Church St, Stoke Newington

North East London is still a pretty well kept secret. Although central areas such as Shoreditch are now more bankers and Basildon than Hackney hipsters, there are still many reasons to venture up for its inimitable blend of old East London and vibrant arts, culture and social scene.One enclave that has been left more untouched than most is Stoke Newington. Located north of its slightly grimier, younger and more obvious sister Dalston (One Direction's Harry Styles famously once tumbled out of Birthdays bar, forever lessening the coolness of the area), Stoke Newington is set apart by its residents’ strong community spirit and appreciation for a slower pace of life. Church Street, a long idyllic stretch of shops, pubs and restaurants that bisects the Kingsland Road, is the beating heart of the area and where you can find some of the best examples of Stoke Newington’s “village meets city” atmosphere.

Unique vintage items and boutiques

The locals are famously proud of their independent retailers, with much opposition occurring whenever one of the big chains threatens to encroach. You can have a browse through the minimalist Scandinavian fashions of Hub, rifle through the plethora of gorgeous kitchen accessories in Prep and buy all your presents for the entire year in one of the many quirky design and home-ware stores. And if you go there on the right weekend, you might be able to find something really one-of-a-kind at the Hackney Flea Market in Abney Hall. As Time Out put it "much of N16's success is down to the remarkably strong presence of independent business in the area, making it a truly distinctive part of the capital"

Small place, big flavours

Church Street more than makes up for its lack of a tube line with some world-class eateries. That is not an exaggeration either - L’Antica Pizzeria de Michele’s original site in Naples has been feted as the ‘best pizza in the world’ (it even featured in the film Eat, Pray, Love), so their Church Street branch is well worth a visit. It only serves two types of pizza, but they promise that they will be of the highest quality. Even better, the beauty of being slightly out of the way means that although there are queues, they are nothing like what you would find in Covent Garden.

Other notable places are the Good Egg, considered to be one of the best of many delicious Middle-Eastern inspired brunches that are the signature of the area, thanks to the large Turkish community who were some of the first to arrive here before gentrification started. The Good Egg do thankfully have the good grace to allow booking (unlike most trendy places in the centre of town) so if you are planning to visit London it can be worth reserving your table in advance. In general, brunch tends to be the busiest time, with dinner more likely to be a shorter wait.

If you are on a tight budget and looking for something a little different, Rasa’s vegetarian branch is the place to go. Each of the sharing dishes are vegetarian or vegan and a beautifully tasty example of South Indian cooking, and great value for money.

Beer and beats

Walking the whole length of the street is a long way - you might need something to quench your thirst. Luckily, there are a range of charming and unique pubs, bars and cafés en route. It is hard to go wrong with most of them, but a few in particular stand out.

Mother Kelly’s Bottle Shop is your destination to taste, sip and buy interesting beers you might not have heard of. Then there is the surprise that is the Stoke Newington Tea House (not just a tea house, but a gastro-pub with a sun trap beer garden and a wine bar in the basement). For live music, you cannot beat Ryan’s Bar, the Auld Shillelagh and the Waiting Room.

Central Park

When the sun is shining and you feel like a breather from the lively beer gardens and cafes, there are a few places you can head to for a more natural experience. Clissold Park is a well-kept park at the north of Church Street, a popular destination for picnickers, runners and families alike. Sometimes you might find a local fair selling boutique items or food, but quite often you are alone to enjoy the attractions of the small zoo (two resident Anglo-Nubian goats are standout occupants with a heap of personality, and the herd of fallow deer are a charming and very English sight) and the peace of the greenery and ponds.

Abney Park Cemetery

Abney Park Cemetery is quite a different experience; on approaching the unassuming gates that lead from Church Street, your view into the park is obscured because of the dense tree coverage. The hush that descends upon leaving the busy street is noticeable, and as you venture further there in a strange sense of timelessness and peace. Highgate Cemetery is the famous site that gets all the love and attention, but as you wind around the labyrinthine paths leading you deeper into the cemetery, you will feel Abney bestowing its own form of magic upon you.

There are also several notable architectural monuments and structures, some which have been erected in memory of famous London residents. One of the locals did, however, offer a word of caution: “The paths are not that well sign-posted, so you may need to use Google Maps to find your way out if you get lost!” Spooky.

It might seem like a slightly out of the way place, but if you make the effort to stray a bit further from the more obvious charms of Shoreditch via a quick bus ride, you will soon discover the perfect combination of London convenience and local personality that the residents love so much.

A definite qualification for one of London's hidden gems.