Crouch End has an urban but villagey feel; think Hampstead with less glitz.
Locals have a huge range of interesting independents to choose from - many as quirky as the locals themselves. For a flavour of the area, here are a few picks.
Way up in the quirky stakes is Edith's House - brainchild of actors Michael Camp and Eaton James. It has been open seven months - the pair started their first Edith's House four years ago in Rye.
"The concept is a coffee shop that actually feels like you're going to your nan or auntie's house," says Camp. Inspiration came from James's grandmother, Edith Randle and is decorated in the style of her home. "The wallpaper in the kitchen at our Crouch End store is the same as Eaton's mum had at home and we have an old electric stove here that was my gran's. We've converted it into a dishwasher."
Clutter is key to the concept, which includes a bedroom and a bathroom graced by a pink ceramic sink, toilet and washing basket with pink frilly cover. "Kids love the toilet," says Camp. The décor involved six months of combing car boot sales, eBay and closing-down sales.
Scones feature prominently on the menu in this daytime-only palace of kitsch - "the idea was an update on Nana food". There are all manner of versions, from gluten-free potato scone topped with eggs for breakfast to a peanut butter scone served as the base for hot, caramelised banana. Other options include a fruity cinnamon scone slathered with stewed seasonal fruit and a minted pea scone that comes with smoked salmon.
Edith's House serves breakfast dishes until 4pm, as well as jacket potatoes and hot savouries at lunchtime. The tea-time cakes include chocolate and Guinness, cherry bakewell and gluten-free bakes.
For an evening out, dinner dates don't come better than at Heirloom. It grows much of its own produce on a farm in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, and a fair few (radishes/salad leaves and more) out the back of the restaurant itself.
Ian and David Macintosh, brothers and co-owners and respectively chef director and produce director, serve up a Modern British menu. Sustainable living is a theme, with fruits, vegetables, herbs and leaves all grown by David and turned into weekly-changing menus by Ian. Fish arrives directly from Cornwall on an overnight train (less environmentally damaging than a chauffeur-driven truck) and additional fruits and vegetables come from Paris's huge produce market, Rungis.
The four-course menu, recommended by the boys to get a real flavour for what they do, is not for the faint of appetite. It offers a starter, fish, meat and pudding course with vegetarian alternatives for all savoury courses.
Highlights were super-fresh rye sourdough with salty butter and a plate of home-grown radishes with home-made aioli; perfectly cooked asparagus with sheep's curd, coddled egg, truffle and hazelnut and a brightly coloured salad of beef tomatoes scattered with crunchy gremolata and micro-leaves. John Dory with white asparagus, Ratte potato, pied bleu mushrooms and watercress sat in a deeply green pool of watercress sauce, while Cornish hake was pretty as a picture on slices of baseball courgette (so called for the shape), which resembled little fish lining the plate.
The Amalfi lemon posset topped with strawberries and clumps of shortbread had satisfyingly refreshing zing, while dark chocolate mousse was so stickily rich that it needed fior di latte ice cream alongside it for lightness. I would move to the area purely for these guys.
Fans of ice cream should also try Riley Ice Cream Café. What started as an ice cream venture has expanded to include coffees, crepes, wine and sharing platters - a necessary add-on in our inclement isle. Nick Forbes, the manager, invents new flavours in the basement.
A Bellini sorbet was genius -punchy peach with real Prosecco aftertaste. Lemon and coriander sorbet was similarly inspired. The icy treats are all made in-house and come in similarly funky flavours such as Nutella, chocolate sorbet and blood orange sorbet, in cones, tubs and larger packs to take home and feast on.
The coffee is roasted in Dalston, as is the sourdough bread. Forbes also makes his own soups.
Tootoomoo, another north London favourite, started life in Crouch End and this branch has recently been done up inside - it is now a striking red in parts and has become a plant-filled conservatory in others.
The menu has also had a makeover, with more sushi - one of the most popular options; new cocktails and more vegetarian dishes, with many of the meaty curries adapted for vegetarians. The rendang stew is sublime and the sashimi salmon salad was fresh and packed with flavour. There are also a couple of extra desserts, which include a lemony, creamy yuzu posset and crème brûlée.
Philip McGuinness, the owner, says: "Crouch End post-refurb is loved for the different spaces. Some love the cheeky booths; familes love the big booths where they can all get stuck in. Crouch End has so many amazing people and places, it's a privilege to be part of it all, to be honest."
A few doors down from Tootoomoo, Sacre Cuore (Italian for sacred heart) serves authentic Neapolitan pizzas from a wood-fired oven. "We chose Crouch End for the second branch of our pizzerias as we love the area and there are plenty of people here who appreciate good food," says Adam Clark, the co-owner. "Our pizzas are cooked by a Neapolitan chef the authentic way, which is slightly soft and not crunchy."
It can only be a matter of time before locals are queuing out of the door as they do at the first outlet in Kensal Rise.
Even cinema-goers eat in style. The Crouch End Picturehouse now offers a brunch, lunch and dinner menu. Brunch includes smoked mackerel and spelt kedgeree and harissa scramble with butternut, feta and spinach. The lunch and snack dishes are all restaurant-standard, including pea arancini, beetroot and walnut dip, soups (with artisan breads) and sweet potato and butternut double bean burger.
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