Work well. Then go outside. Your summer guide to Highbury & Islington

Summer in North London is something else entirely. The streets soften. Highbury Fields in its full green. Upper Street buzzes late into the evening. And somehow, even the commute feels lighter when the sun is out. Here’s how to spend a brilliant summer day working and exploring in Highbury & Islington.

Morning: Start the day right

The best summer mornings in Highbury begin before the city quite wakes up. Walk or cycle to the office – Uncommon Highbury has secure bike storage and showers, so arriving on two wheels is genuinely practical, not aspirational. But before you settle in…It’s coffee time!

Islington’s café scene is one of North London’s quiet triumphs. Redemption Roasters on Islington High Street has become something of an institution – home-roasted beans, proper espresso technique, and a set of values that make the flat white taste even better. It’s the kind of place that reminds you why working independently beats an anonymous corporate campus.

Or swing by Profile on Highbury Park, Highbury’s beloved specialty coffee shop, just a short walk from the office. London’s first café to brew La Cabra coffee through a dedicated reverse osmosis water filtration system, they take their coffee seriously without taking themselves too seriously. The avocado toast is Maldon salt-sponsored, there might be a dog within arm’s reach, and the seasonal bakes are worth arriving early for. Grab something from the counter, be at your desk while the city is still stretching, and you’ll already be ahead of the day.

Lunchtime: Step outside

One of the genuine privileges of working from Highbury is what’s outside your front door. Summer lunchtimes here aren’t an afterthought – they’re an event.

• Highbury Fields. At nearly 29 acres, Highbury Fields is the largest park in the Borough of Islington and one of North London’s finest green spaces. In summer, the meadows fill up with picnic blankets, the tennis courts are busy from mid-morning, and the tree-lined paths offer exactly the kind of lunchtime reset that no amount of desk stretching can replicate. Five minutes’ walk from the office, it’s the reason so many Uncommon members say they feel genuinely refreshed in the afternoon.

• Upper Street. If Highbury Fields is North London’s green lung, Upper Street is its heartbeat. In summer, the pavement tables come out, the bars and restaurants spill onto the street, and the whole stretch between Angel and Highbury Corner becomes something approaching a continental afternoon. Whether you want a quick salad or a sit-down team lunch, Upper Street delivers.

• Zia Lucia on Holloway Road is a genuine North London institution – voted 33rd best pizza in the world by 50TopPizza, with four types of 48-hour slow-fermented dough (including the famous black charcoal base) fired in a hand-crafted Neapolitan oven.

• Sambal Shiok on Holloway Road is one of London’s most celebrated Malaysian restaurants, built on chef-owner Mandy Yin’s legendary laksa. The laksa is great, but so are all the other dishes, and the Riesling-focused wine list makes it one of the more surprising and satisfying lunch spots in N7.

• Trullo on St Paul’s Road has been the quiet jewel of Islington’s dining scene since 2010,  from the same people behind Padella, it offers a simple, seasonally focused, Italian-inspired menu that changes daily, with handmade pasta and charcoal-grilled mains that reward anyone who books ahead.

Afternoon: Explore the neighbourhood

The beauty of flexible working is that your afternoon doesn’t have to look the same as your morning. Uncommon Highbury offers quiet zones, collaborative open areas, phone booths and outdoor space, so whether you need focused heads-down concentration or an energising change of scene, the space bends to your rhythm.

But if you’re ahead of your work and the sun is still up (and in summer, it will be) here’s what’s on your doorstep:

• Emirates Stadium Tour. Even non-Arsenal fans find the Emirates Stadium tour genuinely impressive – and the Thierry Henry statue out front is one of London’s most photographed landmarks.

• Estorick Collection. North London’s finest small gallery, dedicated to Italian art. A quiet, beautiful space, perfect for a late-afternoon cultural reset.

• Screen on the Green. Angel’s much-loved independent cinema shows new releases, cult classics and occasional outdoor screenings.

• Regent’s Canal Walk. Head south and you’re on Regent’s Canal in minutes – flat, shaded towpath walking to King’s Cross or Victoria Park, ice cream strongly recommended.

Evening: The neighbourhood comes alive

Summer evenings in Islington are some of the finest in London. Upper Street doesn’t slow down, it shifts gears. The restaurants fill up, the pub gardens operate at peak contentment, and the whole neighbourhood seems to remember why urban living, done well, is unbeatable.

Uncommon itself hosts evening events for members – Thursday drinks, Friday breakfast, and wellness classes – so your social life and your professional network can grow together. The outdoor terrace is a genuine summer bonus: a tucked-away courtyard that becomes the best-kept secret in N5 when the weather cooperates. BBQs. Drinks. The kind of spontaneous conversations that lead to collaborations you didn’t see coming.

Ready to work from the best space in North London?

If you’ve been searching for coworking space in Highbury, a private office near Islington, or simply the most inspiring flexible workspace in North London, your search ends at 25 Horsell Road.

Uncommon Highbury is more than a place to open a laptop. It’s a community of ambitious freelancers, creative founders and growing teams. In a converted bookbinding factory with a famous yellow door, surrounded by plants, filled with light, minutes from Highbury Fields and a key public transport links – this is what great work feels like. Come and see it for yourself. Book a tour for a Private Office or grab a Day Pass and experience Uncommon for a day.