Map of Chalk Farm and Primrose Hill locations, and part 2 of the map

Chalk Farm has of late been eclipsed by its fashionable neighbour, Primrose Hill, and its promiscuous goings-on, but the revival of the historic arts venue that once hosted The Rolling Stones and The Doors, will put the area back on the map.

After 23 years of on/off closures and latterly, a £30 million facelift, the Roundhouse is finally reopening. The iconic venue has an increased capacity for 5,000 people and is planning a series of extrovert performances such as Fuerzabruta, which runs until July 30. The show is billed as a dreamy spectacular, and comes with warnings of powerful music, strobe lighting, nudity, and lots of water.

If the adventurous billing has the desired effect of attracting the sort of crowds that came to see the likes of the Stones and The Doors in the 1960s and 1970s, it could breath new life into Chalk Farm. For those venturing to NW3, here's a guide to where to eat, drink and shop in the area…

The buzz

Less then five minute's from Chalk Farm station, which has Regent's Park to the south and Hampstead to the north, and you're in the place Lonely Planet calls: "The closest London gets to Paris". Every day is like a weekend on Primrose Hill's Regent's Park Road, with cafes full of chattering customers and boutiques busy with browsers.

Whether it's young mums, strapped into their FrostFrench papoose's or 30-something's wearing Matthew Williamson and Marni on a Monday morning, this place is crawling with "the beautiful ones", many of whom catwalk for a living - the HQ of Select model agency, which discovered Helena Christensen and Stella Tennant, is based near Chalk Farm. The good news for visitors is, serving this attractive clan with their daily needs is a half-mile square smattered with high-end boutiques, pamper houses and eateries.

Where to eat

The typical Primrose Hillian's day starts with a coffee, or more likely a skinny latté at neighbouring coffee shops on Regent's Park Road: Cachao (020 7483 4411) and Primrose Patisserie (020 7722 7848). The former serves crepes that a Frenchman wouldn't scoff at, while the latter does great pastries and sandwiches.

With the sort of figures that sashay about Chalk Farm and Primrose Hill it's hard to believe these people actually eat. If not they spend a lot of time posing in restaurants. One of the most popular is Lemonia (020 7586 7454) on Regent's Park Road, which serves fresh Mediterranean food to a bustling floor of elbow-to-elbow tables that spill onto the pavement on balmy evenings. Odette's (020 7586 5486) is an elegant wine bar across the street, decorated by gilt edged mirrors and beautifully candlelit at night. Dining on a whole different level is offered at Marine Ices (020 7482 9003) opposite Chalk Farm station. It's an old-fashioned ice cream parlour, and family-run pizza and pasta restaurant that serves the best sundaes in London.

Where to shop

You won't find familiar high-street labels here, but there's plenty to flex the plastic over. Miss Lala's Boudoir (020 7483 1888), on Gloucester Avenue, is "a dressing up box for big girls", selling tongue-in-cheek lingerie, cashmere cardies, pretty t-shirts and tutu's. On Regent's Park Road Anna sells clothes that are somewhere between fashionable and classic and fit women larger than a size eight. It also has outlets in the sort of places Primrose Hill girls might spend a weekend, like Norfolk's Burnham Market.

A few doors down is Spice Shoes a contemporary shoe shop that's been in Primrose Hill for 20 years and whose wares regularly grace the pages of fashion mags. For the perfect outfit to complete your mint peep-toe heels, there's Pamela Shiffer (020 7483 4483) and Studio 8 (020 7449 0616), which between them cover any further wardrobe requirements.

Back towards Chalk Farm is Modern Age Vintage Clothing (020 7482 3787), which looks like the wardrobe department for Austin Powers. It hires and sells psychedelic clothes and accessories and is a hint of what's to come for those who venture down Chalk Farm Road into Camden, with its markets attracting Goths, punks and skulking teenagers.

Get in shape

Respite from shopping comes from serene havens like Shengaia, an elegant apothecary and day spa on Erskine Road. Its regular clients pop in to collect bespoke body oils and perhaps a spot of detox after too many lychee martinis at the weekend. The detoxifying leg treatment (£50 for 45 mins) is particularly popular to buff away hints of the dreaded orange peel effect. Holistic treatments, such as reflexology and reiki are offered at Triyoga on Erskine Road. There's every yoga imaginable, from Astanga and pregnancy yoga to a class for little Apple/Tingerlily/Phoenix Chi who can join the age 5-8 or 9-11 sessions. The centre's Little Earth Café, serving raw food, is also on hand should you run out of celery and alfalfa sprouts at home.

Alternatively, you could stretch your muscles for free, with a stroll up the gentle slopes of Primrose Hill, rewarded by glorious views over London. This is where celebrity pooches get their daily constitutionals - when they're not shopping at Primrose Hill Pets on Regent's Street Road.

Where to drink

A few doors down from Marine Ices on Chalk Farm Road is The Enterprise (020 7485 2659), a friendly boozer that has gigs upstairs and serves extraordinary ales and ciders, or shooters like Squashed Frog, a killer combination of Midori, Advocat and grenadine. Further down Chalk Farm Road, Bartok has a more sultry, trendy interior and dishes up an eclectic calender of live classical music - a refreshing alternative to monotonous bar beats.

Competing for the gastropub crowd - although there's plenty of punters to go around - is The Lansdowne (020 7483 0409) and The Engineer (020 772 0950), both on Gloucester Avenue. Chris Evans, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Chris Moyles are among the many celebrities spotted at these haunts. The food at both is excellent; the tricky part is grabbing a table.

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