Cafeography
London · Islington & Angel

Cafés in Islington & Angel

Upper Street and its side lanes: Camden Passage, Chapel Market, Essex Road and the canal tunnel under Angel.

Photo: Felix-Antoine Coutu, Pexels License

Angel is named after the Angel Inn, which stood from the 17th century on the corner of Islington High Street and Pentonville Road.1 From there Upper Street carries the A1 north to Highbury Corner, where it becomes Holloway Road.2 Upper Street is lined with pubs and restaurants, and in 1870 Dickens counted it among London's noisiest thoroughfares.2

The cafés fill the side streets around it: Camden Passage, Chapel Market, Cross Street and Essex Road. The Royal Agricultural Hall, opened on Upper Street in 1862 by businessmen linked to the Smithfield Show, has been the Business Design Centre since the 1980s.2

Local tip: Chapel Market is closed on Mondays and trades only in the morning on Thursday and Sunday, so come on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday for the full street.4

At a glance

102Cafés listed
14With opening hours
06:30Earliest opening
23:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Angel Inn, from 06:30 (Mon–Fri 06:30–16:00 · Sat 06:30–15:00 · Sun 09:00–15:00).
  • Closes latest: Kipferl Cafe & Kitchen, until 23:00 (Mon–Thu 10:00–22:00 · Fri–Sat 10:00–23:00 · Sun 10:00–19:00).
  • Most listed streets: Upper Street (10), Caledonian Road (7), Chapel Market (6).
  • Most common features: outdoor seating (25%), indoor seating (24%), vegetarian options (7%).

The Barn

  • 60 Holloway Road
  • Mon–Fri 08:00–20:00 · Sat–Sun 09:00–20:00
  • +44 20 3784 8741
  • Vegetarian options
  • Wheelchair access
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Coffee chains in Islington & Angel

Camden Passage

Camden Passage was built in 1767 as an alley behind the houses of Upper Street, then called Islington High Street.3 John Payton founded its antiques market in the 1960s with the Metropolitan Borough of Islington, and it first drew more than 350 traders; its shops and cafés now open seven days a week.3

Frequency, at 13 Camden Passage, opens daily 08:00–23:00. Badiani is at No. 14, Kipferl Cafe & Kitchen at No. 20 and Trampoline at No. 25. On Cross Street, just north, Devotion Coffee is at No. 2.

Chapel Market

Chapel Market, near Angel station, has room for 224 stalls and trades from Tuesday to Sunday, mornings only on Thursday and Sunday.4 It had a branch of M. Manze, the pie and mash shop, until 2019.4 The street's local pub, the Agricultural, recalls Upper Street's past as a livestock route to Smithfield.4

The cafés on the market street are mostly plain ones: Cafe Sizzles at No. 79, Mercer & Co at No. 26A and Millennium at No. 25, with Jaz and Jul's Chocolate House at No. 1.

Pentonville Road, City Road and the canal

The earliest coffee near the station is on St John Street, where a café called Angel Inn, at No. 420, opens at 06:30 Monday to Saturday. Duncan Terrace Cafe at 391 City Road opens at 07:00 on weekdays, and on Pentonville Road Mayvn Cafe at No. 4 and Saint Espresso at No. 26 both open at 07:30. Saint Espresso has a second café at 1 Parkfield Street.

Angel sits on top of the Regent's Canal, which passes under it through the Islington Tunnel, about 880 m long.51 The towpath on either side is a busy commuter cycle route shared with walkers.5

Essex Road, Highbury and Holloway Road

On Essex Road, Dolce Coffee is at No. 48, The Mokapot House at No. 58, Trade at No. 330 (from 07:30 on weekdays) and My Favourite Cafe at No. 310. On Upper Street, which has the most cafés in Islington, Selv Roastery is at No. 116b and Urban Social Coffee at No. 236; Essex Road and Caledonian Road come next. On Holloway Road, The Barn at No. 60 stays open until 20:00 every day, and Vagabond N7 at No. 105 opens at 07:30 on weekdays.

Sources

  1. Angel, London, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  2. Upper Street, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  3. Camden Passage, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  4. Chapel Market, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  5. Regent's Canal, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
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In Islington & Angel, also browse: Specialty coffee Outdoor seating Wi-Fi Bakery cafés Brunch Open late

FAQ

Islington & Angel cafés: questions

When is Chapel Market open in Islington, London?

Chapel Market, near Angel station, trades from Tuesday to Sunday and is closed on Mondays. On Thursday and Sunday it runs in the morning only. The street has room for 224 stalls and had a branch of M. Manze, the pie and mash shop, until 2019.

Where is Camden Passage in Islington, London?

Camden Passage is a pedestrian lane off Upper Street, close to Angel station, built in 1767 as an alley behind the Upper Street houses. Its antiques market was founded in the 1960s by John Payton and once drew more than 350 traders. Frequency at No. 13 opens daily 08:00–23:00, and Badiani, Kipferl and Trampoline are on the same lane.

Where can you get coffee early near Angel station in London?

The café called Angel Inn, at 420 St John Street, opens at 06:30 Monday to Saturday. Duncan Terrace Cafe at 391 City Road opens at 07:00 on weekdays, and on Pentonville Road, Mayvn Cafe at No. 4 and Saint Espresso at No. 26 both open at 07:30.

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