Hello everyone,
We recently went to my friend’s birthday party. There were 15 of us in total. Unfortunately, the experience was quite disappointing.
The food was awful—we had burgers and fish and chips. The chips smelled like fish, and the burger had no flavor at all. Nothing was tasty. On the positive side, the waiter was really good—friendly and attentive. His name is EST.
However, the curly-haired assistant manager was quite rude and unhelpful. He wasn’t friendly at all.
The ambience of the place was nice, which is the main reason we chose it. But after this experience, we definitely won’t be going back.
Something really ridiculous happened too. We brought our own cake for my friend’s birthday, and they didn’t provide any cake —just handed out plates—and still charged us £7 per person! Can you imagine that? I’ve never seen such absurd behavior in my life. They didn’t mention anything about this in their email, and only told us about the charge when we arrived.
It was truly a terrible experience. There are so many better pubs out there—don’t waste your time at this one!
The Albion in Islington has long held a reputation as a charming local, and our recent Sunday lunch visit at the tail end of April only solidified that view. Blessed with glorious sunshine, the four of us – my partner and I, along with friends visiting from Leeds – were fortunate enough to be seated in their expansive back garden. While the interior exudes a cosy, traditional pub feel, the garden was undoubtedly the place to be on such a beautiful day. It's worth noting that the pub was bustling, a testament to its popularity, so booking ahead, especially on a Sunday, is highly recommended.
Our meal got off to a delightful start with warm, soft sourdough accompanied by a generous portion of whipped butter – a simple pleasure done exceptionally well. For our main courses, we opted for a diverse selection of their roasts to cater to everyone's tastes. I chose the Saddleback porchetta with bramley apple sauce, and it was the star of the show for me. The pork was cooked to perfection, boasting succulent meat and plenty of gloriously crunchy crackling. Our group also enjoyed the vibrant Beetroot & chickpea wellington (the vegetarian option) and the impressive 45-day dry-aged sirloin of beef. The portion sizes were generous across the board, and the thoughtful touch of bringing extra gravy for the crispy roast potatoes and towering Yorkshire puddings was much appreciated. We also indulged in a side of Montgomery’s cheddar cauliflower cheese, which was a rich and comforting addition.
To round off our satisfying meal, we shared two equally delightful desserts. The classic sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream was rich and comforting, while the vanilla cheesecake, adorned with sweet English strawberries and a hint of gingerbread, offered a lighter, more summery finish.
Despite the pub being particularly busy due to the London Marathon, creating a lively atmosphere in the garden, the service remained friendly, attentive, and refreshingly non-fussy. Our food and drinks arrived promptly, as did the bill when it was time for our friends to catch their train.
In conclusion, The Albion offers a winning combination. Whether you're after a relaxing pint in a truly lovely, sun-drenched beer garden or a delicious Sunday roast (just remember to book!), this Islington gem is definitely worth a visit. We'll certainly be returning.
My friend took me to The Albion for a Sunday Roast. He ate the lamb roast; my partner tried the vegetarian roast with beetroot and chickpea wellington. I'm not a fan of beetroot, so i asked them not to add it to my plate, and instead, I had a side of cauliflower cheese (it could have been larger). We all had a dessert. Roasts are quality, but it would be good if they had two veggie options as ingredients like beetroot can be polarising. The puddings were also excellent; the chocolate ganache was top quality. It was sunny in early March, so we sat in the garden. I can imagine it is lovely when it's in full bloom. The staff were good, although they forgot to bring the pepper when requested, but that's a minor point. We enjoyed the entire experience.
Had an overall excellent Valentine’s Day double date with friends. The veg main with a cashew cream was delicious and even my carnivore friend agreed! Excellent portion size. The chocolate ganache was a large portion and so rich! Great to share. The dinked stars are bc the service wasn’t great. Granted it was so busy, but the 2 consecutive cocktails I wanted weren’t available. And the white wine by glass list was limited. We had to wait a while for each course and for the bill.
Love this pub. Been here on numerous occassions, in summer, winter, wedding reception... Great food menu, good wine and nice staff. Spacious outdoor terrace and homey interior.