Immy Smith 24/10/22
Itinerary Location: Leytonstone | Duration: 5 Hours
Here’s an idea. Open up a tube map, close your eyes, spin around three times and place your finger wherever the spontaneity gods guide you towards. It could be anywhere: Pimlico, Richmond, Dollis Hill, Brixton, Barbican. Heck, it could be any one of the 272 stops woven into the sprawling web of the underground.
Hmm. On second thoughts, allow us to nudge you in the very specific direction of Leyton.
Conveniently accessible via the Central line and the overground, this patch of Zone 3 is suburban but certainly not sleepy. It has acres of green space (Epping Forest is just down the road), properly good pubs, independent shops, along with organic wine bars, foodie pop ups and firmly established restaurants.
So join us as we venture to this not-so-far-flung corner of East London for a late-afternoon mooch down Francis Road – a pedestrianised street lined with cafés, a fantastic book shop and more to boot – before diving into some of the finest Thai food the city has to offer.
We begin our leisurely jaunt through E10 at Leyton Station.
Watch the traffic from both sides as you cross the fast-moving road from the tube stop. A mere 10 minute stroll from Leyton station, pass the library and hang a right to find Francis Road. The heart of Leyton Village, this unassuming stretch has a lot to offer. Start at the north end of the street and… –
Before you reach the end of Francis Road, deviate left along Richmond Road and walk 10 minutes to Filly Brook. Here you’ll find 18 beers on tap, including local brewers Gravity Well and Solvay Society together with a menu of biodynamic wines. They also host chefs’ residencies – at the time of writing, Pan-Asian chef Sophie Tang (a.k.a. Tangys) is serving some seriously delicious dishes that draw influence from her time spent in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Perch up with a pint or a glass of something funky but resist the urge to order the whole menu – trust us, you’re going to want to save room for dinner.
Meander another 10 minutes through Leyton’s residential streets heading towards High Road Leytonstone. Singburi might look unassuming from the outside, its yellow and green fascia a slightly abrasive contrast next to its neighbours, but trust us, this is where you will find some of the best Thai food in London. Over several years, the restaurant’s rep has reached giddy heights. The service is refreshingly old school; cash-only, BYOB, with blackboards written in chalk showing regularly changing specials. Think gangluang (razor clams and spicy pineapple curry), Southern prawn curry with betel leaf, sarb tod (duck confit ball, served larb style) and som tam korat (somtam with fermented fish sauce, gummy corn & dried shrimp). Dishes come served on mismatched crockery, kicking with chilli and glistening with lip-smacking sauces.
You might be full to the brim with a Thai curry, but the night is still young – so why not stop at another local drinking hole, Mammoth Taproom? Tucked under the arches, the vibe here is utilitarian yet cosy, like a village hall – only without the smell of Douwe Egberts and stale Wotsits. Small-batch beer is the headline act here and there’s personality in every pint; some are cloudy and fruity, others murky and hoppy. Order one for the road before picking out another of those 272 tube stops…
Fingers crossed for the one near your flat.
The Itinerary:
➊ Francis Road, London E10 6NQ
➋ Filly Brook | 392 Grove Green Rd, London E11 4AP
➌ Singburi | 593 High Rd Leytonstone, London E11 4PA
➍ Mammoth Tap | Arch 1 Station Approach, London E11 4RE
Don’t want to end the night here? Check out our ultimate guide to clubs in London…
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