Aisha Rimi

Waterloo: it’s got a big station, it’s near the South Bank, what else could you possibly want to know about the riverside neighbourhood? Turns out: a lot. We asked Ricardo Ayala, supervisor at The Travel Café, for his tips on the best of the area. Keep reading for a short guide to the best bars, shops and restaurants. Want to know about what’s going on there? You can read our full Waterloo area guide here.   View this post on Instagram A post shared by 𝐉𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄 𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐁𝐎𝐒 (@villal0b0s) 1. Twice the Siren ‘A small local gift shop that sells really lovely jewellery, stones, scarves, clothing, candles and more. I bought a friend of mine a beautiful Turkish necklace and scarf from here for her birthday. She really loved it.’ 28 Lower Marsh, SE1 7RG. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Wine Bar & Dining in Waterloo (@unwinedinwaterloo) 2. Unwined ‘A great spot to go to for a glass of wine. It has a really lovely atmosphere. The staff are really lovely and friendly, which is pretty much reflective of the whole area.’ 137-139 Lower Marsh, SE1 7AE. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Locale Southbank (@locale_southbank) 3. Locale ‘If you love Italian food, you should definitely visit this restaurant. When I visit Italian places, I always check out the cheeses, and Locale’s burrata is the most delicious. It’s definitely my favourite thing on the menu.’ County Hall, 3b Belvedere Rd, SE1 7GP. View

Tucked away on Waterloo’s busy York Road sits Dialogue Cafe, a small but inviting space where customers are encouraged to place their order using only British Sign Language (BSL). The not-for-profit social enterprise, which opened in April, looks to ‘improve the employability options for people with disabilities’ and to connect the hearing and hearing-impaired communities.  ‘Our vision is one where we can create a more cohesive and inclusive society and raise awareness to the general public towards disability,’ says Asad Islam, one of the café’s managers.  Staffed entirely by D/deaf and hearing-impaired baristas, the café has drawn a lot of visitors, some who pop in out of curiosity and others who have made a special trip to Waterloo. ‘Recently we had a lady who came all the way from Kent specifically to visit the café,’ says Islam. ‘She spent a good hour here practising her signing with the baristas. It turned out she was a sign language instructor, so this was a very good opportunity for her.’  Although the UK has a population of 11 million D/deaf or hard of hearing people, Dialogue Cafe is one of the first of its kind. BSL is not widely taught in schools, but Islam is eager to point out that customers ‘get on board with signing very quickly’.  An interactive screen by the till shows one of the staff signing all the different orders to help customers. Thanks to its partnership with the charity InSignLanguage, the café also provides a tablet that visitors can use to call an