I AM IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING A NEW WEBSITE BUILT. I AM STILL UPDTING THIS ONE, BUT FOCUSSING ON THE NEW ONE SO YOU WILL NOTICE CHANGES LOCALLY THAT I HAVEN’T YET HAD THE CHANCE TO AMEND HERE.

Cafes & Restaurants

My favourite place to have coffee is Unico Caffe & Gelato on the High Street. Their coffee is just amazing. Their gelato is pretty good too.

Laurent’s is a lovely addition to the High Street. You can find lots of sweet and savoury items.

Gail’s just off St John’s Wood High Street is lovely. Since they refurbished it in late summer 2016, it looks better as it is much brighter and the layout works better if you want to sit in. I love their cakes, bread and salads, but I mainly do take-out, because it is so small, and if you have a buggy it is almost impossible to stay. I really wish they had a bigger space.

A great lift to the High Street has been since October 2016 when The Ivy Cafe opened its doors. I have been several times (breakfast, lunch and dinner) since they opened and I have liked the service, quality of food, coffee etc. What has been lovely is how welcoming they are towards families, buggies etc. I have been for dinner and there have been babies and children there. There are changing facilities downstairs. I have only heard positive comments from ‘my’ mums!

Another new addition to the High Street is Soutine which is situated further down towards towards St John’s Wood Church Grounds.

Just around the corner from the high street you can find the ever popular Chicken Shop which always gets busy with families on weekends. A few doors down from there on Allitsen Road we have The Gate, a restaurant which serves delicious vegetarian and vegan food. I have hosted several dinners there and the food and service have been great.

Cafe/Shop

The Azan Newsagent in Barrow Hill Road has the most lovely man owning it and my friends have had their newspapers delivered at the crack of dawn for some years from him. He started selling frozen yogurt (fat-free of course!) last year and has named that side of his business MyBerry. Instead of buying yogurt per pot size he sells it by weight so can get as big or small as you like, add toppings and it’s all DIY. My friend’s daughter loves it and takes it up to the scales to be weighed, and she says it tastes super nice! He also does smoothies, hot drinks, slushies and things down that line.

Children’s Hairdressers

• Alex and Tony at Avalanche Hair & Beauty on Fairfax Road in South Hampstead do haircuts for children.
• Studio Hair & Beauty on 66 St John’s Wood High Street offers 10% off to NW8-mums for children’s haircuts. Phone number: 020 7449 0000
• Grizzly Kids on Abbey Road is a popular place with many parents.

Clothes & Shoes

On Abbey Road, Grizzly Kids offer shoes, toys as well as haircuts. They also offer baby and toddler classes downstairs.

Chemist

Everyone who works in Courtenay Chemist on St John’s Wood High Street is lovely and offers such helpful advice. I always go there for medicines and/or advice.

Adult Hairdresser

The lovely Sara comes to cut my hair as well as my children’s hair too, at my home for when I can’t make it to the salon. She is super talented! She can be reached at 07477 008 355.

Some other NW8-mums go to the following ones: Ali at Hair by Partners (no website) on 100 St John’s Wood Terrace (020 7483 3337). Another friend goes to Alex and Tony at Avalanche Hair & Beauty on Fairfax Road in South Hampstead. I have also tried Avalanche Hair & Beauty for myself and was happy.