The Albion, Islington  

It was only a matter of time before the Albion got the gastro treatment and, sure enough, the inevitable has happened. That's not to say the pub didn't need updating - it might have been a family-friendly local, but it was a bit of a rambling, ramshackle affair that was beginning to show its age. So, the pub's interior has been reworked and rationalised, the beer-garden considerably tidied up and, to finish it off, the whole place has been painted a somewhat passé gastro-pastel-turquoise-green. But of course, the big change is the emphasis on dining, with all that that entails: extended wine list, grandiloquent menu, a poorer choice of real beer (only two on our last visit and one of those was off) and the ineludible price hike. Overall it's pretty much par for the gastropub course and the scene is pretty familiar, by now - safe and comfortable. However, the crowd here is much younger now - we guess feeding a family here is expensive, even for Islingtonians - and consequently the atmosphere is buzzy and less languid than before, but it really depends on when you visit. The Albion is a pub of two halves - on a sunny spring afternoon it's a pleasant place to relax and converse, on a Friday night it's completely the opposite: crowded, noisy and uncomfortable.

reviewed:
6/5/2007

pub features:(click on an icon to see an explanation)

TV

outdoor seating

children welcome

trad english menu,

disabled facilities

ATM on premises

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