Chris’s Of London

Chris’s is a barber’s shop next door to Harringay Green Lanes station at the south end of Grand Parade.
Painted pale blue, it is a traditional barbers shop, run, as you might expect, by a Greek Cypriot named Chris and his team.
There is a sofa to wait on, some newspapers and a radio (with a very visible Performing Rights Society Licence framed on the wall.) It looks and smells like a barbers shop is meant to.
Traditional is the keyword here — and, for those of us who want hair that is short and neat, Chris’s is definitely a good place to go. Their side partings are so straight and clear they could be used to sight an arrow; they rub hair tonic in if you have a wash and cut; whatever you’ve had done, they will finish off the back and sideburns with an expertly-​handled cut-​throat razor.
I think the fact that the shop is a little dated is the root of its charm for me. During the course of a haircut at Chris’s I tend to feel increasingly like I am living in a quieter time, maybe the 1950s. The staff are very polite. I feel like a Customer.
In an age where so many hairdressers/​barbers have gone down the road of rowdy music and gaudy décor, Chris’s is an oasis of calm in the chaos of Green Lanes. And good value too.