A tucked-away Angel free house in cream and pastel green, with changing ales and a real local crowd.
The Charles Lamb sits on Elia Street in the backstreets of Angel, a small free house painted cream and pastel green. It opened in 1839 as the Prince Albert and was renamed for the essayist Charles Lamb, whose pen name Elia gives the street its name.
It is a proper neighbourhood local that takes its ales and food seriously. Time Out files it among Islington's best pubs. Come for a changing pint and a simple plate in a room full of regulars. Skip it if you need space, because the interior is tiny and fills fast.
The interior is cosy and pared back, with a small bar and a handful of tables that pull a chatty local crowd. The pastel exterior is a landmark on an otherwise residential street.
Most of the seating is inside, with a few spots out front. In Pursuit of Food describes it as a place where community still exists, and the cramped, friendly room is the point.
The draw is the ever-changing ale range alongside a short, well-chosen wine list. This is a free house, so the taps rotate rather than sticking to one brewery.
Order whatever guest ale just landed and ask the bar for a steer. The kitchen runs simple seasonal mains, with the home-battered fish and chips a repeat recommendation in reviews.
The Charles Lamb pulls Angel locals, real-ale drinkers, and couples in for a quiet dinner. It is a residential-street pub, so it leans neighbourhood rather than night out.
What to order
- 01
A rotating guest ale
- 02
A glass off the short wine list
- 03
Home-battered fish and chips
- 04
A seasonal main
