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King's Head, Islington  fancyapint.com rated pub, rated3 pints - click for an explanation of our ratings

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location:

Islington

address:

59 Essex Road, N1 2SF

phone:

0871 258 9662*
* calls cost 10p/minute, click here for more about 0871 numbers.

nearest stations:

Essex Road railway station
(390m) - zone 2

Angel London Underground station
(720m) - zone 1

Highbury and Islington London Overground stationLondon Underground station
(930m) - zone 2

Caledonian Road and Barnsbury London Overground station
(1.1Km)

Canonbury London Overground station
(1.3Km)

bus routes:

38, 56, 73, 341, 476 bus info

how to find it:

Leave Angel tube, turn right and walk up Upper Street, fork right on to Essex Road and walk along for a few minutes. You'll see the pub on your left presently. Essex Road: leave the station and turn right, back towards Upper Street. Walk for a few minutes and you'll see the pub on your right.

click here for a larger map

nearby attraction(s):

Business Design Centre (490m)

Sadler's Wells Theatre (1Km)

picture of Kings Head
Its nice to see that not all places in N1 have succumbed to the "strip it out, play loud music and call it a bar" trap. So despite a recent sprucing up, which included painting the outside a different colour, this is an old-style local pub for old-style locals. On occasion - especially at the quieter end of the week - one can get the feeling that some of the older gruff regulars don't approve of your presence, but on our Friday night visit there was a wider clientele than you'd find in any other nearby pub and the atmosphere was correspondingly conducive. The ale of choice is Bombardier which was well kept, the service excellent and the food reasonable. The music too was good, having improved since our last visit when we had to endure the blandness of minicab drivers favourite Smooth FM.

reviewed:
25/08/2010
reviewed by redcat

Eating at The King's Head ... we last ate here on 20/4/2007

Food like scampi and chips and burgers excellent value at under a fiver and while probably not in the running for a Michelin star, it was well prepared and we enjoyed eating here.
food rating 2 - quality
price rating 1 - price

second opinion:

Have your say! - 3 comments on this pub - click to add your own comment
posted by NEWBIE12 - Thursday 7th May, 2009, 8:07pm
This pub is now under new management and has an outside catering firm who runs their menu and their kitchens. All Matches are shown on large screens here. Entertainment is great over the weekend. Lunchtime Menu and Evening Menu available as well as Chips n cheese or Onion rings to nibble on during the match or during the quick catch up with a friend.Lovely menu, Friendly staff and great food. Also has a large enclosed Patio out the back. Children welcome with a childrens menu.
posted by steve-m - Sunday 16th November, 2008, 12:33pm
Sometimes it is sad to see pubs become gentrified and lose their character, though not this one. This should become a Starbucks and the sooner the better. Was served comedy short measures with the head not even making the top of the glass and was unfortunate enough to meet one of the regulars a few hours after Arsenal had lost, this retard with obvious problems decided who stays in the pub and who doesn't, he only knows two words f**k and c**t. Horrible place, horrible people.
posted by John Heath - Wednesday 7th November, 2007, 3:11pm
What a find this pub was. My Wife and I have been living in Islington for nearly a year now. I've enjoyed the local bars and pubs but have always been on the lookout for a real 'local'. We found it in the shape of the King's Head on Essex Road. The service is friendly and unlike many pubs in the area, the lager is as it should be - ice cold. The Bombardier is a good pint as well for those of you who like their beer brown. It amazes me that despite Upper Street being only 10 mins on the bus from the Emirates Stadium, it is practically impossible to watch an Arsenal match at most pubs in the area unless you want the ignominy of drinking fosters from a plastic glass in Walkabout. Glad to say, that all the matches seem to be screened in the King's Head. A new menu has been launched, including a range of a dozen or so burgers. I went for one which included peanut butter as a filling. It was deliciously over-the-top and would have put Elvis to shame. Thoroughly recommended.
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