Map
of Chalk Farm and Primrose Hill locations, and part
2 of the map
Chalk Farm has of late been eclipsed by its fashionable neighbour, Primrose Hill,
and its promiscuous goings-on, but the revival of the historic arts venue
that once hosted The Rolling Stones and The Doors, will put the area back on
the map.
After 23 years of on/off closures and latterly, a £30 million facelift,
the Roundhouse is finally reopening. The iconic venue has
an increased capacity for 5,000 people and is planning a series of extrovert
performances such as Fuerzabruta, which runs until July 30. The show is
billed as a dreamy spectacular, and comes with warnings of powerful music,
strobe lighting, nudity, and lots of water.
If the adventurous billing has the desired effect of attracting the sort of crowds
that came to see the likes of the Stones and The Doors in the 1960s and 1970s,
it could breath new life into Chalk Farm. For those venturing to NW3, here's
a guide to where to eat, drink and shop in the area…
The buzz
Less then five minute's from Chalk Farm station, which has Regent's Park to the
south and Hampstead to the north, and you're in the place Lonely Planet
calls: "The closest London gets to Paris". Every day is like a weekend
on Primrose Hill's Regent's Park Road, with cafes full of chattering customers
and boutiques busy with browsers.
Whether it's young mums, strapped into their FrostFrench papoose's or 30-something's
wearing Matthew Williamson and Marni on a Monday morning, this place is
crawling with "the beautiful ones", many of whom catwalk for a
living - the HQ of Select model agency, which discovered Helena Christensen
and Stella Tennant, is based near Chalk Farm. The good news for visitors is,
serving this attractive clan with their daily needs is a half-mile square
smattered with high-end boutiques, pamper houses and eateries.
Where to eat
The typical Primrose Hillian's day starts with a coffee, or more likely a skinny
latté at neighbouring coffee shops on Regent's Park Road: Cachao
(020 7483 4411) and Primrose Patisserie (020 7722 7848).
The former serves crepes that a Frenchman wouldn't scoff at, while the
latter does great pastries and sandwiches.
With the sort of figures that sashay about Chalk Farm and Primrose Hill it's hard
to believe these people actually eat. If not they spend a lot of time posing
in restaurants. One of the most popular is Lemonia (020
7586 7454) on Regent's Park Road, which serves fresh Mediterranean food to a
bustling floor of elbow-to-elbow tables that spill onto the pavement on balmy
evenings. Odette's (020 7586 5486) is an elegant wine bar
across the street, decorated by gilt edged mirrors and beautifully candlelit
at night. Dining on a whole different level is offered at Marine Ices
(020 7482 9003) opposite Chalk Farm station. It's an old-fashioned ice cream
parlour, and family-run pizza and pasta restaurant that serves the best
sundaes in London.
Where to shop
You won't find familiar high-street labels here, but there's plenty to flex the
plastic over. Miss Lala's Boudoir (020 7483 1888), on Gloucester
Avenue, is "a dressing up box for big girls", selling tongue-in-cheek
lingerie, cashmere cardies, pretty t-shirts and tutu's. On Regent's Park
Road Anna sells clothes that are somewhere between
fashionable and classic and fit women larger than a size eight. It also has
outlets in the sort of places Primrose Hill girls might spend a weekend,
like Norfolk's Burnham Market.
A few doors down is Spice Shoes a contemporary shoe shop that's
been in Primrose Hill for 20 years and whose wares regularly grace the pages
of fashion mags. For the perfect outfit to complete your mint peep-toe heels,
there's Pamela Shiffer (020 7483 4483) and Studio 8
(020 7449 0616), which between them cover any further wardrobe requirements.
Back towards Chalk Farm is Modern Age Vintage Clothing (020 7482
3787), which looks like the wardrobe department for Austin Powers. It hires
and sells psychedelic clothes and accessories and is a hint of what's to come
for those who venture down Chalk Farm Road into Camden, with its markets attracting
Goths, punks and skulking teenagers.
Get in shape
Respite from shopping comes from serene havens like Shengaia, an
elegant apothecary and day spa on Erskine Road. Its regular clients pop in to
collect bespoke body oils and perhaps a spot of detox after too many lychee martinis
at the weekend. The detoxifying leg treatment (£50 for 45 mins) is particularly
popular to buff away hints of the dreaded orange peel effect. Holistic
treatments, such as reflexology and reiki are offered at Triyoga
on Erskine Road. There's every yoga imaginable, from Astanga and pregnancy yoga
to a class for little Apple/Tingerlily/Phoenix Chi who can join the age 5-8
or 9-11 sessions. The centre's Little Earth Café, serving raw food, is also
on hand should you run out of celery and alfalfa sprouts at home.
Alternatively, you could stretch your muscles for free, with a stroll up the gentle
slopes of Primrose Hill, rewarded by glorious views over London. This is
where celebrity pooches get their daily constitutionals - when they're not shopping
at Primrose Hill Pets on Regent's Street Road.
Where to drink
A few doors down from Marine Ices on Chalk Farm Road is The Enterprise
(020 7485 2659), a friendly boozer that has gigs upstairs and serves extraordinary
ales and ciders, or shooters like Squashed Frog, a killer combination of
Midori, Advocat and grenadine. Further down Chalk Farm Road, Bartok
has a more sultry, trendy interior and dishes up an eclectic calender of
live classical music - a refreshing alternative to monotonous bar beats.
Competing for the gastropub crowd - although there's plenty of punters to go around
- is The Lansdowne (020 7483 0409) and The Engineer
(020 772 0950), both on Gloucester Avenue. Chris Evans, Sacha Baron Cohen,
and Chris Moyles are among the many celebrities spotted at these haunts. The
food at both is excellent; the tricky part is grabbing a table.
