I moved to London about 20 years ago, and I always lived east. I lived in Brick Lane, then Bethnal Green and latterly in Stoke Newington. I moved to Borough Market in January last year, two months before I opened my restaurant here.
It was such a mad time before the restaurant opened, I was spending all day, every day at the site. We needed to do all the menu development and we did it all out of my flat. Testing all the dishes, overseeing the kitchen installation, picking the paint colours, tasting wine. It was a hive of activity.
I’ve always loved Borough Market, so when the restaurant was happening, I thought: “When am I gonna get a chance to live somewhere so central?”
People often think of it as just the market, but all the little mazes of streets around have so much character. There’s this combination of being industrial and old, and there are lots of little bars and restaurants. It’s a gem of a neighbourhood.
Best eating and drinking
One of my favourite places is TÓU, above the Globe Tavern, for a perfect sandwich and a glass of Pét-Nat. I really love Elliott’s, on Stoney Street, for all of their menu and also great wine. I love Bao for a quick lunch.
Obviously, I eat at Rambutan almost every day. I also love Agora on Bedale Street for a few skewers and a pint if I’m meeting a friend around here.
Where I work out
I hop on a bus to Shoreditch House, which isn’t very far away.
To commune with nature
Southwark Park is just 15 minutes away, and it’s got a couple of art galleries and a little boating pond. It’s got everything that you would want and nice wide open spaces, which you don’t always get in London.
For a culture fix
There’s an amazing Everyman in Borough Yards, which is a real treat to go to. It’s very luxurious, and the film selection is small but it’s great. We’re very close to the rest of south London, so I love to go out in Peckham.
Grocery shopping
Maybe the best shop in London is Neal’s Yard Dairy on Park Street. They have such an extraordinary selection of cheeses, and the staff are so kind, knowledgeable and generous with teaching and sharing. It also has a great wine list, so if you’re stuck for a bottle of wine, that’s where I’d go.
The Ginger Pig on Stoney Street is probably the best butcher in London. Incredible quality meat and really knowledgeable staff. I also like Turnips, in the market itself, for vegetables.
Getting around
I just walk. Borough Market is so well connected, it’s amazing. You’re never very far from anywhere because you’re right next to London Bridge station and the Tube.
Dream street
Stoney Street is a dream street, it’s so lovely.
Something you only see in Borough market?
There’s often mini cars parked on the street. I don’t know what they’re doing, but there’s lots of them. You’ll also see huge carcasses of pigs being loaded into the butchers. Vegetable deliveries on a huge scale.
What’s the catch?
Noise is a thing. It’s not really late, but there are often a few stragglers who have had a few drinks, and there are deliveries at all times of day and night because it’s a market. I’m often woken up in the morning by a pub emptying its bottles or a cheese delivery. So, if you’re a light sleeper, it’s probably not for you.
In three words...
Deafening, delicious and Dickensian.
Cynthia Shanmugalingam’s Sri Lankan restaurant Rambutan is at 10 Stoney Street, SE1 9AD. @cynthia.uma; rambutanlondon.com
Schools
For primary schools, The Cathedral School of St Saviour and St Mary Overie is rated outstanding. At secondary level, Haberdashers’ Borough Academy, Ark Globe Academy and St Saviour’s and St Olave’s Church of England School are all rated good.
What it costs
Buying in Borough
Average property price: £778,860
Renting in Borough
Average property price, pcm: £3,420
