March 6, 2016 — StoriesWhy You Must Walk Down...

Why You Must Walk Down Lower Marsh

A WHAT DAD COOKED ARTICLE • WRITTEN BY DAD •
Tucked beside the tracks of Waterloo is one of the capital's most interesting little places. Lower Marsh is full of unassuming gems worth checking out.

Post your homecooking recipe, stories, tips and hacks using #WhatDadCooked

Share this article with a friend on WhatsApp

Follow us on Instagram — @WhatDadCooked

Post your homecooking recipe, stories, tips and hacks using #WhatDadCooked

Share this article with a friend on WhatsApp

Follow us on Instagram — @WhatDadCooked

Tucked beside the tracks of Waterloo is one of the capital’s most interesting little places. Lower Marsh may not have the glitz and glamour of The Cut next door, but it’s full of unassuming gems worth checking out.

lower marsh-0354
Quiet and unassuming but full of hidden treasures

 

It’s home to a growing community

Lower Marsh is a street that’s happy in its own skin. Its eclectic community is driven by independence and collaboration – an attitude reflected in many of the local ventures, like Travelling Through. The bookshop has real heart and soul and aims to connect people through its culture hub and art space.

lower marsh-0409
Greensmiths – a collaborating food emporium

There’s also Greensmiths, which operates a joint venture of foodie specialists, including the Ginger Pig butchers. The nearby Make Space Studios is a collective of over 60 artists, designers and creative businesses whose spirit of enterprise and creativity spills out into Lower Marsh. Watch for their open studio days – you’ll be inspired.

It’s got an entrepreneurial buzz

Lower Marsh street food
Lower Marsh street food

 

Amanda with her award-winning cupcakes at Raffo & Ridgeway
Amanda with her award-winning cupcakes at Raffo & Ridgeway

Lower Marsh Market personifies the spontaneity and energy of the area. Office workers raid the street-food stalls at lunchtime, wolfing down Newdlez & Co’s pad thais or Veg As You Go falafel wraps, but the market also sells flowers, artisan bread, fresh produce, crafts and other goods during the day and at the weekend flea market.

It’s a coffee lover’s heaven

Lower Marsh is awash with indie coffee shops
Lower Marsh is awash with indie coffee shops

You’re never far from an indie coffee shop on Lower Marsh. Four Corners is riding high on their award for the best coffee shop in the UK in 2015, while Love & Scandal was recently voted London’s most-loved café in the Love London Awards. It attracts a motley crowd in its superhero-styled, unfinished-ply interior. Café del Marsh is an unpretentious and friendly café bar with a heated and covered rear terrace that serves food as well as craft beer.

It needs to be seen inside out

Looking outside from inside the Cubana
Looking outside from inside the Cubana

 

The real McCoy – a Cuban sandwich
The real McCoy – a Cuban sandwich

Outward appearances are often deceptive in Lower Marsh. Viewed from the street, the sunken dining room of the Cubana appears a dusky cavern, but viewed from the inside it becomes a bright cantina with a panoramic window on the world (a perfect space for enjoying a Cuban sandwich). The same principle is at play with The Scooter Caffè – you must step through the dowdy exterior to find the seductive atmosphere of the jazzy bar inside.

It’s home to a hidden underground party space

Don’t walk past – step into the unknown
Don’t walk past – step into the unknown

 

Dare to be different – the Vaults are
Dare to be different – the Vaults are

The Vaults has been hosting a number of daring and exciting pop-up events for some time now, from Secret Cinema’s immersive extravaganzas to the interactive walk-through theatre show ‘Alice’s Adventures Underground’. Check out the Vault Festival during February and March for more labyrinthine experiences.

There’s loads to explore

The Vaults art gallery, seek and you shall find
The Vaults art gallery, seek and you shall find

 

Luca Othman a West End hairdresser in SE1
Luca Othman a West End hairdresser in SE1

Lower Marsh is full of surprises. Luca Othman is a top Soho hairdresser – his secret is W1 cuts at SE1 prices. And the Book Warehouse has a basement stacked with classical and jazz CDs. The owner will invite you to relax, browse and enjoy free use of the loo. Elsewhere, I Knit Waterloo is a wool shop with a drinks licence, so it’s perfect for a knit and a chat over a convivial bevvy.

 

Have a read of our other ‘Why you should walk down…’ series

Lower Marsh
Seven Dials
Berwick Street
Bermondsey Street and Square
Marylebone High Street
Clerkenwell Road
Spa Terminus
10 Coffee Shops to Stop by on your Foodie Travels



ADVERTISEMENT