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ShareWhitechapel has long lived in the shadow of its past. Once a gritty, working-class district on the fringes of Victorian London, it is now a place where history and contemporary culture sit side by side. From haunted pubs to infamous murder scenes, Whitechapel is a treasure trove of history for those drawn to the dark side of London.
Whether you’re here for the history, the true crime intrigue, or the thrill of the unknown, here are the best things to do in Whitechapel—curated for curious minds and sinister souls.
☕ Start Your Day at Rinkoff Bakery (Since 1911)
📍222-226 Jubilee Street, E1 3BS
Okay, so there’s nothing nefarious about this brilliant Whitechapel bakery (believe us, we’ve scoured their About page in the hope of something sinister). But before diving into Victorian crime and East End mysteries, you’ll want to get your morning sugar and caffeine hit.
Nowhere in Whitechapel does this better than Rinkoff Bakery, a family-run institution that’s been serving locals for over a century. Their flaky crodoughs (croissant-doughnut hybrids) have earned a cult following, though it’s the cream egg doughnuts that we can’t get enough of. But it’s their old-school charm and warm welcome that keep regulars coming back.
🧳 Explore the Ragged School Museum
📍 46-50 Copperfield Road, E3 4RR
Located a short walk east along the canal in the district of Tower Hamlets, this museum—once London’s largest Ragged School for impoverished children, which provided tuition, food and clothes for destitute children—offers a gritty glimpse into the lives of the East End’s working-class families.
This school was an early experiment in public education and was founded by, and counted among its teachers, the philanthropist Dr Barnardo. However, despite the decent social cause for which it was founded, its reconstructed Victorian classroom and Edwardian kitchen can’t help but betray the brutal social conditions in which many of the Ripper’s victims were raised.
🍺 Visit the Ten Bells Pub: A Pint with a Side of History
Something you learn quickly in London is that it’s never too early for a pint. (Seriously, if you think we’re joking, duck into any Wetherspoons anytime after 9 am). And no Jack the Ripper itinerary would be complete without a visit to the Ten Bells Pub.
Situated smack bang in the middle of Spittlefields, at the corner of Commercial Street, this East End watering hole has been pouring pints since 1752. Here, history hangs as heavily as the smell of spilt ale, or the calorie count of its Scotch Eggs, not least because the Ten Bells Pub is connected to at least two of the Ripper’s victims.
Mary Jane Kelly is said to have drunk here in the early hours before her murder. Annie Chapman reportedly frequented the pub regularly. The decor nods to its historic past: faded tiles, Victorian portraits, and a venue that hasn’t forgotten the women who never came home.
📜 Wander the Old Streets of Whitechapel
Whitechapel’s atmosphere is best absorbed on foot. Wander through Durward Street (formerly Buck’s Row), where the body of Mary Ann Nichols was found. Head down Hanbury Street, Mitre Square, and Miller’s Court, retracing the final steps of the canonical five victims.
If you’re not already on one, consider joining our Jack the Ripper Tour, recommended by The Independent, which brings these streets—and their stories—vividly to life.
⚓ Walk down to Wapping for Sinister Pirate History
Just downriver from Whitechapel lies Wapping, a historic riverside village long associated with pirates, smugglers, and seafarers. The area’s most infamous site is Execution Dock, where pirates were hanged at low tide and left to swing until three tides had passed. For centuries, it was here that justice was served—slowly and publicly.
Wapping’s most famous building is the Prospect of Whitby, a centuries-old pub once frequented by smugglers, sailors, and even Charles Dickens and Samuel Pepys. Though the London Docks closed in 1969, many of the old warehouses remain, now stylishly repurposed but still rich with atmosphere. For a deeper dive into this eerie riverside history, try this excellent self-guided walking tour, which leads you through Wapping’s dark maritime past.
🧵 Explore Wilton’s Music Hall
Hidden behind a peeling, timeworn façade off Graces Alley, Wilton’s Music Hall is one of the oldest surviving music halls in the world—and it feels every inch the time capsule. Inside, creaky floorboards, flaking paintwork, and flickering chandeliers preserve the faded grandeur of a bygone era. It’s the kind of place where the past doesn’t just linger—it performs.
If you’re lucky, you might catch a ghost story performance or a Victorian melodrama that blurs the line between theatre and séance. And for those curious about the building’s real-life journey, Wilton’s also offers fascinating guided history tours. Led by in-house researchers and historians, these one-hour sessions chart the hall’s transformation from a sailors’ pub to a bustling music hall, a Methodist mission, and finally the beautifully restored venue it is today. Book well in advance, however, as these tours sell out fast.
🏰 Take a Trip to the Tower of London
No trip through London’s shadowy past is complete without a visit to the Tower of London—a fortress soaked in blood, secrets, and centuries of fear, and only a 20-minute walk from Whitechapel. First built as a royal palace, the Tower quickly garnered a darker reputation as the city’s most notorious prison, where traitors, queens, and even young princes met grisly fates.
From the mysterious disappearance of Edward V and Richard of York to the tragic confinement of Arabella Stuart and the bloody beheading of Anne Boleyn, the Tower is said to be haunted by countless restless spirits, including the elusive White Lady whose scent of roses reportedly signals her presence.
👉 Book Tower of London tickets (official site)
🍺 Grab a Pre-Dinner Drink at The Grapes Pub in Limehouse
A short riverside stroll from Whitechapel brings you to The Grapes, a 500-year-old pub perched over the Thames in Limehouse. Once known as The Bunch of Grapes, it’s steeped in maritime lore—Sir Walter Raleigh is said to have launched a voyage from the jetty below, and Charles Dickens immortalised the tavern in Our Mutual Friend, describing it as “a tavern of dropsical appearance… impended over the water.”
Inside, you’ll find creaking floorboards, Dickensian memorabilia, and watercolours of Limehouse Reach lining the walls. The pub survived the Blitz (hooray!) and is now co-owned by Sir Ian McKellen (it even has Gandalf’s staff behind the bar). Come along on Monday evening for the popular pub quiz.
🍽️ Dine at Tayyabs
Punjabi cuisine doesn’t come better than at Tayyabs. For nearly half a century, they’ve been serving award-winning dishes, not least the mix grill (lamb, chicken tikka, seekh kebab and more), and Karahi chicken curry. Make sure to bring your own bottle if you want to drink alcohol.
🎭 End the Night with a Dark Walking Tour
Still hungry for more? We run nightly Jack the Ripper tours—recommended by The Independent—that dig deeper than the myths and shine light on the Ripper’s victims. You’ll explore the facts, theories, and twisted social history behind one of history’s most disturbing mysteries.
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