Area Guide: Whetstone, North London

31 Oct Area Guide: Whetstone, North London

Whetstone is an area in London located in the Northwest London Borough of Barnet, East of Totteridge and West of East Barnet. It offers a range of different amenities, including beautiful parks and wonderful restaurants, office spaces, business premises and bars. It also has great shopping facilities and easy access into the rest of London, with a tube station on the Northern Line.

It has been claimed that during the medieval period, Hospitallers held a settlement close to the area, moving further west after the Bishop of London opened a gate (the Highgate) into his park/hunting estate. This settlement was then known as West Town, and is thought to be where the Whetstone name originated from.

There are many other theories on where the Whetstone name originated from, including the legend from the 15^th Century Wars of the Roses. During this time, soldiers camped in the Whetstone area whilst travelling to the Battle of Barnet. These soldiers used “whet-stone’ to help keep their weapons sharp.

However the Whetstone name came to be, it is now a thriving area offering a host of fantastic facilities and shops, offices for businesses and many other amenities for both residents and visitors alike.

Eating in Whetstone

Whetstone offers a range of different eateries, from independent cafes to popular chain restaurants. The area offers a variety of cuisines, including Italian, Indian, and traditional British pub grub. Some of the many popular restaurants within this area include the following:

• Angelo’s Italian Eating Place – an authentic, family-run Italian restaurant that offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and also take away options
• Haven Bistro & Bar – a bistro and bar in Whetstone that offers international and Mediterranean cuisine. The eatery also holds a Certificate of Excellence Winner from TripAdvisor
• Carpe Diem Bistro – a café/restaurant offering up Mediterranean, European and British cuisines, this eatery provides breakfast, brunch and lunch options, and is also a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence winner
• Bayleaf – a restaurant offering incredible Indian cuisine, that is also a TripAdvisor Certificate Excellence winner. Bayleaf has also won the Arta 2018 North London Best Restaurant and Takeaway
• The Griffin – a fantastic local pub with 6 screens for sports matches, traditional pub grub and a beautiful garden to sit out in when the weather gets nice

These places all hold reviews on Google and TripAdvisor of 4 stars and above, and can be a great location for both locals and those just visiting the area.

Business Premises and Offices in Whetstone

Alongside the various pubs and bars that the area has to offer, there are also a variety of serviced offices in Whetstone, which are inhabited and utilised by various businesses. Furthermore, as with most UK high streets, as premises become vacated, there is regular demand for many of the commercial and retail premises also available.

Nightlife in Whetstone

Whetstone also has some great bars and pubs. Aside from the previously mentioned Haven Bistro & Bar and The Griffin, Whetstone also holds The Three Horseshoes, El Vaquero and Maya Lounge. These three places also offer food. Whetstone is also connected to the Northern Line tube station, and only takes half an hour to get into such buzzing nightlife areas as Leicester Square and Soho. The Northern Line is part of the five tube lines that run 24 hours of the day on Fridays and Saturdays.

Shopping in Whetstone

Whetstone also has a good range of different supermarkets. The place holds an M&S, a Waitrose, and a SPAR in addition to a Whetstone Mini Supermarket and a Nature’s Nest.

Whetstone has a variety of options when it comes to clothes shopping too, with a few select boutiques offering eveningwear, menswear, footwear and more. The Whetstone area is also well served by public transport and it is well connected to the rest of the city by the Northern Line underground line. For locals and workers in Whetstone, getting to Oxford Circus takes a little over half an hour, making its location nothing short of superb.

Also available for commuters and those looking to travel in and out of Whetstone is Oakleigh Park Station where you can pick up a train into Kings Cross, taking under 25 minutes to get there.

Living in Whetstone

For those considering moving to Whetstone, the area has schools from primary to secondary to sixth form. The area is also greatly connected to the city centre, the tube station running through the northern line, with workers being able to commute to and from the city centre in half an hour (one way).

The average rental price in Whetstone (according to Foxtons) is £410 per week. This is 46.2% below the London Average, which Foxtons states is £763 per week. The average property price in Whetstone is £673,759, this being 13.4% above the £594,400 London Average.

Whetstone also has two lovely parks within its area; these being Friary and Bethune park. Friary park holds a playground, a bowling green, tennis courts a skatepark, a café and an even an outdoor gym in addition to beautiful greenery to walk through. Bethune park holds a large nature reserve, a playground, a tennis and basketball court.