This lovely independent café is perfectly located within Finsbury Park’s 115 acres of bucolic green space, and – importantly for local parents at a loose end – is sited next to a brilliant children’s play area. In the morning, early birds ranging from off-duty joggers to young families pop into the modern, concrete-and-pine interior for a Union coffee or one of the café’s legendary fry-ups, made with locally sourced ingredients. Later, a constant parade of customers get stuck into the well-executed and wide-ranging selection of dishes on the blackboard menus, including gooey Welsh rarebit, homemade fish fingers, free-range omelettes, and gourmet lamb and mint burgers. Service is smiley and efficient, tables are generously spaced, and floor-to-ceiling windows make this an ideal spot for taking some time out and watching the park life.