Ealing Summer Festivals & 12 tips by a local

Spread over 6 events, Ealing Summer Festivals take place this month. The programme includes Greenford Carnival (which took place on the 7^th of July), Ealing Beer Festival (taking place between the 10^th and the 13^th of July), Acton Carnival (due on the 13^th of July), Ealing Comedy Festival (18^th-19^th and 24^th-26^th July), Ealing Blues Festival (20^th-21^st July), and Ealing Jazz Festival (27^th-28^th July). The latter is one I would have been looking most forward to, had I not been invited to a friend’s wedding that weekend. The line-up of the latter includes the famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra and the Stefanos Tsourelis Jazz Quartet (daily tickets cost £5). All 4 festivals take place at Walpole Park (a few minutes walk from Ealing Broadway station).

Moreover, Lovebox and Citadel Festivals are coming back to Gunnersbury Park this weekend. It was a year ago when both festivals relocated from Victoria Park in the East End of London to the lesser-known Gunnersbury Park in West London. Since Gunnersbury Park is located between Acton, Brentford, Chiswick and Ealing, the relocation of the festivals helped put these districts on the map. Acton and Ealing are located within the London Borough of Ealing, whereas Gunnersbury Park, Brentford and Chiswick within the London Borough of Hounslow. Gunnersbury Park is a few minutes walk from Acton Town station (Piccadilly line). Gunnersbury (District line and Overground) and Kew Bridge stations are also within walking distance.

As a local to this part of the capital (I live in Brentford), I am very familiar with Ealing, and this week I will be sharing my top tips for it.

So, summer festivals aside, here are my top 12 tips for Ealing:

Culture

1. Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery (Ealing Broadway station)

The Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery is located within the grounds of the Walpole Park. Designed by John Soane at the beginning of the 19^th century, this Grade I listed building has recently been restored and re-opened to the public in March 2019. A sculpture exhibition by Anish Kapoor takes place from the 16^th of March until the 18^th of August 2019 (tickets for the exhibition cost £7.70).

Afterward, you can have a coffee or lunch at Soane’s Kitchen, which is basically Pitzhanger’s café. There’s also the Pitzhanger Pantry, a kiosk café at the Rickyard in Walpole Park.

Coffee

2. Electric Coffee Co (Ealing Broadway)

Less than a minute walk from Ealing Broadway station, there’s Electric Coffee Co, one of the few cafés in Ealing featured in the London Coffee Guide, my go-to guide for the best independent coffee shops in the city.

3. WA (Ealing Broadway)

A few steps away from the Electric Coffee Co, there’s WA, a small Japanese patisserie. Their desserts are both elegant and delicious. They also serve sweet buns (such as the melon pan), savory dishes, coffee and tea. In addition to traditional Japanese teas and match latte, they also serve hojicha latte (made from hojicha tea) and kurogoma (black sesame) latte.

4. Ginger & Moore (Ealing Broadway)

Not far from WA and the Electric Coffee Co, there’s Ginger & Moore. It is a cozy café, great for a light lunch and matcha latte (they have quite a few variations of the original drink).

5. Artisan Ealing (Ealing Broadway)

The Ealing branch of this small West London chain (they also have branches in Stamford Brook, Putney and East Sheen) is another café that has made it to the London Coffee Guide, as well as another excellent destination for brunch or a light lunch; the only problem is I always find hard to choose what to order.

6. Tiramisu Café (Ealing Broadway)

Halfway between Ealing Broadway and South Ealing station (Piccadilly line), there’s this corner café. It serves a variety of breakfast or light lunch dishes, but it is the Sardinian specialties that really stand out. My favorite is called ‘pane frattau’ (or simply ‘the Sardinian’), a traditional dish from Sardinia, consisting of pane carasau (traditional bread) served with tomato sauce, pecorino cheese and a poached egg. Afterward, I usually finish my meal with their homemade ‘Nonna’s’ tiramisu, served in a small jar.

Tiramisu Cafe (Ealing) — Nonna’s tiramisu and coffee at Tiramisu Cafe

A few steps down the road, there’s Burnt Norton, a little café serving a wide range of savory and sweet swirls and bakes. It’s only been there for about a year and a half now, which is not as long as the other cafés I mention here.

7. Munson’s Coffee & Eats Co (South Ealing)

Not far from Tiramisu Café and closer to South Ealing station, there’s Munson’s Coffee & Eats Co, another lovely corner café.

Munson's Coffee & Eats (Ealing) — Munson’s Coffee & Eats Co

These six are my favorite cafés in the central most part of Ealing (within walking distance from Ealing Broadway station). When I used to work at Ealing General Hospital (past West Ealing, between Hanwell to the east and Southall to the west, all within the London Borough of Ealing), I discovered two more cafés: the Clocktower Café and Fade to Black. They are both located on Uxbridge Road, in Hanwell; the latter only opened less than 2 years ago, but already features in the London Coffee Guide.

Food & drinks

8. Ealing Park Tavern (South Ealing)

From South Ealing station (Piccadilly line), you can follow South Ealing Road towards Ealing Broadway, or you can go the opposite direction (towards Brentford, my flat, and the river Thames). About 5 minutes walk to the latter direction, there’s my favorite pub in the area: the Ealing Park Tavern. A large gastro-pub with a cozy interior as well as a beautiful garden hidden in the back, the Tavern serves drinks as well as food (I usually order burger and fries, with complimentary smoked mayonnaise to die for, and I’m not even a mayo fan). Every Wednesday, it’s a pub quiz and curry night, whereas every Thursday evening, there’s live music.

9. Monty’s (South Ealing)

A few meters away from the Ealing Park Tavern (towards Brentford), there’s Monty’s, a lovely Nepalese restaurant. It is actually one of several Monty’s in the area; there’s also one on Uxbridge Road, one in Northfields, and another one in Hanwell. Monty’s aside, there are a few more Nepalese restaurants in South Ealing. Nepalese dishes are similar to Indian, and along with Italian and Persian, Nepali is my favorite cuisine (on that note, there are quite a few Persian restaurants on Ealing Broadway, but I am yet to make up my mind which is the best).

10. Tandoori Villa (South Ealing)

This small Indian restaurant is located on Ranelagh Road, around the corner from Munson’s Coffee & Eats. It’s quite hidden, but once you discover it, I’m sure you’ll be keen to come back.

Tandoori Villa (Ealing) — Tandoori Villa

11. Santa Maria Pizzeria (Ealing Broadway)

A hub for Nepalese and Persian restaurants, Ealing is also home to a number of Neapolitan pizzerias. Santa Maria is an excellent alternative, whether you are a fan of Asian cuisines or not. It is located on St Mary’s Road halfway between Ealing Broadway and South Ealing stations, almost opposite to Tiramisu Café, and a few steps from Munson’s Coffee & Eats. Santa Maria has become an Ealing institution, with its fame spreading far and away from West London. They have recently opened branches in Chelsea and Fitzrovia too.

12. The Red Lion (Ealing Broadway)

Another great pub in the area, the Red Lion is literally next to Santa Maria, and, in fact, you can order your pizza from the pizzeria and eat it in the pub. Here you won’t find traditional pub food, but who needs that when you can have Neapolitan cuisine instead? The interior of the pub is very cozy, but there’s also a beautiful garden hidden in the back, perfect in the summer.

As well as the Red Lion, there’s a number of other cozy pubs nearby, including the Grove and the Castle Inn, both on St Mary’s Road.