Latest reviews from Islington

“Popped in on a Saturday late afternoon. Tap selection was full of Hammerton beers and a couple of guests from Fyne and Yonder. I’m not the biggest fan of their beers, but found a couple of things worth a try. Quite lively and busy with lots of tables booked out. Rather drafty and cold, despite the enclosure. Prices were very steep for a taproom. I guess this is an expensive area to run a business, but still. 3 1/3 pints for £7.50, which wasn’t too bad, but I got a can of 5.6% pale for £7.60, which seemed very steep (it also wasn’t all that good). This brewery always seems like it’s passing off the cost of its very expensive location onto its consumers. I’m not necessarily begrudging that, but I’m not really inclined to drink their very average beers that cost the same as real top tier or even imported beers.“

Beese 90 days ago

“A smart, welcome and colourful taproom next to the brewery plant, and close the Caledonian overground station. Nicely decorated with a Christmas tree at my stay. I counted 23 taps, most of their own beers, but also a few guest ales. Sample tray options with three third pints in each. Friendly, and knowledgeable service. Food options. Right kind of music, including American grunge. Cozy, and a good vibe on a Friday afternoon. (Visited, 08.12.2023).“

Rune 132 days ago

“Corner pub heading downhill out of Angel on the main road to King's Cross. It's a classic old place with a huge square with high ceilings, which has been sympathetically transformed to appeal to a more modern drinker than yesteryear. Food is done by another on-site provider and Hackney Brewery provide the pubs own named lager (possible rebadge). There's a couple of other keg options, but a better craft can and bottle selection exists in the fridge behind the bar, which is unusually located against the main exterior windowed wall.“

ManVsBeer 468 days ago

“Corner pub but more of a cocktail bar in reality serving food, located right where the market begins just a stone's throw away from the tube station. They're clearly looking for a little more than your average beer crowd and the plusher decor indicates this, as such it's not a swiller's destination. The two beers of note when I visited were Tim Taylor's Landord as its cask option and a regular brew from Thornbridge on keg. Macro options available too.“

ManVsBeer 469 days ago

“Chain-like corner pub but traditional enough in style for this part of urban London. There's a few not too exciting options on keg, but a fridge and the side of the bar may have something of interest, probably in a craft can. It's a good spot to watch the hustle and bustle of the market if the stalls extend this far from the centre of Islington along Chapel Market all the way to its outdoor tables.“

ManVsBeer 470 days ago

“Visited Januar 2009.“

fonefan 581 days ago

“Visited in august 2014, on the great RBESG Tour.“

fonefan 634 days ago

“Neighbourhood pub I visited enroute back from the Emirates stadium. Choices of 5 or so craft kegs, friendly service.“

Jerseyislandbeer 684 days ago

“Visited 22.04.22 after seeing Matthias Sperking No-How Generator at the Lilian Baylis Studio and dropping by Three Johns. Lively and friendly atmosphere on a Friday night. Two cask ales on and several keg beers. A young clientele.“

Holmen2 735 days ago

“Visited 22.04.22 after seeing Matthias Sperking No-How Generator at the Lilian Baylis Studio. Very busy and even louder on a Friday evening. None of the three hand-pumps were on. Several of the craft beers on keg were empty, and the ones that were on were the ones that are all over the place, including two from Camden. They seemed to have a decent can selection. Interior is bare bricks and wooden floor. I see no reason to visit again - except if I’m nearby and really need a pee.“

Holmen2 735 days ago

“Corner pub with a local feeling. A few from One Mile End. Some others.“

Finn 886 days ago

“Modern organic foody pub with a decent beer selection“

Jerseyislandbeer 893 days ago

“A good place for a quiet pint even with a half decent beer selection“

Jerseyislandbeer 893 days ago

“Large modern open plan Wetherspoons“

Jerseyislandbeer 894 days ago

“Spacious & friendly pub in the heart of Islington, range of 5 changing ales“

Jerseyislandbeer 894 days ago

“Now, this is what a taproom should look like. Open plan, a food truck, and lots of beer. I counted 19 taps, including a cider and a low-alcohol offering. The beers tend toward the sesaionable although there are a handful of stronger beers (especially stouts). Hammerton may not be everyone's favourite brewery but I think they put out some absolutely top notch stuff. The jewel in Islington's crown.“

jjsint 1002 days ago

“Funny old place, the Alma. Hard to describe the atmosphere: it's bare bones with plenty of craft beer. At 48, I'm one of the younger punters this afternoon. The beer seems to be keg only and the focus is on One Mile End and Big Smoke breweries, both of which providing entry of ticks for me. The Alma is on the expensive side, even for London, but it's certainly a place worthy of a stop for a half or two.“

jjsint 1002 days ago

“Lovely little pub on Liverpool Road in Islington. Cask ain't up to all that much but they've got loads of London breweries on keg (Two Tribes and Signature Brew seem to be favourites). You're probably more likely to get ticks if, like me, you live outside the area. Adorable old pub dog. London needs places like this.“

jjsint 1002 days ago

“I like B&K pubs well enough. You know what you're getting, and if you don't want to try one of their own beers there is always a well-stocked fridge. Having said this, I'm not sure that beer-centric cities really need them as they stand out more in Bedford, Bournemouth and Mton Keynes. The Islington link in the chain is comfortable, airy and friendly enough, and the beer is decent although they do seem pretty keen to push their own beer. There are nice touches absent in many London pubs (there's water available, and I have a place to charge my phone), but it fails to excite the way many pubs do even those with less beer choice.“

jjsint 1002 days ago

“Pub which walks that wonderful fine line between opulent and chintzy. It's on Noel Road, a few minutes' walk from the Earl of Essex, so you might as well check it out. As befits the name, it's got a bit of a tropical theme as far as I could make out, with ferns and palm trees on the mirror and a statue of some goddess or other right next to my table. The beer list isn't up to all that much: my only tick was a Kirkstall SIPA on keg (other offerings include London Pride, Siren Soundwave and Sierra Nevada California IPA). Prices about average for London.“

jjsint 1002 days ago

“The Earl of Essex is an old-fashioned one-room pub that focuses on craft beer. You can choose from 14 keg or 2 cask, mainly but by no means exclusively London breweries (Põjhala, Newbarns and Burning Sky are represented as well). The beer is almost exclusively sessionable, which is fine as I'm out on a weekday lunchtime. If you feel the draught selection is that little bit safe, they do some cans which push the boat out a bit more. Worth coming for the eclectic piped music selection. Prices are reasonable for the area.“

jjsint 1002 days ago

“Tiny wine and beer shop just south of Angel station. They certainly focus on wine but they're are enough beers here to interest you. Sadly I did not see any French beers although there were a few Belgians among the English beers (concentrating on London - but with quite a lot of Verdant). I would guess there's not a lot here you can't get elsewhere, but you may pick up something from the less-available London breweries, and the prices are more than fair.“

jjsint 1002 days ago

“First pub in London in 18 months. It's a pretty pub encased in brown with a large L-shaped bar. Service was quick and friendly. What I found disappointing was the beer selection. Maybe this is a post-pandemic issue but the choice was very pared down on cask, with Nicholson's Pale Ale, Doom Bar and London Pride on cask, with a couple of Camden Towns & a Sierra Nevada on keg and some Beavertown in the fridge. While comely and certainly convenient for Angel Station, it isn't really a beer pub, at the moment at least.“

jjsint 1002 days ago

“Visited a few times over the years having friends in Islington who like this place, and with good reason, it's a lovely building and is a fine traditional urban pub inside with a central bar. There's also outdoor space in a defined area in the street, which is very pleasant if the weather is good. Unfortunately the drink selection isn't very exciting here with some standard cask and keg options.“

ManVsBeer 1088 days ago

“Corner pub with a traditional-modern mix in its design, with its long service area against its side wall in an open plan room that incorporated an upstairs area. Has plenty of macro options, but a couple of the kegs are given over to local craft brews, which might be more of interest to out of town visitors than those that live in the capital who may see these brews more often than most. No cask.“

ManVsBeer 1456 days ago

“Modern bar focussing more on good time drinkers rather than those seeking specific brews, as such a craft keg options (a Beavertown regular) is about as good as it gets in here, the rest of the long bar against the back wall is full of macro options. There's a lot of space between this and the large glass windows at the front so plenty of standing room in here.“

ManVsBeer 1461 days ago

“Bright, traditional public house decorated with theatre paraphernalia and quite welcoming for the sum of its parts with a square bar in the centre of the room. Youngs ales are found here so there's a limited selection beyond their brews, but their ales are complimented by some of their newer lager options so there's a range of styles from the brewer in here.“

ManVsBeer 1461 days ago

“Corner public house conversion in the midst of a residential area straddling the boundaries between Islington and Canonbury this is perhaps primarily a restaurant set around a central service area, but they were fine with me just having a drink there. The selection is mainly bottled and from a set menu, and whilst there's a decent enough mix of brews from around the world available, they are brews that most lovers of beer will have probably sourced before as there is nothing too niche here.“

ManVsBeer 1485 days ago

“Facing into Liverpool Road which is a five minute walk from and runs parallel to Upper Street in Islington, this is a traditional public house, perhaps not in quite as old a building as some others in the area but friendly enough. There's a central bar which is almost upon you after you enter, with its limited but worthwhile enough cask selection also facing the door. This place was completely deserted late on a Monday night in December, but it looks like a vibrant place, and judging by some of the stuff on the walls a hub of the local community, or its drinkers at least on a different night. A very urban pub in style and decoration.“

ManVsBeer 1489 days ago

“In a snug back street behind Compton Terrace parallel to the Upper Street at its top end, this is quite a small split level pub with the bar in the top section as soon as you enter. There's not many tables and chairs, and it seems one was taken out too to fit a Christmas tree in when I visited in December. Showing the football on a Monday night it was relatively busy but service wasn't a problem. There's not many options here but I found a new local microbrew to enjoy whilst Arsenal were demolishing West Ham on the box! A traditional pub building it's had a slightly more modern looking makeover on the inside.“

ManVsBeer 1489 days ago

“Decent enough London-centric bottle selection as of December 2019 when I looked in.“

ManVsBeer 1489 days ago

“Spitting distance from the black hole of Calcutta (aka The Three Johns). Comfortable bar and I've never seen this place heaving like The Three Johns. Decent selection of One Mile End beers of course and few goodies in the fridge. Hereby lies the problem. After a few visits it is a job and a half to find anything new and after about half a dozen fruitless visits, I simply stopped trying. Staff are nice and prices decent. A good place to sit and enjoy a quiet beer and if you are content to drink the same stuff all the time you will be fine.“

madmitch76 1820 days ago

“We visited the pub early on a Sunday before noon. Farmers market outside in the street of this corner pub. A fairy traditional, well-kept British pub. It's an outlet for the One Mile End brewery with five of their beers on cask and a few more on kegs. Some guest ,craft beers on the kegs in addition to a separate keg-line of mainstream beers. There was also a fridge with even more beers. Offers sample trays of the One Mile End ales. Friendly service. The pub is located just around the corner from Craft Beer Co Islington. For us coming from Tromsø in Norway it was indeed a bit special to listen to the music of Lene Marlin in the background. She is a famous artist in Norway from our hometown. (Visited with Leif 13.01.2019).“

Rune 1924 days ago

“massivr pub... feels gastro and over spacious.. beer selection was ok but not exciting“

cgarvieuk 1957 days ago

“Typical nicolsons.. though had a great selection of Siren the day i was there“

cgarvieuk 1957 days ago

“Like this place. Nice board, decent selection. nice ambience“

cgarvieuk 1957 days ago

“Got here around 16:00 on a Friday night and this was the first pub that was actually busy. However didn't really take to the place. It's as if Harvester or one of those chains decided to go craft. Also ordering was a hassle because the blackboard didn't include the name of the breweries. There were pump clips on it but too far too read easily. No plans go come back as I'm not bothered about any more ticks.“

BeardedAvenger 1975 days ago

“Cool, modern, rustic yet cosy bar with industrial brick wall interior. Pretty good selection, both casks and keg. Had a Landlord which unfortunately was cloudy and not in perfect condition.“

ekstedt 2080 days ago

“Cosy place. Friendly service. Ok food. Ok condition. Mostly own beers on cask as well as some guest taps.“

chrisv10 2103 days ago

“Nice pub in a quiet part of Islington. Often busy, noisy with folk spilling out onto the pavement out front. Good & varied selection of beers on cask & keg. Service was OK given how busy the pub is. There is a decent outside space out the back.“

Cheeseboard 2201 days ago

“My first visit to one of the Brewhouse & Kitchen chain of micro breweries. This was a busy venue, with around 6 hand pumps of various beers made in house. They were good as was the food.“

Jerseyislandbeer 2203 days ago

“2018-03-03. Beautiful bar with big high ceilings and big windows, tiled ceiling. Long copper topped bar which we apparently made the mistake of sitting at the business end of. Smaller separate room looks more relaxed buy was full. High percentage of American and non-UK beers on the ten or so taps. The quality seems impressive at first but is less so on closer inspection. Bottle selection is similar - there are lots of good breweries available, but when I look them up they are generally not their best beers for example. Our pizza however was excellent. It starts to get very busy with a very young crowd. Nice but not quite what I was hoping for.“

jercraigs 2232 days ago

“Stumbled across this place after a couple in the Three Johns. We (me, Scott, Dad and Barry) visited here Wednesday 7th March 2018, we were in London for the night as off to Brussels on Eurostar tomorrow morning. Its located just across the road on the corner at the other end of the short road from the Three Johns and a 3 minutes walk from Craft Islington, so very handily located. It also does accommodation I believe and has a room(s) with kitchen area for £120 a night so not too bad price for London.

It is mid sized, a straightforward set up, plenty of tables and chairs, perhaps a tad too many for the space. The bar is on the back wall, there is a further small snug type area past the fridge off to the left of the bar. It's a nice comfortable layout and for a Wednesday night had a good mixed crowd in here.

We liked it here, beers were good and there was a decent selection, mostly keg but also some cask. It was mostly their own beers as you might expect but other breweries were represented, I saw a Hawkshead, and a Lervig/Magic Rock collaboration. Nice place all told.“

Fin 2241 days ago

“Visiited with Harrisoni on a bustling evening. Said to be the place where Lenin came together with his mates to plan the Russian Revolution. Large spacious nice bar, large windows to see the world going past, with big tables and a decent beer choice. Decent cask beer condition. I also noticed they had a Barworks Smooth Ambler Old Scout bourbon behind the bar, which gets a big tick from me. Liked the evening vibe in here too.“

EdKing 2248 days ago

“Two room pub close to Angel tube station offering a varied selection, mostly keg with around 3 or 4 on cask. Good choice of bottles & cans in the fridge in addition. Friendly service, thirds served. The pizzas look good although I didn’t eat. Handily placed 250 yards from Craft Beer Co Angel so an easy flit to visit here too“

Cheeseboard 2255 days ago

“OK ´Spoons. Problem with service on a busy Friday evening.“

Finn 2369 days ago

“Another classic spoons, note sure I can really say anything interesting about it.“

Stuu666 2403 days ago