Shoreditch Barber Shop With Changing Wall Art: Huckle

Huckle's Old Street shop, at 340 Old Street near the eastern end of the road, is the kind of barber shop near me answer that suits Shoreditch: independent since 2012, art on the walls, a sound system that matters and a monthly playlist. A men's wash, cut and finish starts at £62, and the Huckle Wet Shave starts at £52. It opens six days a week and closes on Sundays.

Huckle was founded by Chris Ward, whom the company describes as a long-time figure in London's hair and culture scenes, with more than 25 years in barbering and hairdressing. The about page says that since 2012 the shop's independence has drawn a client base of artists, musicians, authors, journalists, architects and designers. The Shoreditch page sums the business up as a proudly independent barbers with over a decade of craft, culture and community behind it.

That independence shows in what the company chooses to talk about. Rather than heritage claims, the site publishes a music post every month, with October Music going up on 13 October 2026 and August Music in late August, and it says plainly that music is a big part of who it is. A hiring notice for stylists and barbers went up in July 2026, which tells you the chairs are busy enough to need more hands.

The Old Street team has its own continuity too. Stylist Chris Mackins, the shop's longest-standing men's stylist, has roots in the business going back to 2014. Other stylists on the Shoreditch page are listed with their own starting prices, which is the clearest sign of how Huckle works: you choose the person as much as the service.

The core service is the Men's Wash, Cut and Finish, 45 minutes from £62. It covers a consultation, shampoo, precision haircut, a refreshing hot towel and styling with Kevin Murphy, Malin+Goetz or Evo products, plus a drink. On the Shoreditch page, men's stylists are listed at £62, £68 and £72, so the final figure depends on who holds the scissors.

If you want a real change rather than a tidy-up, book the Men's Re-Style Wash, Cut and Finish, which runs an hour from £82 and leaves time to talk through a new shape. A grade-one buzz cut all over is £28 for 30 minutes, the most direct way into the chair. A moustache trim costs £15.

The Huckle Wet Shave, 45 minutes from £52, is the order for anyone who has never had a straight razor near their face. It uses the shop's skincare with hot and cold scented towels and a fresh drink, and the menu frames it as well-deserved quality time. A beard trim starts at £25, or £35 with razor edging, which is worth the extra £10 for a crisp line along the cheek and neck.

The most unusual item on the list is the Huckle x Pelegrims Vinology Facial, 30 minutes for £50, made with Pelegrims skincare. Pair it with a cut on a quiet weekday if you want to make an afternoon of it. Huckle also cuts women's hair, so the room is not a men-only club.

Bookings run through Fresha, linked from every Book button on the site, with instant confirmation and payment in the app. The Fresha listing accepts cash, credit and debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Huckle does not publish a walk-in policy, so treat the shop as appointment-first and book ahead rather than turning up hoping for a free chair.

One stylist's profile carries the most useful advice on the site: he is open to new clients if they are organised enough to plan ahead, but they should not leave it to the last minute. Saturday is the only weekend day the shop works, starting at 9am, so book Saturday slots early in the week. Weekday afternoons are the easier window for a first visit.

Because prices depend on the stylist, check the name on your Fresha booking before you confirm. If a friend recommended a particular barber, choose that person rather than the first slot available; the difference between the lowest and highest men's cut on the Shoreditch page is £10.

Huckle's own description of its shops is specific: a great sound system, regularly changing art on the walls and a well-stocked bar, with every detail meant to make the visit inspiring as well as welcoming. The art changes, so the walls you see this month will not be the walls you see next season. The playlist is published monthly if you want to hear what will be playing before you arrive.

Keep one detail straight if you know Huckle from elsewhere. Its record store, Shake the Foundations, is at the Holborn shop on Lamb's Conduit Street, not at Old Street. The Old Street shop is the Shoreditch base, the one to choose if you live or work east of the City.

Shoreditch Town Hall is a short walk east along Old Street. The Victorian building is now an arts venue with theatre, talks and club nights, and its programme is worth checking for an evening plan after a late-afternoon cut. From there, the junction with Shoreditch High Street opens onto the busiest stretch of East London's bars and cafés.

Heading south-west, Great Eastern Street leads past The Hoxton, Shoreditch, a hotel with a busy ground-floor lobby that makes an easy meeting point after a cut. Hoxton Square, just north of the hotel, is a small green square ringed by bars and restaurants and an easy place to sit for ten minutes.

Address: 340 Old Street, London EC1V 9DS. Hours: Monday to Friday 10am to 7pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday closed. Men's Wash, Cut and Finish from £62, Huckle Wet Shave from £52, Beard Trim from £25. Book on Fresha; payment is by card, app or cash.

If you prefer Bloomsbury to Shoreditch, the Holborn shop on Lamb's Conduit Street runs the same Huckle approach with a record store attached. For Old Street, the safest plan is a weekday booking made two or three days ahead, with the stylist chosen by name.