On hand to advise Andaz guests on all the hot places to go in London, going out is part of Lisa Lumpe's job description.
Friday
My favourite way to kick off Friday evening is with a drink in one of Shoreditchs hidden gems, Loungelover, above (1 Whitby Street, London E1 6JU, 020 7012 1234, loungelover.uk.com), a stylish but cosy cocktail bar. After a cocktail from their Old Flame, Hot Lover menu, I head up to Yalla-Yalla (186 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6HU, 07725841372, yalla-yalla.co.uk), which serves tasty dishes from Argentina and the Middle East.
Saturday
I live in East London, on Shoreditch High Street, so I love to start my Saturdays with a Ham so Eggsited and a fresh smoothie at The Breakfast Club, above, in Spitalfields (12-16 Artillery Lane, London E1 7LS, 020 7078 9633, thebreakfastclubcafes.com), a very quirky cafe serving breakfast until 5pm, with THE best Eggs Royale and pancakes on the menu.
After a sumptuous breakfast, I wander over London Bridge to Borough Market (8 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TL, 020 7407 1002, boroughmarket.org.uk), which has food from all over the world: spices from India, cheese from Switzerland and France and much, much more.
After a short walk along the Thames, I make my way back to Shoreditch and to Boxpark, below (2 Bethnal Green Rd, London E1 6GY, 020 7033 2899, boxpark.co.uk), a pop-up mall made of shipping containers which will be in East London for five years. I like to explore the boutiques here such as Farah Vintage (farah.co.uk), Nike Sportswear (nikeid.nike.com), Wandering Minds (ourwanderingminds.com) and OnePiece (onepiece.co.uk) on the ground floor, and stop for a drink at Falafelicious (falafelicious.me) on the upper deck with a view of the buzzing street of Shoreditch.
East London is very well known for its graffiti art, which is constantly changing, so every week you can make new discoveries. I love the piece on Chance Street created by Roa, below, one of the most prolific street artists in the world, which shows a huge hedgehog! There is a lot of hidden graffiti around the area, you just have to keep your eyes open to discover the best.
Picture: Getty
For dinner, I sometimes drop by Jones Family Project (78 Great Eastern St, London EC2A 3JL, 02077391740, jonesfamilyproject.co.uk,) followed by drinks in Casa Playroom, a secret bar below the restaurant Casa Negra (54-56 Great Eastern St, London EC2A 3QR, 020 7033 7360, casanegra.co.uk). The Playroom has a special vibe to it - its cool, understated and fun, with a design mix of random toys from Mickey Mouse to dolls and rocking horses.
Sunday
First stop is a latte- to -go from Allpress Espresso Roastery (58 Redchurch St, London E2 7DP, 020 7749 1780, uk.allpressespresso.com), for me, the finest coffee place in London. Sunday is the best day for the markets in East London. My absolute favourites are Old Spitalfields Market (65A Brushfield St, E1 6AA, 020 7247 8556, spitalfields.co.uk), Brick Lane Market (Brick Lane, London E1 6PU, 02073641717, visitbricklane.org) and Columbia Road Flower Market (Columbia Road, London E2 7RG, 020 7613 0876, columbiaroad.info), with its richly coloured flowers and plants.
To wind down after a busy weekend, I love The Big Chill Bar, below (Dray Walk, London E1 6QL, 02073929180, wearebigchill.com), a courtyard just off Brick Lane, which has live music every night.
Lisa Lumpe has been living and working in East London for the past three years, originally as an Andaz Host, now as Guest Services Teamleader, which means knowing all about the latest restaurants and bars, shopping, art galleries and nightlife.
Andaz Liverpool Street (40 Liverpool St, London EC2M 7QN, 020 7961 1234, london.liverpoolstreet.andaz.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html), is has just launched a brand new East End- inspired weekend brunch in their Eastway restaurant think Eggs on Brick Lane and a DIY Bloody Hell Bloody Mary bar.
