Welcome

This week we've got 5 Finchley-enabled pizza places - plus a North London Brits winner.

Barnet is a rich and diverse community and is home to over 12,000 residents born in Iran, the largest Iranian community in the UK.

Saturday night in Finchley was party central, awash with celebrations of potential change and peace in Iran. To our neighbours – we support you.

🍕 5 Finchley-friendly Pizza Picks

​BBC Good Food’s London pizza hit-list is a Northern line love letter for Finchley folk — with top picks in easy-reach spots like East Finchley, Kentish Town and Camden.

​1 Yard Sale N2

From a backyard supper club to a 12-strong London pizza crew, Johnnie’s joint has seriously levelled up, with its latest outpost in our very own East Finchley.

Grab a leather booth by the open kitchen and go big: 12- or 18-inch pies with slow-cooked tomato sauce and fior di latte. Expect blistered, crisp-yet-doughy crust (napkins ready). Top picks: TSB, Cour Bimey, Cheesus Walks.

Margherita price: £9.90

70 High Road, East Finchley N2 9PN

2 Berberè Pizza NW5

Step into Berberè in Kentish Town for a buzzy slice of Bologna. This two-storey spot specialises in light, crunchy sourdough pizzas made daily with organic type 1 flour, proofed for 24 hours. Expect classics and seasonal British twists. Don’t miss Yorkshire sausage, or veggie Norma with aubergine, walnut pesto and smoky ricotta.

Margherita price: £10.20

300 Kentish Town Road NW5 2TG

3 Purezza NW1

For the vegans among us the UK’s first 100% vegan pizzeria serves Neapolitan-style pies with seriously convincing flavours. Their plant-based mozzarella took over two years to perfect, made from brown rice milk and free from common allergens. Born in Brighton, now in Camden, it even won National Pizza of the Year.

Margherita price: £13

43 Parkway, NW1 7PN

4 Lamezia N7

Maria Dell’Aquilla is putting her stamp on the family restaurant, serving “progressive Italian” with Calabrian roots. Think familiar flavours, but with a health-conscious twist: hemp and turmeric bases, plus vegan, gluten-free dough and dairy-free cheese options. Dad Franco’s legendary nduja pizza still reigns — a decade on.

Margherita price: £9.90

165 Holloway Road, N7 8LX

5 Fatto Pizza & Beer N1

If you like your pizza pillowy, Fatto A Mano’s new King’s Cross outpost is your shout. Sleek interiors, buzzy vibe, ideal for a quick catch-up. Expect Neapolitan classics plus fun twists: fennel sausage with Neapolitan broccoli, or mortadella topped with a whole burrata. Fresh dough proves 24 hours, then bakes 90 seconds at 450°C.

Margherita price: £11.50

Unit 1, 3 Pancras Sq, N1C 4AG

So if you’re hunting the “best pizza near Finchley” follow your nose (and the Tube) to your next blistered-crust obsession. 🍕

Events

ARTS

From Now

​Summit Ally Pally | East Court Alexandra Palace Alexandra Palace Way N22 7AY | £28 | Perfect for families, friends, and first-time climbers wide-open views across the city. Look out for landmarks, hear stories from the past, and enjoy a bright and breezy walk above one of London’s most iconic buildings.

Wednesday 4th March

​An evening with Dr Miriam Stoppard | Wed, Mar. 4 | 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm | Ann Owens Centre, Oak Lane, N2 8LT. | £5 Donation on the door | Join us for lively Q&A about sex and intimacy in mid life and beyond with doctor, journalist, author and TV presenter Dr Miriam Stoppard. Expect a lively, no‑nonsense discussion, plenty of myth‑busting, and the chance to ask Miriam your own questions. Contact Teresa: 07502 989403 or email.

Saturday 7th March

​​Introduction To Watercolour Painting Workshop | Sat, Mar. 7 | 11:00 am to 12:30 pm | 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.

Wednesday 11th March

​Open Art Studio Winter 2026 (Daytime) | Wed, Mar. 11 | 2:00 pm to | 341-351 Finchley Road, , NW3 6ET | £25 per session | Do you want to explore painting and drawing or develop your skills under expert guidance and tuition? Then this course is for you. Students in the Art Studio class receive technical assistance and mentorship for their personal art projects. Topics include colour, composition, proportions, and the history of art.

THEATRE

Saturday 7th March

​Box Tale Soup: 1984 | Sat, Mar. 7 | 7:30 pm to 9:10 pm | artsdepot | Tickets from £19 | Award-winning Box Tale Soup present a stunning new adaptation of Orwell’s dystopian classic. Known for their ingenious sets and slick storytelling, Box Tale Soup’s unique puppetry becomes a striking metaphor for Orwell’s chilling vision of power and control.

Tuesday 10th March

​artsdepot Youth Theatre | Tue, Mar. 10 | 5:00 pm to | 5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley, N12 0GA | £180 for 18 weeks | An exciting, new opportunity for young people aged 13 - 17 to join the artsdepot Youth Theatre to prepare for the National Theatre Connections Festival 2026.

COMMUNITY

Saturday 7th March

Barnet Churches and Pubs: A Guided Walk | Sat, Mar. 7 | 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm | Meet outside High Barnet tube station. | £15 | The sacred and the profane - looking at 900 years of how the people of Barnet have worshipped...and made merry. With Paul Baker, City of London guide. Email Paul.

Wednesday 11th March

​Nowruz Festival 2026 | Wed, Mar. 11 | 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm | Nowruz Private View & Festival Launch | Free | Join for the private view of three exhibitions and the launch of this year’s Nowruz Festival. Be among the first to see these exhibitions and help us launch the Nowruz Festival, a month-long celebration of Persian New Year featuring exhibitions, talks, a Haft-sin Trail, a bazaar, live music, family events and more.

OLDER PEOPLE

Wednesday 4th March

​Flashback Films | Wed, Mar. 04 | 10:00 am to 12:30 pm | Everyman Barnet, Great N Rd, EN5 1AB | Free | Join for Flashback Films, a relaxed and welcoming dementia-friendly cinema screening at Everyman Barnet. It’s a lovely experience for people living with dementia and a great way for families and loved ones to enjoy a film together. Everyone is welcome, and all tickets are free.

NATURE

Saturday 7th February

​Chipping Barnet Town Team Litter Pick | Sat, Feb. 07 | 10:00 am to 2:00 pm | 111 High St, EN5 5XY next to cakes | Free | Whether you can spare 30 minutes or the full four hours, drop in at any time during the event and stay for as long as you are able. Barnet Residents Association will provide litter pickers and rubbish bags provided by the London Borough of Barnet.

Events - Book Ahead

Saturday 28th March

​LNHS Survey - Hampstead Heath Molluscs | Sat, Mar. 28 | 10:30 am | Hampstead Heath Overground, NW3 | Free | Are you interested in going into more depth about nature on Hampstead Heath? The London Natural History Society (LNHS) run free regular, detailed, ecological surveys and nature walks on Hampstead Heath. This survey will focus on molluscs in Hampstead Heath, and will be run by Tom Walker and other members of the Conchological Society.

Sunday 29th March

​Songs of the Elements: EarthE | Sun, Mar. 29 | 7:00 pm to 9:15 pm | NWRS Alyth Gardens, NW11 7EN | £20 (students and under-18s Free) | A fascinating programme of choral masterpieces and lesser-known gems grouped to focus on the Earth, which nurtures us, gives us food, reflects our feelings and also cradles us in burial. Alyth Choral Society is directed by Alison Smart Fisher with Tim Hooper (piano).

Saturday 9th May

​Historic Homes of Hampstead Village Guided Walking Tour | Sat, May. 9 | 11:00 am to 12:30 pm | Burgh House (meet guide outside) New End Square, NW3 1LT | £21 | Join our knowledgeable guide on this walking tour to learn more about the people and buildings that have shaped Hampstead, where you will be introduced to a selection of the area’s finest architects'.

Local Lowdown

Brewing

• Pint-sized victory. North Finchley’s own London Brewing Company has taken the crown for CAMRA’s Winter Beer of Britain with its amber rye bitter, Beer Street. Born in Highgate, this local legend is now brewed at The Bohemia on Tally Ho Corner. It’s heading to Cambridge for the Supreme Champion showdown in May.

Vaccinating

• ​Measles is making a comeback. Cases are climbing across London, with nearby Enfield hit hardest. Most infections are in unvaccinated kids. Two free NHS MMR jabs protect against measles, mumps, and rubella—no age limit applies. Check your child’s records or find a local catch-up clinic.

Reopening

• A fresh twist on history. The grand old Victorian villa on Loudoun Road in St John's Wood, that once housed Café Med, just reopened as Cent Anni, a sleek Italian restaurant. Look forward to handmade pasta, fine wine, and a shiny new terrace where The Blenheim Hotel used to be.

Towering

• A 16‑storey, 106‑flat block is proposed for the Tally Ho are, with only five 3‑bed homes, limited play space, no on‑site parking and four blue badge bays. Concerns raised include scale, wind, air quality and impact on local businesses. Have your say by checking the plans and submitting comments to Barnet Council.

Collecting

• Little helpers, big hearts. East Finchley students are teaming up with Sebby’s Corner for their “Little Needs, Big Impact” campaign tackling child poverty. Drop off baby essentials like nappies, wipes, and formula at spots along East Finchley High Road - including the Phoenix Cinema. Follow their journey on Instagram to support a great cause.

The Finchleyite: Olivia Dean

​Olivia Dean - 26 year old singer songwriter – swept the board at Saturday night’s 2026 Brit awards. She won four awards including artist, song and album of the year.

Born in nearby Haringey, her grandmother came to the UK from Guyana as part of the Windrush generation.

Her middle name, Lauryn is after Lauryn Hill and is cousin to Ashley Walters of So Solid Crew.

Growing up mixed-race in Highams Park, she sometimes felt “other” but music was constant at home, from Jill Scott to Carole King. Shy but determined, she sang early, joined choir and theatre, and later commuted to BRIT School, switching from musical theatre to songwriting and piano.

She’s put out two studio albums – Messy and The Art of Loving - five EPS and 28 singles.

Dean describes herself as "a very strong feminist". In 2020, her mum Christine Dean became the deputy leader of the Women's Equality Party, the first black deputy leader of a political party in Europe.

Editors' Note - From Tessa

We are all settling back into Finchley after spending half-term in Witney.

Extended family trip including dogs.

Great walks, lots of board games, very relaxing.

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.

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

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

Tessa Davis Sasha Frieze