Photo credit: The Sekforde, Islington
Pubs and boozers in the UK are thriving diverse multi contextual communities. They're places where people gather for Sunday lunch, watch live football, go on dates, bring their children, or just enjoy a cheeky pint. 😊
Here is a comprehensive list of our favourite good pubs in Islington, developed over the last twenty years of frequenting local watering holes. We have broken them down by location: Highbury, Caledonian Road/ Barnsbury, Essex Road, Holloway Road, Angel, Clerkenwell and Tufnell Park. They proudly serve beer from: The House of Hammerton, Pretty Decent Brewery, Deya Brewery, Jiddler's Tipple & Pressure Drop as well as a range of Alcohol Free Beers and Alcohol Free Wines.
Are we missing any of your favourites? Please do email support@nourishedcommunites.com if you feel we should add any extra information or are missing any of your favourites!
Highbury, Islington
Compton Arms: 4 Compton Ave, London N1 2XD
Rumoured to be where George Orwell used to write. It is a small but cosy pub tucked behind the Union Chapel on Upper Street. They also have a pop up kitchen from Tiella that serves out some incredible Italian food. It is also where Ed and Jamie Four Legs started before opening the Plimsoll (formely the Auld Triangle) and Tollingtons Fish bar in Finsbury park.
Garden: Yes a small one out back.
The Myddleton Arms, 52 Canonbury Rd, London N1 2HS
The Middleton Arms found in the heart of Canonbury on the road running from Highbury Corner to Essex Road. Serving up burgers and chips they also have a pub quiz every Monday.
Garden: Yes
The Hen & Chicken Theatre Bar, 109 St Paul's Rd, London N1 2NA
Found on Highbury Corner this bar was built in 1746 it is a dog friendly pub with a cosy and warm environment. They also host great theatre, improv and film screenings upstairs!
Garden: No however, does have outside seating area.
This is a huge pub in Canonbury built in the 1700s is grade two listed and has an impressive interior. The beer garden is one of the largest in London and they have a large area inside and outside for eating. They do have a pretty diverse gasto pub menu although wouldn’t necessarily shout about the food. Is kid friendly and has an upstairs area that can be rented for events and functions.
Garden: Yes a large one with grass too. Great for kids.
Caledonian Road/ Barnsbury, Islington
The Hemingford Arms, 158 Hemingford Rd, London N1 1DF
Also known as the 'Hemmy' has an amazing exterior of flowers and ivy it is a listed building and has benches outside that are great to sit on in the summer. It is one of the oldest pub in Barnsbury and has a lot of character! It is as cosy and inviting as a boozer gets, warm lighting, wooden panels and so many objects on the walls it feels like a museum.
The Drapers Arms, 44 Barnsbury Street, London N1 1ER
Essex Road, Islington
The Old Queens Head, 44 Essex Rd, London N1 8LN
The Old Queens Head has a cosy ambience and interesting decorations inside. During the evening it’s a nice vibrant atmosphere with comfy sofas and a large stone fireplace. Every Tuesday they have a pub quiz that is phenomenal. They also offer live music, club nights (Friday and Saturday).
Garden: No however, can sit outside.
The Alpaca, 84-86 Essex Rd, London N1 8LU
A warm and comfy pub. Great atmosphere and serving up some yummy seasonal food. Hosting regular pub quizzes, DJs, live music, book clubs, folk nights as well as being a very popular event space (they have a private room upstairs)
Garden: Yes there is a courtyard in the back!
Holloway Road, Islington
The House of Hammerton, 99 Holloway Rd, London N7 8LT
The House of Hammerton started by Lee is a microbrewery that brews their beer in Angel, Islington. They have over 20 lines and serve out some amazing beer and host a pub quiz here every Tuesday. Great atmosphere and warm friendly staff. Bizarrely John Lennon and Yoko Ono stood on the roof of the pub swapping their cut hair with a pair of bloodied Muhammed Ali shorts, true story!
You can also visit their brewery near to angel here they do some great beer and amazing pizza! Want to trey some of their beers from home? Look no further!
The Lamb, 54 Holloway Rd, London N7 8JL
A really charming old pub with a great ambience in the winter as they light candles that gives the pub an amazing atmosphere. Only five minutes walk from Highbury & Islington station! Every Tuesday they have live Irish music as well as blue grass and other acts.
Garden: No
The Horatia, 98-102 Holloway Rd, London N7 8JE
A lively large pub that has live music and often offers the footfall. They have two table football tables and nice sofa areas. They hold a pub quiz every Wednesday & host other local clubs and meetups. They also let you order Yard Sale Pizza some of the best pizza in London. Coming on an impressively large base.
Garden: No
The Swimmer, 13 Eburne Rd, London N7 6AR
The swimmer is an amazing and spacious Islington pub with a strong food offering, regular comedy and quiz nights.
Angel, Islington
Camden Head, 2 Camden Walk, London N1 8DY
Tucked away on the beautiful Camden passage is a amazing old English pub. It is a grade II listed building with a circular bar, etched glass windows and original mirrors. A great place to bring visitors. It has a patio/ garden area and also is famous for hosting comedy every night of the week upstairs. If you ever want to see the comedy however, it’s fully booked head to the Bill Murray their sister venue 5 minutes away. They also offer food.
Garden: Terraced area outside
The York, 82 Islington High St, Greater, London N1 8EQ
Found immediately next to Angel tube station is a nice and convenient place to meet people. Has a large interior and seating area on the cobbles outside. Serves food and is dog friendly.
Garden: No
The Island Queen, 87 Noel Rd, Greater, London N1 8HD
Tucked behind Angel tube station the Island queen has a fantastic atmosphere with a dark wood interior. Has an upstairs room that can be rented for parties too and is dog friendly. They also have an array of board games you can play.
Garden: No
The Duke of Cambridge, 30 St Peter's St, London N1 8JT
Britain's first organic pub has a warm ambience with some delicious food. It has been certified by the organic soil association since 1998 and hosts some amazing talks around regenerative farming and agriculture. Curated by the Culpepper family. They have the highest level of accreditation of 3* from the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
The Regent, 201-203 Liverpool Rd, London N1 1LX
A lovely local pub on the corner of Liverpool road offering great wood fired pizza, beer and cocktails. They have nice booths to sit in & friendly staff. In the summer a great place to sit outside & in the winter cosy inside!
The Crown, 116 Cloudesley Rd, London N1 0EB
A really fantastic English pub with rich wooden walls, a circular central bar and roaring fires. If it's summer time they have a lovely seating area outside. The food is great would thoroughly recommend.
Clerkenwell, Islington
The Sekforde, 34 Sekforde St., London EC1R 0HA
An amazing pub situated on Sekforde Street in Clerkenwell with a long list of accolades. It uses its profits to run an impressive scholarship program, sponsoring nine new students to study in London each year. They have won the RIBA Award for sustainability and architecture, as well as a CAMRA award for pub renovation. Beneath the pub, they have a heat exchange unit that powers the entire venue! They were recently featured in the Top 50 Best Gastro Pubs in London by the Evening Standard.
It is also where Nourished Communities began, as they kindly allowed us to operate from their premises for free during lockdown. I would thoroughly recommend the food, and the new management under Harry Smith has taken this pub to the next level! They serve up a delicious range of St John Wine
Archway, Islington
Charlotte Despard, 17-19 Archway Rd, London N19 3TX
Is a wonderful secret pub in Archway that also has a pool table. This is a real local. They host a themed pub quiz every Tuesday that is free to enter.
St John's Tavern, 91 Junction Rd, Archway, London N19 5QU
An archway classic accompanied with a roaring fire. They offer two courses for £20
on selected seasonal dishes Mondays - Wednesday weekly from 6pm. Pub quiz every Monday and live music every Thursday! Has won 2024 Diners choice award from Open table and was even voted 11/10 by the Standard. Yes you read that right eleven out of ten!
Tufnell Park, Islington
The Tufnell Park Tavern, 162 Tufnell Pk Rd, London N7 0EE
A large spacious pub with tasty food and food array of beers. Before 7pm they are kids friendly and lots of families gather here. They have huge and very nice garden area too. The host a pub quiz every Monday at 8:30pm.
The Lord Palmerston, 33 Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HU
A lovely old victorian pub well worth the walk from the station. Has a lovely atmosphere and a fire in the winter combined with some delicious food. They show movies every Tuesday. Check out what is screening here
Kentish Town ( but on edge of Tufnell Park)
The Southhampton Arms, 139 Highgate Rd, London NW5 1LE
This one isn't really in Islington but it's so good and on the fringes of Tufnell Park we has to include it. This is a bit of a destination pub. It's a funky pub with a quirky and sprawling garden space with lots of nooks and crannies. The home made pork scratchings are amazing!
Don't hesitate to check our our range of Wines, Craft Beers, Alcohol Free Beers and Alcohol Free Wines If you'd like to experience what they serve from the comfort of your home.
We will be launching the following very soon:
- Islington Top Sunday Lunch Spots
- Islington Pubs to watch live football
- Islington pubs to grab a pint at before the Arsenal
Comments (3)
Excellent list. My mission: to try every one in one day 🫶
Excellent list. My mission: to try every one in one day 🫶
Excellent list. My mission: to try every one in one day 🫶