Hampstead & North London

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Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

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Hampstead & North London

Neighbourhood Top Five

1Hampstead Heath Enjoying the sweeping views of London from Parliament Hill; getting a culture fix at beautiful Kenwood; and slumping in a couch at the Garden Gate pub to recover.

2Camden Market Soaking up the sights, sounds, smells and frantic energy of the legendary market.

3British Library Discovering the treasures of the nation's library and marvelling at the sheer volume of knowledge stored within its walls.

4Wellcome Collection Enjoying a thought-provoking afternoon exploring questions of life, death and art at this intriguing gallery.

5King's Cross Marvelling at the metamorphosis of the area from industrial wasteland to supercool new neighbourhood.

Explore Hampstead & North London

North London is a big place – you could spend a week exploring its parks, checking out the sights, lounging in gastropubs and sampling the nightlife. So if you’re short on time, you’ll have to pick and choose carefully.

Hampstead Heath and Camden Market should be on top of your list. Camden Town has an intoxicating energy, while Hampstead Heath offers glorious walks, city views, wonderful art and an insight into how North Londoners spend their weekends. Note, however, that there are steep inclines in this part of London, so sightseeing can be quite tiring. Because these are residential areas, they tend to be quiet during the week and busy at weekends.

King's Cross, on the other hand, with its central location and numerous offices, is busier on weekdays. It's a great place to hang out – be it for an alfresco lunch, an ice cream or a drink. There are also a couple of museums to explore, and on weekends you can visit the exquisite St Pancras building.

Consider walking along Regent's Canal to link places such as King's Cross, Camden, and Regent's Park – it's a route that's both practical and delightful.

Local Life

ALive music North London is well known for being the home of indie rock. Music fans flock to numerous bars and theatres around Camden Town and Kentish Town to hear bands aiming for the big time.

ASunday pub lunches Hampstead is a particularly good place to experience this institution of English life, although there are plenty of suitable venues all over North London.

ASwimming Hampstead Heath ponds are open year-round, and a small group of hard-core aficionados swim every day, rain or shine.

Getting There & Away

AUnderground North London is served by the Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria, Jubilee and Bakerloo Lines. Additionally the Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines call into King's Cross St Pancras, Euston Sq and Baker St.

AOverground The Overground crosses North London from east to west, with useful stops at Highbury & Islington, Caledonian Rd & Barnsbury, Camden Rd and Hampstead Heath.

ABus There is a good network of buses in North London connecting various neighbourhoods to each other and the centre of the city. Buses are particularly useful for getting to the zoo (route 274) and the northern part of Hampstead Heath (210).

Lonely Planet's Top Tip

If the sun's shining, drop any plans you might have made and head straight to a park. North London has some of the capital's biggest and best green spaces. Pack a picnic and then do as Londoners do: head to the pub afterwards!

Best Places to Eat

A Trullo

A Roti King

A Ruby Violet

A Ottolenghi

A Hook Camden Town

Best Places to Drink

A Holly Bush

A Drink, Shop & Do

A Edinboro Castle

A Bar Pepito

A Euston Tap

Best Places for Live Music

A Proud Camden

A Dublin Castle

A O2 Forum

A KOKO

A Jazz Cafe

TOP SIGHT

British Library

RON ELLIS/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Consisting of low-slung red-brick terraces and fronted by a large plaza featuring an oversized statue of Sir Isaac Newton, Colin St John Wilson’s British Library building is a love-it-or-hate-it affair (Prince Charles once famously likened it to a secret-police academy). Completed in 1998, it's home to some of the greatest treasures of the written word.

The Collection

The British Library is the nation’s principal copyright library, which means that it automatically receives a copy of everything published in Britain and Ireland. Among its more than 150 million items are historic manuscripts, books, maps, journals, newspapers and sound recordings.

King’s Library

At the centre of the building is the wonderful King’s Library, the 85,000-volume collection of King George III, displayed in a beautiful six-storey, 17m-high glass-walled tower.

The collection is considered to be one of the most significant of the Enlightenment period. After being bequeathed to the nation by George IV in 1823, it was kept at the British Museum, in the specially built King’s Library Gallery. After a bomb fell on the collection during WWII, it was moved to the Bodleian Library in Oxford and finally moved back to London in 1998 when the new British Library opened.

Sir John Ritblat Gallery

Housing the Treasures of the British Library, the library's most precious and high-profile documents, this darkened gallery is the highlight of any visit. The collection spans almost three millennia and contains manuscripts, religious texts, maps, music scores, autographs, diaries and more.

Rare texts from all the main religions include the Codex Sinaiticus, the first complete text of the New Testament, written in Greek in the 4th century; a Gutenberg Bible (1455), the first Western book printed using movable type; and the spectacularly illustrated Jain sacred texts.

It holds historical documents, including one of four remaining copies of the Magna Carta (1215), the charter credited with setting out the basis of human rights in English law. Not so important, but extremely poignant, is Captain Scott’s final diary, including an account of fellow explorer Lawrence Oates’ death.

Literature is also well represented, with Shakespeare’s First Folio (1623) and manuscripts by some of Britain’s best-known authors, such as Lewis Carroll, Jane Austen, George Eliot and Thomas Hardy. Music fans will love The Beatles’ handwritten lyrics (including A Hard Day's Night scribbled on the back of one of Julian Lennon's birthday cards), and original scores by Bach, Handel, Mozart and Beethoven.

Exhibitions

The library runs regular high-profile exhibitions in the PACCAR gallery, all connected to its records; admission charges vary. Smaller free exhibitions take place around the library, and focus on particular authors, genres or themes (science fiction, the census, crime fiction etc).

The Philatelic Exhibition

Based on various collections amassed in the 19th century, the Philatelic Exhibition now consists of more than 80,000 items, including stamps from almost every country. The sliding racks are designed to reduce the stamps' exposure to light.

Don't Miss

ASir John Ritblat Gallery

AKing’s Library

ATemporary exhibitions

Practicalities

A MAP GOOGLE MAP

Awww.bl.uk

A96 Euston Rd, NW1

Ahgalleries 9.30am-6pm Mon & Fri, to 8pm Tue-Thu, to 5pm Sat, 11am-5pm Sun

AW

AtKing's Cross St Pancras

Books by the Numbers

What you can see of the library is just the tip of the iceberg. Under your feet, on five basement levels, run 625km of shelving (growing by 12km every year).

Reader Pass

To access the reading rooms and the bulk of the library collection, you'll need to apply for a Reader Pass. Anyone can apply but passes are only issued if you can demonstrate a need to see specific items in the collection – usually for an academic or specific research purpose. Passes are issued for a period of one month to three years.

TOP SIGHT

ZSL London Zoo

PCRUCIATTI/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Established in 1828, these zoological gardens are among the oldest in the world – they're actually from where the word ‘zoo’ originated. The emphasis nowadays is firmly placed on conservation, education and breeding, with fewer species and more spacious conditions. The zoo is involved in conservation efforts in more than 50 countries.

Highlights

The zoo's latest development is Land of the Lions, a new enclosure that seeks to re-create the environment of Gir National Park in India (complete with signs in Hindi, rickshaws and colourful props) where the last Asiatic lions live in the wild. There are four lions in the enclosure, as well as Hanuman langur monkeys and Ruppell's griffon vultures.

Tiger Territory is a little slice of Indonesian forest and the home of the zoo's two endangered Sumatran tigers and their two cubs (born in June 2016). The enclosure allows the animals to climb and bathe as well as to wander around freely.

Gorilla Kingdom has more babies to coo at. Alika (b 2014) and Gernot (b 2015) are endlessly entertaining to watch, and incredibly reminiscent of human toddlers. The two babies and four adults (including Kumbuka, the dominant male silverback) have a wide outdoor enclosure as well as an indoor space complete with swing ropes and climbing frames.

With its underwater viewing area, Penguin Beach is another popular attraction. It's a key element of the zoo’s breeding program of Humboldt, macaroni and rockhopper penguins. Comparing this enclosure with the 1934 modernist Lubetkin Penguin Pool (a listed structure, which now lies empty) gives a good idea of just how far zookeeping has come in the past few decades.

Interestingly London Zoo has a number of other architectural gems and listed buildings, including original 19th-century structures such as the 1828 Clock Tower, the 1836 Giraffe House (still in use), the 1913 Mappin Terraces (which featured a then very new building material, reinforced concrete) and the 1960s Snowdown Aviary.

Up Close & Personal

Rainforest Life – a slice of the humid South American rainforest complete with sloths, monkeys and birds – is one of several immersive exhibits where the animals wander freely among visitors. Others include the In with the Lemurs enclosure, where the very curious and playful ring-tailed lemurs will come within touching distance, and Butterfly Paradise, where myriad butterflies and moths flutter from flower to flower.

All Shapes & Sizes

There are many more enclosures in the park, some geographical (Into Africa, Australian Outback etc), and others focusing on species such as the Snowdon Aviary, home to a range of incredible birds.

You'll also find plenty to see indoors, should you come on a rainy or cold day, including an aquarium, a reptile house and a building called Bugs, which is full of creepy-crawlies.

The excellent play area will allow children to let rip their inner lion/chimp without frightening the real animals!

Don't Miss

ATiger Territory

ALand of the Lions

APenguin Beach

AGorilla Kingdom

ARainforest Life

Practicalities

A MAP GOOGLE MAP

Awww.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo

AOuter Circle, Regent's Park, NW1

Aadult/child £29.75/22

Ah10am-6pm Apr-Sep, to 5.30pm Mar & Oct, to 4pm Nov-Feb

Ac

Ag274

1Sights

North London is a collection of small neighbourhoods, originally ancient villages that were slowly drawn into London as the metropolis expanded. It's a very green area, home to some of the most wonderful park spaces in the city. Sights are pretty scattered in the northern half of the area, where you'll need some leg power to explore hilly Hampstead and around. King's Cross, however, is a lot more compact. A walk along Regent's Canal will link Regent's Park, Camden and King's Cross.

1King's Cross & Euston

King's Cross used to be something of a blind spot on London's map, somewhere you only ever went through rather than to. The surrounding streets were the capital's red-light district, and when the British Library first opened here in 1998, drug addicts could regularly be found in the toilets. In fact, it was the area's reputation that poured cold water on plans to renovate the hotel at St Pancras station in the 1980s and 1990s.

Fast forward a couple of decades and King's Cross's transformation isn't far removed from the metamorphosis of Stratford following the 2012 Olympic Games. Not only do friends now gather and chat on the plaza in front of King's Cross station, but families also stroll through the former railyards behind the station, along broad avenues lined with trees. This one-time industrial wasteland has become home to hip new eateries, glitzy corporate headquarters and lots of green spaces.

British Library Top Sight

MAP GOOGLE MAP

St Pancras Station & HotelHISTORIC BUILDING

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-8241 6921; info@luxuryvacationsuk.com; Euston Rd, NW1; tKing's Cross St Pancras)

Looking at the jaw-dropping Gothic splendour of St Pancras, it's hard to believe that the 1873 Midland Grand Hotel languished empty for years and even faced demolition in the 1960s. Now home to a five-star hotel, 67 luxury apartments and the Eurostar terminal, the entire complex has been returned to its former glory. Tours (£20; 10.30am, noon, 2pm & 3.30pm weekends) take you on a fascinating journey through the building's history, from its inception as the southern terminus for the Midlands Railway line.

Designed by George Gilbert Scott (who also built the Albert Memorial in Hyde Park), the Midland Grand Hotel was the most luxurious hotel in London when it first opened. All of the materials (including the stone, iron and 60 million red bricks) were brought down from the Midlands as a showcase for the kind of products the railway link could provide. The whole thing cost an astounding £438,000 – somewhere between £500 and £600 million in today's money.

You can get an idea of the original over-the-top decor in the Gilbert Scott Bar, which was originally the hotel's reception. The neighbouring dining room (now a fine-dining restaurant run by acclaimed chef Marcus Wareing) showcases the more restrained style of a 1901 refurbishment. The building was incredibly modern for its time, with England's first hydraulic lift, London's first revolving door and a thick layer of concrete between the floors to act as a firebreak. Ironically this contributed to its undoing, as it made it extremely difficult to adapt the rooms to new trends such as private bathrooms and electricity (the lighting was gas).

The hotel closed in 1935 and was used for railway offices and finally abandoned in 1988. It was only when plans to use St Pancras as the Eurostar terminal came up in the 1990s that local authorities decided to renovate the building and open a hotel. The Eurostar first arrived at St Pancras International in 2007 and St Pancras Renaissance London Hotel opened its doors in 2011.

Tours take you up the glorious grand staircase (the real star of the Spice Girls' Wannabe video) and along the exquisitely decorated corridors into one of the 37 remaining original Victorian rooms. They then head into the station proper, where sky-blue iron girders arc over what was, at the time, the largest unsupported space ever built. A modern addition to the concourse is Meeting Place, a giant statue of two lovers embracing, by sculptor Paul Day – be sure to examine the wonderful railway-themed frieze winding around its base. Also worth a look is the fabulously ornate Booking Office Bar & Restaurant ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.stpancraslondon.com; St Pancras Renaissance London Hotel, Euston Rd, NW1; h6.30am-midnight Sun-Wed, to 1am Fri & Sat; tKing's Cross St Pancras), housed in the station's original ticket office.

Granary SquareSQUARE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.kingscross.co.uk; Stable St, N1; tKing's Cross St Pancras)

Positioned by a sharp bend in the Regent's Canal north of King's Cross Station, Granary Sq is at the heart of a major redevelopment of a 27-hectare expanse once full of abandoned freight warehouses. Its most striking feature is a fountain made of 1080 individually lit water jets, which pulse and dance in sequence. On hot spring and summer days, it becomes a busy urban beach.

The vast brick 1851 warehouse fronting the square is now home to some excellent eateries and the main campus of the Central St Martins University of the Arts, including its Platform Theatre (www.platform-theatre.com). Also worth noting is the wavy glass frontage of the nearby Kings Place building. Completed in 2008, it's home to a concert hall, restaurants, commercial galleries and the offices of the Guardian and Observer newspapers. The excellent gallery House of Illustration is at No 2.

London Canal MuseumMUSEUM

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7713 0836; www.canalmuseum.org.uk; 12-13 New Wharf Rd, N1; adult/child £5/2.50; h10am-4.30pm Tue-Sun & bank holidays; tKing’s Cross St Pancras)

This little museum traces the history of the Regent’s Canal and explores what life was like for families living and working on Britain's impressively long and historic canal system. The exhibits in the stables upstairs are dedicated to the history of canal transport in Britain, including recent developments such as the clean-up of the Lea River for the 2012 Olympic Games. The museum is housed in a warehouse dating from 1858, where ice was once stored in two deep wells.

The ice trade was huge in Victorian London, with 35,000 tonnes imported from Norway in 1899 alone, arriving in the city at Regent's Canal Dock before being transported along the canal. You can access the wharf at the back of the museum where narrow boats are moored.

Camley Street Natural ParkNATURE RESERVE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.wildlondon.org.uk; 12 Camley St, N1; h10am-4pm Nov-Mar, to 5pm Apr-Oct; tKing's Cross St Pancras)

A tiny nature reserve sounds like an unlikely find in such an urban part of London, and yet Camley Street truly is wild, cramming three different habitats (woodland, grassland and wetland) for birds, butterflies, amphibians and plant life into its tiny space. There is an informative visitor centre and well-maintained paths to explore.

oGasholder ParkPARK

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; tKing's Cross St Pancras)

Part of the impressive redevelopment of the King's Cross area, this urban green space right by Regent's Canal is a masterpiece of regeneration. The cast iron structure used to be the frame of Gasholder No 8, the largest gas storage cylinder in the area (which was originally located across the canal). Carefully renovated, and with the addition of a central lawn, beautiful benches and a mirrored canopy, it has metamorphosed into a gorgeous pocket park.

King's Cross StationHISTORIC BUILDING

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.kingscross.co.uk/kings-cross-station; Euston Rd; tKing's Cross St Pancras)

With its clean lines and the simple arches of its twin train sheds, you might be forgiven for thinking that King's Cross is a more modern building than its show-off neighbour St Pancras, but in fact it opened its doors more than a decade earlier. Built in 1852 in the classic muddy-yellow London stock brick, it stands apart from the prevailing Victorian sensibility of more is more.

In 2012 a major refurbishment was completed, with the opening of a new departures terminal under an exceedingly beautiful, curving, canopy-like roof formed from a lattice-like web of steel. Shabby extensions have been removed from the front of the building, showcasing the facade and opening up an expansive plaza crowned with a Henry Moore sculpture.

Of course, for many people – especially of the more junior persuasion – King's Cross Station means just one thing: the departure point for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You'll need to be embarking on an actual train journey to visit the platforms, so the kind people at Network Rail have moved the magical portal leading to platform 9¾ to a more convenient location in the new departures terminal. A sign has been permanently erected, along with a trolley half disappearing into the wall and carrying a trunk and an owl cage. You can have your picture taken by wizards from the Harry Potter Shop next door.

House of IllustrationGALLERY

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.houseofillustration.org.uk; 2 Granary Sq, N1C; adult/child £7.50/4; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun; tKing's Cross St Pancras)

This charity-run gallery founded by the legendary Sir Quentin Blake (famed as the illustrator of Roald Dahl's books) opened in 2014 and is the UK's sole public gallery purely dedicated to illustration. It stages ever-changing exhibitions – everything from cartoons and book illustrations to advertisements and scientific drawings.

TOP SIGHT

Wellcome Collection

The Wellcome Collection styles itself as a ‘free destination for the incurably curious’, a pretty accurate tag for an institution that seeks to explore the links between medicine, science, life and art. It’s a serious topic, but the genius of the museum is that it presents it in an accessible way. The building is light and modern, with varied and interactive displays ranging from interviews with researchers, doctors and patients, to art depicting medicine and models of human organs.

The heart of the permanent collection is Sir Henry Wellcome’s eccentric array of objects from around the world. Wellcome (1853–1936), a pharmacist, entrepreneur and collector, was fascinated by medicine and amassed from different civilisations more than one million objects associated with life, birth, death and sickness.

In the Medicine Now gallery, interactive displays and provocative artworks are designed to make you ponder humanity and the human body.

The museum also runs outstanding (and free) temporary exhibitions on topics exploring the frontiers of modern medicine, its place in society and its history.

Don't Miss

ATemporary exhibitions

AMedicine Now permanent exhibition

AMedicine Man, featuring objects from Henry Wellcome's personal collection

Practicalities

A MAP GOOGLE MAP

Awww.wellcomecollection.org

A183 Euston Rd, NW1

Ah10am-6pm Tue, Wed & Fri-Sun, to 10pm Thu

AtEuston Sq, Euston

1Regent's Park

ZSL London Zoo Top Sight

MAP GOOGLE MAP

oRegent's CanalCANAL

( MAP GOOGLE MAP )

To escape the crowded streets and enjoy a picturesque, waterside side stretch of North London, take to the canals that once played such a vital role in the transport of goods across the capital. The towpath of the Regent's Canal also makes an excellent shortcut across North London, either on foot or by bike. In full, the ribbon of water runs 9 miles from Little Venice (where it connects with the Grand Union Canal) to the Thames at Limehouse.

You can make do with walking from Little Venice to Camden Town in less than an hour, passing Regent's Park and London Zoo, as well as beautiful villas designed by architect John Nash and redevelopments of old industrial buildings. Allow 25 to 30 minutes between Little Venice and Regent's Park, and 15 to 20 minutes between Regent's Park and Camden Town. There are plenty of well-signed exits along the way.

If you decide to continue on, it's worth stopping at the London Canal Museum in King’s Cross to learn more about the canal's history. Shortly afterwards you'll hit the 878m-long Islington Tunnel and have to take to the roads for a spell. After joining the path again near Colebrooke Row, you can follow the water all the way to the Thames at Limehouse Basin, or divert on to the Hertford Union Canal at Victoria Park and head to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Regent’s ParkPARK

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.royalparks.org.uk; h5am-dusk; tRegent's Park, Baker St)

The most elaborate and formal of London’s many parks, Regent's Park is one of the capital's loveliest green spaces. Among its many attractions are London Zoo, Regent’s Canal, an ornamental lake and sports pitches where locals meet to play football, rugby and volleyball. Queen Mary’s Gardens, towards the south of the park, are particularly pretty, especially in June when the roses are in bloom. Performances take place here in an open-air theatre during summer.

The Prince Regent, the future George IV, commissioned star architect John Nash (the man behind Buckingham Palace, Marble Arch and Brighton's Royal Pavilion) to design the park in what was once a royal hunting ground. The original design included a royal palace and houses for the aristocracy. Although only a fraction of the grand scheme ever came to fruition, you can get some idea of what Nash might have achieved by the look of the buildings along the Outer Circle.

Abbey Road StudiosHISTORIC BUILDING

( GOOGLE MAP ; www.abbeyroad.com; 3 Abbey Rd, NW8; tSt John's Wood)

Beatles aficionados can't possibly visit London without making a pilgrimage to this famous recording studio in St John's Wood. The studios themselves are off-limits, so you'll have to content yourself with examining the decades of fan graffiti on the fence outside. Stop-start local traffic is long accustomed to groups of tourists lining up on the zebra crossing to re-enact the cover of the fab four's 1969 masterpiece Abbey Road. In 2010 the crossing was rewarded with Grade II heritage status.

For a strangely engrossing real-time view of the crossing, hit the 'live' tab for the webcam on the studio's website; you can even find your own crossing shot by punching in your time. To reach Abbey Road Studios, take the tube to St John's Wood, cross the road, follow Grove End Rd to its end and turn right. Don't do what some disappointed fans do and head to Abbey Rd Station in West Ham – it's no relation of the true site and miles off course. There are at least 10 Abbey Rds in London, adding to confusion.

Lord’sSTADIUM

( GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7616 8500; www.lords.org; St John’s Wood Rd, NW8; tours adult/child £20/12; h4-6 tours daily; W; tSt John’s Wood)

The ‘home of cricket’ is a must for any devotee of this particularly English game. Book early for the Test matches here, but cricket buffs should also take the absorbing and anecdote-filled 100-minute tour of the ground and facilities (online booking required). Tours take in the famous Long Room, where members watch the games surrounded by portraits of cricket’s great and good, and a museum featuring evocative memorabilia that will appeal to fans old and new.

The famous little urn containing the Ashes, the prize of the most fiercely contested competition in cricket, resides here permanently. There are no tours on major match days; tour hours vary through the year, so see the website for details.

London Central MosqueMOSQUE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.iccuk.org; 146 Park Rd, NW8; tSt John's Wood)

Completed in 1977 this striking large white mosque is topped with a glistening golden dome and a minaret, and can hold more than 5000 worshippers. Provided you take your shoes off and dress modestly (females must cover their hair), you’re welcome to go inside but, as is the way with mosques, the interior is intentionally simple.

WALKING ALONG REGENT'S CANAL

The canals that were once a trade lifeline for the capital have now become a favourite escape for Londoners, providing a quiet walk away from traffic and crowds. For visitors, an added advantage of Regent’s Canal towpath is that it provides an easy (and delightful) shortcut across North London.

You can, for instance, walk from Little Venice to Camden in less than an hour; on the way, you’ll pass Regent’s Park, London Zoo, Primrose Hill, beautiful villas designed by architect John Nash as well as redevelopments of old industrial buildings into trendy blocks of flats. Allow 15 to 20 minutes between Camden and Regent’s Park, and 25 to 30 minutes between Regent’s Park and Little Venice. There are plenty of exits on the way and signposts all along.

If you decide to continue on, it's worth stopping at the London Canal Museum in King’s Cross to learn more about the canal's history. Shortly afterwards you'll hit the 878m-long Islington Tunnel and have to take to the roads for a spell. After joining the path again near Colebrooke Row, you can follow the water all the way to the Thames at Limehouse Basin, or divert on to the Hertford Union Canal at Victoria Park and head to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

1Primrose Hill

Wedged between well-heeled Regent’s Park and grungy Camden, the little neighbourhood of Primrose Hill is high on the property wish list of many Londoners – but utterly unaffordable for most. With its independent boutiques, good restaurants and appealing pubs, it has a rare village feel.

Primrose HillPARK

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; tChalk Farm)

On summer weekends, Primrose Hill park is absolutely packed with locals enjoying a picnic and the extraordinary views over the city skyline. Come weekdays, however, and there are mostly just dog walkers and nannies. It’s a lovely place to enjoy a quiet stroll or an alfresco sandwich.

1Camden Town

Jewish Museum LondonMUSEUM

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.jewishmuseum.org.uk; 129-131 Albert St, NW1; adult/child £7.50/3.50; h10am-5pm Sat-Thu, to 2pm Fri; tCamden Town)

This interesting little museum has permanent displays pertaining to the Jewish faith, the history of Jewish people in Britain and the Holocaust. One of its more important artefacts is a mikveh (sunken ritual bath), which was uncovered from Milk St in the City of London in 2001. It dates from the mid-12th century, shortly before the Jews were expelled from England for nearly four centuries.

TOP SIGHT

Camden Market

Although – or perhaps because – it stopped being cutting-edge several thousand cheap leather jackets ago, Camden Market attracts millions of visitors each year and is one of London's most popular attractions. What started out as a collection of attractive craft stalls beside Camden Lock on the Regent's Canal now extends most of the way from Camden Town tube station to Chalk Farm tube station.

There are three main market areas – Buck Street Market, Camden Lock Market and Stables Market – although they seem to blend together with the crowds snaking along and the 'normal' shops lining the streets. You'll find a bit of everything: clothes (of variable quality) in profusion, bags, jewellery, arts and crafts, candles, incense and myriad decorative titbits.

The area across the road from the Lock Market is being developed as a high-end retail outfit complete with boutique hotel. The development will be complete in 2018 and many fear that it might affect Camden's rollicking atmosphere.

There are dozens of food stalls at the Lock Market, courtesy of food collective KERB. You can eat at the big communal tables or by the canal.

Don't Miss

AStables Market

ACamden Lock Market

ALunch at the food stalls

Practicalities

A MAP GOOGLE MAP

Awww.camdenmarket.com

ACamden High St, NW1

Ah10am-6pm

AtCamden Town, Chalk Farm

1Hampstead

The most well-heeled and leafy part of North London, Hampstead has long been associated with intellectuals and artists, although these days it's mainly bankers and foreign oligarchs who can afford to buy property here.

Fenton HouseHISTORIC BUILDING

(NT; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7435 3471; www.nationaltrust.org.uk/fenton-house; Hampstead Grove, NW3; adult/child £7.70/3.80; h11am-5pm Wed-Sun Mar-Oct; tHampstead)

One of the oldest houses in Hampstead, this late-17th-century merchant’s residence has a charming walled garden with roses and an orchard, and fine collections of porcelain and keyboard instruments, including a 1612 harpsichord once played by Handel. The interior is very evocative thanks to original Georgian furniture and period art such as 17th-century needlework pictures.

If you're interested in seeing another unique, but this time very modern, home in Hampstead, there are joint tickets available with No 2 Willow Road for adult/child £11/5.50 that will save you a few pounds.

No 2 Willow RoadNOTABLE BUILDING

(NT; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7435 6166; www.nationaltrust.org.uk/2-willow-road; 2 Willow Rd, NW3; adult/child £6.50/3.25; h11am-5pm Wed-Sun Mar-Oct; tHampstead Heath)

Fans of modern architecture will want to swing past this property, the central house in a block of three designed by the ‘structural rationalist’ Ernö Goldfinger in 1939. Many think it looks like the sort of mundane 1950s architecture you see everywhere. It may do now, but 2 Willow Rd was a forerunner in this style.

The interior has cleverly designed storage space, amazing light (rooms that couldn’t have a side window have a skylight) and a collection of artworks by Henry Moore, Max Ernst and Bridget Riley. It’s accessible to all, thanks to hugely knowledgeable staff. Entry is by guided tour only (11am, noon, 1pm & 2pm) until 3pm, after which unguided visits are allowed.

Keats HouseHISTORIC BUILDING

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/keats; 10 Keats Grove, NW3; adult/child £6.50/free; h11am-5pm Wed-Sun; tHampstead Heath)

This elegant Regency house was home to the golden boy of the Romantic poets, John Keats, from 1818 to 1820. It was here that Keats met his fiancée Fanny Brawne, literally the girl next door. And it was here that he wrote many of his most celebrated poems. The house is sparsely but evocatively furnished and the museum does a great job of recounting Keats' short and intense life.

There is a 10-minute biographical film shown downstairs and listening stations upstairs where you can listen to some of Keats' poems and excerpts from letters written by both him and Fanny Brawne.

Freud MuseumMUSEUM

( GOOGLE MAP ; www.freud.org.uk; 20 Maresfield Gardens, NW3; adult/child £8/free; hnoon-5pm Wed-Sun; tFinchley Rd)

After fleeing Nazi-occupied Vienna in 1938, Sigmund Freud lived the last year of his life here. The fascinating Freud Museum maintains his study and library much as he left it, with his couch, books and collection of small Egyptian figures and other antiquities, all of which he'd managed to bring with him from Austria. One room upstairs is dedicated to his daughter, Anna, who was also an eminent psychoanalyst and lived in the house until her death in 1982.

You'll find information on psychoanalysis, excerpts of dream analyses scattered around the house, and plenty of information about the large Freud family.

PRACTICAL TIP

WILLOW ROAD & FENTON HOUSE TICKETS

Visitors interested in seeing both No 2 Willow Road and Fenton House should consider a combined ticket (£11) to save a few pounds. The two sights are only about 15 minutes' walk from each other across leafy Hampstead.

TOP SIGHT

Hampstead Heath

Sprawling Hampstead Heath, with its rolling woodlands and meadows, feels a million miles away – despite being approximately four – from the City of London. It covers 320 hectares, most of it woods, hills and meadows, and is home to about 180 bird species, 23 species of butterflies, grass snakes, bats and a rich array of flora.

It’s a wonderful place for a ramble, especially to the top of Parliament Hill, which offers expansive views across the city and is one of the most popular places in London to fly a kite. Alternatively head up the hill to Kenwood, with its grand 18th-century house and landscaped gardens, or lose yourself in the West Heath. Signage is limited, but getting a little lost is part of the experience.

If walking is too pedestrian for you, the bathing ponds are another major attraction. There are separate ones for men and women and a slightly less secluded mixed pond.

Once you’ve had your fill of fresh air and/or culture, do as Londoners do and head to one of the wonderful pubs nearby for a restorative pint.

Don't Miss

AViews from Parliament Hill

AStrolling in the woodlands

AKenwood

Practicalities

Hampstead Heath ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.cityoflondon.gov.uk; tHampstead Heath, Gospel Oak)

TOP SIGHT

Kenwood House

This magnificent neoclassical mansion stands at the northern end of Hampstead Heath in a glorious sweep of landscaped gardens that lead down to a picturesque lake.

The 17th-century house, which was remodelled by Robert Adam in the 1760s, was extensively refurbished in 2013, with rooms repainted in their original colours. The Great Library, with its powder-pink and sky-blue vaulted ceiling and vignette paintings, is magnificent.

The house was rescued from developers in the 1920s by Lord Iveagh Guinness, a member of the famous brewing family, who donated it and its wonderful collection of art to the nation. The Iveagh Bequest, as it is known, contains paintings by Rembrandt (one of his many self-portraits), Constable, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Hals, Vermeer and Van Dyck and is one of the finest small collections in Britain. Head up the great stairs for the Suffolk Collection, consisting of Jacobean portraits by William Larkin and a set of royal Stuart portraits.

The gardens are another highight, and you'll find sculptures by Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth on the lawn. The old servants' wing now houses a sit-down cafe and a snack bar with an ice-cream counter.

Don't Miss

ARembrandt self-portrait

AThe Great Library

AStrolling in the landscaped gardens

Practicalities

Kenwood (EH; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.english-heritage.org.uk; Hampstead Lane, NW3; h10am-5pm; c; g210)

1Highgate

Highgate WoodPARK

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.cityoflondon.gov.uk; Archway Rd, N10; h7.30am-sunset; tHighgate)S

With more than 28 hectares of ancient woodland, this park is a wonderful spot for a walk any time of the year. It’s also teeming with life: 70 different bird species have been recorded here, along with seven types of bat, 12 types of butterfly and 80 kinds of spider. There's a huge clearing in the centre for sports, and it also has a popular playground and a cafe.

WORTH A DETOUR

STOKE NEWINGTON

East of Holloway and north of Dalston, Stoke Newington is a step too far off the beaten track for most visitors to London, which is a shame, as there are a few excellent reasons to seek it out. Set on the old Roman road heading north from the City of London, Stokey (as the locals call it) was a small village on the edge of the woods where travellers might stop to water their horses right up until Tudor times. Despite being gobbled up by London in the intervening centuries, it still retains traces of a village feel.

The best way to get here is to catch any bus heading north on Kingsland High St from Dalston, or to get a tube on the Piccadilly Line to Manor House and then switch to the 73 bus.

Abney Park CemeteryCEMETERY

( GOOGLE MAP ; www.abneypark.org; Stoke Newington Church St, N16; h8am-dusk; g73)

This enchanting place was bought and developed by a private firm in 1840 as a burial ground and arboretum catering for central London’s overflow. It was a dissenters (ie non–Church of England) cemetery and many of the most influential Presbyterians, Quakers and Baptists are buried here, including the Salvation Army founder, William Booth. The derelict chapel at its centre could be right out of a horror film, and the atmosphere of the whole place is rather spooky.

After being neglected for several decades, during which time it turned into a delightfully overgrown ruin and developed a reputation as a gay cruising ground, its care was taken over by a charitable trust in 1991. It's now a managed wilderness, providing an important urban habitat for birds, butterflies and bugs – if you're very lucky you might spot tawny owls or sparrowhawks.

The trust, based in the wonderful Egyptian-style entrance on Stoke Newington High St, hosts events in the cemetery and offers free guided tours (donations welcome) at 2pm on the first Sunday of the month.

TOP SIGHT

Highgate Cemetery

A Gothic wonderland of shrouded urns, obelisks, broken columns, sleeping angels, Egyptian-style tombs and overgrown graves, Highgate is a Victorian Valhalla spread over 20 wonderfully wild and atmospheric hectares. On the eastern side you can pay your respect to the graves of Karl Marx and Mary Ann Evans (better known as novelist George Eliot). The real highlight, however, is the overgrown West Cemetery, where a maze of winding paths leads to the Circle of Lebanon – rings of tombs flanking a circular path and topped with a majestic cedar of Lebanon.

Admission to the West Cemetery is by guided tour ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.highgatecemetery.org; Swain's Lane, N6; adult/child £12/6; h1.45pm Mon-Fri, every 30min 11am-3pm Sat & Sun Nov-Feb, to 4pm Mar-Oct; tArchway) only; bookings are essential for weekday tours. Guides will explain the various symbols and point out the tombs of the eminent dead. Tours of the East Cemetery (adult/child £8/4) take place at 2pm on Saturdays.

Highgate remains a working cemetery. The most well-known recent interment was that of singer George Michael, who died on Christmas Day 2016 and was buried alongside his mother in March 2017. Also of note is Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko, who died under sinister circumstances in 2006 when the radioactive isotope Polonium 210 somehow made it into his tea in a Mayfair hotel.

Don't Miss

AKarl Marx’s grave

ATour of the West Cemetery

ACircle of Lebanon

Practicalities

Highgate Cemetery

1Highbury

Arsenal Emirates StadiumSTADIUM

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7619 5000; www.arsenal.com/tours; Hornsey Rd, N5; tours self-guided adult/child £20/10, guided £40; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat, to 4pm Sun; tHolloway Rd)

When Arsenal's new stadium opened in 2006, fans claimed it would never be the same again. It's true that the 64,000-seat stadium lacks some of the bonhomie of the old Highbury ground, but it's still a sell-out at every game. Match tickets are tricky to come by, even if you have a first-born to sacrifice, so if you're a fan, consider taking a stadium tour instead.

Self-guided audio tours (available in nine languages) are very entertaining, or you could shell out for a guided tour with a former Arsenal player. Both options take you everywhere, from the back entrance used by the players to the entertainment suites where corporate bigwigs watch the game. You'll get to walk to the pitch through 'the tunnel', sit on the team's pitch-side benches and even check out the changing rooms (which are complete with spa and physio suite on Arsenal's side).

Tours include entry to a museum that focuses on the history of the club and its fans, and is therefore likely to only interest the most ardent Arsenal supporters. Visits finish in the stadium's enormous shop, where Arsenal merchandise of every guise is available.

WORTH A DETOUR

WILLIAM MORRIS GALLERY

Fans of Victoriana and the Arts & Crafts movement should make time for this sensational little gallery ( GOOGLE MAP ; %020-8496 4390; www.wmgallery.org.uk; Lloyd Park, Forest Rd, E17; h10am-5pm Wed-Sun; tWalthamstow Central). Located in Walthamstow in northeast London, it is the former family home of designer William Morris (1834–96), founder of iconic interior design company Morris & Co, famous far and wide for his patterned wallpaper.

The beautiful Georgian mansion re-opened in August 2012 after two years of extensive renovations and the exhibition inside is truly world class. The gallery gives pride of place to Morris's wide-ranging artistic endeavours, with a fantastic workshop explaining his production processes, and a wonderfully evocative recreation of his shop. But it depicts a much more complete portrait of the artist by also covering his writing (for which he was more famous than he was for his designs in his lifetime) and activism. Morris was appalled by the consequences of industrialisation on manufacturing processes and quality, on people's living conditions and on the environment, and he became a socialist in the 1880s, campaigning tirelessly against capitalism.

The strength of the gallery is its beauty and interactive quality, which children will love. Kids will also love the lovely park at the back, complete with play area. The 1st floor hosts temporary exhibitions. The gallery's shop sells beautiful, Morris-inspired design objects and the Tea Room in the glasshouse is the perfect place for a break or a light lunch.

To get here from Walthamstow Central tube station, turn right and then first left into Hoe St. Continue on this road for 600m and then turn left into Gaywood Rd. The gallery is across the road, at the end of the street.

1Islington

Gathered around attractive Upper St, Islington is generally portrayed in the press as a hotbed of champagne socialism, due in part to its association with New Labour in the 1990s (the Blairs famously lived here, along with other key figures). The area's gentrification is reflected in design stores, excellent eateries and a thriving theatre scene, but there are still enough raucous pubs and live-music venues to add some edge.

Less than 200 years ago, Islington was still a quiet village surrounded by farmland, set on the banks of the pleasantly languid New River (most of which is now below street level). Two medieval roads out of London met at what is now Islington High St: one led directly from the City and the other from the Smithfield meat market. Subsequently, Islington became an important rest stop, both for visitors to the City and for livestock. Inns sprung up in the area from the 10th century, the most famous of which was the Angel, which became particularly fashionable in the 18th century when it doubled as a theatre, starting a theatrical tradition that continues in Islington to this day.

Before 1855, Upper St was a veritable livestock highway, with an annual traffic flow that included 50,000 cattle and half a million sheep. By the end of that century, Islington had completely lost its rural feel under the weight of a soaring population. During WWII, 78,000 homes were damaged in the borough and 958 Islingtonians died in air raids.

Crystal MazeLIVE CHALLENGE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %08448 718 805; www.the-crystal-maze.com; 10-14 White Lion St, N1; £52.50; tAngel)

It’s back! The '90s game show of the same name – a British television cult classic – has been reincarnated for the public. The result is hugely impressive and all but identical to the real thing, right down to the animated hosts and challenging games and puzzles, which teams must conquer to gather crystals, which give added time in the dome finale. Book (a long way) in advance.

St Mary's ChurchCHURCH

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.stmaryislington.org; Upper St, N1; tHighbury & Islington or Angel)

Although there has been a church on this site since the 12th century, the oldest part of the present-day St Mary's is the tower, with its distinctive spire, dating from 1754. The rest of this elegant Georgian church was rebuilt after being destroyed during the Blitz. The surrounding churchyard is now a leafy little park.

Estorick Collection of Modern Italian ArtGALLERY

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.estorickcollection.com; 39a Canonbury Sq, N1; adult/child £6.50/free; h11am-6pm Wed-Sat, noon-5pm Sun; tHighbury & Islington)

Housed in a listed Georgian building, the Estorick is the only gallery in Britain devoted to Italian art, and one of the leading collections of futurist painting in the world. The collection of paintings, drawings, etchings and sculpture was amassed by American writer and art dealer Eric Estorick and his wife, Salome. The permanent collection includes works by greats such as Giacomo Balla, Umberto Boccioni, Gino Severini, Amedeo Modigliani and Carlo Carrà.

Well-conceived and fascinating special exhibitions have included many 20th-century art movements and lesser-known artists from Italy and beyond. There's also a garden cafe, a small shop and an extensive library.

Canonbury SquareSQUARE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Canonbury Rd, N1; h8am-dusk; tHighbury & Islington)

A short walk from bustling Upper St, this pretty, park-like square was once home to authors Evelyn Waugh and George Orwell. The latter moved here with his family after his flat in St John's Wood was destroyed during the Blitz. His house at number 27b is marked by a blue plaque, while Waugh’s residence at number 17 is unmarked. It's worth pausing in the park to soak up the atmosphere and peruse the dedications on the benches.

Just around the corner, on Canonbury Pl, is privately owned Canonbury Tower, a relic of the area's original manor house. Dating from 1509, the house was known to have hosted famous figures such as Sir Francis Bacon and Queen Elizabeth I.

WORTH A DETOUR

ALEXANDRA PARK & PALACE

Built in 1873 as North London’s answer to Crystal Palace, Alexandra Palace ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.alexandrapalace.com; Alexandra Palace Way, N22; dAlexandra Palace) suffered the ignoble fate of burning to the ground only 16 days after opening. Encouraged by attendance figures, investors decided to rebuild and it reopened just two years later. During WWI, it housed German prisoners of war and in 1936 it was the scene of the world’s first TV transmission – a variety show called Here’s Looking at You. The palace burned down again in 1980 but was rebuilt for the third time and opened in 1988.

Today ‘Ally Pally’ (as it is affectionately known) is a multipurpose conference and exhibition centre, with additional facilities including an indoor ice-skating rink, a panoramic bar, and a popular playground and boating lake. It hosts occasional club nights and concerts, too.

The park in which it stands sprawls over some 196 hectares. Locals come to enjoy the sweeping views of London and a farmers market on Sundays.

The trust running the building is currently trying to raise £26.7 million to renovate the eastern wing, which has fallen into disrepair.

The fireworks held here on Bonfire Night are some of the most spectacular in town, lighting up the city skyline.

2Neighbourhood Walk
A Northern Point of View

Start Chalk Farm tube station

End Edinboro Castle

Length 4km; two hours

This walk takes in North London's most interesting locales, including celebrity-infested Primrose Hill and chaotic Camden Town, home to loud guitar bands and the last of London's cartoon punks. When you come out of Chalk Farm station, cross the road and walk up Regent's Park Rd. Turn left on the railway bridge and continue up the southern, boutique-lined stretch of 1Regent's Park Rd. This is one of London's most affluent neighbourhoods, home to many darlings of the women's mags, so keep your eyes open for famous faces.

When you reach 2Primrose Hill, walk to the top of the park where you'll find a classic view of central London's skyline. On sunny days the park is full of revellers sunbathing, enjoying a picnic or a kick-about.

Walk down the hill through the park, bearing right towards Primrose Hill Lodge. Cross the road and join the towpath along 3Regent's Canal, turning left. You'll walk past the large aviary at 4London Zoo, quaint narrow boats, superb mansions and converted industrial buildings.

Continue on to 5Camden Lock, turn left and head into the 6Camden Lock Market. With its original fashion, ethnic art and dozens of food stalls, it's a fun, buzzing place, particularly at weekends. Exit onto 7Camden High St, taking note of the giant Doc Martin boots, angels and dragons projecting from the upper levels of the shops. Turn right onto 8Inverness St, which hosts its own little market and is lined with bars.

At 9Gloucester Cres turn left and walk past the glorious Georgian townhouses. At the end of the road, turn left onto Oval Rd, then cross Parkway onto Delancey St and make a beeline for the aEdinboro Castle, where this walk ends with a well-deserved drink! Warning: if it's a balmy spring or summer day, you may be there a while. And when you're ready to go home, Camden Town tube station is just a five-minute walk away.

5Eating

North London is full of eating gems, including historic pubs, smart cafes, market stalls and ethnically diverse restaurants. It's particularly good for vegetarians, with some excellent exclusively vegetarian and vegan establishments and plenty of others offering a good meat-free selection.

5King's Cross & Euston

oRuby VioletICE CREAM$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.rubyviolet.co.uk; Midlands Goods Shed, 3 Wharf Rd, N1C; 1/2 scoops £3/5.50; h10am-7pm Sun-Thu, to 10pm Fri & Sat; tKing's Cross St Pancras)S

This parlour is taking ice cream to the next level: flavours are wonderfully original (masala chai, Belgian chocolate, raspberry and sweet potato) and toppings and hot sauces are housemade. Plus, there's Pudding Club on Friday and Saturday nights, when you can sink your spoon into mini baked Alaskas or hot chocolate fondant and ice cream.

Ruby Violet makes a point of using the finest ingredients, be they organic, free-range or grown by small producers.

oRoti KingMALAYSIAN$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 40 Doric Way, NW1; mains £5-7; hnoon-3pm & 5-10.30pm Mon-Fri, noon-10.30pm Sat; v; tEuston)

The neon sign pointing you in the direction of this pocket-sized basement restaurant doesn't look too promising. Step inside the white-tiled eatery, however, and you know you're in safe hands. It's all about roti canai, a flaky flatbread typical of Malaysia, served with fragrant bowls of curry or stuffed with tasty fillings. A genuine budget option that isn't a sandwich or a salad – hurrah.

Diwana Bhel Poori HouseINDIAN$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7387 5556; www.diwanabph.com; 121-123 Drummond St, NW1; mains £5.10-8.95; hnoon-11.30pm Mon-Sat, to 10.30pm Sun; v; tEuston)

One of the best Indian vegetarian restaurants in London, Diwana specialises in Bombay-style bhel poori (a tangy, soft and crunchy ‘party mix’ dish) and dosas (filled crispy pancakes made from rice flour). Solo diners should consider a thali (a complete meal consisting of lots of small dishes). The all-you-can-eat lunchtime buffet (£7) is legendary, and there are daily specials (£6.60).

Real Food MarketMARKET$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.realfoodfestival.co.uk; King's Cross Sq, N1; dishes £4-8; hnoon-7pm Wed-Fri; v; tKing's Cross St Pancras)

This lovely market brings together two dozen gourmet food stalls three times a week. You can get anything from lovely cheeses, cured meats, smoked haddock and artisan bread to takeaway dishes such as wraps, curries and delicious cakes.

Waitrose King's CrossSUPERMARKET$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.waitrose.com; MIdland Goods Shed, 1 Wharf Rd, N1C; h8am-10pm Mon-Sat, noon-6pm Sun; tKing's Cross St Pancras)

The branch of this gourmet supermarket isn't your typical supermarket experience: not only does it have an excellent takeaway section with lovely salads and deli-type fare, but it also has a bakery, a juice bar, a coffee bar and a wine bar. Perfect for a decadent picnic by the canal.

King's Library CaféMODERN BRITISH$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 1st fl, British Library, 96 Euston Rd, N1; mains £5-10; h9.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, to 4pm Sat; W; tKing's Cross St Pancras)

A cafeteria offering a range of hot and cold mains – pick from the well-assorted salad bar, or the pie, pasta or curry of the day. The seating area has great views of the towering King's Library.

AddisAFRICAN$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7278 0679; www.addisrestaurant.co.uk; 40-42 Caledonian Rd, N1; mains £9-12; hnoon-2.30pm & 6-10.30pm; v; tKing’s Cross St Pancras)

Cheery Addis serves pungent Ethiopian dishes such as ayeb be gomen (cottage cheese with spinach and spices) and fuul musalah (crushed fava beans topped with feta cheese, falafel and sautéed in ghee), which are eaten on a platter-sized piece of soft but slightly elastic injera bread. The restaurant is normally full of African diners, which we take as a good sign.

FoodilicCAFE$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.foodilic.com; 260 Pentonville Rd, N1; mains £4-8; h8am-7pm Mon-Fri, from 9am Sat; v; dKing's Cross St Pancras)

An enticing display of salads, quiches and feuilletés (savoury pastries) covers the counter, presenting plenty of difficult choices – but at these prices you can afford to pile your plate high. Seating is limited to half-a-dozen mushroom-shaped chunky wooden tables at the rear. The food is half price for the last hour.

Grain StoreINTERNATIONAL$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7324 4466; www.grainstore.com; 1-3 Stable St, N1C; mains £13-20.50; h10am-11.30pm Mon-Sat, 10.30am-3.30pm Sun; v; tKing's Cross St Pancras)

Fresh seasonal vegetables take top billing at Bruno Loubet's bright and breezy Granary Sq restaurant. Meat does appear but it lurks coyly beneath leaves, or adds crunch to mashes. The creative menu gainfully plunders from numerous cuisines to produce dishes that are simultaneously healthy and delicious.

CaravanINTERNATIONAL$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7101 7661; www.caravanrestaurants.co.uk; 1 Granary Sq, N1C; mains £7-19.50; h8am-10.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-10.30pm Sat, 10am-4pm Sun; Wv; tKing's Cross St Pancras)

Housed in the lofty Granary Building, Caravan is a vast industrial-chic destination for tasty fusion bites from around the world. You can opt for several small plates to share tapas style, or stick to main-sized plates. The outdoor seating area on Granary Sq is especially popular on warm days.

KarpoEUROPEAN$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-3096 9900; www.karpo.co.uk; 23-27 Euston Rd, NW1; mains £11-19, breakfast £7-10; h7am-10pm Mon-Sat, 8am-9pm Sun; tKing's Cross St Pancras)

There is something utterly refreshing about Karpo, with its bright, modern space, its 'living wall', gracious service and delicious, seasonal brasserie-style menu that's served round the clock. It all looks effortless. Breakfasts include the usual eggy suspects, as well as smoothies and pancakes.

NORTH LONDON'S BEST VEGETARIAN RESTAURANTS

North London is the place to be for creative, filling and absolutely delicious vegetarian cuisine to suit all tastes. Here are some of the best. Note: unlike the others, Addis is not, strictly speaking, vegetarian but Ethiopian cuisine has a rich vegetarian tradition, which is well represented in the restaurant’s menu.

Addis

Manna

Woodlands

Rasa

5Primrose Hill

MannaVEGETARIAN$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7722 8028; www.mannav.com; 4 Erskine Rd, NW3; mains £12-14; hnoon-3pm & 6.30-10pm Tue-Sat, noon-7.30pm Sun; v; tChalk Farm)

Tucked away on a side street, this upmarket little place does a brisk trade in inventive vegetarian and vegan cooking. The menu features mouth-watering, beautifully presented dishes incorporating elements of Californian, Mexican and Asian cuisine with nods to the raw-food trend. The cheesecake of the day is always a hit. The two-course lunch menu is a steal for £11.

5Camden Town

oHook Camden TownFISH & CHIPS$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.hookrestaurants.com; 65 Parkway, NW1; mains £8-12; hnoon-3pm & 5-10pm Mon-Thu, noon-10.30pm Fri & Sat, to 9pm Sun; c; tCamden Town)S

In addition to working entirely with sustainable small fisheries and local suppliers, Hook makes all its sauces on site and wraps its fish in recycled materials, supplying diners with extraordinarily fine-tasting morsels. Totally fresh, the fish arrives in panko breadcrumbs or tempura batter, with seaweed salted chips. Craft beers and fine wines are also on hand.

Sauces go beyond the usual suspects, and range from ketchup and tartare to garlic truffle, chipotle, hot mango and lime, chimichurri and piri-piri. There's also a great kids' menu, free-range chicken and tacos. All that and the setting has all the breezy simplicity of the seaside.

oChin Chin LabsICE CREAM$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.chinchinlabs.com; 49-50 Camden Lock Pl, NW1; ice cream £4-5; hnoon-7pm Sun-Thu, to 10pm Fri & Sat; tCamden Town)

This is food chemistry at its absolute best. Chefs prepare the ice-cream mixture and freeze it on the spot by adding liquid nitrogen. Flavours change regularly and match the seasons (spiced hot cross bun, passionfruit and coconut, for instance). Sauces and toppings are equally creative. Try the ice-cream sandwich if you can: ice cream wedged inside gorgeous brownies or cookies.

It's directly opposite the giant Gilgamesh statue inside Camden Lock Market.

KERB Camden MarketMARKET$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.kerbfood.com; Camden Lock Market; mains £6-8; hnoon-5pm; v; tCamden Town)

From Argentinian to Vietnamese, the KERB food market collective is like an A – Z of world cuisines. Each stall looks more mouth-watering than the next, and there should be enough choice to keep even the fussiest of eaters happy. Eat on the big communal tables or find a spot somewhere along the canal.

MarketMODERN BRITISH$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7267 9700; www.marketrestaurant.co.uk; 43 Parkway, NW1; 2-course lunch menu £11.50, mains £15-20; hnoon-2.30pm & 6-10.30pm Mon-Sat, 11am-3pm Sun; tCamden Town)

This fabulous restaurant is an ode to great, simple British food, with a measure of French sophistication thrown in. The light and airy space (bare brick walls, steel tables and basic wooden chairs) reflects this stripped-back approach.

Namaaste KitchenINDIAN$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7485 5977; www.namaastekitchen.co.uk; 64 Parkway, NW1; mains £10.50-19; hnoon-3pm & 5.30-11pm Mon-Fri, noon-11pm Sat & Sun; v; tCamden Town)

Although everything's of a high standard, if there's one thing you should try at Namaaste, it's the kebab platter: the meat and fish coming off the kitchen grill are beautifully tender and incredibly flavoursome. The bread basket is another hit, with specialities such as spiced missi roti making a nice change from the usual naan.

York & AlbanyMODERN BRITISH$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7388 3344; www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/york-and-albany; 127-129 Parkway, NW1; mains £11.50-25, 2-/3-course lunch £20/24; h7am-3pm & 6-11pm Mon-Sat, 7am-9pm Sun; v; tCamden Town)

Part of chef Gordon Ramsay’s culinary empire, this lively hotel brasserie serves British classics in its light-filled dining room. It also churns out great wood-fired pizzas and offers some sort of meal/drink deal most weeknights.

5Kentish Town

Dirty BurgerBURGERS$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-3310 2010; www.eatdirtyburger.com; 79 Highgate Rd, NW5; burgers £6-7; hnoon-midnight Mon-Thu, to 1am Fri, 9am-1am Sat, to 11pm Sun; tKentish Town)

Apart from eggs with sausages or bacon until 11am at weekends, this chic shack serves nothing but burgers (including a vegetarian version), fries and milkshakes. And what burgers: thick, juicy and wonderfully messy, with mustard, gherkin and cheese. The shack is located in the backyard behind Pizza East restaurant. There isn't much dining space, so take away to Hampstead Heath instead.

Dirty Burger has an ever-expanding empire around London, with 11 branches dotted around.

5Hampstead

Ginger & WhiteCAFE$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.gingerandwhite.com; 4a-5a Perrins Ct, NW3; mains £4.50-8.50; h7.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-5.30pm Sat & Sun; Wvc; tHampstead)

This lovely cafe on a quiet alleyway is a long-standing Hampstead favourite for its excellent coffee, simple but delicious food and light, airy set-up. Depending on the time of day, you'll find yummy mummies, young professionals using the window seats as office space and devoted locals on a first-name basis with staff.

WoodlandsINDIAN$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7794 3080; www.woodlandsrestaurant.co.uk; 102 Heath St, NW3; dishes £5-8, thali £19; hnoon-2.45pm Fri-Sun, 6-10.45pm Tue-Sun; v; tHampstead)

Don't expect cutting-edge decor or faultless service, but this South Indian restaurant is a great bet for an affordable vegetarian meal in Hampstead. It caters superbly to vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free diners too.

Wells TavernGASTROPUB$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7794 3785; www.thewellshampstead.co.uk; 30 Well Walk, NW3; mains £12-25; hnoon-11pm; W; tHampstead)

This popular gastropub has a surprisingly modern interior, given its traditional exterior. The menu is proper posh English pub grub – Cumberland sausages, mash and onion gravy, and full roasts with all the trimmings. At weekends you’ll need to fight to get a table if you haven't booked ahead. The outdoor tables are prime spots for contemplation.

StagGASTROPUB$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7722 2646; www.thestagnw3.com; 67 Fleet Rd, NW3; mains £9-17.50; hnoon-11pm; tHampstead Heath)

Although the Stag is a fantastic pub for craft beer, it's known in North London for its outstanding food – the Sunday roast and beef-and-ale pie in particular. The summer barbecue in the garden is another delight. The only drawback is that service can be slow.

GauchoARGENTINE$$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7431 8222; www.gauchorestaurants.co.uk; 64 Heath St, NW3; mains £16.50-60, 2-/3-course lunch £24.50/27.50; h11.30am-11pm Sun-Wed, to midnight Thu-Sat; tHampstead)

Carnivores rejoice; this is one of the finest places in London for a steak. There are several branches of this Argentinian grill across the capital, but this one has the advantage of being less busy than its counterparts and it serves a special asado (barbecue) menu, complete with alfresco seating, when the weather permits.

5Barnsbury

IberiaGEORGIAN$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7700 7750; www.iberiarestaurant.co.uk; 294-296 Caledonian Rd, N1; mains £8.90-17; h5-11pm Tue-Fri, 1-11pm Sat, 1-9pm Sun; tCaledonian Rd & Barnsbury)

On an insalubrious strip of affordable ethnic eateries, Iberia stands out for its pleasant surrounds, friendly service and excellent traditional Georgian fare. If you're not familiar with the cuisine, expect a meaty morph of Russian and Middle Eastern flavours.

5Islington

Le MercuryFRENCH$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7354 4088; www.lemercury.co.uk; 140a Upper St, N1; mains £10.95; hnoon-1am Mon-Sat, to 11pm Sun; tHighbury & Islington, Angel)

An excellent and wildly popular budget French eatery, Le Mercury seems to have everything you could need in its winning formula: romantic atmosphere with candlelit, petite tables and plants everywhere, combined with superb French food at unbeatable prices. Londoners have long known about this place, so reservations are advised.

ChilangoMEXICAN$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.chilango.co.uk; 27 Upper St, N1; burritos & tacos £6-7; h11.30am-10pm; v; tAngel)

The good value and tastiness of Chilango's Mexican fare is no secret among Islingtonians on a budget. Burritos come bursting to the seams with your choice of meat (chicken, prawns, pork or beef), beans, salad, rice and sauces. Vegetarians are well catered for too. Eat in the bright, colourful interior or take it away.

oDuke of CambridgeGASTROPUB$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7359 3066; www.dukeorganic.co.uk; 30 St Peter's St, N1; mains £13.50-22; hnoon-11pm Mon-Sat, to 10.30pm Sun; vc; tAngel)S

The UK’s first certified organic pub is a great place to avoid the crowds, as it’s tucked some way down a side street in Islington where casual passers-by rarely tread. It has a fantastic selection of beers and ales on tap, a great (biodynamic) wine list and an interesting organic menu with a Mediterranean bent.

oOttolenghiBAKERY, MEDITERRANEAN$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7288 1454; www.ottolenghi.co.uk; 287 Upper St, N1; breakfast £5.50-10.50, mains lunch/dinner from £12.90/11; h8am-10.30pm Mon-Sat, 9am-7pm Sun; v; tHighbury & Islington)

Mountains of meringues tempt you through the door of this deli-restaurant, where a sumptuous array of baked goods and fresh salads greets you. Meals are as light and bright as the brilliantly white interior design, with a strong influence from the eastern Mediterranean.

oTrulloITALIAN$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7226 2733; www.trullorestaurant.com; 300-302 St Paul's Rd, N1; mains £13-21; h12.30-2.45pm & 6-10.15pm Mon-Sat, 12.30-3pm Sun; tHighbury & Islington)

Trullo's daily homemade pasta is delicious, but the main attraction here is the charcoal grill, which churns out the likes of succulent Italian-style pork chops, steaks and fish. The extensive and all-Italian wine list is another hit. Service is excellent, although dinner time can get packed; reservations are essential.

Yipin ChinaCHINESE$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7354 3388; www.yipinchina.co.uk; 72 Liverpool Rd, N1; mains £8-22; hnoon-11pm; v; tAngel)

The kind of Chinese restaurant that's usually full of Chinese people (ie the good kind of restaurant), Yipin specialises in the spicy, fragrant, colourful cuisine of Hunan, and there are plenty of fiery Sichuanese and familiar Cantonese dishes to choose from, too. The lengthy picture menu makes the choosing (slightly) easier.

SmokehouseBARBECUE$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7354 1144; www.smokehouseislington.co.uk; 63-69 Canonbury Rd, N1; mains £14-18.50; h5-11pm Mon-Fri, noon-midnight Sat, to 10.30pm Sun; W; tHighbury & Islington)

In this lovely, light-filled pub, elegantly turned out in dark wood and whitewashed walls, you'll find a meaty menu of international dishes, all imbued – as the name suggests – with a smoky flavour (everything is grilled, roasted or smoked on the premises). Ingredients are carefully sourced and skilfully combined, and there is a particularly extensive beer list.

The little leafy garden is a boon in warmer months.

KipferlAUSTRIAN$$

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.kipferl.co.uk; 20 Camden Passage, N1; mains £7.50-17.50; hnoon-10pm Mon, 9am-10pm Tue-Sat, 10am-8pm Sun; tAngel)

Part cafe, part restaurant and totally Austrian, Kipferl serves classic comfort food such as Wiener schnitzel, Käsespatzle (egg noodles with cheese) and spinach dumplings. Otherwise just sidle in and choose a coffee from the 'colour palette' menu that's typical of Viennese cafes, and pick from the mouth-watering selection of cakes (Sacher torte, Apfelstrudel etc).

5Stoke Newington

RasaINDIAN$

( GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7249 0344; www.rasarestaurants.com; 55 Stoke Newington Church St, N16; mains £4.50-6.75; h6-10.45pm Mon-Fri, noon-3pm & 6-11pm Sat & Sun; v; g73)

The flagship of the Rasa chain, this South Indian vegetarian eatery is Stoke Newington’s best-known restaurant. Friendly service, a calm atmosphere, reasonable prices and outstanding food from the Indian state of Kerala are its distinctive features. The multicourse Keralan Feast (£17) is for the ravenous only.

Good EggMIDDLE EASTERN$$

( GOOGLE MAP ; http://thegoodeggn16.com; 93 Stoke Newington Church St, N16; dishes £6.50-17.50; h9am-4pm Mon, to 11pm Tue-Fri, 10am-11pm Sat & Sun; vc; g73)

Working the culinary trend of the moment – Levantine food meets modern European cuisine – the Good Egg, with its long opening hours, is many things to many people: a family-friendy cafe, a trendy restaurant and the best place in Stoke Newington for brunch. The trick is that it consistently delivers. Expect queues, especially at the weekend.

6Drinking & Nightlife

Camden Town is one of North London’s favoured drinking areas, with more bars and pubs pumping out music than you could ever manage to crawl between. The hills of Hampstead are a real treat for old-time-pub aficionados, while Islington is known for its theatre pubs and tucked-away wine and cocktail bars. As for King's Cross, there are new places opening all the time, many in converted Victorian buildings.

6King's Cross & Euston

oBar PepitoWINE BAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.barpepito.co.uk; 3 Varnishers Yard, The Regent's Quarter, N1; h5pm-midnight Mon-Sat; tKing's Cross St Pancras)

This tiny, intimate Andalusian bodega specialises in sherry and tapas. Novices fear not: the staff are on hand to advise. They're also experts at food pairings (top-notch ham and cheese selections). To go the whole hog, try a tasting flight of selected sherries with snacks to match.

oDrink, Shop & DoBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7278 4335; www.drinkshopdo.co.uk; 9 Caledonian Rd, N1; h7.30am-midnight Mon-Thu, 7.30am-2am Fri, 10.30am-2am Sat, to 6pm Sun; W; tKing's Cross St Pancras)

This kooky little outlet will not be pigeonholed. As its name suggests, it is many things to many people: a bar, a cafe, an activities centre, a disco even. But the idea is that there will always be drinking (be it tea or gin), music and things to do – anything from dancing to building Lego robots.

oEuston TapBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-3137 8837; www.eustontap.com; 190 Euston Rd, NW1; hnoon-11pm; tEuston)

This specialist drinking spot inhabits a monumental stone structure on the approach to Euston Station. Craft beer devotees can choose between eight cask ales, 20 keg beers and 150 brews by the bottle. Grab a seat on the pavement, take the tight spiral staircase upstairs or buy a bottle to take away.

It's part of a twinset with the Northern Tap across the street, which specialises in craft beer from northern England (Euston Station being the gateway to the north).

CaminoBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.camino.uk.com; 3 Varnishers Yard, The Regent's Quarter, N1; hnoon-midnight Sun-Thu, to 1am Fri & Sat; W; tKing’s Cross St Pancras)

Festive Camino is popular with London’s Spanish community and therefore feels quite authentic. Drinks, too, are representative of what you’d find in Spain: cava, Estrella on tap and a long all-Spanish wine list. It's a brilliant place to watch football – international games in particular – and DJs hit the turntables on weekends. In summer the courtyard gets absolutely crammed.

Origin Coffee RoastersCAFE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 96 Euston Rd, NW1; h7.30am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm Sat, 10am-4pm Sun)

This beautiful little cafe scores highly on design but even more on its coffee. One of just a handful of outlets from specialist coffee roaster Origin, whose raison d'être is provenance and processing, it offers regularly changing feature coffees and a selection of espresso-based concoctions and filter options.

Big Chill HouseBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.wearebigchill.com; 257-259 Pentonville Rd, N1; h11am-midnight Sun-Wed, to 1am Thu, to 3am Fri & Sat; W; tKing's Cross St Pancras)

Come the weekend, the only remotely chilled-out space in this large, buzzy bar is its first-rate and generously proportioned rooftop terrace. It's run by the people behind the Big Chill record label, so it can be counted on for a varied roster of live music and DJs. The sound system is fantastic and entry is free most nights.

Egg LDNCLUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.egglondon.co.uk; 200 York Way, N7; h11pm-6am Tue, to 7am Fri, to 9am Sat; tCaledonian Rd, King's Cross St Pancras)

Egg has a superb layout with two vast exposed-concrete rooms, a wooden loft space, a garden and a roof terrace. It specialises in house and techno and attracts some heavyweight DJs, particularly on Saturday nights. At weekends it runs a free shuttle bus from 11pm onwards, leaving from outside 68 York Way, outside King's Cross Station.

British Library Coffee ShopCAFE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Upper ground fl, British Library, 96 Euston Rd, NW1; h9.30am-7.30pm Mon-Thu, to 5.30pm Fri, to 4.30pm Sat & Sun; W)

The coffee comes courtesy of Nude Espresso, a delicious micro-roaster in the East End. There are plenty of sweet and savoury snacks to enjoy along with your drinks, too.

6Primrose Hill

Queen’sPUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.thequeensprimrosehill.co.uk; 49 Regent’s Park Rd, NW1; h11am-11pm; W; tChalk Farm)

Perhaps because this is Primrose Hill, the Queen's is a bit more cafe-like than your average pub. Still, it’s a good one, with a creditable wine and beer selection and, more importantly, plenty of people-watching to do while sipping your pint – Jude Law has been known to come here for a tipple.

6Camden Town

oProud CamdenBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.proudcamden.com; Stables Market, Chalk Farm Rd, NW1; h11am-1.30am Mon-Sat, to midnight Sun; tChalk Farm)

Proud occupies a former horse hospital within Stables Market, with private booths in the old stalls, fantastic artworks on the walls (the main bar acts as a gallery during the day) and a kooky garden terrace complete with a hot tub. It's also one of Camden's best music venues, with live bands and DJs most nights (entry free to £15).

oEdinboro CastlePUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.edinborocastlepub.co.uk; 57 Mornington Tce, NW1; h11am-11pm; W; tCamden Town)

Large and relaxed Edinboro offers a refined atmosphere, gorgeous furniture perfect for slumping into, a fine bar and a full menu. The highlight, however, is the huge beer garden, complete with warm-weather barbecues and decorated with coloured lights on long summer evenings. Patio heaters come out in winter.

Lock TavernPUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.lock-tavern.com; 35 Chalk Farm Rd, NW1; hnoon-midnight Mon-Thu, to 1am Fri & Sat, to 11pm Sun; tChalk Farm)

A Camden institution, the black-clad Lock Tavern rocks: it's cosy inside, and there's a rear beer garden and a great roof terrace from where you can watch the market throngs. Beer is plentiful here and it proffers a prolific roll call of guest bands and well-known DJs at weekends to rev things up. Dancing is encouraged. Entry is always free.

Her UpstairsGAY & LESBIAN

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.herupstairs.co.uk; 18 Kentish Town Rd, NW1; h5pm-1am Sun-Thu, to 3am Fri & Sat; tCamden Town)

A mainly young, alternative, multigendered crowd follows the light of the pink chandeliers up to this drag-driven bar. Grab a drink under the mismatched tasselled lampshades and enjoy whatever oddball entertainment is on offer.

Blues KitchenPUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7387 5277; www.theblueskitchen.com; 111-113 Camden High St, NW1; hnoon-midnight Mon-Thu, to 3am Fri & Sat, 10am-1am Sun; tCamden Town)

The Blues Kitchen's recipe for success is simple: select brilliant blues bands, host them in a fabulous bar, make it (mostly) free and offer some excellent food and drink. Which means that the crowds keep on comin'. There's live music every night – anything from folk to rock 'n' roll – and blues jams from 8.30pm on Sundays.

BrewDog CamdenBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.brewdog.com; 113 Bayham St, NW1; hnoon-11.30pm Mon-Thu, to midnight Fri & Sat, to 10.30pm Sun; W; tCamden Town)

The hair of this particular dog is craft beer, with around 20 different brews on tap. BrewDog's own brewery is up in Scotland, but more than half of the bar's stock is comprised of guest beers sourced from boutique breweries the world over. Mop it all up with a burger or a hot dog.

6Kentish Town

Bull & GatePUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.bullandgatenw5.co.uk; 389 Kentish Town Rd, NW5; h11am-11pm Sun-Thu, to midnight Fri & Sat; W; tKentish Town)

Once one of the best places to see unsigned but promising talent, the legendary Bull & Gate’s old-school music venue has metamorphosed into an elegant gastropub-cum–piano bar. The upstairs bar has been lavishly decorated in the spirit of an old gentleman's club – expect cocktails and live jazz on Fridays and Saturdays.

6Hampstead

oHolly BushPUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.hollybushhampstead.co.uk; 22 Holly Mount, NW3; hnoon-11pm Mon-Sat, to 10.30pm Sun; W; tHampstead)

This beautiful Grade II–listed Georgian pub opens to an antique interior, with open fires in winter. It has a knack for making you stay longer than you planned. Set above Heath St, in a secluded hilltop location, it’s reached via the Holly Bush Steps.

Spaniard’s InnPUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.thespaniardshampstead.co.uk; Spaniards Rd, NW3; hnoon-11pm; W; g210)

Dating from 1585, this historic tavern has more character than a West End musical. It was highwayman Dick Turpin’s hang-out between robbery escapades, but it’s also served as a watering hole for more savoury characters such as author Charles Dickens and Romantic poets Shelley, Keats and Byron. It even gets a mention in Dracula. There’s a big, blissful garden that gets crammed at weekends.

Garden GatePUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.thegardengatehampstead.co.uk; 14 South End Rd, NW3; hnoon-11pm Sun-Fri, 10am-11.30pm Sat; W; tHampstead Heath)

At the bottom of the heath hides this gem of a pub, a 19th-century cottage with a gorgeous beer garden. The interior is wonderfully cosy, with dark-wood tables, upholstered chairs and an assortment of distressed sofas. It serves Pimms and lemonade in summer and mulled wine in winter, both ideal after a long walk. The food's good too.

6Highgate

oFlaskPUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.theflaskhighgate.com; 77 Highgate West Hill, N6; hnoon-11pm; W; tHighgate)

Charming nooks and crannies, an old circular bar and an enticing beer garden make this 1663 pub the perfect place for a pint en route between Hampstead Heath and Highgate Cemetery. In winter huddle down in the cosy interior and enjoy the Sunday roast and open fires. It's like a village pub in the city.

BoogalooBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-8340 2928; www.theboogaloo.co.uk; 312 Archway Rd, N6; h5pm-midnight Mon-Wed, to 1am Thu, 4pm-2am Fri, 12.30pm-2am Sat, to midnight Sun; W; tHighgate)

‘London’s Number 1 Jukebox’ is how Boogaloo flaunts itself: its celebrity-musician-selected jukebox playlists feature the favourite 10 songs of the likes of Nick Cave, Sinead O’Connor and Kate Moss, to name but a few. There’s plenty to boogie to (and dance classes to perfect your moves), as well as live music, pub quizzes and comedy nights.

If you’re into music in a big way, you won’t regret the trek to come here.

6Islington

BullPUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.thebullislington.co.uk; 100 Upper St, N1; hnoon-midnight; W; tAngel)

One of Islington’s liveliest pubs (with DJs on weekend nights and sports events on TV), the Bull serves a large range of draught lager, real ales, fruit beers, ciders and wheat beer, plus a good selection of wine. The mezzanine is generally a little quieter than downstairs, although on weekend nights you’ll often struggle to find a seat.

69 Colebrooke RowCOCKTAIL BAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.69colebrookerow.com; 69 Colebrooke Row, N1; h5pm-midnight Sun-Thu, to 2am Fri & Sat; tAngel)

Also known as 'the bar with no name', this tiny establishment may be nothing much to look at, but it has a stellar reputation for its cocktails (£10.50). The seasonal drinks menu is steeped in ambitious flavours and blends, with classic drinks for more conservative palates. Hard to find a seat at the best of times, so make sure you book ahead.

Also runs cocktail masterclasses (£40).

Elk in the WoodsBAR

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7226 3535; www.the-elk-in-the-woods.co.uk; 37-39 Camden Passage, N1; h9am-11pm; tAngel)

A wonderful take on a stylish countryside hunters pub, this comfy Islington bar-cafe is equally notable for its good, simple food. With its large, rough oak-wood tables, old mirrors, stuffed deer head and friendly staff, this is a spot to savour. Come early in the evenings, as tables are sought-after and it’s not the kind of bar you stand in.

CastlePUB

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.thecastleislington.co.uk; 54 Pentonville Rd, N1; h11am-11pm; W; tAngel)

A gorgeous, boutique pub with a winning formula of snazzy decor (wooden floors, designer wallpaper, soft furnishings and large maps on the walls), good gastropub food, a rotating selection of craft beers and, to top it all off, a wonderful roof terrace.

Craft Beer CoCRAFT BEER

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.thecraftbeerco.com; 55 White Lion St, N1; h4-11pm Mon-Thu, noon-1am Fri & Sat, to 10.30pm Sun; tAngel)

Riding the wave of the craft beer craze, this lovely pub is pushing the envelope by offering its drinkers a daily beer menu with dozens of brews from around the world, whether from kegs, casks, bottles or cans. Naturally, it has a burger menu to turn a couple of pints into a night.

6Stoke Newington

Auld ShillelaghPUB

( GOOGLE MAP ; www.theauldshillelagh.co.uk; 105 Stoke Newington Church St, N16; h11am-midnight; g73)

We're going out on a limb and calling this London's best Irish pub. The staff are sharp, the Guinness is good and the live entertainment is frequent and varied (from trad bands to rappers, sometimes even both at once). It's a great spot to watch the rugby or football and there's a beer garden out the back.

3Entertainment

North London is the home of indie rock, and many a famous band started out playing in the area’s grungy bars. You can be sure to find live music of some kind every night of the week. A number of venues are multipurpose, with gigs in the first part of the evening (generally around 7pm or 8pm), followed by club nights beginning around midnight.

oJazz CafeLIVE MUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7485 6834; www.thejazzcafelondon.com; 5 Parkway, NW1; tCamden Town)

The name would have you think jazz is the main staple, but it's only a small slice of what's on offer. The intimate club-like space also serves up funk, hip hop, R&B, soul and rare groove, with big-name acts regularly dropping in. Saturday club night is soul night, with two live sets from the house band.

oKOKOLIVE MUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.koko.uk.com; 1a Camden High St, NW1; tMornington Cres)

Once the legendary Camden Palace, where Charlie Chaplin, the Goons and the Sex Pistols performed, and where Prince played surprise gigs, KOKO is maintaining its reputation as one of London’s better gig venues. The theatre has a dance floor and decadent balconies, and attracts an indie crowd. There are live bands most nights and hugely popular club nights on Saturdays.

oScalaLIVE MUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7833 2022; www.scala.co.uk; 275 Pentonville Rd, N1; tKing’s Cross St Pancras)

Opened in 1920 as a salubrious golden-age cinema, Scala slipped into porn-movie hell in the 1970s only to be reborn as a club and live-music venue in the noughties. It's one of the best places in London to catch an intimate gig and is a great dance space too, hosting a diverse range of club nights.

oCecil Sharp HouseTRADITIONAL MUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.cecilsharphouse.org; 2 Regent's Park Rd, NW1; tCamden Town)

If you've ever fancied clog stamping, hanky waving or bell jingling, this is the place for you. Home to the English Folk Dance and Song Society, this institute keeps all manner of wacky folk traditions alive, with performances and classes held in its gorgeous mural-covered Kennedy Hall. The dance classes are oodles of fun; no experience necessary.

Angel ComedyCOMEDY

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.angelcomedy.co.uk; 2 Camden Passage, N1; hshows 8pm; tAngel)

There's free comedy every night at this great little club upstairs at the Camden Head. Monday is improv night, and on other evenings you might get anything from a new act to a famous name road-testing new material; check the website for listings. Donations are gratefully received.

Electric BallroomLIVE MUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7485 9006; www.electricballroom.co.uk; 184 Camden High St, NW1; tCamden Town)

One of Camden’s historic venues, the Electric Ballroom has been entertaining North Londoners since 1938. Many great bands and musicians have played here, from Blur to Paul McCartney, The Clash and U2. There are constantly changing club nights on Fridays, while on Saturdays it hosts Propaganda, a crowd-pleaser featuring dance anthems from the '70s, '80s and '90s, as well as current hits.

King’s Head TheatreTHEATRE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.kingsheadtheatre.com; 115 Upper St, N1; tAngel)

This stalwart pub theatre hosts new plays and musicals, along with revivals of classics. Classical music and opera are part of the mix, too.

Lord’sSPECTATOR SPORT

( GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7432 1000; www.lords.org; St John's Wood Rd, NW8; W; tSt John's Wood)

For cricket devotees a trip to Lord’s is often as much a pilgrimage as anything else. As well as being home to Marylebone Cricket Club, the ground hosts Test matches, one-day internationals and domestic cricket finals. International matches are usually booked months in advance, but tickets for county cricket fixtures are reasonably easy to come by.

Regent's Park Open Air TheatreTHEATRE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0844 826 4242; www.openairtheatre.org; Queen Mary's Gardens, Regent's Park, NW1; hMay-Sep; c; tBaker St)

A popular and very atmospheric summertime fixture in London, this 1250-seat outdoor auditorium plays host to four productions a year: famous plays (Shakespeare often features), new works, musicals and usually one production aimed at families.

RoundhouseCONCERT VENUE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.roundhouse.org.uk; Chalk Farm Rd, NW1; tChalk Farm)

Built as a railway repair shed in 1847, this unusual Grade II–listed round building became an arts centre in the 1960s and hosted legendary bands before falling into near-dereliction in 1983. Its 21st-century resurrection as a creative hub has been a great success and it now hosts everything from big-name concerts to dance, circus, stand-up comedy, poetry slams and improvisation.

Union ChapelCONCERT VENUE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.unionchapel.org.uk; 19 Compton Tce, N1; tHighbury & Islington)

One of London’s most atmospheric and individual music venues, the Union Chapel is an old church that still holds services as well as concerts – mainly acoustic – and the monthly Live at the Chapel comedy club. It also runs Daylight Music: free gigs that regularly take place on Saturdays from noon to 2pm.

Dublin CastleLIVE MUSIC

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.thedublincastle.com; 94 Parkway, NW1; h1pm-2am; tCamden Town)

Live punk or alternative bands play most nights in this comfortingly grungy pub's back room (cover charges are usually between £4.50 and £7). DJs take over after the bands on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

Hampstead TheatreTHEATRE

( GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7722 9301; www.hampsteadtheatre.com; Eton Ave, NW3; tSwiss Cottage)

The Hampstead is famed for staging new writing and taking on emerging directors. It was an early champion of Harold Pinter, which shows it knows a good thing when it sees one.

O2 ForumCONCERT VENUE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.academymusicgroup.com; 9-17 Highgate Rd, NW5; tickets from £18.50; tKentish Town)

You can find your way to the O2 Forum – once the famous Town & Country Club – by the ticket touts that line the way from Kentish Town tube station. This art-deco former cinema (built 1934) is spacious yet intimate enough for bands and comedians starting to break through (or big names a little past their prime).

AlmeidaTHEATRE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7359 4404; www.almeida.co.uk; Almeida St, N1; £10-38; tHighbury & Islington)

Housed in a Grade II–listed Victorian building, this plush 325-seat theatre can be relied on for imaginative programming. Its emphasis is on new, up-and-coming talent.

A NORTH LONDON PLAYLIST

A'Driving In My Car' – Madness (1982), NW5 (2009)

A'London'– The Smiths (1987)

A'King's Cross' – Pet Shop Boys (1987)

A'For Tomorrow (Visit To Primrose Hill Extended)' – Blur (1993)

A'Come Back to Camden' – Morrissey (2004)

A'Pentonville' – Babyshambles (2005)

7Shopping

Shopping in Camden Town is all about market stalls, Doc Martin boots and secondhand clothes. Islington is great for antiques, quality vintage clothes and design objects.

oStables MarketMARKET

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.camdenmarket.com; Chalk Farm Rd, NW1; h10am-6pm; tChalk Farm)

Connected to the Lock Market, the Stables is the best part of the Camden Market complex, with antiques, Asian artefacts, rugs, retro furniture and clothing. As the name suggests, it used to be an old stables complex, complete with horse hospital, where up to 800 horses (who worked hauling barges on Regent's Canal) were housed.

oAnnie’s Vintage Costume & TextilesVINTAGE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.anniesvintageclothing.co.uk; 12 Camden Passage, N1; h11am-6pm; tAngel)

One of London’s most enchanting vintage shops, this high-end boutique has costumes to make you look like Greta Garbo. Many a famous designer has come here for inspiration, so you might also get to do some celebrity spotting.

oCamden Lock MarketMARKET

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.camdenmarket.com; 54-56 Camden Lock Pl, NW1; h10am-6pm; tCamden Town)

Right next to the canal lock, this is the original Camden Market, with diverse food stalls, ceramics, furniture, oriental rugs, musical instruments and clothes.

oCamden Passage MarketANTIQUES

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.camdenpassageislington.co.uk; Camden Passage, N1; h8am-6pm Wed & Sat; tAngel)

Not to be confused with Camden Market, Camden Passage is a pretty cobbled lane in Islington lined with antique stores, vintage-clothing boutiques and cafes. Scattered along the lane are four separate market areas devoted to antique curios and whatnots. The main market days are Wednesday and Saturday (although the shops are open all week). Stallholders know their stuff, so bargains are rare.

Mary's Living & Giving ShopCLOTHING

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 138 Upper St; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat, noon-4pm Sun)

This is not your average charity shop: the boutique is done up beautifully and the quality of the clothes on offer is top-notch. Allow £60 to £80 for designer dresses and jackets; £7 to £10 for high-street brand tops. There is a small selection of children's clothes too.

Fortnum & MasonFOOD & DRINKS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.fortnumandmason.com; Unit 1a, St Pancras International Station, Pancras Rd, N1; h7am-8pm Mon-Sat, 8am-8pm Sun; tKing's Cross St Pancras)

This small branch of the renowned department store, its first in more than 300 years, offers a good array of its signature teas (loose leaf or teabags) and coffees, which are great for last-minute presents and souvenirs if you're boarding a Eurostar. It also runs a cafe.

ExclusivoFASHION & ACCESSORIES

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 2 Flask Walk, NW3; h10.30am-6pm; tHampstead)

If you've ever dreamed of owning a pair of Manolo Blahniks or a Pucci dress, but have always baulked at the price, Exclusivo might just be your chance. This tiny shop specialises in top-quality secondhand designer garments and accessories, and while prices remain high (£100 to £500 for a dress, for instance), they are a fraction of the original price tag.

SamplerWINE

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-7226 9500; www.thesampler.co.uk; 266 Upper St, N1; h11.30am-9pm Mon-Sat, to 7pm Sun; tHighbury & Islington)

One of London’s leading wine shops, this brilliant place allows you to sample up to 80 different wines before buying. Just load up a smart card and use it to sample from the machines – from as little as 30p for a sample and up to £20 for a good vintage. Wines are organised by grape variety. Staff are friendly and knowledgeable.

Gill WingGIFTS & SOUVENIRS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.gillwing.co.uk; 194-195 Upper St, N1; h9am-6pm, from 10am Sun; tHighbury & Islington)

Inhabiting multiple stores on Upper St, Gill Wing sells shoes (at number 192), kitchenware (at 190) and jewellery (at 182), but our favourite is its flagship gift shop. It's basically impossible to walk past without doing a double take at the colourful window full of glasses, cards, children's toys and other eclectic titbits.

Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9¾GIFTS & SOUVENIRS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.harrypotterplatform934.com; King's Cross Station, N1; h8am-10pm Mon-Sat, 9am-9pm Sun; tKing's Cross St Pancras)

With Pottermania refusing to die down and Diagon Alley impossible to find, when your junior witches and wizards are seeking a wand of their own, take the family directly to King's Cross Station. This little wood-panelled store also stocks jumpers sporting the colours of Hogwarts' four houses (Gryffindor having pride of place) and assorted merchandise, including, of course, the books.

HousmansBOOKS

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.housmans.com; 5 Caledonian Rd, N1; h10am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, noon-6pm Sun; tKing’s Cross St Pancras)

If you're searching for hard-to-find tomes on a progressive, radical, pacifist, feminist, socialist or communist theme, this long-standing, not-for-profit bookshop is your best bet.

WHICH CAMDEN MARKET?

Camden Market comprises three distinct market areas. They tend to sell similar kinds of things (numerous T-shirts with variations on the 'Keep Calm & Carry On' theme, for instance), although each has its own specialities and quirks.

2Sports & Activities

oHampstead Heath PondsSWIMMING

( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.cityoflondon.gov.uk; Hampstead Heath, NW5; adult/child £2/1; tHampstead Heath)

Set in the midst of the gorgeous heath, Hampstead's three bathing ponds (men's, women's and mixed) offer a cooling dip in murky brown water. Despite what you might think from its appearance, the water is tested daily and meets stringent quality guidelines.

The men’s and women’s ponds are open year-round and are supervised by a lifeguard. Opening times vary with the seasons, e.g. from 7am or 8am until 3.30pm in winter and 8.30pm at the height of summer. The men's pond is particularly popular with gay men and the surrounding lawns are a prime sunbathing and posing spot whenever the sun's out. There's also a nude sunbathing area within the changing-room enclosure.

The mixed pond closes in winter. It's the least secluded of the three and can sometimes get crowded in summer.