Where do you live?
Just beside Victoria Park in Hackney, East London.
I moved to this area mainly because...
Hackney is home to a massive Dublin crew, and also during my first week in London I was passing through Victoria Village while heading to visit a friend and I completely fell in love with it. That sealed the deal for me.
One of the best things about living here is...
I think you get the best of both worlds, you’re within really close proximity to central London and yet there’s a lovely village feel to the area. Plus it’s always pleasant to bump into old friends on the street.
One restaurant I love to go to is...
Mission in Bethnal Green. I went there for my birthday recently and we had an incredible meal — from crispy pig’s head to mussels. Not to mention their amazing selection of wines.
My local is...
The Hemingway on Victoria Park Road and I love it because they do an amazing Sunday roast and there’s always a really lovely, chilled out atmosphere — even when it’s jam-packed.
On my downtime I love to...
Go to Epping Forest. It’s a short tube ride from Hackney and it’s a beautiful place to escape the chaos of the city.
Epping Forest is a great way to escape the cityBest place to go for a first date would be...
A walk down Regents Canal towards Broadway Market. There’s so many great bars and restaurants on Broadway, and when you’ve exhausted them all — and your bank balance, you can always sit on the canal with a nice bottle of wine and watch the world go by.
An insider tip on my area would be...
To register for a library card through the Idea Store. It gives you access to any of the libraries in Tower Hamlets and also £5 tickets for the Rich Mix cinema on Mondays and Tuesdays.
One place not many people know about but I love is....
Verden in Clapton Pond. It’s a newly opened wine bar and deli specialising in charcuterie and cheese. They also serve delicious brunch at the weekends, until 5pm, which is very handy. The guys that run it are bang on, and always up for a bit of banter.
The place that I love to bring visitors is...
Southbank. Between the National Theatre and the BFI, not to mention the numerous bars, restaurants and pop-ups — it’s London at its best.
What do you collect?
The main thing I collect is music, I’m slightly obsessive.
If there was soundtrack to my area it would be...
Electric Warrior by T-Rex. The flamboyant, edgy glam rock sound perfectly epitomises East London. Also Marc Bolan was originally from Stoke Newington!
Dublin actress Rebekah Wainwright recently moved to London. She has a BA in Acting Studies from Trinity College and attended the Gaiety School of Acting. She has appeared in The Tudors and more recently the short film In This Place
See More: Hackney, Rebekah Wainwright, Victoria Park
