East London on a Shoestring
Eating and Drinking
Forget the prices and crowds of the West End - surprise your taste buds by exploring the restaurants and cafes of Docklands, east London, Lewisham and Greenwich. Here are a few places we’ve picked for you.
There are several J. D. Wetherspoon chain 
pubs in the area: The Half Moon Theatre in Bethnal Green, The Gate Clock in Greenwich, The Ledger Building at West India Quay The Liberty Bounds at Tower Gateway and The Watch House in Lewisham. Hot food is served throughout the day, at certain times with special two-for-the-price-of-one offers and these are a wide range of real ales at prices the seem from yesteryear!
The Auctioneer in Greenwich is an "Its A Scream" pub - so student times and Yellow Cards at the ready. Offers food and drinks at reasonable prices (and just try the mega burger!), pool, big screen TV, giant Jenga, table football and games machines - a good selection.
For those looking to meet up with fellow Ozzies or Kiwis, head to The Elusive Camel in the Pool of London - Set over two floors with bay windows, the Camel has the perfect atmosphere for a lazy lunch or a night letting your hair down. Operating an extensive food and cocktail menu all day and night and serving beers from around the world, the bar has fantastic views of Tower Bridge and the surrounding parklands.
There are also a handful of St Christopher's, a chain of hostels, which also have adjoining branded pubs. St. Christopher's and Belushi's have a late license and are full of travellers and locals having wild times and partying the night away to hot DJs. There are three in the Pool of London and one in Greenwich, which also has a theatre - the Greenwich Playhouse!
In Blackheath, there is an O'Neils Irish Pub, with live music on Thursdays & Sundays and a late license on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The Princess of Wales serves good food and you can drink on the heath or in the beer garden during the summer.
Around Spitalfields and Brick Lane there 
are also many trendy bars and restaurants such as the funky Vibe Bar, the Spitz Gallery, Bistro and Bar, a place of cultural fusion with a special atmosphere or the decadent cocktail lounge called LoungeLover. The Blind Beggaron Whitechapel Road is now a bit of a student haunt with it's beer garden and heated conservatory. www.towerhamlets.gov.uk
For a quick and delicious lunch stop at one of the great-value noodle bars in Greenwich or for a healthy and reasonably priced Japanese-style food try Wagamama, which can be found either at Tower Gateway or at Canary Wharf's new Jubilee Place Mall www.mycanarywharf.com.
For a more traditional London meal, enjoy a pie and mash dish with mushy peas and liquor at Manze's Pie and Mash Shop in Deptford . www.deptford.towntalk.co.uk
Blackheath is the place of many restaurants ... too many to list individually. You can eat at a village-style pub overlooking the heath and pond or in a large variety of restaurants serving Chinese (Laughing Buddha), Thai (Laicram Restaurant), Mexican (Cactus Pit) and Spanish (El Pirata) food.
Banglatown is vibrant and colourful, the heart of London's Bangladeshi community. Fast changing, increasingly trendy but still great value. Visit soon and sample the variety and the buzz of Brick Lane.
For more eating and drinking ideas, visit our Pubs and Restaurants section.
