The now Islington Square was originally home to the Islington’s postal sorting office, which was once the pinpoint for all post delivered to North London. Bringing it forward to 2022, Islington Square is still seen as a hub for the local community, offering more than meets the eye.
As we move onto the third part of our “Angel, Islington’s Big Four” series, this one will be welcoming a very new development along Upper Street, which plays host to a great selection of restaurants, be it independent or chain, high-end clothing and beauty stores, and so much more. The complex also holds a number of newly built residential buildings.
The now Islington Square was originally home to the Islington’s postal sorting office, which was once the pinpoint for all post delivered to North London. Bringing it forward to 2022, Islington Square is still seen as a hub for the local community, offering more than meets the eye.
Islington Square also have an integral focus on their sustainability goals and are striving to develop in this way, such as by working to increase their recycling rates and including “green lease provisions” within their commercial leasing. You can find out more about their sustainability policies and goals here.
So now you are familiar with the new shopping and dining destination, let us get straight into what the square brings to Islington…
Shop
Whether it be purely for a window shop of a full-spread haul, Islington Square brings to you the classiest clothing and jewellery stores in the area.
Athropologie combines inspiration from the worlds of fashion, art and entertaining to carefully curate an array of clothing pieces, accessories, home decor and gifts. The brand are committed to introducing biodegradable or similar, non-single plastic packaging, and work hard to maintain a sustainable approach, which falls in line with Islington Square’s sustainability initiatives.
Also ethically conscious, The Wearer displays the work of many timeless jewellery brands, which are built by local designers who are transparent with their production processes. From ethically sourcing stones to utilising recycled components, these designers produce classy pieces which are made to last for many occasions. You can find out more about them here.
One of the many home and garden shopping destinations within Islington Square include The Lounge Co, who display a beautiful range of handcrafted furniture, using only the best fabrics which are pet and eco-friendly. Head down to their showroom within the square to take a glance at their quirky range.
You can view the full range of shops here.
Beauty & Fitness
Third Space provides luxury training through personal trainers and high-end facilities for all to use. The venue accommodates a custom-built track, athletic rig, performance cardio areas, 20m swimming pool, a cycle amphitheatre, and a hot yoga studio that utilises Europe’s only infrared-mirrored panels. Lessons and individual sessions are available, and you can find out more here.
Everyone loves a blow dry now and again, right? Duck & Dry is London’s leading blow dry bar, and the Islington branch specifically provides this service in the most aesthetic of salons. It does not stop there, however. The branch offer fast but high-end manicures and pedicures to your specifications. And there is more; the venue is also a great space for pre-drinks, pampering, and Instagramming! You cannot go wrong. You can find out more about group bookings here.
Dining
While Islington Square has a great list of restaurants, we have to begin with, my personal favourite, Megan’s. The interior is enough to leave you in awe of the venue; with fairy lights galore and a warm atmosphere, the aesthetic is beautiful and is a lovely space to indulge into their Mediterranean-influenced menu, which Timeout described as “filthily delicious”. With bottomless brunch and happy hour options, Megan’s truly does know how to satisfy! Whether it be for a lunch with friends, a mid-event food pit stop, or post-work meal, you are sorted with their everlasting menu.
The square also offers classy and authentic Italian dishes in their family-friendly branch of Prezzo. With 149 restaurants across the UK, they are now here in Islington offering a range of dishes from starters all the way to desserts. The Islington branch was the first to embrace Prezzo’s new energy-efficient kitchen plan, which you can learn more about here, which also aligns with Islington Squares sustainability initiatives.
Combining “Japanese elegance with Middle Eastern creativity”, Jiji is independent restaurant recent and unique to the Islington area, offering a wide selection of sushi, bento boxes, desserts and more, with vegetarian and vegan options to suit all.
Entertainment
Islington Square welcomes all ages, with activities to suit families and groups of friends.
To begin with, Maggie & Rose is a two-story space, which tends to the needs of grown-ups and younger ones, providing a separate area to eat, play, and learn. Whether you would rather chill out or take part in the activities and creative classes, Maggie & Rose is a place for all. The space also offers a nursery where day-care can be provided if necessary.
Additionally, we have every movie-fanatic’s dream – Odeon Luxe & Dine has joined the square, accommodating for six screens each with recliner seats and tables to entertain with a menu of freshly prepared food, whether you are a meat lover, or vegan while being immersed in cinematic experience. So sit back, relax, and enjoy!
Finally, unlike anything in the Islington area, we have New Meta which is a gaming heaven for hard-core gamers and e-sport fans. With the best equipment and PCs to provide a total gaming experience, enjoy their menu of food and drink to keep your competitive levels up while you play. New Meta also provide a space in which future content creators can stream using high-end equipment, providing opportunities to create quality content to build an audience while socialising.
If you are ever in the area and need something to do during the day or post-event, it is most definitely worth heading down to Islington Square and checking out their unique and modern spaces. In addition, Islington Square also play host to a range of events throughout the year, and you can check these out here.
You will never fall short of things to do in Islington. Have a flick back to our previous editions of Angel, Islington’s Big Four and have a read on all there is to do within Angel Central and Camden Passage.
For more information on what’s happening at the venue in the coming months, head to our What’s On page to find out more.
