Lazy Guide to London
As a London based brand, we wanted to share the city spots that are always worth dragging our lazy selves out the house to explore. Spanning food & coffee, shops, activities and art, here’s a guide to our five favourite hidden gems and fellow independent London businesses. Whether you’re a Londoner in need of some weekend inspiration or planning your next trip to the city and looking for something different, read on for our Lazy Guide to London…
I Will Kill Again at Dark Arts Coffee
Arch 216, 27A Ponsford St, London, E9 6JU
Hidden away under a Hackney railway arch, I Will Kill Again is the café inside Dark Arts Coffee, a roastery with an strong appreciation for the occult, biker culture and heavy metal (we’re big fans of their logo and GSOH). The aim for café owner Talia Aitchison was to create an inclusive menu that vegans, veggies and meat eaters could enjoy together - 80% of the food is vegan/veggie options that are killer…even for meaty lovers. We suspect some dark magic is at play with their vegan croissants and vegan chorizo. Go with an empty stomach and eat EVERYTHING, the portions are super generous and the coffee is amazing. You may have to queue for a table at the weekend, but trust us it will be well worth the wait.
Café open 10am - 4.30pm from Thursdays to Sundays only.
12B Camden Passage, Islington, London N1 8ED
Round the corner from our Islington studio, on the cobbled backstreets of Camden Passage, ‘That Wild Bunch’ owner Faye Warren celebrates the wild nature of flowers in her pink and green fronted florist. Keeping things seasonal, original and popping with bright colours, this is our go-to for unexpected and original blooms to brighten up even the greyest London day.
Closed on Mondays.
Annka Kultys Gallery
472 Hackney Rd, Unit 3, 1st Floor, London E2 9EQ
Our top tip for discovering attention-grabbing contemporary art is Annka Kultys Gallery. Upstairs from an unassuming row of shops by Cambridge Heath station, you’ll find one of the leading platforms for a future generation of artists. With a focus on multimedia art, Annka Kultys encourages these artists to bring their work from digital and online platforms into the gallery space, marking it out as different from your average gallery experience. Also repping a strong roster of female artists including Stine Deja and Signe Pierce (who’s incredible immersive exhibition Metamirrorism is shown here), exhibitions and installations at Annka Kultys never fail to provide serious creative inspiration and a tasty treat for your eyes and brain. Next up, ‘Me and My Girls’ a solo show from our friend, artist Molly Soda, starting 9th May. See upcoming exhibitions here
Wednesday – Saturday, 12pm – 6pm.
7 Mansfield Road, London, NW3 2JD
Painted in pink and sitting opposite Gospel Oak Station, Kristin Baybars is one part toyshop, one part museum. Home to thousands of toys collected since the shop opened in 1973, owner Kristin celebrates the traditional art of toy making and provides a welcome contrast to a world dominated by technology. Specialising in miniatures, Kristin collects intricately handmade pieces from toymakers around a world with some so tiny they require a magnifying glass to see their finer detail. Our favourite was the dollhouse full of dogs because ‘a house full of pets is better than one of people’ as Kristin put it. Making dollshouses from her early teens, Kristin’s career began as a toymaker at department store Heal’s where she was discovered by the BBC to make toys for iconic children’s TV programme Playschool, most notably Humpy Dumpty who you can find versions of in her shop now. Bring 20p to watch the wooden circus show and leave your bulky backpack at home.
Tuesday – Saturday from 11:30am – 5:00pm, closed Sunday’s & Monday’s.
Living in the city comes with plenty of perks; endless access to the best food, art, nightlife etc, but one thing it is lacking is that feeling of being at one with nature. With this in mind, illustrator and animal lover Jennie Webber set up Wildlife Drawing, a drawing class that encourages creativity whilst getting Londoners back in touch with wildlife. Running classes in venues across London and beyond, Wildlife Drawing work with animal owners, conservationists and charities with creatures ranging from farmyard favourites to feathered friends, wolf pups and reptiles. Both educational and artistic, each class gives you 2 hours access to your chosen animal where you’ll learn all about their habits whilst observing and documenting their every move. In contrast to fast paced London life, the classes provide a therapeutic form of escapism as you draw to the sounds of chirping chicks or howling wolves (we learnt that they really do howl at the moon!)
And don’t worry if you’re not a natural artist, the classes are open to all levels and Jennie a great teacher providing all the technical tricks to drawing your subject.
Discover all of the up and coming classes on their website with ticket prices starting at £26 and often including contributions to wildlife charities. A whole range of art supplies are provided however you can bring your own too.
Follow their Instagram (we particularly like the #WeirdWednesday animal facts feature)
