Ten local food & drink bargains right now

Plus: *that* Time Out Coolest Neighbourhood review, is it Leyton or Leytonstone, the must-order dish at Burnt, hello again Sho Foo Doh, a new reader Q&A column and all the latest gossip

Chamonix Aspen at Francis Road Festival. Photo: Stephen Emms

Thanks to the readers who last week kindly updated to paid subscriptions: it feels like we could finally be on our way to a new sustainable era for Leytonstoner. As a result, I’ve been able to spend time putting together a bumper issue today, packed with way more useful stuff than previously. If you missed it last week, here’s a link to why I’ve had to install a paid upgrade to keep this newsletter going. And don’t forget, subscriptions start at just 86p a week.

Anyway, first up, what did you all make of the Francis Road Festival (pictured above)? I’m guessing almost everyone went as it was absolutely chocka. And, to be honest, I’ve never seen so many on-trend toddlers colonize one short stretch of tarmac.

But there was no denying that both the organisation and quality of performers was impressive. By the time we arrived, a beleaguered Jon at Dreamhouse had already run out of Libertalia beer and was scurrying off to pick up a load more kegs, while glittery popster Vanity Fairy was shimmying up on stage. And it was so busy it actually took a bit of time to walk from one end of the street to another - just like a real festival. Minus the wellies, perhaps.

Soon - well, a lager or two later - drag queen Chamonix Aspen, resplendent in a pink polka dot frock, was wheeling out the LGBTQ+ classics, from It’s Raining Men to Cher’s Believe, the boozed-up crowd lapping it up (us included). Other highlights? The ethereal sounds of folky duo Qazi & Qazi, and the chilled finale, an outdoor film screening of 2021’s Oscar-winning music documentary Summer of Soul.

And so onto today’s issue. This week I ponder whether it’s Leyton or Leytonstone, examine the fallout from *that* Time Out Coolest Neighbourhood article, rave about one dish in particular at Burnt, revisit Sho Foo Doh - and start a month-long odyssey around the neighbourhood rounding up the best food-and-drink bargains in each quarter. Yep, just for you lot. Plus, there’s a brand-new weekly Q&A in which anyone local can star - and even plug whatever they want.

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So, Leyton is “London’s coolest neighbourhood”

“London’s Coolest Neighbourhood”, as the news broke at Gravity Well (SE).

Now, let’s take a look at the fallout from this week’s most controversial story. In case you missed it, in Time Out’s annual round-up of global “Coolest Neighbourhoods 2024” Leyton was the only London area mentioned, coming in at No.24 out of 38 (and one of only three in the UK). “What it lacks in £30-a-plate pub roasts, baby-chariot buggy-jams and towering townhouses, it makes up in friendly faces, cheap eats and authentic local businesses,” it chirruped, a little vaguely.

Now we all know this area is one of the capital’s most underrated and unheralded - heck, that was why I started Leytonstoner (also originally known as Leyton Stoner) in the first place back in 2015. But I also understand how these round-ups work, having contributed to many listicles for Time Out and other publications over the years. They’re meant purely to be shared, to infuriate and delight in equal measure.

The local reaction was textbook, but still interesting to watch: on the Leyton Facebook groups, most commenters met the news with disbelief, justifiably citing the area’s social problems, while on Instagram others heralded it. Everyone seemed to have something to say about it.

Personally, I felt the entry was a little undercooked and, despite its brevity, would have benefited from greater detail and context. And the oversight that there are no “parody Instagram accounts” - as the super popular @leyton.stoned soon contested - sure ruffled a few local feathers. But here’s the thing: did you know there was a bigger factual error that was swiftly changed by the sub editors when it was published first thing on Wednesday?