Old Queen's Head, Islington

pub details:

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location:

Islington

address:

44 Essex Road, N1 8LN

phone:

0871 258 6157*
* calls cost 10p/minute, click here for more about 0871 numbers.

nearest stations:

Essex Road railway station
(450m) - zone 2

Angel London Underground station
(660m) - zone 1

Highbury and Islington London Overground station London Underground station
(1Km) - zone 2

Caledonian Road and Barnsbury London Overground station
(1.2Km)

Canonbury London Overground station
(1.4Km)

bus routes:

38, 56, 73, 341, 476

how to find it:

Leave Angel and follow Upper Street along past Camden Passage antiques market until you get to Islington Green. Take the right turning into Essex Road. The pub is about 200 yards down on the right.

click for directions to Old Queen's Head from wherever you are

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opening times:

Mon-Wed 12:00-0:00Thu 12:00-01:00Fri-Sat 12:00-02:00Sun 12:00-00:00*
* opening times can change, please check with the pub before organising important events.

nearby attraction(s):

Business Design Centre (450m)

Sadler's Wells Theatre (960m)

Street View - click to see the area around the Old Queen's Head

In the ever changeable world of N1's pubs and bars, this one rather has the status of a veteran. Its current incarnation has been here for about three years now, maintaining a reputation for live music upstairs and laid-back drinking downstairs. The eclectically furnished main bar - all antler chandeliers and comfy sofas - regularly packs in a crowd, and as for your drink selections, you're looking at a list of lagers, wines and cocktails that do the job, but aren't the widest selection you'll ever see (if you're looking for beer, then you won't find much past Guinness and John Smiths). The menu keeps things simple (sandwiches and burgers during the week, roasts on a Sunday) and a small beer garden at the back is a decent spot when the sun breaks through. With the benefit of a late license, the upstairs regularly plays host to a wide selection of live music and name DJs, with pretty much every genre covered. It's a formula that you'll find repeated across London, but judging by the queues to get in you'll come across here at weekends, rarely as successfully as here.

reviewed:
26/03/2009