The trendy London neighbourhood with world-famous new museum and cool hotels

The Sun

11-07-2025

STRATFORD is having a moment thanks to some exciting new museums and attractions.
Put on the map following the creation of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in 2012, the East London neighbourhood is slowly becoming a trendy spot to go to.
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So much so, it was named the coolest place to visit in London by Time Out earlier this year.
And that's been backed further by the opening of the much anticipated V&A East Storehouse (vam.ac.uk) at the end of May.
It is certainly expansive – spread across four floors, taking up the space of 30 basketball courts.
Free to visit, after putting my handbag into one of the many lockers (big bags and bulky coats along with food and drink aren't allowed inside) I was ready to explore.
The museum's collection is broken down into three 'themes' – items that have a story, items inspired by the V&A and items that show a working museum.
An element I loved was the lack of walls so you can see everything while standing in one spot – almost reminding me of an IKEA warehouse.
But the variation of items (of which there are 250,000) means there is something for everyone.
Kids will be fascinated by the sword displays, while I loved the items from important protests throughout history.
Architecture lovers will be taken by the famous Frank Lloyd Wright rooms and there is enough art and memorabilia to keep all types occupied, from motorbikes and guitars to magazines and interiors.
Yet, it's a museum made for the modern day – every piece has a QR code to scan for more information rather than huge signs of text.
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Later this year it will open the David Bowie Centre, an archive dedicated to the six decades of the late singer's career.
And next spring will see the opening of V&A East Museum, a 7,000sqm attraction space with live shows and pop-ups.
But that's not the only new boost of culture at Stratford.
Following the success of Sadler's Wells Theatre in Islington, the new Sadler's Wells East (sadlerswells.com) has also opened just around the corner from the new V&A.
Huge bowls of pasta
With live dance shows, from flamenco to hip hop, I was left in awe watching Find Your Eyes – a show created by photographer Benji Reid who used dance alongside his live photography on stage.
With my battery running low, I needed some downtime and thankfully just around the corner was the stylish Gantry Hotel.
It's a great evening destination, where you'll spot everyone from laptop types in the lobby to after-work drinkers on the terrace.
The day-lounge-turned-evening-restaurant Union Social kept me well fed with huge bowls of pasta followed by a glass of wine from the retro Coupe bar.