When it comes to shopping, there\u2019s everything from higgledy piggledy second-hand book stores, to bougie furniture boutiques.\u00a0Because the great thing about Blackstock Road is that it\u2019s made up of a hodgepodge of things. It\u2019s not always particularly glamorous, and can certainly feel a bit chaotic at times. But this is why we love it, and it\u2019s also why we\u2019ve just named Blackstock Road as London\u2019s coolest street for 2025<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Here, Time Out editors name their favourite places on the legendary road.\u00a0<\/p>\n The best places to visit on Blackstock Road, chosen by Time Out editors \u2018Dilara looks a bit like any regular takeaway kebab shop from the outside, but don\u2019t be fooled \u2013 head to the back past a tiny kitchen and you\u2019ll find big groups and local families tucking into some of London\u2019s best hand-pulled noodles, kebabs, wings and dumplings. If you\u2019ve never tried Uyghur food before, you\u2019re in for a treat, because every dish here is packed with spicy, mouth-numbing Szechuan flavour, all served with (free!) fluffy warm bread. Just remember, there\u2019s no alcohol served here\u00a0 \u2013 this spot is for splitting huge sharing plates and sides, ending with a round of baklava and Uyghur milk teas and\u00a0probably\u00a0falling asleep on the bus home.\u2019\u00a0Ella Doyle, Guides Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n 27 Blackstock Road, N4 2JF<\/p>\n House of Hodge\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018Sure sure, House of Hodge might not be quite so hip \u2018n\u2019 trendy as its sleek neighbour Book Bar \u2013 also, FYI, well worth a visit for bibliophiles \u2013 but it\u2019s a treasure trove of pre-loved literature as good as any other in London. Behind Hodge\u2019s bright green and faded maroon fa\u00e7ade is a tight but well-stocked shop with bookshelves up to the ceiling, each inch of space\u00a0is utilised with an extremely well-curated selection. All the orange Penguins of your wildest dreams; non-fiction from sci-fi and true crime to literary biography and needlework; foreign language tomes in German, Spanish, Italian and French\u2026 Hodge has it all.\u00a0Better yet, it\u2019s for a good cause: House of Hodge is a registered charity with proceeds going to various animal organisations.\u2019\u00a0Ed Cunningham, News Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n 174 Blackstock Road, N5 1HA<\/p>\n \u2018How many Hinge dates have I been on at the Bank of Friendship? It\u2019s an embarrassingly high number. Some were more successful than others, and one even ended up with me doing the worm on the dirty floor of Mascara Bar (don\u2019t ask). This is all to say,\u00a0this pub is a fantastic first date location. And it\u2019s great for meeting mates too. The Bank of Friendship nails the almost impossible combination of being supremely cosy, but also quite cool, and still not pretentious. There\u2019s something for the walking Real Housewives of Clapton memes by way of ordered-in Yardsale Pizza and mezcal negronis on tap, it\u2019s a hot spot for Arsenal fans with footie broadcast on multiple TVs, and it actually is as friendly as its name suggests. If you\u2019re lucky you\u2019ll get a seat in the usually packed beer garden, which comes equipped with blankets and hot water bottles you can have filled up at the bar.\u2019\u00a0India Lawrence, Staff Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n 226 Blackstock Road, N5 1EA<\/p>\n The T Bird sign<\/p>\n \u2018I truly believe that the sign that hangs above the shop frontage of the T Bird is the greatest in London. The bar is, well, a normal bar, but the sign? The sign is truly majestic, opening up a world of wonder. Is it the headquarters of a 1950s rebel biker club? Is it an old school funeral parlour? Or is it, in fact, a former suburban clothing store which just so happened to be run by someone whose initials were T Bird? (The latter is true). A little bit goth, a little bit art deco and a whole lot London, if I didn\u2019t have other places to be, I would happily hang about on the pavement and stare at it for hours on end. If the developers\u2019 wrecking ball ever comes for the place, I\u2019ll be there to save the sign.\u2019\u00a0Leonie Cooper,\u00a0Food & Drink Editor\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n 132 Blackstock Road, N4 2DX<\/p>\n \u2018Many will disagree, but I honestly prefer The Woodbine to the much-loved Bank of Friendship down the road. It feels more like a proper neighbourhood pub \u2013 cosy, friendly, unpretentious and just a tiny bit kooky. I spent many a socially-distanced evening in one snug corner or another during lockdown, with a consolatory pint and a warm bowl of tom kha. Laidback locals head here for a solid weeknight Thai menu, spontaneous singalongs and the regular Tuesday night quiz. There\u2019s no beer garden, granted, but nab a table out front and you\u2019ve got front row seats to the comings and goings of N5.\u2019\u00a0Grace Beard, Travel Editor<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n 215 Blackstock Road, N5 2LL<\/p>\n \u2018Farang is the reward you get from walking all the way up the incredibly steep bit of Blackstock Road. It sits tantalisingly at the top of the hill, like a mirage. It’s a Thai restaurant, but it’s also quite different to most Thai restaurants. The name (meaning \u2018foreigner\u2019) reflects the fact that owner and head chef Sebby Holmes is as Thai as I am (not at all). But he and his whole closely knit team\u00a0are utterly obsessed with the region\u2019s food, flying in obscure ingredients weekly, allowing them to put together intricate, ingenious dishes you simply won’t find anywhere else in London. Menus change seasonally, but you can usually bank on there being some kind of delicious spicy curry on offer. A guaranteed good time.\u2019\u00a0Joe Mackertich, Editor-in-chief UK<\/strong><\/p>\n 72 Highbury Park, N5 2XE<\/p>\n \u2018Karaoke is one of the best things about the pub. Whether you\u2019re a seasoned crooner, or just someone who splutters their way through Rock DJ once a year after a few too many gin and tonics, the King\u2019s Head on Blackstock Road is probably the best place to do it in London. Welcoming, warm, and with a wide array of talent levels \u2013 if you\u2019ve been looking for a pub in which to surrender yourself to the Sunfly, look no further. Plus, come on the right day and you\u2019ll be treated to some of the finest pub sandwiches in town.\u2019\u00a0Jimmy McIntosh, Contributing Writer\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n 126 Blackstock Road, N4 2DR<\/p>\n \u2018I know what you\u2019re thinking; north London has more than enough bougie little delis peddling cold-pressed olive oils and artisanal hot sauce. There are barely any off-licenses in\u00a0the area\u00a0that don\u2019t stock Torres crisps, Perello olives and a few varieties of natty wine. What exactly makes this place so special? Well, dear reader, it\u2019s not just the products that Nourished Communities stocks, although it does a brilliant job of sourcing local and sustainable products, representing\u00a0more than 200 independent growers and producers on its stacked shelves. What makes the place truly worth visiting is its genuine commitment to educating Londoners on the food they buy, and helping to establish more sustainable and equitable food systems, whether its through growing its own fungi in its basement mushroom farm, harvesting honey from beehives in the garden and hosting workshops on everything from regenerative agriculture to lacto-fermentation. Community building at its finest.\u2019\u00a0Rosie Hewitson, Things to Do Editor<\/strong><\/p>\n 183 Blackstock Road, N5 2LL<\/p>\n Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke \u2013 from news and reviews to events and trends. Just\u00a0<\/strong>follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n
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