Islington / Upper St / Angel / Essex Rd

[ESGdance]

Best pubs, restaurants, shops …. Other stuff to see and do….

For me, Frederick's bar, if I'm in the area.

I haven't eaten in there as it's not my budget.

We like to order the Old Square cocktail 😂

The lady on the door always gives me a hug, which I like, makes me feel like a regular even though I'm not.

James Cochran 12:51
Bellanger
The Drapers Arms
The Pig & Butcher - not on Upper St but a road parallel to it Liverpool Rd
Upper Street is great I love

Omg this is a flashback to when I used to work in that area 20 years ago. Is Cuba Libra still there? Fabulous mojitos

Camden Passage is also great, just off Upper St not far from Angel station. It has a market on Saturdays and I think Wednesdays

@freesolo

Omg this is a flashback to when I used to work in that area 20 years ago. Is Cuba Libra still there? Fabulous mojitos

Ha Ha - had my hen night there - about 20 years ago! Sadly now gone it seems - only restaurants I am familiar with from the olden days (last century) are Fredericks (not been was too poor then) and Le Mercury…

Oh my god, Le Mercury! That was a treat back in the day!

Sorry, similarly out of touch so can’t help.

Omnom.

Is Cuba Libra still there? Fabulous mojitos

Think it closed a few years ago, sadly.
Brilliant place for a dance!
They would put the tables to the side and everyone could dance after the food service was over on a Fri & Sat. So casually fun. And yes, bloody good mojitos!

Is there anywhere like this still around?

Current favourites are the Pig and Butcher, La Petite Auberge, Radicchio, Bellanger, Fredericks, and the Compton Arms. Lots of great individual shops, and all easily visited in an afternoon!
Camden Passage is lovely, and Pophams (5 mins off Essex road), is one of THE best bakeries on the planet.
The Screen on the Green is a fantastic cinema, and there’s also the Almeida theatre.
It’s my favourite bit of London!

There are places opening and closing all the time

Oldroyd and Black Axe Mangal great for food but not sure both reopened

So much to choose from it depends on your tastes

Le Mercury!

Looks like a new bunch of cocktails at Ferdericks,
I think they change them by the season.

I was curious about Dead Dolls House - saw it from the bus - but that has closed now too.

Is there still a little private gallery near Pizza Express?

Also, you could visit the Bob streetcat statue!

Jolene now have a bakery on Essex Rd/islingogreen corner which is great for the day

Fredericks is lovely!

These were the pubs I remember from years ago ….. might do a pub crawl - any of these still good?

The Narrow Boat
Compton Arms
The Island Queen
Old Queens Head
Kings Head Theatre
The Marquis
Hen and Chickens
Duke of Cambridge
The Camden Head

Forgotten the names of some other pubs around St John’s Street. Huge one with big garden in Barnsbury we used to go to … can’t remember the name.

Is it the Albion?

It's been a while but I always liked the Izakaya/pub place on the corner of Essex Road and New North Road (I think) - just opposite Essex Road Station.

@Thighdentitycrisis - yes that’s it - thanks would never have found it - all the best pubs are in the back residential streets.

@Etherealhedgehog - just looked up that Japanese restaurant Akari - looks wonderful - in the old Leopold Bloom pub

Also, not fancy at all, but there's a proper old school on bakery on Essex Road - on the left as you walk down towards Angel - that does the best piece of Tottenham Cake!

oh also, Gallipolli on Upper Street (I think there are now several) was our go to for a treat lunch when I worked near there.

I used to love Gallipoli

Camden Passage lovely as others have said.
Pubs - narrow boat, island Queen are great.
Humble grape is lovely on Theberton St
GO TO POPHAMS! Also new Jolene on colebrooke row.
You’ve also got the bar with no name on colebrooke row which is amazing for cocktails.
Restaurant wise - have you thought about heading down St John St? Restaurants much better round there IMO.
Luca is a gorgeous Italian place.
The classic St John.
Brutto on greenhill rents has opened (bottom of St John St) also sessions art club clerkenwell green.
Both amazing restaurants.
For cocktails there’s oriole in the meat market at bottom of St John St and the lovely Zetter Townhouse!
I live in Clerkenwell but often around upper st/Essex rd and would say Clerkenwell/Smithfield beats it for nice restaurant/bars/pubs.
Fox and Anchor is a lovely pub.
Have you thought about exmouth market? Moro/morito both fab. Love cafe kick for drinking and Exmouth arms is great. Bourne and Hollingsworth just round the corner is amazing. Hope this helps!

La Petite Auberge is a lovely restaurant on upper st. 12:51 too!
Udderlicious great ice cream and saw a new place for gelato has opened on Camden Passage which looks great.

Three Kings pub and crown tavern both on Clerkenwell green are lovely too. Sorry, I’ll stop now!

@jamsandwich1 - thanks so much - we are actually staying in an apartment on Rosebery Ave - so great to have all of your recommendations. The visit is to mooch about old haunts (not many left) with the girlfriends I lived with as a student in Islington….so likely to have a bit of a bar crawl but eat somewhere great.

Any recommendations for best places for breakfast?