Cannes, Nice, Monaco, Saint-Tropez… the towns dotted along the French Riviera each have a certain je nais se quoi, but none of them boast the cutting edge art credentials of East London’s newly named water-side stretch of chic. As an array of cafes, bars and galleries have flocked to its banks; a certain stretch of the Regent’s Canal has recently gained the (knowingly ironic?) nickname of The Haggerston Riviera. There is no sand, absolutely zero chance of regular sun and water murkier than Monaco’s tax laws but there is creativity to spare — and isn’t that what counts?
Along the stretch of canal, which runs west from Queensbridge Road, you’ll find the Towpath Café for caffeine and brunch bellinis, The Proud Archivist for a combination library / gallery / restaurant / bar (delete as appropriate) experience and a clutch of artists’ studios. Visit for the monthly First Thursday event when venues like Southgate Studios and Ditto Press open their doors as part of a (often boozy) gallery crawl.
The Haggerston Riviera may already have its own website and Facebook page, but the tongue-in-cheek branding should take nothing away from the buzz surrounding this area of the canal. While there might be an element of gentrification gone mad about all this, publicity for the independent cafés, bars and galleries along the canal can’t be a bad thing, can it?
