The Brick Lane Curry Festival was established in 1998 by the Banglatown Restaurant Association in partnership with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The 2026 festival is planned for 20. September 2026.

Brick Lane in Bethnal Green is a famous visitor destination and loved for its food offering. There are many spicy food 🥘 restaurants, mostly Curry and Indian food.

The Bagel 🥯 shop Beigel Bake is world famous.

The Truman complex has many outside eateries and cafes. Sunday mornings there are mobile food stalls near Cheshire Street.

The area attracts guided tours and sports graffiti everywhere. Allen Gardens is a Mecca for it, it changes daily.

Getting there use the TfL travel planning app or a web search.

Crime prevention / reports

Beware of pick-pockets and opportunist thieves. Carry your backpack on your chest, ensure your handbags are closed and don’t keep phones in your back pockets. Hold phones tight.

In restaurants, do not

• leave your bag on the floor
• hang your jacket or bag on the chair
• leave your phone or purse on the table.

Beware of distraction theft.

A thief might approach you, ask a question and drop paper or clothing onto your item and then take it when picking up again.

Had your possessions stolen, fallen victim to crime?

Calling for help

There is a distinct lack of phone boxes in the immediate vicinity of Brick Lane.

Nearest phone boxes

• BT Street hub 94 Whitechapel High Street, London E1 7PH offers charging, free WiFi
• Phone box, cards only outside 20 Brick Lane
• Call station Bethnal Green Road outside entry to 1-39 Allison House, offers Child line, Samaritans, 
  Emergency, Credit card
• Phone box coin outside 193 Bethnal Green Road.

If your phone got stolen find a BT Public Street hub, you can call 999 easily. Features include: Free WiFi, phone calls, device charging, emergency access.

Locations of nearby Street hubs

• 94 Whitechapel High Street, London E1 7PH

Feeling unwell? For any emergency call 999 and ask to be put through to

• Ambulance, Police or Fire brigade

Report to police

• @Metcc online, this is on X and once on the profile, click the envelope to report. You can up-load a picture.
• Metropolitan Police website. Make a report on their website.
  • Lost or found property
  • Crime
• Police station
  • Bethnal Green
  • find any other police station
• Phones, credit cards, stolen papers
  • Report any lost phones, immediately to your phone provider
  • inform your bank about the missing credit cards, ring 159 to get through to most UK banks.
  • contact your embassy about missing papers

Drink Spiking

There are also other types of spiking in vapes, by needle etc.
Read Met Police advice here.

Proprietors and managers of licensed venues are encourage to sign up to the

Safer Business Network

to get free training for all staff in the Ask for Angela initiative.