staircase at the venue, so you can tick that off the list too.
7. Brunch at Flight Club
Address: 2A Worship St, London EC2A 2AH
Phone number: 020 3019 3093
Every Thursday to Sunday, Flight Club hosts a Brunch Social, which is easily one of the most fun things to do in Shoreditch.
As part of the social, you get prosecco (a bottle each), unlimited pizza, social darts and good vibes aplenty.
Social darts are available for groups over six and if there’s less of you than that, ‘the best brunch in London’ it is.
Flight Club also offer complimentary carafes of orange juice and mocktails for those feeling too ropey-from-the-night-before for prosecco.
Brunch with darts will set you back £35 and without darts, £30 each.
8. All Star Lanes Bowling and Karaoke
Address: 95 Brick Ln, London E1 6QL
All Star Lanes market themselves as ‘London’s original good time’ and for good reason: your time there will, indeed, be a very. good. time.
With six retro-style bowling lanes and private karaoke booths that hold up to 14 people, you get the best of both worlds at All Star Lanes.
The best bit?
It’s super affordable!
A game of bowling costs £9.95 per person at peak times and karaoke costs £8 each (when booked ahead).
Prices are even lower at off-peak, so check the website to find out more.
Once you’ve won both games (probably), head to the Lanes Kitchen for dinner.
Top-rated meals include the popcorn squid, the ‘top dog’ hot dog and tater tots.
Don’t miss them.
Do note that under-18s can use the karaoke rooms until 6 pm (with an adult).
9. Boundary Gardens
Address: Arnold Circus, London E2 7JS
Shoreditch is full of people, noise and… French bulldogs, so if you need a breather, head to Boundary Gardens.
With a beautiful Victorian bandstand and views of the Boundary Estate (a then state-of-the-art housing development that opened in Shoreditch in 1900), it’s well worth a pit stop.
You might even see some urban London foxes, which are a breed unto themselves!
10. Gloria
Address: 54-56 Great Eastern St, London EC2A 3QR
This is the hill I will die on: Gloria offers the best pizza in London.
There, I said it.
With a huge menu of Neapolitan pizzas, cocktails and slices of lemon meringue pie the size of your head (no, seriously), Gloria is a no brainer.
Gloria is part of the Big Mamma chain which also owns the well-known Circolo Popolare joint on Oxford Street and Ave Mario in Covent Garden so you’re guaranteed a good time and even better food.
Booking is essential and pizzas start at £16.
This is easily one of the most fun things to do in Shoreditch because what’s more fun than pizza, right?!
11. Village Underground
Address: 54 Holywell Ln, London EC2A 3PQ
Found on top of the old railway viaduct on Shoreditch High Street, Village Underground is a turn-of-the-century warehouse that’s home to everything – from art exhibitions to concerts to club nights.
Events are held at all times and I encourage you to factor in a visit as part of your trip to Shoreditch.
Check out what’s on and book soon as events sell out at the speed of light (ish).
Is this one of the most fun things to do in Shoreditch?
Abso-freakin-lutely!
12. Junkyard Golf Club
Address: 88 Worship St, London EC2A 2BE
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll have heard of Junkyard Golf Club.
With neon signs everywhere, UV lights for days, hype-y music and four different courses (named Dirk, Bozo, Gary and Pablo because, like, why not?!), Junkyard Golf is crying out for a visit.
If you need to loosen up ahead of your game, their cocktails are top-rated for good reason too.
I recommend the Bubblegum Sunset, Freaky Tiki or the aptly named Tropics & Ting as a good place to start.
At peak, a game of mini-golf costs £13 and off-peak it’s £13.
Though there are some walk-in slots, booking is a must.
Junkyard opens at 4 pm – 12 am Monday – Thursday, and 12 pm – 12:30 am (10 pm on a Sunday) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Under 18s are only permitted on Sunday to Wednesday before 6 pm, and must have an over-18 with them.
13. Hijingo Bingo
Address: 90 Worship St, London EC2A 2BA
Just a few doors down from Junkyard Golf Club, you’ll find Hijingo Bingo, a multi-sensory bingo hall with epic prizes up for grabs every day!
Hijingo is home to none other than ‘stadium-grade lighting, ground-breaking sonic effects and mind-blowing motion graphics’.
And you have to hand it to them, this isn’t like any other bingo hall you’ve ever been to.
(Mecca Bingo in 2012 with Nan anyone?!)
On the way into your bingo game, you’ll pass through the Lucky Cat bar which is well worth stopping by for a drink.
And if you’d like to make a day of it, head along to Hijingo’s Bingo Brunch each Saturday and Sunday.
You need to book, but The Gambling Act (2005) prohibits the use of credit cards as payment for bingo so make sure you’ve got your debit card at the ready!
This is easily one of the most fun things to do in Shoreditch so I can assure you that it’s worth every penny.
14. AIDA
Address: 133 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JE
Phone number: 020 7739 2811
AIDA knew exactly what they were doing when they opened a concept store.
It combines Scandinavian men’s and women’s clothing with a coffee bar and was made with Instagram in mind.
Amongst functional yet colourful ‘fits, expect rose matcha lattes (with dried petals on top, naturally), freshly pressed juices and a prime seat to people-watch on Shoreditch High Street.
Everything in-store is environmentally responsible and the store feels warm and family-run (because, well, it is).
I challenge you not to leave with some new stationery.
Mission impossible.
15. Whitechapel Gallery
Address: 77-82 Whitechapel High St, London E1 7QX
Phone number: 020 7522 7888
Marketed at the ‘house of adventure’, Whitechapel Gallery is easily one of the most fun things to do in Shoreditch.
With works on display from Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Hannah Höch and Zarina Bhimji, you could spend all day there working through it all.
The Gallery also holds a series of free exhibitions, film screenings and public debates every year.
And to top it all off, they’ve also got a world-class bookshop called Walther Koenig Books.
What more could you want?
Entry is free and they’re open until 9 pm on the first Thursday of every month but the gallery is closed on Mondays.
16. Ballie Ballerson
Address: 97-113 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3BS
An adult ball pit.
An extensive list of cocktails.
A wall of giant love hearts.
Iridescent neon lighting.
Brunch if you fancy.
You do the maths; Ballie Ballerson is the obvious choice for evening plans in Shoreditch.
(And let me tell you, the Instagram photo will go OFF).
General admission costs £5pp Sunday – Thursday, £10 on Friday and £15 on Saturday.
Admission includes two-hour access to the ball pits, seating (or standing if you’d rather) and access to the full cocktail menu.
If you’d like to push the boat out, a VIP ticket is £15 on Friday and £25 on Saturday, and brunch, served every day, kicks off at £30pp.
And fear not germophobes, they clean their balls every Monday (and no, I didn’t think I’d be writing that today either).
Get booking now.
17. Artillery Lane
Address: Artillery Lane, Spitalfields, London E1 6NF
A hot spot for coffee and even more Shoreditch street art, Artillery Lane is a small street passage that has big Diagon Alley vibes.
If you’ve got time to kill while you’re here, head to The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town for brunch (hint: the password is “I came here to see the Mayor”) or The Breakfast Club for pancakes.
Breathe in – this narrow street can get busy at the weekends!
18. Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium
Address: 152-154, Bethnal Green Rd, London E2 6DG
Tel: 020 8616 9390
Cats, cake and coffee.
No honestly, does it get any better than that?
If you’re a feline-lover traipsing around East London, you’ll kick yourself if you don’t stop by at Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium.
While you enjoy coffee and cake (or even a whole afternoon tea if you’re feeling boujee), you’ll be visited by the stars of the show: Lady Dinah’s cats!
All the cats at the café are being fostered from The Scratching Post Cat Rescue and some are up for adoption.
You’re asked not to pick the cats up, but you’re welcome to play with them and get a head-nuzzle or ten from them.
(They’re all learning to be socialised, so some might be a little hesitant at first!)
Oh, and do note that over-12s only are welcome.
Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium costs £10pp and then £5pp thereafter.
You can upgrade to an afternoon tea ahead of your visit using the booking form – but do bear in mind that you need to set aside 90 minutes for this.
Happy petting!
19. Dinerama
Address: 19 Great Eastern St, London EC2A 3EJ
Tel: 020 3931 1270
Got a group of friends with different tastes, but want somewhere where you can all eat and drink whatever you want?
Dinerama it is.
Together you can explore ten bars and ten street food outlets all in one place while experiencing some great music and immaculate vibes.
My go-to’s have to be the Bad Boy Pizza Society and um, the German Sex Dungeon for whiskey shots and craft cans.
While you’re at it, grab some ice cream for pud from Chin Chin Labs (all the ice cream is nitro-frozen, which is fun and science-y!).
You can’t book, so head there anytime on Wednesday – Saturday between 5 pm – 12:30 am.
Entry is free before 7 pm, thereafter it’s £3.
Dogs are welcome too… bonus!
20. Hoxton Street Monster Supplies
Address: 159 Hoxton St, London N1 6PJ
Phone number: 020 7729 4159
If you’ve got little ones with you, a trip to Hoxton Street Monster Supplies is an absolute requirement.
As London’s ‘only purveyor of quality goods for monsters of every kind’, if your monsters are looking for good grub, this is the place to get it.
On offer, you’ll find bloody ketchup, edible eyeballs, brain jam, bottled London smog, salt made from the tears of homeschooling and werewolf biscuits… and that’s just at the entrance!
Basically, tell your hairiest and scariest friends that you’ve got them covered.
One of the most fun things to do in Shoreditch? I think so!
21. East End Food Tour
Address: Various
Foodies!
Find your people in East London.
If you want to take in the culinary offerings of Shoreditch and beyond in a group of people that also love good food, look no further than an East End Food Tour.
En route, you’ll enjoy six unique tastings including fish and chips, the city’s best bacon sandwich, late-night bagels, and award-winning curry, and you’ll also get to try your hand at caramel art (the new, cooler younger sister of latte art).
The walking tour takes 3.5 hours and prices start at £79pp for adults, £67 for adolescents and £51 for children.
You can’t just turn up; you’ve got to book before you arrive.
Bon appétit!
22. London Shuffle Club
Address: 4 Ebor St, London E1 6AW
Phone number: 020 3657 9062
Ever heard of shuffleboard?
Well, shuffleboard is a game rooted in the 1500s in which players (usually in teams of around six people) use cues to push weighted discs into a marked scoring area.
This usually takes place on a narrow lane on the ground, but London Shuffle Club also offers a version on tables.
At Shuffle Club, each game takes around 55 minutes (to a soundtrack of the best funk, soul and disco tunes) and you’ll be fuelled by the club’s wide-ranging menu of pizzas and alcoholic ‘bevs.
Shuffle Club also do a stellar bottomless brunch on Saturdays and Sundays for £35 a head, including bottomless prosecco and beer (or soft drinks, if that’s your thing).
Booking starts at £25 per lane off-peak and £42 per lane during peak, and this is one of the best places to play shuffleboard in London so you won’t regret it!
You might as well start limbering up now!
23. Brick Lane Food Market
Address: Brick Ln, London E1 6QR
So you’ve ticked Brick Lane Vintage Market off the list now…
Well, you’d be crazy not to head to the food market next to recharge.
It’s one of the most fun things to do in Shoreditch for good reason, after all.
The Brick Lane Food Hall features 40 eclectic street-food traders amongst local produce and alllll the dessert stalls.
And if you’re in the market for souvenirs, there’s rows and rows of local crafts too.
The Food Hall is open every Sunday 11 am – 5:30 pm.
But if you’re in Shoreditch during the week, make a beeline for Ely’s Yard Food Trucks, open every day 11 am – 11 pm.
24. Libreria Bookshop
Address: 65 Hanbury St, London E1 5JP
Book shopping doesn’t get much better than at Libreria.
Founded by former Downing Street policymaker turned tech entrepreneur Rohan Silva, Libreria is organised by themes instead of genre.
So, in place of ‘fantasy’, ‘science’ or ‘young adult’, books are ordered in a way that encourages browsers to make unexpected connections.
Themes include the sea and the sky, family, brain and being, love, mothers and ‘enchantment for the disenchanted’.
The store is one of a kind, even more so because it’s tech-free so you can’t use your mobile while you’re in there.
Old-school, huh?
Libreria is closed on Mondays, so make it a mid-week jaunt.
25. Hackney City Farm
Address: 1a Goldsmiths Row, London E2 8QA
Phone number: 020 7729 6381
Who’d have thought you’d be able to visit a farm right in the middle of the city?
Well, just a six-minute drive from Shoreditch city centre is Hackney City Farm, one of the most fun things to do in Shoreditch.
With donkeys, goats, sheep and pigs (as well as geese, which I refuse to give airtime to after an incident in 2009), it’s a fantastic day out if you want to escape the bustle of inner Shoreditch.
Entry to the farm is free (although I suggest making a small donation to the various projects taking place at the farm) and you can sign up for several workshops if you’d like to make the most of your day there.
The on-site Frizzante Café also has a superb menu that features the likes of sourdough pizzas, tarts and big bowls of pasta, accompanied by delicious homemade sodas.
Go, go, go!
26. Bar Kick Table Football
Address: 127 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JE
Tel: 020 7739 8700
Bar Kick Table Football is the home of live sport (and great food) in London.
With lots of seating, a busy bar and 4k screens almost everywhere you look, if you want to take in your live sport in the big city, this is your stop.
To see which games they’re showing this week, head online.
If you’re in the market for a pre-match table football game, you’re sorted too.
Bar Kick’s championship quality tables are available for 30- or 60-minute games – you can find pricing on the website.
The bar certainly warrants its place on this list of the most fun things to do in Shoreditch because what’s more fun than table football, right?!
All that’s left to say is break a leg!
27. Nightjar
Address: 129 City Rd, London EC1V 1JB
Phone number: 020 7253 4101
One of the most fun things to do in Shoreditch, Nightjar is a speakeasy bar located on the fringes of Shoreditch.
Nightjar markets itself as ‘a hidden slice of old-school glamour’, and for good reason – it feels very Gatsby indeed.
There’s an extensive menu of cocktails and vintage spirits and each Monday is a ‘Sponsored Monday’, meaning that a leading brand subsidises cocktails.
Each Monday, all cocktails are £10 (otherwise £14).
The food and live music go above and beyond too, but be sure to book a table well ahead of time.
Bookings open 90 days in advance.
28. Museum of the Home
Address: 136 Kingsland Rd, London E2 8EA
Phone number: 020 7739 9893
Whether you think of yourself as a bit of an interior designer or just like having a nosey at other people’s homes, Museum of the Home is well worth a wander.
The museum, which was built in 1714, traces how homes and gardens have changed over the years and the effect this has had on domestic life.
Presenting paintings, furniture and written stories from life living in London, the museum is completely fascinating (and entry is free!).
Just book a timed ticket in advance to guarantee entry.
If you’re really in the spirit, follow up this trip with a visit Dennis Severs House, a period house in Shoreditch that was turned into one of London’s most interactive art displays by artist Dennis Severs in 1980.
The house is fully furnished in the period manner and it’s all authentic.
So cool.
29. Jack the Ripper Tour
Address: Aldgate East tube station, London E1 7PT
Phone number: 020 8530 8443
So, you’ve found yourself in East London, also known as the scene of most of Jack the Ripper’s heinous crimes in the 19th century.
Anyone fancy a spooky Jack the Ripper tour?
If so, register yourself for a Jack the Ripper Tour led by published authors who have written extensively on the case.
Tours take place every evening at 7 pm and leave off from exit one of the Aldgate East tube station.
The eerie walking tour lasts two hours and costs £12 per head.
Some people may not brand this activity as fun but for me, it’s got to be one of the most fun things to do in Shoreditch!
30. Elder Street
Address: London, E1 6BA
Elder Street is one of London’s best-kept Georgian streets.
With a long terrace of beautifully preserved homes (and classic cars out front to match), the street feels like something out of a movie, many miles away from the busyness of Shoreditch!
The romance is strong on Elder Street, so head here with your significant other for a cutesy stroll.
31. Tropical Bottomless Brunch at Cottons
Address: 130-132 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3AR
Phone number: 020 8037 9555
If you happen to be in Shoreditch when the weather is grey, seek out some Caribbean sunshine by heading to Cottons for a bottomless brunch in Shoreditch as you’ve never experienced before.
(It’s one of the most fun things to do in Shoreditch for good reason, so stick with me!)
Coming in at £29.50pp between 12-3 pm on Saturdays and Sundays, try the carnival wrap, uptown breakfast waffle or jerk pan chicken with a side of unlimited rum punch or prosecco to kick off the day.
If you’ve still got room, the callaloo with green peans is the perfect side dish.
Oh, and make sure you’ve got your moves at the ready, as Cottons reggae playlist is the perfect hangover antidote.
So that wraps up the 31 most fun things to do in Shoreditch!
It’s safe to say there’s a seriously fun selection of things to do in this eccentric part of London.
But which of these fun things to do in Shoreditch have shot straight up to the top of your bucket list?
Please let me know in the comments below!