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East and Southeast-Asian Owned Spots in London

Mahjong Has Built Community Among Diaspora—But Is AI Threatening Its Rise?

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London Lace Club

A user-funded grassroots community arts space in Kentish Town. They host a range of workshops, events and exhibitions centred around art, poetry and social change. Find us here every other Sunday for our lace making afternoons.

Our favourite local pub! It overlooks the river Lea; a great place to sit outside and make lace while watching the birds and the boats go by. 

A beautiful community garden tucked away in Hackney Central. Open to the public; they host workshops on growing food, woodwork, climate justice, natural dying and arts and crafts, it’s also just a peaceful place to hang out. We go here in the summer months for al fresco lace making sessions. 

This is a newly established exhibition space and cocktail bar, focused on supporting emerging artists. Based in Islington, they have a packed calendar of artist-run workshops, talks and events. They serve cheap drinks in a lovely atmosphere; we sometimes run beginner-friendly workshops in the evenings. 

This wonderful park is where we dreamt up the London Lace Club two years ago, while sitting in the sun. We love to come here and find a peaceful bench to sit and craft in the sunnier months.

Inside London’s Secret Community Spots with London Lace Club

Arrival at One


The granite boulders at both Shoreditch Park and Mabley Green offer great outdoor bouldering right in the heart of London. These boulders provide both an urban bouldering venue and art installation, chosen from a quarry in Cornwall and brought to London by the artist John Frankland. These boulders offer an exciting alternative for those looking to climb on some rock without the increased cost of travelling to a crag. Plus, their permanent nature offers the consistency that indoor climbing cannot, since indoor problems are changed every two weeks. Free to use year-round, these spots are perfect for climbers of all levels, making it a fun space for beginners to join and connect with one another. 

Muro Climbing Gym in Peckham is a great spot for climbers of all abilities with one of the lowest costs to participate, making it super friendly for beginners and those looking to try something new. Its unique range of Japanese holds make it distinct from other climbing gyms in London and its spraywall — at 20, 30 and 40 degrees — allow for endless board problems for all abilities. Climbing on the spraywall is a super social way of climbing and allows for everyone to be trying problems in the same area, together. They’ve also got a comp wall which allows for more modern-style problems and is a fun switch up from the spraywall.

The Hackney Wick Community Sauna, run by ‘Community Sauna Baths’, is a lovely place to relax after a climb or a run. They have several saunas located throughout London, all of which are super affordable compared to many others. They also offer temperature-controlled ice baths, which are great for in-between sauna sessions. Additionally, they host a variety of workshops and classes throughout the month. It's the perfect way to unwind and feel like you're not in the city, even if only for an hour.

Just south of London, there are several Sandstone climbing destinations. While the climbing quality may not compare to what you'd experience in the Peaks or North Wales, it’s a fun day out from London if you're looking to try outdoor climbing. The spots are beginner-friendly but also offer a range of grades for all abilities. A few venues provide guided sessions where you'll learn to set up top ropes and belay. You can reach them by public transport followed by a short walk. It makes for a great summer day trip! Harrisons Rocks is a favourite.

Knees Up in Hackney is a cafe, community space, and retailer that hosts a variety of events each month, including regular runs, chess clubs, yoga, and strength workshops. Located on Hackney Road, the naturally-lit space is perfect for working or hanging out. The staff are super friendly, and the coffee and food are always delicious, with a fresh batch regularly rotated. The retail space is well curated, featuring magazines, books, activewear, and lifestyle products. 


Pockets, the Hackney spot where the queue starts building from 11AM (breakfast falafel?). Pockets removes any decision fatigue by simply stating the menu as ‘FALAFEL’. Get there whenever you can, and don’t feel ashamed to beat the queues and have falafel for brunch at 11AM. You will not be disappointed. 

Chalk Your Hands and Go: Where to Climb in London with Arrival at One 

Garden of Afruika

Run by amazing chef Zae Millen, she does some of the best pop-ups and supper clubs you'll find. Her food has been served in Jumbi, Bone Baddies, My Neighbours the Dumpling, plus loads more spots. She is the biggest bundle of energy and her focus is good authentic African & Caribbean flavours.There are always some really good plant-based options, for me and my fellow plant eaters. 

My go-to place in London for good plant-based Ethiopian. I actually went for my last birthday with my family. It's in the heart of Dalston and the food never disappoints. It's BYOB, the prices are reasonable and they only take cash — real old school settings. 

A tiny little Jamaican spot in Forest Gate. You can just about fit four people in there, but the food is up there. It doubles up as a Caribbean grocery store called Wenty's Tropical Foods, which has been a staple in Newham since the 80s. When you go, you must get the Ital stew with rice and peas and plantain — thank me later!

Black Rootz is a Black-women-led growing collective based in Wolves Lane, Wood Green. Anybody can go down there to volunteer on a Thursday, learn more about growing fresh fruit and veg and just help support such a wonderful and selfless community of people. It's a gem that more people should know about and I really implore you to give it a go. If you do go, ask for Paulette, Pam or James and tell them Garden of Afruika sent you.

This one is run by a real good brother, who deeply cares about his African cultural heritage and takes archiving, as well as sharing knowledge and resources very seriously. Seed in an incredible, free research library in the heart of Tottenham, which displays books, objects and sounds on African and Caribbean culture and design. Just give Seed a DM on Instagram to book an appointment.

From Hidden Jamaican Restaurants to Rare Cultural Archives: Garden of Afruika’s Top London Spots

Girls In Film

Our local darling, Rio Cinema. A historic independent cinema in Dalston, offering a unique and vibrant movie-going experience with a mix of mainstream, independent, and art-house films. We especially love all the staff at the Rio. Rumour has it that feminist groups in the 80s would watch films topless in the basement.

Close-Up Cinema, down in Shoreditch, is a charming independent venue specializing in screening classic, cult, and international films in an intimate and cozy setting. There’s always something weird & wonderful on here. One of our favourite places to host premieres!

Maybe the last £5 cinema ticket in London? South London favourite PeckhamPlex is the budget-friendly cinema where you can enjoy the latest blockbusters & indie gems.

Genesis Cinema in Whitechapel is a stylish, independent cinema offering a mix of mainstream, indie, and cult films, with a cozy bar and comfy sofa screen that makes it the perfect spot for film lovers. Rumour has it, it might not be around much longer so get down quickly. 

The Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square is a beloved venue known for its midnight screenings, sing-alongs, and a wide variety of cult-following films, making it the ultimate haven for movie buffs and cinema enthusiasts. Another cinema currently under threat of closing — go and support!

ActOne Cinema in Ealing is an independent, not-for-profit community cinema, offering a range of screenings, from popular films to live events like ballet and opera, all while fostering a close-knit environment for local movie lovers.

London’s latest addition, The Arzner in Bermondsey, is a queer-focused cinema offering film screenings and live events in an intimate setting.

From Topless Screenings to Musical Singalongs: The Girls in Film Cinema Guide 

Four Winds Mahjong Club

Located in Dalston, ESEA Community Centre (ESEACC) is the new incarnation of Hackney Chinese Community Services, which has served as the local hub for East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) communities for over 30 years. The centre hosts lunch clubs for the elderly, provides advice services, as well as a social space for karaoke, table tennis and Chinese tabletop games. 

The Steam Room has developed a local cult following in the neighbourhood since Tony Chung took over his father’s takeaway on Kingsland Road in 2004. Since then, Tony and his wife Fran have turned it into a dry cleaning business, housing a shop that supports and sells merch from local East and Southeast Asian creatives, as well as an event space in the basement, which has hosted supper clubs, pop up restaurants and more. Spot Four Winds members wearing their iconic Mahjong Club t-shirt with Tony’s face on it!

Yiran Duan, grew up on an indigo farm in Dali, southwest China, and founded Yi Crafts in 2019. Yi Crafts runs traditional craft workshops, such as embroidery, stitching, natural dyeing, woodblock printing, paper cutting, and sells beautiful artisanal wares made using traditional techniques by Chinese ethnic minorities like the Bai ethnic minority, which Yiran and her family are members of. Some of us attended Yiran’s Chinese knot-making workshop over Lunar New Year!

Sik Faan is a family-run cafe in Kentish Town, owned by David Chu, who used to volunteer with us at Four Winds! You’ll find hearty Cantonese and Vietnamese comfort food, such as bao, pho, rice and bowls, as well as mahjong socials on Saturday afternoons.

When would you ever have the chance to see an exhibition on food replicas and buy all the cool Japanese stationery you never knew you needed!? Japan House is a great place to learn about Japanese culture and its traditions. They’ve always got interesting exhibitions and amazing craft demonstrations for you to enjoy.

You can't visit London without visiting its legendary Chinatown, home to a host of East and Southeast Asian restaurants, bakeries, and dessert parlours. We love a good dim sum hang at Golden Phoenix, New Loon Fung, Tao Tao Ju and Lido. Make sure to also visit Guanghwa, the UK's only brick and mortar Chinese bookshop, open since 1971 and which also hosts calligraphy workshops, painting and seal carving.

My Neighbours the Dumplings is a family run Chinese dumpling house. They specialise in handmade dumplings, rolled fresh everyday in Hackney. Although not strictly a dim sum restaurant, they follow the dim sum style of eating; lots of small dishes that are shared among the table. When Four Winds first started, we used to host monthly Sunday sessions at MNTD — last year we even hosted Mahjong Singles Nights there! 

Popular among the Four Winds members, Cernamic is a pottery studio based in Stoke Newington and Deptford founded by ceramists Nam Tran and Susi Huang. There’s a strong sense of community at Cernamic and one of their missions is to make pottery accessible to anyone willing to give it a try by keeping classes affordable and membership diverse. Try a taster class or go for their multi-week beginners’ courses.

If you want to experience the hustle and bustle of a typical Asian food court this is the place to be! Want to start off your meal with some Korean fried chicken only to wash it down with some traditional Indian masala dosa? Bang Bang Oriental Foodhall has you covered! We’ve been known to make the pilgrimage to Bang Bang Oriental on occasion – one of our committee members goes to Golden Dragon with her parents for a good old fashioned Canto dinner too. If somehow you are still looking for more food after your visit, check out the directory for ESEA food businesses, a list of caterers, restaurants and ESEA businesses, compiled by writer and community organiser Jenny Lau aka Celestial Peach. 

Lahpet is a Burmese restaurant with locations in Shoreditch, Covent Garden and Bermondsey; our fave dishes include the tea leaf salad and hake masala. Head chef Min Maung also sometimes volunteers at ESEA Cooks for the Community, a volunteer-led supper club hosted at Camden Chinese Community Centre where all the proceeds go towards the centre — we were lucky enough to enjoy a five-course Burmese dinner cooked by Min himself!

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What's New

Assemble in London

See The World

"Pack light, take a set of headphones and don’t rush." - Idris Elba

Milan Design Week