For whatever reason, there seems to be an uncommonly large number of barber shops that also serve coffee in London. Barber & Parlour takes that a giant leap further—it is a barber shop, a nail/eyebrow/henna parlour, a kitchen/coffee shop, a beauty and home goods store, and a cinema all in one big warehouse space. Were it not for all the other people around and the fact that this place has operating hours, this would be an agoraphobe’s paradise—you could probably spend your entire life in here quite comfortably if you were so inclined. Of course, that would make you kind of insane, but to each their own.
Read MoreTo call Conservatory Archives a plant shop seems, somehow, not quite enough. It is, strictly speaking, a shop that sells plants, sure. But it somehow feels like something more—maybe because its owners purportedly have plans of expanding to vintage furniture and coffee (there’s already an old leather armchair sitting in the corner). Having seen the space primarily in photographs on Instagram, I was surprised by how small the space is—just two little rooms, jammed floor to ceiling with greenery. With my giant winter coat on, I was afraid I would knock things over as I walked around. Maybe that’s on purpose. In the middle of East London, it still feels a little bit wild.
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