A popular cafe in Highbury Fields has been destroyed as part of an ongoing park improvement project.
The project, run by Islington Council, is planning on putting accessible public toilets, a new park keeper’s office, and an area for mobile food and drink vendors in place instead.
Oasis in the Park cafe was a small business run by Yehia El-Nemer for 22 years on a council tenancy. In 2024, he was told by the council that his cafe was going to be torn down.
Many Highbury residents are saddened by the loss. One resident described the cafe and owner as “beloved”, and that it was such a massive part of the [Highbury] community.
Residents will miss how accessible the cafe was. “The brilliant thing about the Oasis was that it was an a far more accessible place [than most] for everyone to be able to get a hot drink and some hot food,” said one.
Though the council initially told Mr El-Nemer it would rebuild a new cafe in its place, last July they changed its mind and decided not to. On its website, it said that “the cafe building is not affordable in today’s challenging economic climate.”
Many residents are disappointed by this change of plan and feel like council money has been wasted.
Highbury Fields is one of Islington Council’s locations for its park improvement projects which seek to revamp green spaces across the borough. The project began in August 2025 and is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
Ella is an MA Newspaper Journalism student at City St George's university. She also works as a news reporter for Pharmafile, a health and pharmaceutical magazine.