All on a high in Highgate
With its authentic village feel and access to Hampstead Heath, Highgate is well worth a visit, says Pat Riddell
Busy on sunny afternoons, The Flask remains one of north London’s finest drinking holes. Its olde worlde charm and labyrinthine ‘snugs’ sit nicely with some fine ales, an excellent Sunday roast and summer BBQs. 77 Highgate West Hill, N6 6BU. T: 020 8348 7346.
Alternative: Fabrizio. A family-run Italian restaurant offering traditional cuisine at reasonable prices. Classic pasta dishes and pizzas alongside a good selection of meat and fish. 34 Highgate Hill, N19 5NL. T: 020 7561 9073. www.fabriziolondon.co.uk
Kate Moss and Pete Doherty visited this late night rock ’n’ roll barn, The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan is a regular and the jukebox playlist is selected by the likes of Johnny Marr, Nick Cave and Ronnie Wood. In short, it’s about as cool as it gets in north London. 312 Archway Road, N6 5AT. T: 020 8340 2928. www.theboogaloo.co.uk
Alternative: Prince of Wales. Home of one of the best — and most difficult — pub quizzes in London, this cosy traditional pub is a little intimidating on Tuesday nights. 53 Highgate High Street, N6 5JX. T: 020 8340 0445.
If you’re into guitars, or just music, this shop’s well worth a visit. It specialises in rare, vintage and bizarre guitars, as well as amps, pedals and, er, stomp boxes. The attraction for many is the possibility of spying one of the area’s rock stars dropping by for repairs. 393 Archway Road, N6 4ER. T: 020 8340 7766. www.wildguitars.com
Alternative: Charity shops. Given Highgate’s affluent neighbours, the likes of Oxfam and Cancer Research have a wealth of higher quality second-hand goods.
Famous Londoners buried here include Karl Marx, Michael Faraday and George Eliot. Dating from 1839, Highgate remains a ‘working’ cemetery. While the east cemetery is open for the public to visit, the west cemetery can only be viewed by guided tour. Swain’s Lane, N6 6PJ. T: 020 8340 1834. www.highgatecemetery.org
Alternative: Highgate Woods. As well as a football and cricket field, it has a supervised children’s playground, along with a cafe and information centre. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
Hyde Park is larger than the entire principality of Monaco and has been a Royal Park since 1536. It was also the site of The Great Exhibition of 1851.
