Islington

If you live in North London (or indeed anywhere in London) it can't have escaped your notice that a parade has been planned for Arsenal this weekend. Based on the celebrations of the last week or so it's going to be a mad affair with around a million fans expected to pour into the area on Sunday 31 May. 

With such a huge crowd expected, the traditional parade route has been expanded, taking in Holloway Road, Finsbury Park, Highbury, Canonbury and Islington. And, as you might have guessed, the restaurants, cafes and bars along that route (and close to it) are already making

Anna Higham's Islington bakery Quince is, quite rightly, lauded as one of this city's best bakeries. So the news today that she's getting ready to open her own cafe should make North London residents sit up and pay attention. Clementine will be an all-day cafe, opening up across the road from the bakery serving up brunch and lunch. She's taking over a space that has previously been a pub in various incarnations, but frankly, we can see it working much better in the area as a

Looking for decent places to meet and eat before a game at The Emirates? Here are our suggestions

We've seen quite a few restaurants doing their bit to celebrate Arsenal's recent Premier League win (like Half Cut Market putting on £5 glasses of chilled reds), but Trullo have really gone the extra mile. 

The Islington restaurant (one of the very best in the area) opened 16 years ago and for all that time, it's been a very distinctive blue colour. But to celebrate Arsenal's first Premier League win in 22 years, they've decided to paint the entire restaurant Arsenal red.

Islington has its fair share of bakeries, from Pophams to Sourdough Sophia, but there seems to be no end of demand for them. And, speaking as an Islington resident, classic French bakeries aren't particularly well represented. So we're welcoming the news that Authentique are opening in Camden Passage. 

Taking over the space that used to be The Passage Pantry, the latest Authentique (you'll also find them in Tufnell Park and Finsbury Park) will be open as a cafe and bakery. So if you've been looking for a truly great French baguette in Islington, this should be your new go-to

The team behind Papi have opened their first pub on Green Lanes. We went in to see just how they have adapted their menu for the pub and it turns out they've done it incredibly well. 

French bakery Copains has already been a big hit since opening their first UK bakery in Covent Garden. Now they've just arrived on Islington's Upper Street (opening beside Toast). 

The bakery, which originated in Paris, is known for being fully gluten-free but also for its beautiful-looking pastries. They make the most of using non-wheat alternative flours to create everything from focaccia and baguettes to croissants and doughnuts. 

We had a sneak preview of the new Islington opening, and it looks just as beautiful as the one in Covent Garden (albeit a little

The Old Queen's Head in Islington had once been the home of Lucky Chip and is also a great place for a Sunday lunch, but now they're about to launch something brand new - Hot Saint Pizza. 

The Islington pub was taken over by the Columbo Group (who also run The Parakeet) 20 years ago, so they're using the excuse of their 20th anniversary for a big overhaul in the food. Hot Saint comes from Tom Budakan, an ex-Dough Hands chef, so he knows what he's doing when it comes to pizza. And apparently, he's even previously been a DJ in the pub. 

His 48-hour fermented pizza

On looks alone, Stable Wines is a winner. But what's it like to actually eat and drink there? We went down into the old bank vault wine bar in Islington to find out.

What was once Smokehouse has been transformed into Islington's newest French restaurant, Bistro Sablé. As locals, we went along to see just how the transformation has changed things. 

After years of being one of the quietest pubs in Islington as The Four Sisters and then closed for nearly four years after that, as locals ourselves, we thought that no one was ever going to be able to make a success of the pub site on 25 Canonbury Lane. But along came The Pocket and it's since been transformed into one of the hottest pubs in London. 

Up until now, the food offering at the pub has been decidedly limited, with pies from the bar being the main form of sustenance ("no green food" as the Instagram handle proudly declares). However, that's about to change as

They already have two big hits in Islington behind them with Goodbye Horses and The Dreamery and now the same team are blazingly on track for a third with Stable Wines. 

After 10 years, Lee and Kate Tiernan have announced that it's the end of the road for FKABAM (Formerly Known As Black Axe Mangal). Sort of. 

Essentially, the last service of FKABAM in Islington will be just before Christmas. It sounds like it's not completely the end, though, as Lee says they "will continue cooking in our unique style,

They've long held a reputation as being one of the best places in Paris to enjoy gluten-free breads and pastries. Now Parisian bakery chain Copains has set its sight on London. To kick off their cross-Channel takeover, they're starting with two bakery openings, in Covent Garden and Islington. Both will be the brand's first bakeries outside of Paris.

In Covent Garden, they've taken over the lease of a shop

Islington has a HUGE amount of restaurants, with the majority of them along Upper Street. Here's our guide to the very best of dining out in and around Islington.