25 Canonbury Lane

This bijou bar may be just off tumultuous Upper Street, but, as the name indicates, it’s also on the edge of Canonbury – from whence it takes a slightly more serene cue. Candles & chandeliers cast a soft glow over the neo-baroque interior, & at the back there’s a tiny, fairylight-strung conservatory: perfect for birthday parties (which can be arranged with cakes supplied by the bar’s sister company, the Euphorium Bakery). There’s a selection of bottled beers, wines, & elegant cocktails, all served by mellow young staff. The previously-available Thai menu has been replaced by an equally brief, but alluring, list of ‘Canonbury nibbles’, including salmon smoked in nearby Stoke Newington, with Scandinavian bread; triple-cooked chips with bloody Mary ketchup; & a pork & prune sausage roll with piccalilli.