They do not take cash and were quite rude about it be warned. Plenty of other places to choose from.

Tucked into a residential neighborhood, this unassuming place serves tasty food for your soul and pretty photo opportunities for your Instagram feed. It's larger than it appears with a street patio out front. Inside, theres a bar service area, 2 dining rooms done up in William Morris fabrics and green paint; so quintessentially British Out back, there's a large shady patio divided up into little areas that makes each table feel a little bit private Food is yummy and ample and the service very friendly and quick especially for the odd hour at which we were eating. (near 15:00) Highly recommend you visit! read more

Great burger. The sauce was very good, and the chips were pretty good. Good portion and, not too expensive. The restaurant environment is super cool and inviting. read more

The Albion - Burger and chips - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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Great pub food but service lets the place down. Scotch eggs were amazing. Burger was a massive disappointment. Small patty , lacked flavour. Lamb shoulder came with great potatoes but I am not sure it was a shoulder cut. It certainly didn't, flake off the bone. Sea bream was good but not off the charts . Venison pappardelle Ragu was very good. Fish and chips had great chips but fish was disappointing. Batter was heavy and soggy not crispy. Servers were very nice and cheerful but forgot silverware and forgot an entree. Food for a table of six came out intermittently so we couldn't all eat at once or our food would get cold. I guess many restaurants can serve good dishes but good ones have everything ready at once. Place isn't cheap for a pub. Only half of us had alcohol. 300 gbp for six not cheap. Outside area allows smoking so if smoke bothers you beware. I had chain smokers at table next to me smoking rollups. Really detracted from my enjoyment of my food. Sadly don't think I will return. read more

I ate dinner here with a large group of coworkers. We were able to book a table on a Monday night on short notice. It's a charming Georgian pub on a quiet street in Islington with several rooms and a back garden. If you can't get a table at the Pig and Butcher, this is apparently their sister restaurant. We started with toasted sourdough bread and whipped butter. I had the carrot and cumin soup (delicious), the bream (buttery), and the sticky toffee pudding (swimming in yummy sauce) with ice cream. My coworkers had the fish-n-chips (enormous), the pot pie, and the steak. Everyone was satisfied. The service was amazing. I'd definitely return on my next trip to London. read more

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10/10. Came here for a classic Sunday Roast and it did not disappoint. Potatoes flawless. Gravy could have been thicker but thats just preference. Vibes high. LOVED read more

The Albion - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Delightful spot for my first Sunday roast. The meat was tender and the yorkshire pudding was massive! We were a large group of 12 so we made a reservation. They kindly left a section open for us. Although I personally did not order it, the vegetarian option looked delicious. No complaints here! read more

The Albion - Sirloin Steak - Sunday roast - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Went for Sunday Roast and three of a part of 4, all having had the chicken option came down with food poisoning. We have informed the environmental health office who found improvements were required / recommended. The chicken is batch cooked / cooled / then reheated to order as we were informed. Having diabetes mellitus I need to inject myself with insulin when eating. Throwing up all food and being unable to keep anything in my stomach resulted in me being hospitalised. My challenge with the Albion, and having been on numerous occasions, as I met my wife at the location, is the nonchallence and non-responsiveness. Several meetings were set and ignored. Barry, the owner, asked for face-to-face meetings that were pushed back and not followed up. The fact of not even receiving an apology or the question of how I was after my hospitalisation is appalling. read more

Food was good. Atmosphere ok. Service? Wow. Sat for 20 minutes and finally asked if we could get a server. The first waitress was grumpy, then 5 other people sort of waited on us. No one asked if we wanted more drinks and no one came to als his dinner was or if we wanted dessert. Finally we got up and walked to the bar and asked for our bill. 5 staff people at the bar sort of looked at us... Whatever. read more

My son picked out The Albion for a special early dinner after we attended the baptism of our first grandson. He chose this restaurant as they are vegan friendly, while still having a good selection of traditional English food. We had a table that always reserved for our of eight in the garden behind the restaurant. I ordered the 28 day aged longhorn sirloin that comes with Yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes, carrots and buttered greens. The steak was not cooked to order but was medium to a medium rare which was fine with me. The Yorkshire pudding was huge, and the vegetables all very tasty. Some of the group ordered the spinach and wild mushroom gnocchi with a basil pesto dressing, this could be ordered vegan as well. My wife enjoyed her no vegan order of this and my daughter in law said they really liked coming here because of their vegan options. It was partly cloudy and unfortunately the sun was broke through and was pretty bright where we were sitting, but we managed and enjoyed our meal. Food 4 Everyone enjoyed their dinner. We did not have dessert as we had a special one reserved back at home. Atmosphere 4 It was nice to eat outside and the garden was pretty. A little bit more shade would have been nice, but who expected a bright sun in London! Service 3.5 The service staff was competent but nothing exceptional. Price 4 I think the value was in line with the price. Overall OA 4 I would return to this restaurant again. read more

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Came here for a Sunday roast. They had a few options available, though not the duck that they previously offered. They have roasts available for one or two people, ranging from lamb and beef rib and vegetarian options. I got the 28 day aged sirloin with Yorkshire pudding. The vegetables were the best part. The carrots and parsnips were roasted perfectly. The potato wedges (likely fried in duck fat) were amazing. However, the roast itself was just okay. Nothing special. Gravy was okay. The Yorkshire pudding was also nothing to write home about. Service was pretty slow. We sat in the backyard (which is great), but it also meant our waiter(s) were just running around back and forth, moving tables and taking everyone's orders and bringing food out. read more

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I met up with Yelp friends here following a Yelp event. The sun was streaming down, making it the perfect day to visit this pub as it has a fantastic large garden area at the back. Relaxed chatting atmosphere only ruined by a drunken smoker with a foul smelling cigar who decided to amble over to our table Located off the main drag of Upper Street craziness, it's got a tranquil air which would bode well for pleasant conversation read more

The Albion - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

I remember my first visit here on a sunny Saturday (we used to have them). It was someone else's round and they brought my beer out to the bright beer garden. I thought it was a lovely place. Subsequent visits have ripped off the head and spat down the neck of that balmy memory. First an evening visit where we tried to enjoy our overpriced short measures despite the fact a group of posh twits was trying to start a fight with us. Luckily they decided that vomiting in the street was a more suitable activity. Then my latest, and hopefully my last visit. The first one where I really had any interaction with the staff. I walked into an almost empty pub with 6 members of staff behind the bar. No-one else was waiting and only 1 of them was actually doing anything (glasses in the washer). I can only assume that they were playing a game of chicken on a quiet day..seeing who would crack first and serve the customer. No other explanation can account for an uncomfortable 5+ minutes where I stood there trying to get attention as they slouched about. I am hardly a meek or minor presence..easily missed! I only persisted as I was meeting friends there so couldn't immediately take my unwanted custom elsewhere. And after all that it turned out they had no beer on anyway. Avoid henceforth I shall. read more

Decent food and the backyard patio is really fantastic for such a central location in London. It's massive and very cute with a few plants and fairy lights! I only ordered a starter to snack on, but it was good! read more

I really liked the vibe of this place when I walked in. Lots of shiny wood booths and cute armchairs of all sorts that I vaguely daydreamed about stealing and putting in my living room if there was any possible way to do so surreptitiously. Which there isn't. So I stopped daydreaming. Anyway...back to the Albion. It's cute inside. However, I was a little disappointed by the food and the service. The menu was exciting - they do a whole roast hog if you order in advance and have a whole bunch of pork-loving friends or maybe a hungry pet tiger. Since I like trying weird things, I ordered the fried pig's ears. They were sort of like deep fried fat. Chewy deep fried fat. Perhaps this is just the nature of pig's ears and not the fault of the Albion, but it could have at least used some sort of dipping sauce to mitigate the taste of a mouthful of oil. Regarding the service, I ordered the pig's feet and a spring vegetable salad. I got the pig's ears. They were aaiiiight. Then I got another order of the pig's ears. Not mine. Then I waited. And waited. And waited. And then I went up to ask about my salad. Apparently they had forgotten to enter my entree. Oops. I know that stuff happens sometimes (I used to waitress) but there was no checking on our table or anything to see how we were doing and possibly notice that I still hadn't gotten my entree. I definitely would still be waiting for my salad now if I hadn't said anything. And sadly, the salad was also...just aiiight. The most interesting thing about it is that it shouldn't really be called a salad. It was hot. Lots of hot spring vegetables may be tasty, but they do not a salad make. All that above blather aside, The Albion is probably a good spot to sit and drink and drink and drink. Just don't expect much from the food. read more

The Albion - Fried Pig's Ear (aka Crispy Deep Fried Fat) - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

You know, I actually had a good time at this place. But it was the company rather than the food or (some of the) wait staff that made it so. Came on a Sunday afternoon, and enjoyed seating outside in the English 'Summer'. Ordered the highly overpriced steak (is it an English thing not to ask how I want it cooked? Not sure yet), although I'd be complaining less if I'd ordered the lamb, which was far tastier I discovered on pinching some of my gf's. It was okay, but I'd've probably done as well at Wetherspoons. I quite liked the guy who collected the bill at the end, joking about as he tried to hold the card reader to get reception in the garden, but one of the wait staff got annoyed at us after we asked her on two different occassions that we wanted to order dessert. She refused to take Dessert orders from us, despite standing there with pen and paper(?), so this part took ages. I preferred a Sticky Toffee pudding I'd had up in the Lake District the previous weekend, but my gf preferred this one. Go figure. It wasn't bad. No amazing beers selections, which was a shame, as a table of 20 Aussies relaxing on a Sunday afternoon were bound to have a couple. read more

The Albion - Finally captured the qasp that taunted us the first hour! - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

When it comes to a proper boozer I am spoilt. where I went to school, there are actually more pubs per square mile than anywhere else in Britain. Not a bad title to have, I'll say. I was also brought up in the country, where a good pub is easier to stumble upon than in the city. The Albion has all the charm of a "local" and actually it's the clientele and quality of drinks that sets it apart from other pubs (note at this point I have just added another star to my review)! It was a little crowded which sucked the atmosphere out, and yes it was a Friday night so actually this must be a good pub as the chav level was actually non-exsistant, just an uncomfortable amount of Sloaney types. I think mid week and with a meal this could be a 5 starrer! Seriously! They had a beautiful back garden, and a tasty looking menu. I just wish I had seen it all in the happy light of day! read more

The Albion looks the part, set on a quiet street in Barnsbury, its Georgian facade is draped in ivy and wisteria, with bicycles lent against the front wall and patrons soaking up the sun, I'm in love with this place already. The bar is a traditional style of old mismatch dark wood furniture, with modern, minimal lighting and accessories giving it a warm, cosy country pub feel. As you are taken through to your table, you pass the main restaurant used for wet and wintry days. On other days like today, the restaurant is in the garden, dappled with sun under a huge willow tree, or further back in an open courtyard area surrounded by tall trees, and a well tended vegetable garden. The garden's capacity is around 70, parties of 10+ seem well catered for table wise, and on the menu with the whole roast suckling pig with trimmings (order 72 hrs in advance). The menu offers a small but varied choice, we started with the pressed pork terrine with home made piccalilli (£6), which was meaty and full of flavour. The two grilled Cornish sardines on toast with capers & herbs (£5.5) were huge, but light, juicy and perfectly cooked. For the main event we opted for the shared 28 day aged (600g) rib of Longhorn beef (£38), which comes thickly sliced in a warm skillet with super crispy roast potatoes, oven baked sweet shallots, large Yorkshire puds, cabbage, buttered carrots and a jug of gravy. I don't think I have ever tasted better roast potatoes, they are fluffy and soft in the middle with a thick crunchy coat. The meat was perfectly cooked, tender and juicy. The Albion is a perfect place to while away a few hours over some beautifully cooked food. Our total bill with desert, coffee and wine for 2, was £90, so it isn't a cheap option, but it is worth every penny spent. Book in advance. read more

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The food's not bad and the pub is quaint. It's in a lovely area. But it's not cheap here, yet the service is a little slack and the food has plenty of faults. The red wine we ordered was too cold the waiter explained. He suggested a similar one which was more expensive. Not the best start. It's great to see sardines on toast on the menu but for the price I'd want them a little less mean and a little more sassy in the way they are presented. And the burger was tasty enough but chewy and on the tough side. Triple cooked chips were probably better off being served at the double cooked stage. Not a bad meal but not as delightful as the setting promises and the bill demands. read more

I wanted to love this place, but...no. It was recommended as one of the best places in London for a classic Sunday roast. I could hardly eat the roast at all. There was some weird under taste I couldn't define, making the beef pretty much inedible. Roast carrots and potatoes were superbly done, thank goodness. It was my first Yorkshire pudding, and I can say I loved it. That's why I'm giving it two stars instead of one. read more

The Albion - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Fantastic Sunday roast! We had the lamb and beef but we thought the lamb was better. The potatoes were delicious as was the Yorkshire pudding. The service was great and it was fun to see a few dogs running around and greeting all of the patrons. The best part of this meal, for me, was the toffee pudding and ice cream. Wowza! read more

Expensivo (trust me that spanglish is legit) but perfect for: Big groups cozy outside seating cozy corners to talk hidden gems Leffe People watching I'd do it again, but would need to come with a heavier wallet or a man friend read more

The Albion - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Perfect for those who feel safer eating outdoors. Lovely staff and great English classic pub food. Been here quite a few times and had a great time. Want to come back post-covid to enjoy the cosy fireplace vibe. read more

The Albion's recent-ish refurb has undoubtedly improved the décor, elevated the ambience and completely overhauled the menu. So why do I like it less than before? I need to tell you a little story... Once upon a time, The Albion was a humble boozer with a fantastic beer garden. On sunny days it did a roaring trade, but looking at its affluent Barnsbury neighbours, it wanted more. Calling on its fairy god-renovator, The Albion was transformed into a beautiful gastropub. But it went too far. It became a restaurant. With a "host" who won't let you in the beer garden without a brief interrogation, and two-hour reservation slots for tables. Sure, the food's great, if pricey, but beer gardens are for lounging in, not vacating promptly for a second sitting. And Eliza Doolittle's accent keeps poking through. Sorry, I've confused my metaphors... um, things turn decided pumpkin-shaped when you consider Cinderalbion's service. It's awful. We had to ask for everything three or four times. They brought us the wrong wine. And charged us for it, even though we didn't drink it. When we mentioned this to the manager he replied "We're short staffed" and flounced off. There are two problems with that. 1. The phrase is "SORRY, we're short staffed" 2. He spent a good chunk of the night drinking and guffawing with his mates instead of chipping in to help his overburdened waiting staff. read more

Came with friends for Sunday roast, and we're glad we did. Between us, we had lamb, pork belly and beef, and all were so delicious. The yorkies were amazing, fluffy but also somehow crunchy (an interesting feat! ) I would definitely recommend this place, great for bringing out of town friends or guests. ....they did play some strange music though (pussycat dolls? Really? ) read more

Ok, I confess... I wasn't the adventurous one to order the pig's ears. -And they tasted a bit like chewy, sinewy fried rubber-bacon-bands. -And to be completely honest, my "I only eat burgers twice a year" burger was rather lackluster. -And don't even get me started on the concept of a "hot salad." All that said and the place still gets 4 stars from me. Now THAT's a damn good beer garden! read more

I don't get the attraction of this place, well ok I do it has a beautiful beer garden, the problem is you aren't allowed in it unless you are having food!! The majority of indoors is also reserved for people eating, over priced poor quality food. This place could be something special if they were not so money grabbing. If most of your clientele are eating then just turn into a restaurant. The Sunday roast I had was more fat than meat! And the class of wine I ordered was the same price as the roast. This is another on of those places where people go to be seen. read more

The Albion, a rather gorgeous gastro pub tucked away in North London, innit. Now, maybe it's just my Lancashire roots, but I have to be honest and say that I found the Albion, a little, well snobbish and with ideas above its station. Charging almost £17 for a Sunday lunch is pushing it a little bit. We were in a large group celebrating a friend's 30th. There were two little ones, under 12 months old (jeez I'm getting to that age when I'm surrounded by breeders!), anyhoo, they'd be told in advance and sticking us in a corner where people stuck in the middle had to crawl over 3 people to get out. Not really on is it? And then a woeful server, does not a four or five star review make. However, the food was delicious and came out a tepid temperature and roughly at the same time, which for a table of 15 people was pretty ok. But, alas, an infrequent server, vacant and stressed looking bar staff do nothing to relax the atmosphere on a Sunday afternoon. Plus points go to the great garden out back which really is terrific. The interior in the nicer eating areas also looks pretty special. If they didn't have the garden (and it wasn't beautiful day), they would definitely lose a star. Give your staff some happy pills. Get some common sense regarding booking large parties in, and offer just a touch more for your indulgent Sunday roasts, then maybe, this could be a 4 or 5 star place. True dat. read more

I went there today for a friend's birthday rather than my recent predilection for asking Yelp for advice. As many of the other reviews suggest, it is a very pretty location, and an excellent place for a Sunday session (a somewhat hallowed event in Australia where I am originally from). The beer prices weren't too bad and despite some of the staff being more interested in texting on their phones, the bar service was alright. And the food; I wasn't on staying for long so just ordered a main and it was very nice. Generous portion, nice food etc. One of my friends had prawns for entree and interestingly, they didn't bring out a finger bowl until he had finished - a practice I have not seen before if it was their normal way of doing business. However, just as I was finishing I felt immediately jealous. A few of the others had ordered a joint of lamb (serving for 3-4); it was an impressive sight! Overall, I thought 4 out of 5 was about right. Lovely location and good food (all of which may have nudged it to around 4 1/2), but some of the staff let it down with their service. read more

Hi-di-hi? More like Hi-di-low. Super low. Don't bother trying to come here while Su Pollard is trying her custom-made salad. The one they're apparently naming after her now. In fact, don't EVER bother coming here. Unless management AND the chef somehow miraculously disappear. Three of us came in on a very quiet Tuesday evening for dinner. The dining room looked particularly empty, but we were assured that the kitchen was still open, and were told to sit wherever we liked. Our bottle of wine was delivered promptly, but we had to wait well over an HOUR for our simple starters. The waitress and manager were purposely avoiding us, so we ended up having to get up from our table to ask them what was going on. The waitress then was sent over tio tell us that our starters were on their way out right then. Another twenty minutes later, now well past 10pm, our starters FINALLY arrived: cold pre-made pork pie, a decent side salad, and chipolata sausages that actually weren't chipolata sausages at all. They were regular breakfast sausages cut into halves. As the manager delivered them, she coldly apologised for the wait and said that "the chef is new and lost your ticket. We were aware of it." Really? If the order ticket was lost, then how did you still know exactly what we ordered? If you were aware of it, why were you purposely avoiding our table like the plague? Yet there wasn't any problem when it came to kissing up to the 60-something year old brightly dressed Su Pollard in her mini skirt and high white fur boots, at the table directly across from us, was there? Despite being starving, we still were polite and said thank you when our food was delivered and when our plates were taken away, etc. Yet, for some reason, neither the manager woman, nor the waitress, would say thank you or your welcome back to us. Just silence. Is it really THAT difficult? We were on our second bottle of red before our main course arrived. A cheeseburger with chips that was "nothing to write home about," a decent skirt steak and potatoes, and some pheasant. Now, we're truly not people who normally complain. But this entire experience was actually just ridiculous. The pheasant was extremely pink in the middle. It even had a raw consistency. Very politely, we asked if it coud be cooked a bit longer. The waitress tried to assure us that "pheasant is supposed to be cooked like that" but that "she wouldn't eat it that way, either". So the waitress takes the pheasant away and brings it back about five or so minutes later, rearranged into different pieces. At first glance, it looks more cooked this time, thank God. But then... ooops, no. Pieces are still bloody. It was a joke. So much of a joke that we had to take a photo on our phones of the bloody pheasant meat after being cooked twice. (Please see our evidence in the photo uploaded on here.) The manager tried to compensate us for the wait and sickly grub by telling us we'd get a free bottle of house red on the house. And she looked extremely annoyed about it. Thanks. It's really a shame, as this place is physically a really beautiful pub in a great neighbourhood. It's probably fine for a beer or something, as that should be a lot harder to mess up. As we were working on our desserts, now well past 11am on a Tuesday, the manager puts our bill fot the dinner face up, telling us that (as soon as Su Pollard had gone) they need to close out for the night, and that we need to pay now. Then, after we paid and we'e trying to finish our wine and dessert, a random bar man is sent into the dining room and tells us we need to leave because the pub is now closed. Really? After we were forced to wait all that time? On our way out however, we notice people sitting relaxed, still drinking away in the pub. Extremely horrific service and mediocre/poor quality food. Definitely do not waste your time, money, or patientce here! ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE. By the way, the place is also haunted. (And by more than just terrible service.) read more

The Albion - The pheasant after we asked for it to be cooked longer - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

We went there for a Sunday Roast for one of our Aussie friends. Even though I don't mind paying more occasionally for something delicious, the meal was slightly not up to a standard expected in that price range. The lamb was quite good, but nothing exceptional, and the size of the portion was not enough, but it might have been because my bf was digging into my plate as his steak was not as good. The summer garden was great, as it was loads of sun and fresh air, and even when the pub got quite busy it still didn't feel overcrowded. It felt very local and authentic. I am grateful that this place helped me to find my absolutely favorite cider - Brothers toffee apple, but realistically the selection wasn't great. The service was one of the main reasons for a 3 star rating. First of all we were rushed to order food before 1:30, which was less than 10 min after we arrived. That was done in a slightly unfriendly manner. After we finished the meal a girl came twice to take drink orders, but when we said we want a desert she replied that she does not take desert orders. Nice think would have been to ask somebody who does take orders for deserts to come to our table (with 20 ppl waiting)... but no... 15 min later she was still only taking orders for drinks. And was annoyed when we asked for deserts again. And on the bright side, the sticky toffee pudding was delicious... read more

The Albion is one of those quaint litte pubs that are London's great secrets. Located in Islington and boasting one of the best beer gardens in the areas, The Albion has a great range of beers of tap, wines and beers by the bottle. It also has a simple yet tasty menu comprising of classic British pub food, quite reasonably priced and portions are always really hearty. Head down for a Sunday roast to warm up from this Winter cold! read more

My friends and I had a great Sunday dinner experience with a group of six of us. We had a couple of Aussie friends in town and wanted to show them a good English Sunday roast dinner. Food was excellent, presentation better than I would expect in a pub and everyone enjoyed their meals. I had Lamb and it was one of the better Lamb meals I've had in London. They had a decent selection of ales, standard lagers and the wine list looked to be pretty extensive. I've read in other reviews that the service was not great but that was not our experience. Our server was very personable and efficient and gave us good advice on the menu. Definitely going back. read more

Yum, yum, yum. A little off the beaten path of Islington's Upper Street, but worth the venture along residential streets because this place is a gem. Definitely get yourself a reservation if you're keen on visiting for Sunday Roast - it's a popular spot. And I know this may sound like a weird recommendation, but get the bread board to start - the butter is freaking amazing. read more

I had after-work drinks with a group of friends in the Albion last week and had forgotten how much I liked it there. The garden is big and sunny, and the staff are very friendly,décor is cool and it has a nice atmosphere. It never feels too crowded, which is nice for an Islington pub. The only downer is the food which is such a surprise because it's won food awards etc. Most of the group ate burgers and everyone that did was very disappointed. The meat wasn't cooked how it was ordered and everyone felt that it was a little overpriced for what you had. It was a real shame because everything else about this pub is great and the food won't stop me going back. read more

Apparently a lot of people know about Laura N.'s secret pub. Sad face. A proper English pub, The Albion is like leaving central London and going to the country. Loads of quaint furnishings, copper fixtures and teapots are dotted around and they serve a clientele of locals and toff types. We didn't get to check out the gorgeous, little back garden which sadly closes at 10pm. Downside is that we got chucked out at 11pm, bloody London pub closing times drive me crazy. read more

It has the potential to be a great pub but everything has been organised so poorly. Beautiful garden and setting, not too pricey and the food looked good. However, it wasn't a very busy evening and there were only 3 guys behind the bar. Two of them working incredibly slowly without any hurry to serve people. The 3rd guy was polishing glasses pretentiously while the queue built up and up. I had to wait for 20 minutes to buy a pint when there wasn't even a big queue. Throughout the evening we were moved from the garden to tables inside then to stand by the bar then out all incredibly abruptly. Some of the worst customer service I've had in a while. I do think it could be a great pub, it just needs some proper management which motivates staff and has a plan for how to serve customers when there's more than 10 people in the place. read more

It was my mom's first day in London and she lucked out with a brilliantly sunny day. I wanted to bump up her impression of the city even more by introducing her to garden dining. My first choice was Drapers Arms, but they don't take reservations for their outdoor tables, so I snagged us a spot at The Albion. When we walked in I had second thoughts - it was packed with tipsy twenty-somethings and the hostess was nowhere to be found. After about five minutes we found the slightly aloof woman in charge of seating, put some queue jumpers in their place and were shown to the garden. Wisteria was blooming everywhere and the sweet flower scent mixed with the aroma of a bbq to set the tone for a perfect spring evening. We decided to start with grilled asparagus with a poached egg and hollandaise for a starter and enjoyed every bite. The starter of Dorset crab on toast tasted light and fresh, but we didn't clean the plate. My mom chose the baked potato with creamed spring mushrooms for her main and it arrived ice cold, but she said she still liked it. It came with a salad and it would have been nice for our waitress to mention that when my mother ordered a side salad/ As it turned out, we had enough greens for the entire table. My husband decided to have the pork chop, but was served the bacon chop. He tried to explain the mix-up to the man who brought the dish, but was told to wait for the waitress. She arrived after my mom and I were halfway through our meals and agreed that it wasn't what he had ordered. About five minutes later, the waitress returned with a cold, overcooked pork chop and my husband wished he would have just taken the dish he was originally served. Each dry, cold bite begged for a condiment but there wasn't one on the dish. I was the winner of the night with my cheeseburger and triple cooked chips. The portion was big enough for me to share with my husband while he was waiting for his dish. The beef was pink and moist and the cheese (chaumes or something akin to it) coated the meat perfectly. Would I return to The Albion? Probably not. But the night wasn't a complete bust. read more

The Albion is in such a quiet and leafy street of Islington that sitting outside on the benches in the summer give the impression of sitting in a park. It is just gorgeous sitting here at any time of the day, with good company. Its a pub that you can linger at, and the friendly staff help in that. I sometimes stop here to get a hot drink on my bike route home. The food is also really tasty and reasonably priced, and serve the classic British fare. I love the ivy growing around the white washed windows, and the elegant atmosphere of the pub which is not too crowded. Its a great place to eat lunch.. read more

This was absolutely amazing!! We had a huge group with us. Their food was really good. We all got the Sunday brunch special. It was a little warm inside but it was still a great atmosphere read more