A Slow Weekend in Dalston: Your East London Escape Guide
Charcoal-grilled dinners, bookshop chats, and where to find the best health-ish snacks after hours.
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You might remember that not long ago, I wrote about a day spent doing absolutely nothing (and loving it) in Primrose Hill. That little experiment in slow living stuck with me. So on my latest trip to London, I decided to take the idea a bit further… and a bit east.
So when I found myself back in London recently, I decided to test the slow travel approach somewhere a little different: Dalston.
It’s not a neighbourhood I’d usually pick for a weekend stay, but with the Elizabeth and Overground lines (Windrush line, as some now call it), it’s become far more accessible from Heathrow and central London. The area’s much more my vibe. I lived in Hackney for a few years — so it felt like a natural kind of homecoming.
Three reasons you’ll Thank Me Later:
🧼 Real-World Reset
No spa in sight — just a weekend in East London that felt like a proper mental and physical refresh. Think: barre shakes, bakery runs, and reading an entire book in bed.
🍴 East London’s Under-the-Radar Eats
A charcoal-fired sourdough pide that made me want to cry (in a good way), a Vietnamese lunch special under £15, and the best snack shop next to the hotel.
🗺️ Slow Travel, Done Properly
Quiet discoveries, lovely conversations, and the kind of places you won’t find scrolling a ‘top 10’ list.
Click “View full post” to unlock the full guide — including where I stayed, what I ate, and the charming stationery shop that stole my heart.
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