CODE Neighbourhoods: Ed McIlroy’s Highbury

Ed McIlroy launched Four Legs as a residency at the Compton Arms in Islington in 2019, before settling it into its forever home at The Plimsoll in Finsbury Park in 2021, where it attracts a cool crowd with its famous Dexter cheeseburger, its mesmerising David Mitchell painting and perfect pints of Guinness.

“We were a residency in a pub space so it just felt sort of like natural progression to go from pub to pub. I just saw a slight opportunity there,” says McIlroy. “There’s some real heavy-hitters that led the way for us, places like The Eagle in Farringdon and The Anchor and Hope in Waterloo. We thought we could bring something new to that gastropub scene with the style of cooking we were doing, this sort of bistro menu. We found this place in Covid and just fell in love with it basically. That was it.”

Since then, McIlroy has redoubled his commitment to Finsbury Park, with the opening of a follow-up, Tollington’s, a Spanish-inspired seafood bar set inside a 1970s chippy, still with its stainless steel counters, in 2024. You can find both of the venues on the CODE app.

For CODE Neighbourhoods, McIlroy, a proud local resident and owner-operator, shares his favourite addresses to eat, drink, shop, and hang out in and around Highbury, Finsbury Park and Crouch End.

CODE OFFER: 25% off total bill at Tollington’s on Fridays and Sundays, from 12pm to 4pm, and 25% off total bill at The Plimsoll on Thursdays, from 12pm to 4pm.

Tollington’s, 172 Tollington Park, London, N4 3AJ, @tollingtons.fishbar

The Plimsoll, 52 St Thomas’s Road, London, N4 2QW, @the.plimsoll

Where to Eat

Little Sardinia

An amazing place on Blackstock Road. It seats about 30 or 35. It’s always got three staff: one chef, two front of house. I don’t know if I’ll ever be in a position where I’ve got something that’s that well-oiled.

170 Blackstock Road, London, N5 1HA, @littlesardegna

Taste of Goa

This is the local curry place that I use. They do properly made curry so if you ask for it to be hot, it’s hot. The guy that runs it, I swear, it’s the best handshake I’ve ever had in London. Every time you go in, after the first time I went, he knows you. He wants to welcome you back.

11 Crouch Hill, London, N4 4AP, tasteofgoatakeaway.co.uk

Hiden

A Japanese curry spot on Stroud Green Road serving chicken katsu, sandos, donburi and coffee. There’s a second branch at Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross.

53 Stroud Green Road, London, N4 3EF, hidencurry.com

Mediterranean Café 

“You could spend the day eating at the different places on Blackstock Road. They’re full of the nicest, most welcoming local business owners. The mixed offal sandwich at Mediterranean Café is actually amazing.”

49 Blackstock Road, London N4 2JF

The Park Tavern

“If you’re trying to find me, I’ll be in The Park Tavern, truly my happy place. I love these kinds of pubs that are wet-led, old school and full of regulars. I drink there a lot because it’s next to my house as well, quite dangerously.”

164 Tollington Park, London N4 3AD, @theparktavernpub

The Robin, Ale & Cider House

“They do really good food. It’s kind of Spanish-ish and delicious, really, really affordable. It’s owned by Nick, who’s also got the Mary Wollstonecraft that’s just opened on Church Street, Stoke Newington. His curation of beers is really good.”

29 Crouch Hill, London, N4 4AP, therobinlondon.com

Mereme

“A new coffee spot, run by a young couple that have just been like, “let’s do our own thing”. They’ve got beautiful coffees, really nice design – it’s all sort of DIY much the way our stuff is. They’re looking to do thing like getting mates to come in and cook or having DJs, all the kind of things people enjoy.”

152 Tollington Park, London, N4 3AD, @meremecafe

N4 Coffee Fruit

“I’ve used the same coffee shop the whole time I’ve been in Finsbury Park. It’s on this little parade that’s set back from the road. It’s a daily ritual. I’ve got a coffee machine in my house which I have a little espresso from. But it’s this thing of wanting to support local businesses and use local services. They have the happiest team and the coffee is amazing, way better than anything I could make at home.”

19 Stroud Green Road, London, N4 3SG, @n4coffeefruitn4

Where to shop

Dunn’s

A local bakers and confectioners in Crouch End that goes back over 200 years and is now run by a sixth generation baker. A great place to stop by for a sausage roll, a doughnut or a fruit flan. There’s a second branch in Muswell Hill.

6 The Broadway, London, N8 9SN, @dunnsbakery

Audio Gold

“To me, Audio Gold in Muswell Hill is the best hi fi store in London. It sells a mix of really well curated records as well as beautiful old restored vintage hi fi stuff.”

308-310 Park Rd, London, N8 8LA, audiogold.co.uk

Stroud Green Farmers’ Market

“Every Sunday in a schoolyard opposite the Faltering Fullback pub. You can buy Fosse Meadows poultry, probably the best chickens on the market in the UK; proper organic fruit and veg from Kent and Essex; really good cheese, really good dairy – you can actually buy raw milk. I go there every Sunday and buy my food for the week. It’s a really nice ritual.”

Stroud Green School, Perth Road, N4 3HB, stroudgreenmarket.com

MAH(S)

“MAH(S) cash and carry is sick. It maybe looks sort of unassuming and small from the outside but it’s like an Aladdin’s cave when you go in. If you’re into food and cooking in any way, you can buy everything from massive gas burners that you can set up outside, rice from all over the world for very cheap, crates of beer…If you’re going to have a party, you go there and you can buy everything from the cooking equipment to the food to the drink. They have not only everything you need, but the top tier of that product as well.”

144-158 Tollington Park, London, N4 3AD, mahs.co.uk