This cozy, bohemian spot serves up delightful farm-to-table fare and enchanting pastries, perfect for a laid-back meal with friends or a peaceful coffee break.
"We’re pretty sure nothing bad can happen to you at Jolene, a bakery and Italian-leaning restaurant in Finsbury Park. Apart from maybe bulk-ordering pink paint and a pasta machine as you desperately try to recreate the magic at home. Come evening, almond croissant crumbs are brushed away, candles and chequered tablecloths come out, and catch-ups are fuelled by generous, seasonal plates of expertly made pasta. Silky, nutty sheets of pappardelle get all tangled up around meaty, slow-cooked ragus, and everything is cooked to perfection. " - jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna
"We can neither confirm nor deny whether we go to Jolene Hornsey Road just to watch anxious sighthounds eating baked goods. The all-day bakery in Holloway can always be relied upon for a mid-morning danish, a lunchtime serving of pizza fritta, and delicious things covered in pancetta come evening. Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone that you’re actually there for the dogtent. Just know that this spot is more suited to chilled-out basset hounds than excitable labradoodle puppies. " - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna
"We’d recommend Jolene for a breakfast rice pudding danish and for an afternoon or evening fuelled by plates of excellent pappardelle. The all-day bakery and restaurant has a few other siblings but this one, on Hornsey Road in Finsbury Park, is affectionately called Big Jo. And we’re pretty sure nothing bad can happen to you here. Laptops are tapped away at during the day and couples in caps from Everpress nuzzle into each other as they complete a crossword. Come evening, almond croissant crumbs are brushed away, candles and chequered tablecloths come out, and you’ll take photos of the dusty pink and dried foliage decor for a future ‘dream home’ Pinterest board. photo credit: James Hole Photography photo credit: James Hole Photography photo credit: James Hole Photography Food Rundown video credit: Sinéad Cranna Tomato & Mozzarella Pizzetta Pillowy dough is a light toasty brown colour and topped with a sweet, garlicky tomato sauce. This is simple but done perfectly, and we get it every time we come to Jolene. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Corn On The Cob, Honey & Caraway Butter The corn has been charred to give it a smoky coating, the honey butter is a little pool that promises happiness and high cholesterol, and the addition of caraway brings some warm spice. video credit: Sinéad Cranna Pappardelle, Pork & Beef Ragu Sauce clings to each piece of pasta and pockets of salty, meaty ragu hide beneath the folds, which all tangle up into one comforting mouthful." - Sinéad Cranna
"Although its name could read like the remnants of a subpar joke from a subpar ex-colleague about someone ‘in HR’, Big Jo is actually the sibling bakery and restaurant to Jolene. This spot on the Hornsey Road is as good for lunchtime catch ups with workmates over slices of ricotta, potato, pancetta, and wild garlic pizza, as it is for one-on-one evening gossip sessions featuring Basque cheesecake and bottle of something organic and funky. There’s plenty of seating outside and you can book via their website." - jake missing
"For lunch and by night, this spacious and bright Hornsey Road spin-off from Newington Green’s Jolene is all about pizza and wine, but it’s really an all-day bakery. Throughout the morning and afternoon you can eat pastries fresh from the ovens out back. You can also drink excellent coffee. We wouldn’t pitch up here with our laptop riser, trackpad, and external keyboard, but it’s comfortable for low-intensity screen work." - jake missing, rianne shlebak, daisy meager, sinead cranna
