The travel stories that can only be lived, told by the people who live them.
For Raven Smith (@raven__smith), travel is about more than the destination. As a Sunday Times bestselling author, columnist, and cultural commentator, he's built a career on finding the story beneath the surface — and it's the same instinct that shapes the way he travels.
Raven is looking for a specific moment: the one where the holiday feeling falls away and something more real takes its place. Where you stop observing a place and start belonging to it, however briefly. For someone whose work is rooted in cultural commentary, it’s an instinct as much as a preference.
“Travelling always inspires me because I think moving your brain to a new place makes it work in a new way.”
Raven Smith
Shot across his East London world — from the Barbican and Brat to Rochelle Canteen — Antler spent time with Raven to hear about the journeys that have stayed with him, the places he keeps returning to, and what it really means to travel often.
Raven's London recommendations
Here are a few of Raven's London recommendations. The full list is pinned to our Antler Travel Map — save it for your next trip or share them with someone who'd love them.
Brat
4 Redchurch St, London E1 6JL
The Barbican
Silk St, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DS
Rochelle Canteen
16 Playground Gardens, London E2 7FA
Cafe De Flore
172 Bd Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris, France
Brasserie Lipp
151 Bd Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris, France
St. John
94-96 Commercial Street, London, E1 6LZ
Continue the journey
For Those Who Travel Often is a series about the travel stories that can only be lived.
All recommendations from For Those Who Travel Often are pinned to our Antler Travel Map. Save this for your next trip, or pass it on to someone already heading there.
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