Crouch End as seen from Ally Pally
Flickr/Derek Winterburn

Crouch End area guide

Discover the best things to do in north London village Crouch End, plus ace brunch spots, restaurants, bars and pubs

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Crouch End is often described as a little urban village and for good reason. The leafy neighbourhood just north of Finsbury Park has a community feel about it, with loads of independent shops and cafés, local boozers, fairs, arts spaces and pretty parkland to explore. The fact that it's a bit of a bugger to get to (no tube or train, though Hornsey and Crouch Hill stations are close by...) ensures it retains a charm all its own, but the people - a mix of young professionals and bohemian sorts - give it character too. Bus-haters might not see the appeal, but for most of Crouch End's lucky locals there's a lot to love.

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Things to do in Crouch End

Hornsey Town Hall Arts Centre
Things to do

Hornsey Town Hall Arts Centre

A huge arts space in a beautiful old building home to One Yoga London, dance classes, gallery spaces and a cafe. 

Alexandra Palace
Things to do

Alexandra Palace

Impressive Ally Pally, the birthplace of television, boasts an indoor ice-skating rink, an expo hall and a vast gig space. 

Bars and pubs in Crouch End

Little Mercies
Bars and pubs

Little Mercies

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • price 2 of 4

Genius drink after genius drink

Nickel
Bars and pubs

Nickel

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • price 2 of 4

One of N8’s worst-kept secrets

Small Beer
Bars and pubs

Small Beer

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • price 2 of 4

A buzzy and petite Crouch End boozer

Restaurants in Crouch End

Heirloom
Restaurants

Heirloom

  • 4 out of 5 stars

Heirloom hoists the flag for modern British cooking by plating up heritage vegetables, succulent rare-breed meats and Cornish fish.

Kerb X Hornsey Town Hall
Restaurants

Kerb X Hornsey Town Hall

A mini Kerb street food market, popping up outside Hornsey Town Hall in the heart of Crouch End every Saturday.

Banner’s
Restaurants

Banner’s

  • 3 out of 5 stars

The perennially and justifiably popular spot draws inspiration from Sri Lanka to the Caribbean, via good old Blighty.  

Bar Esteban
Restaurants

Bar Esteban

  • 4 out of 5 stars

Bar Esteban has a cosy, laid-back, enjoy-yourself buzz, and food from ‘the best of Barcelona and Brooklyn to Crouch End’.

Cafés and brunch spots in Crouch End

Beam
Restaurants

Beam

Brunch classics with a Mediterranean influence. 

The Haberdashery
Restaurants

The Haberdashery

  • 3 out of 5 stars

A ‘make-do-and-mend’-style café.

The perfect weekend in Crouch End

Sip: Nickel
Bars and pubs

Sip: Nickel

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • price 2 of 4

The stuff of whispered Crouch End legend. 

Hotels near Crouch End

Islington Inn
Hotels

Islington Inn

This budget option occupies a former pub on a corner of busy Essex Road, and offers 41 en suite modern rooms (plus a self-catering apartment for three) decked...

Premier Inn London Archway
Hotels

Premier Inn London Archway

Premier Inn London Archway is situated in London, 1.6 miles from Emirates Stadium. Guests can enjoy the on-site restaurant and free WiFi in all areas.Every...

St Pancras Renaissance Hotel London
Hotels

St Pancras Renaissance Hotel London

  • 4 out of 5 stars

King’s Cross is London’s gateway to Europe, Hogwarts and the north. And the hotel that dominates its south-east facade is built on an appropriately epic scale....

Best Western London Highbury
Hotels

Best Western London Highbury

Conveniently situated, Best Western London Higbury overlooks picturesque Finsbury Park and is a 5-minute walk from Finsbury Park Underground Station, providing...