Seasoned hair dude Chris Ward opened his first Huckle barber shop on Old Street in 2012, and this second outpost has been seeing to Bloomsbury’s beards and barnets since 2015. The clean and simple aesthetic carries through to the service. No fussy grooming, vaguely invasive massage or ear-flaming tricks here – ‘our gimmick is: no gimmicks,’ my barber Marshal said. Which sounded slick, but turned out to be bang on.
Once settled in a big, comfy barber’s chair, hair-washed and hot-towelled, I got the best cut I’ve had in ages. Marshal took a few minutes to work out what was going on upstairs before getting stuck in, recommended a few products but never went the full sales pitch, and provided great chat without the awkward. The soundtrack was on point (there’s a ‘Band of the Month’ blackboard – this month: Future Islands) and the coffee was very decent. For after-work appointments they’ve also got craft ale on tap and a selection of whiskies.
At £45 for a wash and trim and £22 for a clipper cut, this isn’t a budget option. But if that’s in your price range and you're after a top cut without the fake-Edwardian faff, Huckle’s the business.
