Your neighbourhood guide to the best restaurants, pubs, cafés, shops and hidden gems in and around Bow, East London.
Dispatches, interviews and local recommendations from East London's E3 postcode and the streets around it.
Bow has been at the heart of East London's story for centuries — from the match girls' strike to the rise of grime. Today it's one of the city's most exciting and unassuming neighbourhoods.
Bow (E3) is a district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, sitting just beyond the City to the east. It's bounded by the River Lea to the east, Victoria Park to the north, and the A11 Bow Road to the south — one of the oldest roads in London, once the route to Colchester and Norwich.
Roman Road cuts through the heart of Bow, one of London's oldest high streets and home to a famous street market dating back to the 1840s. The area is also famous for its connection to grime music culture, with artists like Dizzee Rascal and Wiley emerging from nearby Bow Estate.
In recent years, Bow has seen a wave of independent businesses set up alongside long-standing community institutions. You'll find natural wine bars and specialty coffee roasters sitting comfortably next to traditional pie and mash shops and century-old pubs.
Bow Road station (District and Hammersmith & City lines) sits at the southern end of the area. Bow Church DLR station provides easy connections to Canary Wharf and beyond. The area is also well served by multiple bus routes along Bow Road and Roman Road.
Bow & Beyond is an independent neighbourhood guide created by locals for locals and visitors alike. Every listing has been personally visited and curated. We focus on independent businesses and aim to celebrate what makes this corner of East London so special.