Welcome

Got a great list of local fry-ups for the cold weather, and some cool half-term ideas for those venturing out of Finchley.

🍳 10 Fantastic Finchley Fry-ups

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When the weather turns properly cold, nothing hits like a hot, hearty breakfast to warm you up from the inside out. If your weekend needs rescuing with a fry-up (meaty, veggie, or vegan), here are the local spots worth rolling out of bed for.

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We've scoured the internet, Facebook Groups and read all the reviews for you. We’ve got you covered.

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​Tasties N3. Local institution, second-generation owner. Good food, good atmosphere.

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Boulangerie Bon Matin N3. next door to Tesco - halal friendly a range of cooked breakfast options including Eggs Benedict. Friendly and welcoming team.

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​Dan and Decarlo N2. Great choice of a Full English, Full Veggie, or Barts Breakfast.

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Egg and Bake N2/ Reviews say it's a lovely place for coffee or lunch, with chilled service.

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Cup of Joy N2. Reviews call it a friendly and welcoming cafe, and people really like the Turkish breakfast.

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​Casa Pepe N2. Reviews love the breakfast baps, and it’s much lauded on a Facebook thread about fry-ups.

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​Boulangerie Joie de Vie N12. Part of a micro-chain, with a great patisserie and breakfasts. Also in Temple Fortune, NW11.

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Delights N12 An enourmous menu to choose from. Lots of veggie options, sourdough, and eggs. Lots of eggs.

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​Hole in the Wall Cafe N12. Just past Whetstone. Great reviews online - a rare 5. Kevin and the team deliver great food, friendly staff, and good value.

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Bells Hill Cafe Barnet EN5. A Barnet addition - rated in FB threads, but limited reviews. If you're hyperlocal, check it out.

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So there you have it. Great breakfast choices, whichever bit of Finchley or Greater Finchley you live in. 🍳

Events

ARTS

Saturday 7th February

Dickens in North London: a Birthday Walk | Sat, Feb. 7 | 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm | Meet at High Barnet tube station | £15, £5 under 12s | On his 214th birthday, we explore the many Dickens connections with Barnet, Finchley, Highgate, Hampstead and North London in his life and work. With Paul Baker, City of London guide. Email Paul.

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​Introduction To Watercolour Workshop | Sat, Feb. 7 | 3:30 am to 5:00 am | Clitterhouse Farm, Claremont Rd, NW2 1AP | Adult Tickets (aged 14 and above) £15. Children's Tickets at £10 | Pop over to the beautiful Clitterhouse gardens and join local artist, Janine for a laid back Saturday afternoon watercolour workshop. You will learn how to produce different effects with watercolour, such as layering colours and blending.

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Wednesday 11th February

​A Lifetime of Painting - The Art of J.E. Pipkin (1945–2023) Exhibition Launch | Wed, Feb. 11 | 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm | Lauderdale House, Highgate Hill, N6 5HG | Free | Enjoy a sample of the creative masterpieces of the late Jim Pipkin, raise a free glass to his lifetime of painting.

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COMMUNITY

Saturday 7th February

​Kombucha Workshop | Sat, Feb. 07 | 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm | Our Yard at Clitterhouse Farm, Claremont, NW2 1AP | £54.88 | Are you tired of the same old flavours in the supermarkets? Do you yearn for that delicious sip that just hits the spot? Join Food Therapist Lisa for an exciting and interactive Kombucha Workshop where you'll learn how to make your own delicious and healthy Kombucha at home.

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Tuesday 10th February

​Barnet and Southgate - Apprenticeship Open Event | Tue, Feb. 10 | 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm | Wood Street Campus, Wood Street, EN4 5AZ | Free | Join at Barnet campus for it's National Apprenticeship week open event to meet our team, speak to Current/alumni students and employers. The agenda will be sent out to you once you have booked a ticket.

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MUSIC

Sunday 8th February

​Pluck, Bow And Blow: Meet The Baroque Band | Sun, Feb. 8 | 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm | St Mary-at-Finchley Parish Church, 26 Hendon Lane, N3 1TR | Entry is free, retiring collection for St Mary-at-Finchley Church and Churchyard Appeal | Prize-winning Obsidian Baroque ensemble plays a selection of music by Telemann, Albinoni, Lully, and will talk about the historical instruments they are playing.

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Thursday 12th February

​Will Allen | Thu, Feb. 12 | 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Green Note, 106 Parkway, NW1 7AN | £14 | Will Allen is a renowned melodeon and fiddle player from Kent. A prolific and soulful musician largely inspired by the music of Southern England, West Kerry and Quebec.

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SPORT

Wednesday 4th February

​Wednesday Evening Indoor Bowling | Wed, Feb. 04 | 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm | £6 - £10 | Free | Glebelands Indoor Bowls Club is a hidden gem in Finchley that has been bringing its members together to play bowls for 35 years and is now opening its doors to the public on Wednesday evenings for two hours of indoor lawn bowling.

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OLDER PEOPLE

Wednesday 11th February

SCAMS TALK: Beware of Blessing Scam! | Wed, Feb. 11 | 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm | Grahame Park Community Centre, NW9 5UY | Free | Learn how to spot and avoid this scam that targets older Chinese women. Register via email.

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NATURE

Saturday 7th February

​LNHS Walk - Hampstead Heath Bryophytes | Sat, Feb. 07 | 10:30 am to 3:00 pm | Hampstead Heath Overground NW3 | Free | This walk is in partnership with the London Bryophyte Group, and will focus on the bryophytes found on Hampstead Heath. The walk is hosted by Jeff Ducket.

Events - Book Ahead

Sunday 22nd March

​Barnet Symphony Orchestra Spring Concert | Sun, Mar. 22 | 7:00 pm to 9:15 pm | St John's Church, Friern Barnet Road, N11 3EQ | £15 | The orchestra is Playing Brahms' Symphony no. 4, a profound masterpiece blending classical structure with intense romanticism. Its four movements showcase deep emotional struggle and intricate development, culminating in a powerful passacaglia finale (variations over a repeating bass line) inspired by Bach,.

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Wednesday 1st April

​Lamb Bottle Feeding - Adult Evening Sessions | Wed, Apr. 01 | to | Lewis of London, Fold Farm, Galley Lane, EN5 4RA | £17.49 | Come and feed the adorable lambs this spring then help put them to bed at this special evening session for adults. You will begin this intimate 30 minute experience with our team telling you about the lambs and how to feed them. You will then be introduced to your lamb and the staff will be on hand to assist and guide you during the feeding.

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Saturday 2nd May

​The 3rd Japanese Sakura Fair | Sat, May. 02 | 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm | 6 Hendon Avenue N3 1UE | £3.50 | On May 2, 2026 (Sat), the third cherry blossom festival sponsored by Nakayoshi Kai will be held. Come and enjoy delicious Japanese food, beautiful traditional accessories, children’s clothing, and classic Japanese games such as Kendama, Otedama, and super ball scooping.

Local Lowdown

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Splashing

• Bed, then breaststroke. Hampstead’s Lavender House, once named one of the world’s most beautiful homes, is on sale for £10 million. Imagine modern Crystal Palace vibes: glass walls, a retractable roof, three gardens, a gym, and a glass swimming pool that begins right at the end of your bed.

Poeting

• Rhyme time for a cause. Sai Rushil Manchiraju, 13, from Queen Elizabeth’s Boys’ School, has joined five friends to start a poetry competition. They aim to raise funds for Wings of Hope. Their group, Team SAROYA, hopes their verses help bring education to children in India and Sierra Leone through the WOHAA programme.

Remembering

• Barnet gathered at Middlesex University for Holocaust Memorial Day. Survivors and descendants shared moving stories, including Emily Cass’s tale of her mother’s wartime escape. This year’s theme, Bridging Generations, reminds us that remembrance is a shared duty for the future.

Frothing

• A frothy dispute brews as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer steps into the Hampstead Heath cafés row. Locals - plus celebs like Benedict Cumberbatch - are backing Parliament Hill and Lido café owners after their leases went to Aussie chain Daisy Green. More than 20,000 have signed to keep things independent.

Interrupting

• A sparrowhawk briefly interrupted the Big Garden Bird Watch at Barnet Environment Centre on Byng Road. It scared away the smaller birds, but they soon returned to the feeders. In the hour-long count, 13 species were spotted. These included great tits, fieldfares, a redwing, a goldfinch, parakeets, and a great spotted woodpecker.

Head out of Finchley This Half-Term

February half-term is coming up: here’s a handful of kid-friendly activities worth leaving Finchley for.

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· The annual Imagine Children's Festival is back at Southbank Centre 11-21 February 2026

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· The Charles Dickens Museum throws A Party For Charles: a birthday party aimed at families with children aged five to eight 19-20 February 2026

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· Take the kids inside the world of Janet and Allan Ahlberg's children's book The Jolly Postman, at the Postal Museum. 14 February 2026-January 2027

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· Last chance to see the National Theatre's smash hit Ballet Shoes. Age seven+. Until 21 February 2026

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· Family-friendly, gender norm-defying dance show TUTU pirouettes into the Peacock Theatre, featuring an all-male cast of six dancers decked out in flamboyant costumes. Age five+. 11-21 February 2026

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And two free activities:

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The National Portrait Gallery holds a free, drop-in family day, centred around current exhibition Lucian Freud: Drawing into Painting. ages three+ 17 February 2026

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In Leicester Square, turn a free family hour into a bronze movie-star hunt - just translate Gene Kelly and Laurel and Hardy while Paddington Bear, Bugs Bunny and Mary Poppins do the heavy lifting.

Editors' Note - From Tessa

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Had a friend visiting from Sydney this week whose chosen show was The Devil Wears Prada.

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Turned out to be excellent - great costumes, catchy tunes, and a fab cast.

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Check it out if you can.

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Also, let us know about local events or local news. We curate our content to keep it a 5-minute read, so can't include everything we're sent.

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You can now get a guaranteed (paid) listing for local events or local lowdown/news items.

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​And email us with any projects or ideas you'd like us to write about.

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Tessa Davis Sasha Frieze