Leyton & Leytonstone

Suburban district north-east of Stratford looks just like any other suburb in England really. Rows of houses, a cemetery and few shops here and there. But also some nice pubs, bars and music venues. Epping forest and other nature areas are not far away either. Leytonstone has a bit more character than Layton, thanks to a number of nice pubs and bars.

Drinking:

• Birkbeck Tavern is one of the nicest suburban pubs I've come across in London. They have a really good ale selection and from time to time they have BBQ in the backyard. So come on y'all! There's also a pool table.
• The Red Lion in the heart of Leytonstone is an excellent pub with great food, excellent beer selection and great neighbourhood atmosphere. They have a fantastic backyard garden with street art on the wall.

Entertainment:

• The Luna Lounge is a really nice small music venue and cocktail bar. The performances range from jazz to singer-songwriters. They have one stage upstairs and one bigger one downstairs. They have a great selection of drinks and music is generally really good. 
• Leytonstone Ex-servicemens' Club hosts a great music club called What's Cookin'. They have musical acts from country to folk and from southern rock to indie. There's an American vibe to the club. The venue is not the nicest place around, but the atmosphere is really nice!

Parks:

• Hackney Marshes are just around the corner from Leyton. Close by you can find horses and relaxed nature walks. The strangest bit is the old Victorian water purification centre that has not been in use for 50 years now. If you want to see concrete Victorian machinery in overgrown nature surroundings it's worth to check this place out.

Sights:

• Be sure to check out Hitchcock themed mosaics at the Leytonstone tube station. Hitchcock was originally from Leytonstone and the mosaic is celebrating the fact.

Areas around Leyton: Stratford, Walthamstow