A grand Grade II listed pub on Canonbury Street in Islington's quietest village, with soaring ceilings and a kitchen built around pies.
The Marquess Tavern stands on Canonbury Street in the village pocket of Canonbury, a short walk from Canonbury Overground and Highbury and Islington. Built more than 150 years ago, the Grade II listed pub has dramatic double-height ceilings and was, by local lore, a favourite of George Orwell, who lived nearby. Hot Dinners rates its supper club among Islington's better neighbourhood tables.
This is a destination gastropub for a long lunch or a proper dinner, not a quick pint. The room is grand and family-friendly by day, and the kitchen leans into pies and roasts. Anyone after a cheap round or a sports screen should look elsewhere on Upper Street.
The headline is the architecture. Double-height ceilings give the main room a scale most pubs never reach, softened by worn wood, a roaring fire in winter and an easy local feel. It manages grand and welcoming at once.
The space works for families and groups by day and turns more candle-lit at dinner. Reviewers note it can get loud on busy nights and during events, which is the trade-off for such an open room.
The drinks list is a gastropub setup, with a few cask and keg beers, a considered wine list, and pints landing around 6.50 pounds. It is pitched to drink alongside a meal rather than to anchor a session.
The food is the real draw. The pies and the Sunday roast get the loudest praise, with the supper club menu flagged by Tripadvisor reviewers. Order a pie with a pint of bitter, and book ahead if you want the roast.
Daytimes pull a family and local crowd from the surrounding Canonbury streets, with prams and groups made welcome. Evenings shift toward couples and friends in for dinner.