Stoke Newington is a borough in Hackney in North East London. I feel like Stoke Newington is not as visited or as popular as like likes of Shoreditch and Hackney which have become very trendy now and you may be wondering ‘what to do in Stoke Newington??’.
However, once you arrive in Stoke Newington, discover it has a Whole Foods and plenty of very ‘hipster’ and trendy brunch spots like the rest of London, plus a few more things to do in Stoke Newington, then you soon realise that you’ve been seriously missing out on this London gem!
Things To Do in Stoke Newington
Keep reading for the top things to do in Stoke Newington!
How to get to Stoke Newington
Stoke Newington does have an Overground Station, it’s likely you’ll have to change in one of the Hackney Overground Stations or Liverpool Street Station to reach it though as it’s pretty much on a branch of its own, however it is in zone 2 which proves that it isn’t too far!
If this is going to be too hard for you to get to then there are plenty of bus stops in Stoke Newington so have a look on TFL and see what works best!
Stoke Newington Overground
What To Do in Stoke Newington
Stoke Newington High Street
If you get to Stoke Newington via the Overground then turn left out of the station down the High Street for a few blocks and then turn right onto Stoke Newington Church Street, this is the main street that this full of cafes, bars and shops and where all the buzz is happening.
Straight away it has a completely different feel to the High Street you just left, notably this is where the WholeFoods sStoke Newington store is too which seems quite randomly placed to be honest so this on it’s own is one of the things to do in Stoke Newington!
Look out for this street to take you to all the things to do in Stoke Newington!
Church Street
Brunch in Stoke Newington
When you’re in a trendy place like this then brunch is a must and there are lots of cafes in Stoke Newington to chose from. When I visited I went to The Green Room Cafe.
The Green Rome Cafe Stoke Newington has a beautiful storefront and florist as you walk in, in the back is the cafe which then extends all the way into the backyard.
We were lucky to go on a fairly nice day so we sat outside. Sitting outside with lots of plants surrounding is it felt like we were away somewhere in Europe. The menu is great and has a brunch menu as well as a lunch and salad menu, the staff were really friendly and helpful and the prices were extremely reasonable so I’d highly recommend going.
I had the mushroom, avocado and poached egg on sourdough toast which was dubbed a hipster open sandwich which I loved!
The shop front, would you think this was a cafe??
A very hipster brunch!
I’m always happy at brunch!
There are lots of places to eat in Stoke Newington, I was also recommended Good Egg for brunch which has a New York and Middle Eastern-inspired menu when I went past on a Saturday lunchtime there was a pretty big queue outside though.
This is Good Egg, at least they have benches for you to wait on outside!
The Parlour looked like a good cafe option too!
Head towards St Mary’s Church
Clissold Park in Stoke Newington
After having something to eat then continue exploring Church Street and pretty soon you’ll reach St Mary’s Church. Opposite the church is Clissold Park. This is another example of a London park done well.
It’s pretty big and has plenty of parks for children to play in, there are some ponds at the far end as well as a paddling pool.
There is a beautiful building inside the park which is a public cafe but is also a venue for weddings and meetings.
I don’t really like the term ‘Animal Enclosure’ but there is one in Clissold Park and it looks a lot better than it sounds. There’s a section that holds deer, there’s an aviary for birds, a little butterfly pod and apparently some goats and chickens too!
Whilst exploring Stoke Newington, be sure to look out for a famous Banksy piece because Stoke Newington is one of the many Banksy London locations!
Visiting Clissold Park is one of the things to do in Stoke Newington!
Deer in Clissold Park!
After walking around there you can head back down Church Street you’re bound to see some cafes, bars, pubs and boutique shops that you didn’t see on your way up.
Pubs in Stoke Newington
A cool place to visit is The Prince, it’s located at the end of Defoe Road, roughly halfway along Church Street. I didn’t visit but I was also recommended it and having looked at its website I wish I had gone as it’s a restored Victorian Freehouse with a wide selection of locally sourced craft beers and real ales!
On your way back to Stoke Newington overground station, I would suggest going via Abney Park which is home to a graveyard. It sounds kind of strange but it’s pretty interesting and cuts out the section of the High Street that takes you back to the station.
Going to a graveyard sounds weird but it seems that there’s some interesting people buried here!
And there you have it, a short and sweet guide to Stoke Newington including what to do in Stoke Newington and things to do in Stoke Newington!
- More of my London Posts:
- A Guide to Camden Town!
- Things To Do in Kings Cross!
- Things To Do in Hampstead!
- Things To Do in Kensington!
- Things To Do in Greenwich!
Rachel
Tuesday 7th of November 2017
I've never been here before but I like the look of the grassy park area and your brunch!!