Given its slightly off-the-beaten-track location in the residential back-streets between Angel and Canonbury, it’s surprising how busy this pub can get. At popular times, beer geeks flock from far and wide to hang out here. Why? Well for a start the beer and cider selection is not just excellent, it’s also rather interesting, often comprising drinks from a number of brewers who tend not to feature that heavily in London’s other craft beer pubs, as well as their own in-house brew and some more familiar names (Camden Town, Magic Rock, Thornbridge, etc.). You have almost 20 taps/pumps at your disposal, with many more options by the can or bottle. The wine list is similarly epic. Everyone's happy.
The food is entirely agreeable, focused more towards the gastropub audience than those looking for simple pub grub, and the woody, bright décor is immediately comfortable. Combine all this with a nice little beer garden at the back of the premises and you can begin to understand this pub’s appeal. Oh, and check out the wonderful London pen-and-ink panoramas at the front of the bar.
On Twitter as @TheEarlofEssex1
