Queen's Park is, luckily, one of my favourite neighbourhoods to spend a Sunday morning in. I say this because I live in Queen's Park and so spend many a morning here, I feel really lucky to love the neighbourhood I've chosen. I live in one of the many pastel houses that abound in the neighbourhood, particularly in the tiny residential streets between Salisbury Road (the high street) and Kilburn High Road. There's all manner of colourful houses and gardens, as well as an unusual number of ornate door knockers. My favourite find so far is a stork. It's a decidedly residential part of town, with just enough cute shops and restaurants to poke around, but not so many that the tourists find their way out here.Bakeries & CoffeeGail's is one of our favourite bakeries in London. I remember Cierra introducing me to Gail's when I first moved here and I've been a big fan of their hot chocolate, sourdough bread, and gruyere chives scones ever since. I pop in at least once a week when I'm working from home for a bit of a change of scenery and a delicious sandwich to get me through the day!Dark Habit is the local coffee shop in Queen's Park and they definitely know what they're doing. On days I'm too tired to concentrate I'll come here for a latte and to get some work done.Milk Beach Cafe, while this place is actually a brunch option and will be opening as a wine bar in the future, its main appeal to me is the really well sourced coffee. I'm very excited to have another local coffee option when my mom next comes to visit. It doesn't hurt that the space is adorable and it's on one of my favourite streets in Queen's Park.
Pubs & RestaurantsAlice House is a great local pub on Salisbury Road and apart from having a cute space filled with books in the back of the pub that serves as a lovely space to meet for a drink, they also do a pretty good breakfast. There's loads of healthy and veggie options, which is ideal for me!Bob's Cafe is another great option, everyone I've ever taken here has really enjoyed it. In the summer months they open up the glass doors at the front of the restaurant for some outdoor dining, which is always fun. Most importantly though, they have a Falafel & Halloumi Burger that is truly next level.There's really too many places to list in detail, so a few other gems in the area include Ostuni, the Salusbury Food Store, and Hugo's. Places to ShopQueen's Park Book Shop is a really lovely little local bookshop. I make sure to go in every few weeks and ask one of the women manning the shop to recommend a book. For me or a new children's book for Clementine, whatever genre or topic I'm looking for they have a great recommendation. I love a good bookshop and the folks working here really know their stuff!Iris is a cute little boutique shop that's just the most fun to poke around. They always have the cutest stuff and even carry some children's clothes, which is much more fun now that I can shop with my niece in mind!
Activities to EnjoyThe Queen's Park Farmers Market is on every Sunday from 10:00-14:00 and I find myself wandering around every Sunday, ready to try something new. So far my favourites are the organic fruit & veg stalls, the bakery stall that sells salted caramel brownies, and the flowers. I like to bring a tote and just buy whatever local produce, baked goods, and other items catch my eye (fresh apple juice usually ranks pretty high on my list). Queen's Park (& the Petting Zoo) are also pretty high up on my list of places to visit. The petting zoo has a couple of goats, which is always fun to see in the middle of a huge city like London. The park has a figure eight shape which is great for running and even has a small splash pad for kids if you have any! It's a really lovely little park and there's a tiny little section of trail at one end that is dirt packed and when I go very early or late I sometimes stop there to take a breath and pretend I'm in nature, away from the noise & hustle of London.Hopefully this list has given you a few ideas of places to check out in Queen's Park!
