Islington Travel

Start from Angel tube station in the morning and walk 5 minutes to Sadler's Wells Theatre — one of London's oldest theatres, tracing its history back to 1683 when Richard Sadler discovered a mineral spring in the garden and operated a bathhouse. Through 350 years and six rebuilds — from aqua-drama to Lilian Baylis's reconstructed ballet-opera house in 1931, to the modern dance-dedicated theatre built in 1998 — it is now a global temple of dance, staging everything from flamenco to Breakin' Convention street dance annually. Then stroll to Camden Passage — a paradise for antique hunters since the 1950s. Cobbled lanes are lined with Pierrepont Arcade's antique silver, Charlton Place's vintage glassware, and open-air stalls selling pre-loved clothing. Wednesday and Saturday are the busiest market days. At midday, enjoy a Mediterranean lunch at Ottolenghi on Upper Street — Yotam Ottolenghi's first restaurant opened here in 2002, whose colour aesthetic of hummus, roasted aubergine and rosewater desserts changed London's dining tables. In the afternoon, visit Union Chapel — a Grade I listed building begun in 1799, both an active African diaspora church and an award-winning independent music venue. The organ designed by Henry "Father" Willis and the tiered wooden seating create unparalleled acoustics. U2, Mumford & Sons and The Killers have all performed here. In the evening, catch a show at the Almeida Theatre — a church converted in 1980 by Swedish architects Eva and John Wien, hailed by the Evening Standard in 2013 as the cradle of "London's best drama".

Start the morning with breakfast at a café on Exmouth Market — this semi-pedestrianised street, revived as a market since 2006, is Islington's most underrated food corridor. Weekday street food stalls (11:00-14:00) fill the air with aromas from crêpes to samosas. Then head to the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art — housed in a Grade II listed Georgian townhouse on Canonbury Square, it is the UK's only gallery dedicated to modern Italian art. The core collection features Futurist masterpieces — works by Boccioni, Severini and Balla are breathtaking. Six galleries, an art library and Caffè Estorick make for a perfect literary morning. Afterwards, stroll along the New River Walk — a linear park commemorating Sir Hugh Myddleton's "New River" engineering feat completed in 1613, which supplied London with water for over 400 years. Along the way, the Watch-house (built 1820s) and Astey's Row rock garden are known as "Islington's Cheddar Gorge". Enjoy a vegan lunch at The Gate on St John Street — one of London's most famous vegetarian restaurants, elevating vegetable cooking to an art form. In the afternoon, visit the Little Angel Puppet Theatre — London's only permanent puppet theatre, founded in 1961 by South African master John Wright in a Victorian temperance hall. Every seat in the 100-seat theatre offers a clear view of the wood grain on the puppets' faces. In the evening, walk or cycle along Regent's Canal towards King's Cross, passing colourful narrowboats and the Floating Showroom craft barge, ending your Islington journey perfectly in the setting sun.