5 Places To Visit In Stoke Newington
London is expanding. Hip restaurants and bars are spreading their wings and opening in ‘neighbourhood’ settings as well as central locations like Soho and Mayfair, moving from zone 1 in the City first to Shoreditch then to Dalston, and now to Stoke Newington – The Handbook’s current weekend haunt, conveniently located between chic Islington and trendy Hackney. Here’s our guide on where to go in N16 (note: they’re all located on uber cool Church Street, so easily accessible).
Whole Foods Market
Get Your Health On
Make sure you get your five a day and stock up on fruit, veg, green juice and other healthy produce (Whole Foods started in American, so when in Rome…) here. Opening at 7.30am, you can fit your weekly shop in before work, and with friendly, cheerful staff, you’ll be sure to leave with a smile. We also love their Stokie Snail trail – a daily competition for shoppers to locate the store’s soft toy snail and win a prize (again, quite American, but when in Stokey…).
Where: 32-40 Stoke Newington Church Street, Stoke Newington, N16 0LU
Website: www.wholefoodsmarket.com
Foxlow
Steak and Brunch
From the team behind Hawksmoor, Foxlow is their first neighbourhood outpost, created to offer ‘the kind of restaurant we would like to live near’. Housed within a pretty brick house with a quaint street-side courtyard, it’s the perfect place to sit back, people watch and indulge in a tasty brunch. We love the Fried chicken and egg with croissant waffle and the Moroccan eggs with Sobrasada toast while we scour the weekend papers.
Where: 71-73 Church Street, Stoke Newington, N16 0AS
Website: www.foxlow.co.uk
Hackney Flea Market
Where to Shop Vintage
The Handbook stumbled on Hackney Flea Market while wandering up and down Church Street this summer. Next to Foxlow, tucked away off the high street in Abney Hall (a great location for hosting events and special occasions as well, might we add!) you’ll find a whole host of stalls run by local Hackney folk, selling their personal wares or interesting collections of vintage clothing, jewelry and home trinkets. And at the front of the room is a little bar serving tea and seriously yummy home-baked cakes. Did we mention it was free entry?
Where: Abney Hall, 73A Stoke Newington Church Street, N16 0AS
Website: www.hackneyfleamarket.com
MEAT Butchers & Delicatessen
Where to Get Your Sausages
You don’t just get sausages here, so if you’re not a sausage fan, please don’t avoid MEAT at all costs. The original store (there’s another in N5) also sells the highest quality beef, lamb, game and poultry, which knowledgeable staff recommend with the friendly smile of a traditional local butcher. Everything is prepared fresh on a daily basis and the aforementioned sausages are handmade by the team in the basement. The wine shop is organized by tasting notes relative to the various meats, meaning you might try something you wouldn’t usually pair with your Sunday roast. For veggies, a selection of Greek, Italian and Spanish olives, char-grilled vegetables and a fine selection of British and International cheeses are on offer.
Where: 104 Stoke Newington Church Street, Stoke Newington, N16 0LA
Website: www.meatlondon.co.uk
The Lion
Where to Go for a Pint
The Lion calls itself a ‘proper old school boozer’ and just like those old Ronseal adverts, it does exactly what it says on the… website. With a horseshoe-shaped bar, heated beer garden – a great little suntrap in the summer! – juke box and giant HD screen, the boys can watch the Rugby World Cup (they screen all the major sporting events) while the girls sip rose and nibble sweet potato fries catching a tan. Every other Wednesday, The Lion has an open mic night, offering X Factor hopefuls an excellent rehearsal stage and free comedy for those that missed Edinburgh Fringe.
Where: 132 Stoke Newington Church Street, Stoke Newington, N16 0JX
Website: www.thelionn16.co.uk
