A wisteria-draped Georgian pub on a quiet Barnsbury street, with one of Islington's finest gardens and a kitchen the broadsheets rate.
The Albion sits on Thornhill Road, a Georgian terrace in the Barnsbury pocket of Islington, away from the Upper Street crowds. The wisteria-covered front is the giveaway, and behind it is a courtyard garden of more than 450 square metres that ranks among the prettiest in north London. The Guardian, the Observer, and the Independent have all praised the kitchen over the years.
This is a gastropub that earns the label. It works as a summer garden destination, a Sunday lunch institution, and a fireside winter local. Come for the garden in bloom, the roast, or a long lunch. Skip it if you want a cheap quick pint, because the prices match the postcode and the ambition.
The Albion sits on Thornhill Road in Barnsbury, a quiet Georgian pocket of Islington. Book a table for lunch or a roast. The garden runs on a walk-in basis when the weather holds.
Inside is a handsome Georgian pub with log fires for the cold months and French windows that open onto the garden. The restaurant area runs off the bar, so you can drink or settle in for a full meal.
The garden is the headline. Wisteria twines across trellises to create a secluded green room that, in full bloom, gives London's parks a run for their money. It is the reason to book ahead in summer.
The bar pours a wide range of lagers, real ales, and ciders, with a wine list built to match the all-day menu. It is a pub cellar with a restaurant sensibility rather than a cocktail bar.
Order a real ale or a glass from the list and pair it with the kitchen's British plates. The beer-battered haddock and chips and the lamb shoulder ragu with tagliatelle are the dishes reviewers return to.
What to order
- 01
A pint of real ale
- 02
A glass from the wine list
- 03
Beer-battered haddock and chips
- 04
Sunday roast
