Breakfast
Mario’s
Mario’s is the best place to get breakfast in the area, it’s located on probably one of the prettiest streets in Kentish Town and serves up good breakfast basics, including poached eggs and bubble and squeak. However, it’s not really the food that makes Mario’s it’s more the owners and atmosphere. In fact they’ve built up such a reputation with local musicians that it’s even featured in one or two well-known songs.
Mario’s
6 Kelly Street, London, NW1 8PH
020 7284 2066
Shopping
Bumblebee
Kentish Town High road is full of your usual London suspects, but if you take the time to stroll up to Brecknock Road you’ll find a hidden stash of natural health and organic stores. Bumblebee is the main contender here with three shops, each of which specialise in different products. There’s delicious fresh fruit and veg, environmentally aware household products, a deli counter, baked goods, delicious nuts, pulses and waistline friendly treats. They also run an organic fruit and veg box scheme and delivery service, you can order over the phone or via email.
Bumblebee
The three shops are clustered at the Camden Road end of Brecknock Road, London N7 0DD.
020 7607 1936
London Bead Company
Isn’t fashion fickle? If you were under 60 and admitted to knitting two years ago people might have thought you were a bit weird, but now it seems to be one of the hottest hobbies on the street. So, if you’re looking for a bit of thread (wool) or have broadened your horizons to making clothes and jewelry as accompaniments to those lovely big jumpers, look no further. The London Bead Company, located just opposite Kentish Town tube station is a veritable delight of beautiful beads, crystals, ribbons, fabric, thread, kits and accessories.
London Bead Company
339 Kentish Town Road, NW5
0870 203 2323/202 8007
Stretching
Bikram Yoga North
If you like a bit of limber but are not too convinced by the run of the mill yoga revolution that is currently taking the West by storm, then I suggest you take a look at Bikram yoga. You can forget about low impact exercise, chanting and meditation, Bikram yoga is an intensive system of 26 yoga postures practiced in a room that is specially heated to approximately 100 ° Fahrenheit. This is a full on experience that you either love or hate, the classes are full of pretty beautiful bodies and, unusually for yoga, there’s a balanced male to female ratio.
Bikram Yoga North
173 Queens Crescent, NW5 2DS
020 7692 6900
Dinner
Bintang
Serving up a great selection of Malaysian dishes, Bintang is one of the few jewels in Kentish Towns dining crown. The restaurant doesn’t have a license, which is always a winner with me, meaning that you can take your own booze and pay a minimal corkage fee. There’s a good selection of vegetarian dishes, with a delicious, sticky, sweet and sour tofu dish in particular, and all the usual Thai curries, Pad Thais and some delicious fish dishes too. The interesting interior and choice of music means that after a glass or two of wine you might actually think you’re in a beach shack somewhere in South East Asia.
Bintang
93 Kentish Town Road, NW1 8NY
0871 075 8721
Drinking
The Pineapple
This is quite possibly the best pub in the area. Hidden away from the main drag that is Kentish Town Road, The Pineapple is a friendly little establishment that retains enough original charm and character to appeal to a diverse range of customers. You’re likely to ‘spot’ a celeb or two sitting alongside the local old boys who come in to suck on a pint and chat about pork scratchings. As one might expect, there’s lots of pineapple themed décor – which is nicer than it sounds, some luscious Sunday lunches and barbeques, plus a lovely little garden and conservatory for the one week of summer that the UK is lucky enough to experience.
The Pineapple
51 Leverton Street, NW5 2NX
020 7284 4631
Dancing
The Forum
This Mean Fiddler venue is far from glitzy being an old cinema that has undergone minimal renovations and serves it’s beverages in cans or plastic cups. However, it does host some wicked nights, has a pretty mean sound system and loads of room for dancing. Highlights include Van Morrison, Prince, The Velvet Underground, Oasis, Pulp, Dru Hill, Beenie Man, Jay-Z, Sean Paul, The Libertines and Jamiroquai.
The Forum
9-11 Highgate Road, NW5 1JY
tel: 020 7284 1001 / 020 7344 0044
