Condé Nast Traveller's senior visuals editor Sophie has lived in Islington since 2019 When you close your eyes and imagine a London neighbourhood, images of Highbury probably spring to mind. Tree-lined streets, pretty houses, cute little pubs and leafy parks abound here. It's also an area with the best of both worlds: central enough to have a real buzz and some exceptional businesses to seek out; while retaining a peaceful, local feel.
Highbury punches well above its weight when it comes to eating and drinking, too – this might be the foodiest corner of North London. From starting the day with a wholesome coffee and stroll to ending it with a post-club kebab, this is our expert guide to the area. 9am: Walk around Highbury Fields with a coffee Head for a morning walk around the pretty Highbury Fields while admiring the homes that line the park.
In spring, expect rows of daffodils, and in summer, shaded pathways towered by huge leafy trees. Grab your morning coffee from 13th Floor Coffee, which operates from a truck on the grounds of Christ Church on Highbury Grove towards the top end of the park. Website: instagram.
com/13thfloor.coffee 10.30am: breakfast at Pophams A 20-minute walk from Highbury Fields (sorry, this one isn’t close, but it’s worth it) is the infamous Pophams.
The much-loved East London bakery opened a little branch for lucky North Londoners with the same snaking queue. We take this as a good sign, and the line does move fast. Share with a friend and order both the marmite, Schlossberger, and spring onion swirl and the bacon and maple swirl – buttery goodness with soft and flaky pastry that we named one of London's most iconic dishes .
Enjoy at the many outdoor tables. Address: Pophams, 19 Prebend Street, London N1 8PF Website: pophamsbakery.com 11.
30am: mooch around the shops Islington High Street, officially Upper Street, stretches for one mile southwards from Highbury and Islington Station towards Angel Station. Cafés, pubs, restaurants, independent shops, and bigger brands line the street. Our favourite shops to mooch in are Aria (2B Barnsbury Street) for contemporary decorative furnishings, Twentytwentyone (274-275 Upper Street) opposite for retro furniture and independent artist’s nick-nacks and After Noah (121-122 Upper Street) for coffee table books, ornaments, garden bits and classic children's toys.
Make sure you also pop into the charity shops, which quite often sell vintage high-end clothing; Mary’s Living and Giving (138 Upper Street) is your best bet if it's the designer you’re after. 1pm: tuck into lunch at a local pub Highbury isn’t short of decent London pubs serving up the tastiest pub grub. The Pig and Butcher (80 Liverpool Road), is great for a casual but extremely tasty meat feast.
For a fancier affair, head to the leafy backstreets of Liverpool Road to the wisteria-covered Albion (10 Thornhill Road), with its striped parasols out front and a huge garden out back – they do a mean Sunday roast here. A few roads back is the blue-hued Drapers Arms (44 Barnsbury Street) with vintage interiors and a bright green bar, where lunch consists of dishes such as spiced aubergine and tomato ragoût and roasted hake with creamed cucumber. Then there’s the Compton Arms (4 Compton Avenue), known for its little printed daily menu; we love the delicious homemade pasta.
Our favourite pub grub is just a tad further away – The Tamil Prince (115 Hemingford Road), run by ex-roti king chef Prince Durairaj. Flaky rotis, full-flavoured curries and mango lassis are thrown from the kitchen. 2:30pm: head down to Camden Passage Market Camden Passage in Angel is full of independent stalls on Wednesday and Saturday, selling a whole mix of things: vintage clothing and homeware, a stall dedicated to china tea cups, a lovely French man selling graphic travel posters printed in Paris, art deco jewellery and piles of colourful woven rugs.
After shopping, pop into the Camden Head (100 Camden High Street) for a drink. The team here also runs free comedy shows most evenings, so it’s worth popping back here. 3:30pm: grab a pastry Also found along Camden Passage is the ever-popular Buns From Home, which sells finger-licking hand-rolled buns and sweet pastries.
If you haven’t tried one before, we recommend you try the most popular cheesecake bun: a circular bun stuffed in the centre with vanilla creamy cheesecake sauce. The daily specials sell out quickly. Address: Buns From Home, 12 Camden Passage, London N1 8ED Website: bunsfromhome.
com 6pm: cocktail o'clock Head to the bar with no name at 69 Colebrooke Row for one of the strongest cocktails of your life. Many are mixed with pure spirits – think Martini and Negroni vibes – while others are seasonal, experimental and much smoother. They’ve got a few snacks, such as antipasti and cheese, but with dinner at 7pm, we recommend saving yourself.
Address: 69 Colebrooke Row, London, N1 8AA Website: 69colebrookerow.com 7:30pm: dinner at Trullo This must be booked in advance unless you're lucky enough to get a walk-in with a little wait; you can pop into the adjoining wine bar for a tipple before dinner. It’s quite the romantic rustic spot, with wooden tables covered in white linen and topped with a candle.
Upstairs, diners can peer into the kitchen where grilled meats are cooked on an open flame, while guests downstairs dine in a dimly lit brick basement with cosy alcove seating. The pasta dishes are our favourite, particularly the pici cacio e pepe– thick noodle-like strands covered in a cheesy peppery sauce. The menu changes seasonally depending on fresh produce.
However, you can always count on the pici cacio e pepe appearing. Address: Trullo, 300-302 St Paul's Road, London N1 2LH Website: trullorestaurant.com 9pm: go out-out If you don’t fancy walking down Upper Street again, take a taxi or hop on a bus.
Slim Jim's dive bar (112 Upper Street) isn’t for everyone, but it is open late, until 3am. There will most likely be a rock band jamming away and many groupies moshing under the bras hanging from the ceiling. If you don’t fancy moshing, grab a red leather booth and order a few Pickle Back shots.
Head to The Old Queens Head (44 Essex Road) in Angel for a more mainstream alternative. This neighbourhood pub opens its top-floor room later on, which turns into a dancefloor. Expect pop and sing-along tunes.
11pm: head for a kebab In need of a kebab? Noa is open until 1am on Saturdays. This isn’t your bright, light, greasy kebab joint; skewers of marinated lamb and chicken are grilled over the open flame and stuffed in a wrap along with fresh salads, pickles and all the sauces. Of course, donkeys and chips are also options, but we recommend delicious fresh kebabs.
Noa also operates as a restaurant at the back; make sure to visit sober for the tastiest Turkish meal in Highbury. Address: Noa, 247 Upper Street, London N1 1RU.
