Canal No 5

Walk along the Regent's Canal towards King's Cross and you'll spot Canal No 5 tucked right on the towpath – no pretension, just a small café that gets what people actually want from a waterside spot. You're sitting metres from the water with a coffee in hand, watching narrowboats drift past and locals jog by. The menu's straightforward: solid breakfasts, lunchtime sandwiches, and cakes that taste homemade rather than mass-produced. It's the kind of place where you can nurse a cappuccino for two hours without feeling rushed, or grab something quick before heading into King's Cross or towards Islington.