The Palms of Whitechapel - Le Palmier Café, Vallance Road

Patisserie au Palmier

Don't they look gorgeous and glossy?  Doesn't it just make you want to go "yummy, yummy, yummy, I want you in my tummy"?  Well, perhaps not quite the latter, but you're very clever so you'll understand where I'm going with this.  They look gorgeous, they are gorgeous, they're eaten by very gorgeous people.

No, not me, silly, by Dalston, who ate one of these.

You can't see it from the photos but actually, they're rather petite patisserie, just over one inch in length, I'd say.  But packing in a lovely nutty flavour.  Vallance Road, E1 is the site for the wonderful Le Palmier - within easy walking distance of the Whitechapel Gallery where we'd been to see the photos from the 1970s (really quite brilliant) and the Government Art collection (ditto).  The latter is a rolling exhibition as more of the Government Art collection becomes available, and which is currently on tour.  And, just spotted, is a new exhibition of Mark Rothko which lasts until 26 February 2012.

Le Palmier is a treat.  However, Vallance Road is also home to one of the stranger sights to be seen in the area.

I'd be interested in what you think of this.  It's clearly derelict, but also rather beautiful.

Yes, that is a tree growing out of the first floor window.  Are there woodland folk squatting in the premises?  Do you think at night Vallance Road throbs to the sound of satyrs and wood-spirits holding a bacchanalian feast of old wine and new bread?

And, as you saw from the tree photo, there are really beautiful decorations on the outside of the building.

Perhaps somebody would be so good as to rescue what is clearly a remarkable building?