Area guide to Crouch End

Chef and food writer Dominique Woolf decided to move to Crouch End after going for dinner. Two decades later, she tells Emma Magnus why she’s there to stay.

2024-05-22 -

It was food that drew us to Crouch End. My husband and I were living in Hendon, and went to what was then a Loch Fyne restaurant for dinner. We walked around in the evening before the meal and were blown away by how many restaurants there were, and the vibe. It was buzzing and alive, and had an intimate, village-y feel. We’ve got to move here, we thought. I’ve lived in Crouch End for 22 years now. We’ll be here for the foreseeable future. If I’m in London, this is where I’m going to live.

EATING AND DRINKING

We’re spoiled for choice here. La Fabrica, on Broadway Parade, and Bar Esteban, on Park Road, are two brilliant Spanish tapas bars. Both have a great atmosphere and are very reasonable — we’ve been going for years and years.

Wow Simply Japanese, on Crouch End Hill, has been a favourite since it opened. My kids now love it, which is a problem because they eat as much as we do.

Tomo, on Hornsey High Street, is a great local Italian pizzeria. It’s family-run and is very reliable. Les 2 Garçons, on Middle Lane, hasn’t been here that long, but feels like it’s already an institution. It’s a buzzing, French brasserie-style restaurant. It’s always full.

Drinks-wise, The Victoria Stakes, on Muswell Hill, is a beautiful pub with a lovely covered outdoor area. I had my book launch there a couple of years ago, and my husband celebrated his 50th there. It’s got great food and drinks. Floral Hall, on Crouch Hill, is bright, with a lovely feel to it. And Little Mercies, on Broadway Parade, is very intimate, with killer cocktails. I’ll often stop by at Kiss the Koala, on Priory Road, for a coffee. We’ve sampled quite a bit of the street food at Ally Pally Farmers’ Market too.

WHERE I WORK OUT

I love running, so Ally Pally is brilliant. You’ve got some hills and a lovely view when you get to the top.

TO COMMUNE WITH NATURE

There’s so much to Ally Pally. There’s a playground at the top and a lake — well, we call it a lake — as well as lots of different parkland areas. I’ve got kids, and I basically lived at Priory Park for five years. It’s brilliant because there’s a little café, a paddling pool in the summer, and a playground. It’s still where we go, even though they’re a bit older now.

GROCERY SHOPPING

We’re lucky to have so much on our doorstep. There are little versions of all the main supermarkets here, but I love Walter Purkis on the Broadway for fish. Middle Lane Market is a little deli with lots of nice things in it. There’s a Haelan Centre, also on the Broadway, for if you ever want any healthy products.

Pachara, on Broadway Parade, is a great little Asian supermarket, and Harvest N8, on Tottenham Lane, is new and next on my list. It’s well-stocked with artisan products. For a sweet pastry, there’s Sourdough Sophia on Middle Lane, and Dunns, which is an institution in Crouch End. They do fantastic doughnuts.

FOR A CULTURE FIX

For a little village, we’ve got two cinemas: the ArtHouse and the Picturehouse, both on Tottenham Lane. We’ve got a House of Books and Waterstones, as well as Ally Pally. We’ll go to the Kaleidoscope Festival in July, which is right on our doorstep. There’s music — Ministry of Sound Classical are headlining this year — comedy and street food, and it’s great for kids.

GETTING AROUND

There’s no Tube, but the W3 and W7 buses go to Finsbury Park, where you can get the Victoria line. You can walk to Turnpike Lane, on the Piccadilly line, or Highgate, on the Northern line, and there’s the overland at Hornsey, which takes you into the city.