The hottest rumour doing the rounds – and one which Wansteadium has quite a good source for – is that the vacant Santa Fe shop may soon become a fishmongers. This is always one of the most-desired options on this website whenever the subject of vacant shops comes up, but may now be coming true. It’s just a rumour at this stage, and we will attempt to verify. (We thought you’d like to know, nonetheless.)
Other good news is that Fabien Ecuvillon, the French pastry chef who took over Nice Croissant last summer, is still planning to transform the cafe into an artisan bakery.
The former Cinnamon, currently being refurbished, is to become an American style diner next month. Staff are currently being recruited. As the photo from deep inside shows, work is well under way. 
And while bets are being placed on what exactly will take the place of the departing Barclays Bank (hot options are a curry house, nail bar or pawn shop), Wansteadium’s own food blogger Suki Orange welcomed – but was a bit underwhelmed by – the new-look Tesco. She said: “There’s an attempt to entice one with a small bakery/patisserie offering at the top of the first aisle with croissants, doughnuts etc.. The fresh aisle is more streamlined, with improved signage, but the shop feels like the shelves are being stacked much higher than before. Also, while they have changed the position of the self-service checkouts, when I was there they hadn’t put any signs to tell people that’s what they had done.”
We used to have one.
SMALL POINT.
Santa Fe was the other side of Nice Croissant, where Azzurra is now.
Bryan the pedant.
Class pedantry, Bryan. Duly noted.
So..
Artisan Bakery – Check
Fishmongers – Check
Another Nail Bar – Check, but we clearly need more.. so minus check
Pawn Brokers – What is worse, a Pawn Broker or a Bookies… minus check
Curry House – That would mean the number of curry houses are competing with nail bars – minus check.
So, now most of the ‘wanted’ outlets are apparently coming to the High Street, what do we want next. M&S Food or Waitrose are a waste of time if you ask me as we already have a Co-op and Tesco. However I do think we need a small convenience store near to the tube stations and I believe they would make a tidy profit.
A curve ball here and I wish I had the finances to open it. I would like to see an outlet for loose ingredients. Spices, Herbs etc in a Pic’n’mix style. Perfect for summer months when people are knocking up their own dry rubs for the BBQ Ribs and also for folk who need more than just a 50g jar of dried rosemary which costs £2 in the Co-op(or £22 in most wanted Waitrose/M&S)
I do think we need another bar. A decent Wine Bar where Barclays is would be perfect.
Somewhere relaxed and somewhere with service.
Bring one back!! Great idea, not sure the coffee snobs in ‘Nice Croissant’ will be best pleased with the stink of fish as they sip their coffee sitting outside!! 🙂
It will be a decent thing to have, TOO many establishments in Wanstead, catering for “Ladies” who lunch… be a real nice change to have a fishmongers.
Wanstead wasn’t always about small local shops although there were plenty including a fish monger and I think another green grocer or butchers. But it also had the big car showroom where Majestics is now situated and I remember a boat salesroom on the high street as well.
I’m a tea snob (!) and honestly, would anyone want to sit outside sipping a ‘brew’ whilst inhaling a few kilo of cod!
Fishmonger yes but location, location – please!
Some decent nightlife would be nice , maybe a cool bar or something .
Most locals have to go to South Woodford if they fancy a night out anywhere with music
Couldn’t think of any really good names for a fishmonger. Wanstead Plaice, Sea11; my best efforts.
Oh and WanCod, for a giggle.
Lewis Marine iirc … enjoyed looking at their wares as a kid but could never understand why we had a boat shop…
Are you sure you’re not thinking of Nightingale Motors opposite the church in Nightingale Lane, a large showroom and garage. I remember it well, my mum worked in the office. I grew up in Wanstead. There was another butcher, a fishmonger, two shoe shops and a bicycle shop on the corner of Hermon Hill. Not a coffee shop in sight !
Great news! Hope it’s true and everyone in Wanstead will help and support it! As long as the product and the price is right and it doesn’t look tacky unlike some of the newer establishment it should do well.
If the fish is as fresh as it should be, there won’t be any bad smells for Nice croissant customers to worry about. It would be wonderful to have a good quality fish monger. Fingers crossed the rumour is true.
They do say that an area is really ‘on the up’ when a fishmonger opens. It would be welcome in Wanstead, alongside a ‘gastro pub’ to give some competition to the awful Cuckfield and of course a Waitrose (they should have been in the Tesco site originally but were outbid I understand).
I suspect “fishmonger” is what most folk say when asked what they want because it’s the seal of a truly gentrified London village. Whether said folk will actually USE a fishmonger, and regularly, is another matter. As for Barclays – Pub, please. And a nice one. Any half decent pub in the area is over-subscribed (the Cuckfield undeservedly so) and if it was an independent with proper food, it couldn’t lose. Just look at the Red Lion in Leytonstone, and The Bell in Walthamstow.
The car show room was Ray Powells and was in the High Street where majestic wines is now. The fishmongers was on the same side of the road but nearer Woodbine Place and was called Clarkes. The daughter of the proprioter still lives in the area I believe.
As for the Red Lion being independent, its actually part of the Antic pub chain so not sure if it counts as being independent. The Antic chain that specialises in the distressed Hoxton Hipster look i.e. screw a suitcase to the wall, put in some old sofas, charge £3.70 a pint and you have a trendy pub. (see the Duke).
Wanstead is getting more like Shoreditch every week.
Shame.
If only Wanstead would get a little more hip!! The Red Lion (and sister pub in Forest Gate the Forest Tavern) have an amazing selection of beers, and the food is really good gastro pub grub at very reasonable prices, and it seems to attract a nice crowd of folk. Was in the Cuckfield last night, only two bitter’s available (neither very nice), and as for the food, it’s generally pretty awful and seems to still stink the place out. Hoping the Duke’s overhaul is a big success too. The high street is definitely devoid of a decent drinking hostelry, so would be well pleased if someone who cares, such as Anvil, decided to move in. Curious to see if we are getting a proper American diner (something like Bodeans would be fantastic), or it just a posh burger joint? Both would be welcome, especially as the high street seems to have been taken over by some very average Turkish restaurants (wish the Wood Oven had opened up in Wanstead!!). Any news on the former Irish bank’s redevelopment. It’s a big old place so will be interesting to see if anyone could make it a success.
Looks like the ex Cinnamon is owned by the same person as the sushi bar – same decor. Is it true?
If people want any of the things listed above, why not put their money where their mouths are…let’s start a collective to fund one (fishmonger), two (gastro pub) or all of the above?
Yes, The Red Lion is Antic, as I believe is also The Bell (and if not, they’ve cloned the style), but they understand how to do an urban pub with decent food far better than the vast Mitchells and Butler, who’s attempt with the Cuckfield (and others in their “unbranded” chain) is just terrible. An embarrassment.
Spent a Friday eve in my old neighbourhood in Bow last week – The Lord Tredegar in Lichfield Rd, which used to be a dingy backstreet boozer, now utterly transformed. We have nothing like that in Wanstead.
I fear the Barclays site would not work as a bar due to the building having flats directly above.
However, if it was then it would be a very nice alternative to what we have.
Yes it is small, but that is a good thing. Means you cannot over subscribe people inside. The cuckfield is too big for one tiny bar and two bar staff.. The bank would be just right and give you the type of service you get from the mentioned Lord Tredegar.
I do not use our Green Grocers or Butchers enough to vote in favour of a Fishmongers I am afraid. But a decent Gastro Pub yes!
What has happened to the Churchill building? I thought we were promised a bar/restaurant there?