The north London borough of Brent is fit to bursting with stuff to get up to: delish desi dishes, the world’s most stunning jigsaw puzzle and a rather well-known football ground. Here’s the lowdown on how to live the high life in Brent.
1. Get all trembly at Wembley
You might’ve heard of a certain bijou events space by the name of Wembley Stadium. Oasis, Adele and Beyoncé have graced it. The England Men’s football team won a World Cup on this hallowed turf many moons ago. The England Women’s team win here all the time. Forever memories and all-time legends are forged here. And what, with the nearby Wembley Arena, BOXPARK Wembley — and sundry other eateries and bars orbiting the iconic Wembley arch — this particular domain of Brent doles out pleasure by the acre-load. ‘Great day out’ barely covers it. Wembley Stadium and Wembley Park
2. Marvel at the world’s most beautiful jigsaw puzzle
It is one of the uncanny sights of north London; emerging from a sea of North Circular industrial units, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir rises into the ether as a giant, gleaming 3D jigsaw puzzle chiseled from 5,000 tonnes of Italian Carrara marble and Bulgarian limestone before being slotted together in the mid-1990s. A sacred site for London’s Hindus, the Mandir — known colloquially as Neasden Temple — can be visited by folk of any (or indeed no) faith throughout the week, who are also welcome to participate in ceremonies like the Aarti, in which candles are offered up to the deities. Across the road, Shayona restaurant serves salty lassies, spicy veggie plates and sticky Indian sweets. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
3. Get desi dishes down you – then dance
Speaking of tasty food, you’re spoilt for desi dishes in this borough — that is, cuisine from the area consisting of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Dozens upon dozens of desi pubs, restaurants and shops sling everything from tongue-ticking lamb chops, to syrup-steeped motichoor. For all-in vibes, make it a Saturday Night Dinner & Dance at Masti in Wembley, where a mere £20 gets you a veritable banquet of samosa, masalas, paneers and desserts — plus the opportunity to cut a rug on the dancefloor to Bollywood-spinning DJs. Just don’t eat toooo much before. Masti
4. Culture binge at the Kiln Theatre…
Talks from top foreign correspondents and psychologists. Stagings of Olivier-winning plays and musicals. Theatre workshops. A cinema screening short films, NT Live and Oscar-nominees. The Kiln Theatre perpetually bubbles away with good stuff, making it somewhere that Brent-dwellers return to over and over. It also possesses a neat little bar, with bites from Flakey Crust Caribbean Bakery. Kiln Theatre
5. … or at the Lexi
Featured on our list of the best indie cinemas in London, the folk behind the Lexi took a knackered pool club, and spun it into a community cinema that, since 2007, has been beloved for its engaging film seasons, baby-friendly screenings and sell-out Q&A sessions (2025 even saw the creators of hit film The Ballad of Wallis Island call in for a chat). A volunteer-powered charity, 100% of the Lexi’s distributable profits go to The Sustainability Institute in South Africa; that means you can still feel good about yourself while scarfing butter popcorn and watching Avatar: Fire and Ash. The Lexi
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6. Go Harley hunting at Ace Cafe
For a fix of Easy Rider Americana planted just off the North Circular, this 85-year-old deco caff has your back. You needn’t ride a Harley to gain access to its gutbusting Special Breakfast or Eddie Cochran tribute nights (in fact, Stonebridge Park Tube station is handily close). The best time to find yourself at Ace, though, is during one of its monthly ‘meets’ — when anything from hot rods to Porsches park up in the forecourt en masse, and you can walk around sagely nodding at them, in the knowledge you’ll be catching the Bakerloo line home. Ace Cafe
7. Visit The Eighth Of The ‘Magnificent Seven’ Cemeteries
While one of the official ‘Magnificent Seven’ cemeteries, Kensal Green, falls inches outside the borders of Brent, the equally fascinating Willesden Jewish Cemetery is well within it. Among the figures buried in this Grecian-styled resting place are Rosalind Franklin, discoverer of the helical shape of DNA; and Jack Cohen, founder of Tesco (his grave looks uncannily till-shaped). You can wander around the cemetery, but it’s well worth signing up for a guided walk. Immediately to the south of the cemetery is Roundwood Park, and its magnificent views of the Wembley arch. Willesden Jewish Cemetery
8. Take pleasure in Brent’s park life
Roundwood Park is just one of many rambling green spaces occupying Brent. Chief among them is Fryent Country Park. Here you can go in search of wildlife that ranges from robins and herons, to frogs and butterflies. On Sundays you can volunteer for various jobs that include pruning hedges and clearing ponds, helping improve things for the resident animals and humans. You can also climb to the crest of Gotfords Hill for views that spread for miles — and give you a unique vista of… you guessed: the Wembley arch. Fryent Country Park
9. Bone up on Brent’s history
Brent Museum and Archives is open seven days a week, inviting you to dig deeper into the borough’s history, by way of an extensive archive collection, and temporary exhibits, which in recent times have spanned carnival, Mary Seacole, and Roy Mehta’s love letter to the area by way of black and white photos. The library here also puts on regular community events, including yoga and kids’ story sessions. Brent Museum and Archives
10. Peruse Queen’s Park Farmers’ Market
Every Sunday from 10am-2pm the grounds of Salusbury Primary School are filled with stalls hawking quality produce. Crusty bread from Astons Bakehouse; unfiltered, unpasteurised brews from Bucks Star; chef’s kiss moussaka from I Love Moussaka: whether you’re stocking up for a dinner party, or fancy an alternative to a roast dinner, Queen’s Park Farmers’ Market provides. Queen’s Park Farmers’ Market
