London
Shanan Campanaro gained a BA in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins in the late 90s before going on to launch Eskayel. Many of the classic patterns from the studio’s earliest years are still bestsellers. So when the chance to spend a weekend in England arose, she jumped at the chance to revisit the old school London streets that sparked her early career in art.
Guide by Shanan Campanaro
Shop our classics“Last fall Nick and I spent a weekend in London and we had the best time! It’s a really vibrant city and in the fall on a sunny weekend there’s so much to do.”
— Shanan
Explore
ROUGH TRADE
Remember those days when Spotify didn’t exist? And you actually had to go to the record store and check out the new releases organized by genre? And you had to trust the people working in the record store? For me in college, that was Rough Trade in Soho. For music history purposes, go to its bigger outpost in Brick Lane.
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Freuds
Freuds in Covent Garden is a little cafe by day and a bar with millions of cocktails by night where I used to work. You have to go down some steps into a basement to find it and it always has a vibe. It hasn’t changed in 30 years. I have a million stories from bartending there. One of the best jobs I have ever had!
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Time Out
Time Out London still is totally worth checking out. When I lived there it was a print magazine, but now it’s online. I definitely recommend checking it for your specific dates. That’s how we found a super fun flea market and festival with a 50s theme. There were tons of cool vendors and cool cars, people dressed in vintage, and good shopping and music.
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Tate Modern
Walk along the Thames on the Southbank to Tate Modern. They were still building it when I was in art school. I love the special exhibitions staged in the giant Turbine Hall. From the gallery, head west along the river and you’ll end up seeing the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye.
“We spent a weekend walking around lazily, nothing too tourist heavy. A lot of our trip was revisiting my old homes, haunts, and workplaces. But what drove most of our itinerary was food – which is a general theme for us!”
— Shanan
Where to eat
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Bar Italia
The original Bar Italia in Soho is a personal favorite of mine. I adore the prosciutto tomato mozzarella panini for lunch, but it’s always been a great spot for a late-night Naples-style pie.
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Kowloon
I love London’s Chinatown. The bakery at Kowloon has the BEST coconut buns in the world in my opinion. I’m not sure if it’s just nostalgia talking, but I do love them.
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Chiltern Firehouse
Chiltern Firehouse is in a super cute area and features great design. The sidewalk cafe is a perfect spot for lunch.
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Brick Lane
You have to get Indian food on Brick Lane. It’s such a vibe. This time we went to Sheba. And guess what? It was super good!
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The Jugged Hare
For everything you want from a London public house, visit The Jugged Hare. It’s an excellent pub with a menu focused on game.
What to see
Liberty of London is a department store not to miss. I love looking at all the iconic prints.
If you have never been to Portobello Market in Notting Hill, you must go.
Take the Tube! Take a black cab! Walk through a park. May I suggest Primrose Hill?
Inspired by London
This collection of popular favorites includes older Eskayel patterns that continue to stand the test of time.
