Islington Area Guide

About the Area

To those not in the know, Islington is a world of avocado and brioche buns — all picnic hampers and prosecco. But scratch beneath the sourdough and you’ll find there’s loads more happening in Islington than meets the eye — notwithstanding the amazing avocado.

First things first — Islington is a north London borough, so each neighbourhood has its own unique vibe. For classic Islington you can’t beat Upper Street, a high-end thoroughfare with bijou boutiques, smart restaurants and more polenta than you can shake a breadstick at. From here it’s a short walk to Barnsbury, where Georgian townhouses nuzzle up against cutesy pubs and leafy lanes. It’s a similar story in Canonbury, with its 14th century Tudor tower and quaint cluster of cottages — tell your mates you live here and watch their jaws drop when they see the size of your stoop.

But Islington is more than just a pretty postcard — bright young things are piling into neighbourhoods like Finsbury Park and Holloway where the buzz is building by the day. The Faltering Fullback is the best pub-meets-Teletubbie land you’ve ever been to, and the Union Chapel in Highbury is a beautiful venue for a lighters-out gig (iPhone recommended). If it all gets too much, Highbury Fields on a lazy Sunday is prime picnic territory. Just don’t forget the avocado.