The Crown, Islington  

One of Fullers more upmarket efforts and clearly aiming at the N1 demographic, this is a grand Victorian pub in a very picturesque part of Barnsbury. Apart from the blander back lounge room, much of the ornate decoration remains, with plenty of etched glass and dark wood panels in evidence. If you're lucky enough to grab the seats in front of it, there's even a real fire for the winter evenings. Add to this a great selection of international bottled beers, mostly Fuller's beers on the hand pumps - the excellent London Porter was on last time we were in - plus a pretty extensive wine list and it gets hard to fault the place. The service is good and the well-made food is deservedly popular, though the chips we ordered last time were a bit on the soggy side. Even with the perfectly acceptable Islington Tap and Regent both a few minutes away, it's still easily the best of the lot, with the only downside being the difficulty to get a seat at peak times. Recommended.

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