Welcome to Design Detours, a series where creative people whose tastes we trust share their well-curated, design-minded travel itineraries.
While shooting the third season of Ted Lasso in London for three months last year, South African actress Jodi Balfour sometimes found herself with extra time on her hands. She did “pop back to New York” to visit her wife, comedian-writer Abbi Jacobson (cocreator/costar of Broad City and the 2022 A League of Their Own adaptation), where the two split their time between Los Angeles. “But I was mostly grounded in London,” says Balfour.
Having previously spent a couple of months in the city while shooting The Crown’s second season, as well as the BBC crime drama series Rellik a few years earlier, Balfour was no London newbie. But that didn’t stop her from approaching some of her free time there like a tourist. “I would craft these days where I romanced myself in the city,” says Balfour, who has an eye for design and a knack for staying on the cusp of all things cool, from furniture showrooms to restaurants with impressive natural wine selections. Just whizz through her Instagram for proof.
Here, Balfour shares some of her favorite spots from East London to Soho, including a pottery studio in a former abandoned nursery, a landmark swimming hole, and stores packed with vintage and midcentury designs.
Day one: Peruse sculptural homeware and dine at a cozy restaurant with seasonal produce
Rochelle Canteen was established by Melanie Arnold and Margot Henderson in 2004 in the converted bike shed of an old Victorian school in Shoreditch, London.
I started my day with a coffee at Joline Redchurch Street, a hole-in-the-wall with rows of beautiful pastries and great coffee, where I grabbed a pour-over and an almond croissant. There are so many great little shops in this area, so I took a slow and interrupted walk popping into ones like House of Toogood, the Shoreditch showroom for British designer Faye Toogood’s furniture, fine art, and homeware studio and her sister Erica’s fashion brand. It’s set in a little house on Redchurch Street; inside, it has whitewashed walls and beautiful pieces of furniture—antiques and sculptural Toogood stools—as well as structured jackets and merino jumpers designed by Erica.
I then walked over for lunch at Rochelle Canteen, which is unbeatable as far as lunch spots go. The restaurant, run by Melanie Arnold and Margot Henderson, is inside an old school. You enter from the street and arrive in a very pretty garden. Inside, it’s fairly minimalist, but it also feels warm and lived-in, as though you’re in someone’s home. The furniture looks vintage and the walls are lined with personal travel heirlooms. The menu is seasonal and changes daily. At the time, it was late spring, so I had this amazing asparagus toast with fresh English peas. The crowd is great; a mix between a robust group of regulars and some foodie tourists because the restaurant is considered a Holy Grail.
After lunch, I wandered down the older streets of Shoreditch, visiting Leila’s Shop, a tiny grocery with the most amazing fresh produce, which they put in little brown paper bags. The first time I went a few years ago I bought a bag of tomatoes and ate them out of the bag like candy. This time, I just took a look around and marveled at the asparagus galettes and fresh bread. My next stop was at design studio Atelier LK’s No. 43 project in the former Hackney home of British sculptor and flamenco dancer Ron Hitchins. It’s a beautiful space run by founders Lisa Jones and Ruby Kean that showcases furniture and objects by exciting and established designers alongside some of Hitchins’s work, as well as his sculptures in the gardens.
For dinner I went to Brawn, one of my favorite restaurants in London. It’s set in a low-lit space on the ground floor of one of those classic Columbia Road townhouses. They do hyperseasonal British produce, like romano beans in a tomato confit and fish with fennel. It’s not fussy, but it feels really elevated; just very romantic and cozy!
Day two: Take a pottery class in a historic Camden building and take an afternoon swim in the ponds at Hampstead Heath
When she wasn’t filming her role for season three of Ted Lasso, actress Jodi Balfour spent some of her free time walking through various London neighborhoods and admiring the architecture.
The next day I took a wheel-based pottery class at Rochester Square, a Camden studio set in the middle of a group of old townhouses with a big vegetable garden in the center (formerly a derelict nursery site). The garden is wild and slightly unkempt, but in a way that feels really welcoming. It’s also essential to what they are trying to do as an organization; there’s a real emphasis on growing food, cooking as a community, and using art as an extension of community and self-expression. They host big dinners where you can come and get a beautiful bowl of food for around £5 and sit with everyone else. They also host talks and book launches. I’ve done pottery before but this class was all about the basics of throwing clay on a wheel.
After the class, I wandered to Primrose Hill, taking in all the beautiful blossoms and neighborhood gardens. I ended up at the top of the hill because the view is pretty impressive and always encourages me to take a big, deep breath! I then hopped on a bus to Hampstead to visit the newly opened Two Poems showroom with collectable British studio pottery, as well as postwar sculpture and folk art. It’s owned by this guy Toby Ziff who used to have a tiny studio in Hackney, where I visited him before. Inside the store, there are unique ceramics, homeware, and furniture, not run-of-the-mill things. He finds these beautiful pieces where he knows the maker and the history behind them. We’ve bought some photographs in the past. It’s a really fun place to get something because there’s no barrier to entry. You can get a ceramic bowl from France for £19 or £40.
The Two Poems showroom in London’s Hampstead area specializes in British studio pottery, postwar sculpture, and folk art.
I continued on a walk through the Hampstead Heath to the historic Kenwood Ladies’ Pond. There are a few swimming pools to choose from here, but the ladies’ pond is my favorite. When I first went a few years ago, I couldn’t believe how utopian it felt. There’s every kind of woman in every form of repose. Some are naked and some aren’t. Some are swimming or reading or drinking wine or taking a nap. I always go with a book and a snack. There’s something about everyone feeling really relaxed and at peace. It’s just so special! Afterward, I went to the Almeida Theatre in Islington. The space is really cool and intimate and it doesn’t have the stuffiness of some more traditional theaters. It’s very open and bright inside. I saw Daddy by playwright Jeremy O’Harris. It was brilliant. The production design was so cool, it was as though they’d recreated a midcentury home in L.A. onstage.
Post-show, I grabbed a bite at Ottolenghi, which is right across the street and always a fail-safe in London. There’s this communal table with a bounty of great vegetable dishes served in colorful ceramic bowls. We had a few salads including the roasted carrot with labneh pomegranate, as well as a squash salad, which were delicious.
Day three: Shop, gallery hop, and stroll from the South Bank to Soho and Marylebone
Ducksoup is a natural wine bar and restaurant with a seasonal menu that changes weekly.
I spent the morning at the Hayward Gallery at the Southbank Center, a cultural space set in a big cement-and-glass building. I saw a retrospective of French-American artist Louise Bourgeois focused on her work using textiles and fabric and spent a while marveling at an amazing woven structure. Then, I took a slow walk from the museum across the bridge to Soho. There’s so much beautiful London architecture to take in. I can never really get over the history and the grandeur.
Next, I wandered down to the impressive Alex Eagle Studio, set in a brick building with a bright-red door. It’s such a cool space with a gorgeous lounge in the middle because the brand makes furniture as well as clothes. It has the most luxurious knitwear, jewelry, ceramics, and shoes. I also love the art on the walls; there are photos by David Sims and paintings by Bryan Sayers. I continued my way to Ducksoup, where I grabbed a seat at the bar for lunch. It’s a good place for a solo lunch because you often find other diners sitting at the bar reading a book. Inside, it’s simple but everything feels very thoughtful. They have vinyl playing and a cozy front area with a window that opens all the way on a sunny day. I had deep-fried cauliflower with tahini and black figs, deep fried chickpeas, and honey. It’s all so good!
After, I continued my amble through the hustle and bustle, stopping at the Margaret Howell store on Wigmore Street. It has a huge skylight in the middle of the space and is filled with furniture that you want to run away with—a mix of midcentury, shaker, and vintage wooden pieces. If you’re into chairs, it’s heaven! They also have a section of beautiful Japanese ceramics. Heading toward Bloomsbury, I stopped to visit Virginia Woolf’s house. You can’t go inside but it’s a historic site with a plaque on it.
I then stopped for a light dinner and glass of wine at Café Deco, another absolute favorite. It’s run by veteran chef Anna Tobias, who does old-school stuff in a new way. The modern European food is exceptional. The space has a Parisian feel but also feels inherently British with a gorgeous window looking onto the street, framed by the cutest white-and-green awning. It was a lovely night, so I decided to walk the 30 minutes back to Chiltern Firehouse in Marylebone, where I was staying.
Top photos courtesy of Jodi Balfour
Related Reading:
Where to Find Tokyo’s Creative Corners, According to a Spatial Designer
The Brutalist Hotel Paradox
