Beans & Barley is a small, unassuming spot on Green Lanes that pulls double duty as a cozy daytime café and a lively evening bar, serving from 8am to 2am. It's the kind of neighbourhood all-rounder Harringay does well — unfussy, family-friendly, and open when most places have long shut. Go for a solid brunch, stay for the evening drinks.
Open from 8am to 2am, this cosy Green Lanes café-bar serves solid shakshuka by day and keeps the local crowd drinking late into the night.
If smoke bothers you, avoid sitting near the outdoor area — it can drift inside. For brunch on weekends, arrive early to grab a table as it fills up quickly.
The all-day local that keeps Green Lanes going
Beans & Barley is the sort of place that makes Harringay feel like a proper neighbourhood. It's a small room on Green Lanes that opens at 8 in the morning and doesn't close until 2am, which already sets it apart from most cafés in the area. By day, it's a relaxed brunch spot — the shakshuka and Mediterranean breakfast get regular shout-outs from reviewers, and there's a decent spread of vegan and vegetarian options that don't feel like an afterthought. By night, it shifts into a bar with a local, chatty crowd that keeps the energy going late.
The food won't blow your mind, but it's honest, generously portioned, and reasonably priced — exactly what you want from a local café-bar that's trying to be everything to everyone. The Google rating sits around 4.3, and the volume of reviews (nearly 600) tells you this place has a loyal following. It's family-friendly too, which means you'll see pushchairs at brunch and pints by evening.
A few gripes worth noting: some reviewers mention smoke drifting in from the outdoor seating area, and service can be slow when it gets busy. But if you live nearby or you're wandering down Green Lanes, it's a reliable, warm, and welcoming spot that earns its place on the street.