Day 22 - London Brick Lane

I read the book by Monica Ali called Brick Lane several years ago which had made me want to visit this area.


In Brick Lane, author Monica Ali examines the life of Nazneen, a young Bangladeshi woman, as the young woman settles in a London enclave filled with other Bengali tenants, all seeking assimilation while maintaining their cultural identity. Ali brings the reader to the world of the Bengali immigrant community in London's East End.





I didn’t get to it in October so was determined to do it this time. Friends of ours had called at the last minute to say they would be in London on our Day 1as us so could we meet for dinner. I selfishly decided this was my opportunity to go for curry.

The Bangladeshi influence on Spitalfields, particularly Brick Lane and the immediate surrounding area, is dubbed Banglatown.

This influence is still evident today, no more so than in Brick Lane, known as the ‘curry capital’ of London. The road is lined with restaurants serving delicious Asian cuisine which, coupled with some excellent bars, makes Brick Lane a favourite tourist destination.

When we returned to London at the tail end of our trip we made another visit to Brick Lane for lunch on the Saturday. The World Cup was underway and an area was being set up to show the England/US game on a big screen. It was a beautiful sunny day and viewers were arriving in droves in the early afternoon even though the game wouldn’t start until 7:30PM.