We checked 20 shops in and around Crouch End, from Dunns Bakery to Flashback Records, for opening hours and what they sell. Updated November 2026.
Crouch End and its neighbours have 20 shops worth a Christmas shopping trip in 2026, and this guide puts them in one place with opening hours, addresses and what each one sells. Dunns Bakery, House of Books, Niddle Noddle and Rhoda are good places to start.
Eleven are in Crouch End. The rest are a short trip away in Muswell Hill, Highgate, Stroud Green and Turnpike Lane. Most hours are regular hours, because few of these shops had posted Christmas times when we checked. Ring ahead in the last week before Christmas.
Dates to plan around
- Late-night shopping: we found no 2026 date for Crouch End. Crouch End Festival says it is “making plans” for Christmas 2026 and will bring news soon. Our Crouch End lights page has last year’s details.
- Winter Makers Fair, Saturday 21 November: Muswell Hill Creatives runs it in St James Square, Muswell Hill, from 10.30am to 4pm.
- Winter Makers Market, Saturday 5 December: the same group takes over Hornsey Town Hall in Crouch End from 11.30am to 5pm.
- Bottle Apostle Christmas Festival, Wednesday 2 December: the wine shop on Park Road lists two sessions, 6.30pm to 8pm and 8.15pm to 9.45pm, at £25 each.
- Other fairs and markets: the Highgate fairs and the rest of the season are on our Christmas markets page.
The Broadway and Topsfield Parade
1. Dunns Bakery
Dunns says it has been baking in Crouch End since 1820, and it is run by sixth-generation baker Lewis Freeman. Its online Christmas store lists mince pies, hampers, stocking fillers, fruit cakes and puddings.
It had no order deadline on the pages we could read, so ask in the shop. There is a second bakery at 36 Muswell Hill Broadway, N10 3RT, open Monday to Saturday 7am to 6pm and Sunday 8am to 5pm.
Open Mon to Fri 7am to 6pm; Sat 6am to 6pm; Sun 8am to 5pm
Call 020 8340 1614
Address 6 The Broadway, N8 9SN
Website dunns-bakery.co.uk
Listing Our listing
Good for mince pies, Christmas puddings, hampers, stocking fillers
2. House of Books Crouch End
This belongs to an independent group of bookshops, and it says the books are chosen by hand in each shop. It lists bestsellers alongside classics and more unusual finds, for adults and children.
It will also order books in for you. It warns that times may vary on bank holidays.
The group’s Muswell Hill shop is at 123 Muswell Hill Broadway, N10 3RS, open Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm and Sunday 10am to 5pm.
Open Mon and Tue 10am to 6pm; Wed to Sat 9.30am to 6.30pm; Sun 11am to 6pm
Call 020 8340 7080
Address 42 The Broadway, N8 9SU
Website thehouseofbooks.co.uk/the-house-of-books-crouch-end
Good for books, staff recommendations
3. Waterstones Crouch End
The chain’s branch sits on The Broadway and opens until 7pm from Monday to Saturday. Its site has a Christmas section with stocking fillers, advent calendars, cards and gift wrap.
The hours below are those the branch page listed for the days from 5 to 14 November. It had posted none for December.
Open Mon to Sat 9am to 7pm; Sun 11.30am to 5.30pm
Address Unit 1, 2-4 The Broadway, N8 9SN
Website waterstones.com/bookshops/london-crouch-end
Good for books, gift cards, Christmas cards, later opening
4. Pickled Pepper Books
An independent children’s bookshop and events space, it also hosts children’s theatre shows and parties. It sells books and gifts for every age online.
Its site gives two Sunday opening times, 10am at the top of the page and 11am at the bottom, so check before a Sunday morning trip. Look at its events page if you want an outing as well as a present.
Open Mon to Sat 9.30am to 5.30pm; Sun 11am to 4pm (see above)
Call 020 8374 3745
Address 10 Middle Lane, N8 8PL
Website pickledpepperbooks.co.uk
Good for children's books, gifts, children's events
5. Niddle Noddle
Two friends opened this children’s boutique in Crouch End in 2010. It sells clothing, accessories, books, toys and homeware.
The Christmas section of its site lists decorations, advent calendars, cards, books and wrapping. Its contact page still carries a closure note from 2021, so the hours may be due an update.
Ring if you are making a special trip.
Open Mon to Sat 10.30am to 5pm; Sun 11am to 5pm
Call 020 8347 4333
Address 5 Topsfield Parade, Middle Lane, N8 8PR
Website niddlenoddle.com
Good for toys, children's clothes, advent calendars, decorations
6. Flashback Records
Founded in 1997, Flashback has three independent record shops in London, and this is the Crouch End one. It buys and sells vinyl, CDs, cassettes and other collectibles.
It opens every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. It had posted no shorter hours for Christmas Eve.
Open Daily 10am to 7pm; closed 25 and 26 December and 1 January
Call 020 8342 9633
Address 26 Topsfield Parade, Tottenham Lane, N8 8PT
Website flashback.co.uk
Good for vinyl, CDs, cassettes, collectibles
7. Mellis Cheesemonger
Mellis has five shops in Scotland, and this is its only one in London. It opened in November 2025 in a building Mellis says was a butcher’s for close to 150 years.
The firm says it cuts cheese to order, offers tastings and will make a recommendation. Its site also sells selections, accompaniments and gift cards.
Open Mon to Sat 9am to 7pm; Sun 10am to 5.30pm; closed 25 and 26 December and 1 and 2 January
Call 020 3371 4888
Address 23 Broadway Parade, N8 9DE
Website mellischeese.net/stores
Good for cheese, tastings, gift cards
Park Road
8. Rhoda
Rhoda says it has been hunting for “original fashion brands and creative gifts since 1998”. It was founded by sisters and sells menswear, womenswear, greeting cards and gifts, including work by local makers.
Its site prints no opening hours. OpenStreetMap lists Monday to Saturday 10am to 6pm and Sunday 12pm to 5pm, but the shop has not confirmed that, so ring first.
Open Not printed on its site
Call 020 8348 7963
Address 25 Park Road, N8 8TE
Website rhodacrouchend.com
Good for gifts, greeting cards, menswear, womenswear
9. Little Paris Store
The shop describes its stock as vintage furniture sourced in France, plus contemporary home and fashion accessories. It says it delivers worldwide and will quote for your address.
The hours below are printed on its site under click and collect, and they are the only ones it gives. Ask about delivery times early if a piece of furniture is the present.
Open Tue to Sat 10am to 6pm; Sun 11am to 5pm; closed Mon
Call 020 8340 9008
Address 39 Park Road, N8 8TE
Website littleparisstore.com
Good for French vintage furniture, home accessories
10. The Grow
The Grow calls itself a store for indoor houseplants, including rarer varieties. It also sells online and offers interior plant services.
Its sister flower studio, Urban Flower Co, is across the road at 48 Park Road. Note the Monday closure if you are shopping in the last days before Christmas.
Open Tue to Fri 11am to 5pm; Sat 10am to 5pm; Sun 11am to 4pm; closed Mon
Call 020 8347 6236
Address 47 Park Road, N8 8TE
Website thegrow.studio
Listing Our listing
Good for houseplants, rarer varieties
11. Bottle Apostle
This wine shop has four London branches, and its site advertises daily wine tasting. It also sells spirits, beer, gifts and gift cards.
The Crouch End page lists a Christmas Festival on 2 December, with sessions at 6.30pm and 8.15pm for £25. The bank holiday hours on the page were still those for May when we checked, so look again nearer Christmas.
Open Mon and Tue 11am to 7pm; Wed to Fri 11am to 8pm; Sat 10am to 8pm; Sun 11am to 6pm
Call 020 8347 7577
Address 49 Park Road, N8 8SY
Website bottleapostle.com/crouch-end.html
Good for wine, tastings, Christmas Festival, gift cards
Muswell Hill
12. The Children’s Bookshop
This independent shop says it is celebrating 50 years. It won both Children’s Bookseller of the Year and Bookshop of the Year at the 2024 British Book Awards.
Staff offer advice on choosing books for children. It also runs a subscription service and sells gift collections.
It warns that bank holiday hours may vary.
Open Mon to Sat 9.15am to 5.45pm; Sun 11am to 4pm
Call 020 8444 5500
Address 29 Fortis Green Road, N10 3HP
Website childrensbookshoplondon.com
Good for children's books, book subscriptions, gift collections
13. Muswell Hill Books and Parlour
This secondhand bookshop opened on 6 September 2025 in a former funeral parlour, Time Out reported. It also sells art and records, and hires out its event space.
Its own site prints no opening hours, so ring first.
Open Not printed on its site
Call 020 3971 8066
Address 190 Fortis Green Road, N10 3DU
Website muswellhillbooks.co.uk
Good for secondhand books, art, records
14. Cheeses of Muswell Hill
Established in 1982, Cheeses says it sells artisan and farmhouse cheeses from across the world, with more than 200 in its range. It says it is preparing its selection for Christmas and that online ordering opens soon.
It also sells gift vouchers. Its site lists no Monday or Tuesday hours, so plan for Wednesday to Sunday.
Open Wed to Sat 10am to 5pm; Sun 11am to 4pm
Address 13 Fortis Green Road, N10 3HP
Website cheesesonline.co.uk
Good for cheese, gift vouchers
15. T&T
An independently owned gift shop selling homewares, prints and books, along with its own cushions, lampshades, artwork and jewellery. It is also home to Little Slipstitch, which stocks haberdashery, yarn and kits for crochet, knitting and embroidery.
Fresh bouquets arrive every Friday, it says. It opens from Tuesday to Saturday only.
Open Tue to Sat 10am to 5pm
Call 020 3417 5076
Address 108 Alexandra Park Road, N10 2AE
Website tashandtanya.com
Good for gifts, prints, craft kits, Friday flowers
Highgate and Archway Road
16. Highgate Bookshop
This independent village bookshop changed hands in mid-September 2024, and its site says the new owners are long-term local residents. Its stock runs “from cookery to art, the Booker shortlist to bedtime stories”, it says.
It closes at 5pm every day, so a weekday visit after work will not fit.
Open Mon to Sat 10am to 5pm; Sun 12pm to 5pm
Call 020 8348 8202
Address 9 Highgate High Street, N6 5JR
Website highgatebookshop.com
Good for books
17. Rise Above Records and Relics
A second-hand record shop on Archway Road, it says it specialises in “high quality rare and collectable original pressings”. It also buys collections, so you can bring records in during opening hours.
The site says there is free parking directly outside until 4pm.
Open Tue to Sat 11.30am to 5.30pm
Call 020 8292 1574
Address 341 Archway Road, N6 5AA
Website riseaboverecordsandrelics.com
Good for rare vinyl, collectable pressings
Stroud Green and Turnpike Lane
18. Pretty Shiny Shop
An independent gift and card shop, it sells jewellery, greeting cards, homewares and accessories at what it calls affordable prices. Its site has Christmas cards and a Secret Santa and stocking fillers section.
This Stroud Green Road shop is the original, it says, and there is also a branch in south London.
Open Mon to Fri 10.30am to 6.30pm; Sat 10am to 6pm; Sun 10am to 5pm
Call 020 4618 6290
Address 67 Stroud Green Road, N4 3EG
Website prettyshinyshop.com
Good for Secret Santa, Christmas cards, jewellery
19. New Beacon Books
The bookshop describes itself as “specialists in African and Caribbean literature since 1966”. It opens four days a week only, from Thursday to Sunday.
Its site also has a section for schools and colleges, and an events page.
Open Thu to Sat 12pm to 6pm; Sun 12pm to 5pm; closed Mon to Wed
Call 020 7272 4889
Address 76 Stroud Green Road, N4 3EN
Website newbeaconbooks.com
Good for African and Caribbean literature
20. All Good Bookshop
A volunteer-led, community co-operative bookshop, in Turnpike Lane since 2020. It says it opens seven days a week and has an art gallery with a different artist each month.
Its home page showed only that day’s hours, 10am to 6pm on the Thursday we checked. Confirm other days before you travel.
Open Seven days a week; 10am to 6pm on Thursday 5 November, other days not shown
Call 07443 463 979
Address 35 Turnpike Lane, N8 0EP
Website allgoodbookshop.co.uk
Good for books, monthly art shows
Names on older lists that we left out
- Crocodile Antiques, Muswell Hill Broadway: its site describes a gift shop and cafe but carries a 2010 copyright and no hours. We could not confirm from it that the shop is trading as described.
- Muswell Hill Bookshop, 72 Fortis Green Road: older guides list it, and The Bookseller once reported Daunt Books in talks over the site. OpenStreetMap now shows a clothes shop at that number. Daunt’s shop list did not show a Muswell Hill branch on the page we read.
- Soup Dragon, Topsfield Parade, and Of Special Interest: both appear in old Time Out listings. We could not find a working site for either. That is not a report that they have closed.
- Les Aldrich Music, Muswell Hill: its site blocked our check.
- Freemans and Walter Purkis: Freemans’ site says the website is closed, and we could not find a site for Walter Purkis, the fishmonger on The Broadway. If you need Christmas meat or fish from either, ask in the shop.
Plan the rest of the trip
Things to do in Crouch End, what’s on this month, Christmas shows, Santa’s grottos, Christmas dinner, ice rinks near Crouch End, Highgate’s lights, Muswell Hill’s tree, New Year’s Eve, Christmas travel, parking and the local directory are all on this site.
How we chose
We picked shops that have a public record: the shop’s own site, the Muswell Hill Creatives and Crouch End Festival sites, OpenStreetMap, and older published guides as leads only. We preferred independents and included chains only where they are what people look for. We checked each one on 5 November 2026. Run a place that should be here, or spot something that has changed? Email newsdesk@crouchendnews.co.uk. Taken a good photograph of any of these places? Email it to newsdesk@crouchendnews.co.uk and we will add it with your name as the credit.
Frequently asked questions
Is there late night Christmas shopping in Crouch End in 2026?
We found no late-night shopping date for Crouch End when we checked on 5 November. Crouch End Festival, which ran the 2025 tree lighting, says only that it is making plans for Christmas 2026. Waterstones, Bottle Apostle and Flashback Records already open until 7pm or later on most days.
Which Crouch End shops open on Sundays before Christmas?
Dunns Bakery, House of Books, Waterstones, Pickled Pepper Books, Niddle Noddle, Flashback Records, Mellis, Little Paris Store, The Grow and Bottle Apostle all list Sunday hours. Rhoda prints no hours on its site. Hours can change close to Christmas, so check before a special trip.
Which shops have published their Christmas closing dates?
Flashback Records closes on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Mellis closes on 25 and 26 December and on 1 and 2 January. The other shops here had not posted Christmas hours on the pages we checked on 5 November.
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