Wow!! So far, after 15 days in London, our best meal. This is our "local" for the home exchange we have for our summer holidays. The atmosphere is exactly what you want in a pub: warm and dozy but not dark and dank. It's bright and airy. We were here on July 31st, which is pay day. They had a live DJ--Paul--who lives in the area. He played some great ambient music. No requests; no worries!!!! Food was splendid!! She had the roasted chicken breast in a sautéed peppers. I had the pan seared bream with samphire and green beans--incredible! Boys had pasta, which was cooked to perfection. We started with chips--my older son said they were the best in the UK, and we tried a lot over the last couple of weeks. Also had the house made hummus and pita that was really fresh and delicious. Service was friendly and efficient. She suggested the toffee pudding for dessert, that was seriously ridiculously good. We will be back for Sunday Roast. Will post update. read more

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I would love for this to be my local. But it's in the middle of nowhere!! Tucked away in a more residential area but kind of close to the tube station (meh, I think my friend said ten minute walk). Lots of space. Three levels and an outside garden area. Just overall cool, chill atmosphere. It certainly feels like a community spot since only people who live in the area would regularly come here. The decor and music playing and clientele make me want to make a night of it in this place. My friend was having her leaving party here and reserved some tables downstairs for the group. The bartenders were nice enough. We were only ordering pints and Jager Bombs so Im not sure of their pouring skills. Should I need a place to have a fun evening with a big group of people...in the area...then I'll be back! read more

The Island - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

The thing that makes this place stand out is the food, They do a great onglet steak (their signature dish) and I had a great risotto and other great dishes too. Great for the summer to sit out and have lunch also. Staff friendly and nice environment. Recommended read more

An absolutely wonderful dining experience. Some friends and I decided to have a Sunday roast here, having heard good things, and we were not disappointed. A great range of dishes is on offer, all averaging about £15-£20, with some good veggie options in both the starters and mains. I skipped starters and went for the roast pork belly with red cabbage, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, and Yorkshire puddings. The Yorkshire puds are about as big as a baby's head so I recommend lots of gravy - which our amazing waiter was really happy to keep supplying is with! Everything was delicious. One friend had the chicken which she said was very tender, and another had the rack of ribs with sweet potatoes which was great fun and very tasty. Our waiter was brilliant, a really friendly guy from near Liverpool and I wish I had got his name. We had just come from a morning playing stuck in the mud and climbing trees and he was incredibly forgiving that we had muddied up the floor somewhat! A good selection of local beers and ales are on tap, including Portobello Star and Camden Hells. As it was Easter Sunday there were a lot of kids running about so it was pretty noisy but the atmosphere is very friendly and the pub itself is open and light. They also have a nice outdoor terrace where we enjoyed a sunny drink. read more

Nice bbq food outside. Very straightforward but a nice place with lots of son and nice service. read more

The Island - Summers day - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Really like this place. Off the beaten track, smack bang in a residential area, this 'desert' Island has a great vibe and lots of character. There is lots of space inside, with three floors of seating, and lots of seating outside too - perfect for a summers day. I haven't eaten here, but the tapas style snacks that my friends ate, looked tasty. The staff are super lovely and friendly and the music is really good (they also have a dj on some nights) - ranging from indie/rock/ska/reggae etc. Prices are average, and they also have a proper fancy coffee making machine, in case you need a caffeine fix. In the words of Dolly Parton: "Island's in the stream, that is what we are, no one in-between, how can we be wrong, sail away with me, to another world..." read more

To be fair to this place, we did come on Notting Hill Carnival Monday so maybe this affected the experience. But I suspect not. So they get a star for allowing dogs in. Definitely good marks for that. However, service was rather lacklustre. Food was really average (my salad at least). Seems a bit shabby and cheap indoors. Would not go back. read more

Went here for pre-fireworks drinks on Saturday night. The bar area is like someone's lounge (in a good way) and opens right onto a terrace with lots of outside seating, the beer was good, and most of the customers seemed friendly. The upstairs restaurant area looked nice so will probably head back to try the food another time read more

Recently visited this little gem while visiting my boss in Kensal Rise. The atmosphere is nice, with lots of interesting decorations around, but the food is the real winner. We started with some wonderfully seasoned olives, some of the best I've had. We also ordered some oysters, which were fantastic. A great start all in all. Then on to the main... We all ordered the rare grilled Welsh black onglet, hand cut chips & béarnaise. Amazing! I have not had such a tender cut of meat in quite some time. Needless to say I went home satisfied and happy. If you are in the area, this is the place to go. read more

Pretty much a perfect pub, nice relaxed atmosphere, nice decor, outdoor seating, great drinks, a cool cosy basement area, and amazing food in the restaurant or the bar. This is the real little piece of paradise in Kendall. Too bad that I don't live 5 mins walk away, even from Queens Park it's a bit out of the way even though it's so close but maybe that what makes the place what it is, only locals and people who make the effort to go somewhere nice instead of the most convenient or cheapest pub. read more

What a weird and wonderful place this is. I had lunch there with my husband and it's really trendy and the food is lovely, not terribly flashy but yummy and that's what counts. read more

We are here New Year's Eve on our London vacation. The place was a. It loud but the food was spot on. I had the vegetarian pasty and my husband the lamb chops. Both were delicious. My kids ordered the bacon burger and they were excellent burgers. Recommend! read more

In a normal suburb - kensal rise - you suddenly come across a pub that serves great gastro food. I have to say the atmosphere doesn't quite have a 'pubby' feel, and often when I've been in here it hasn't been very busy, but it has a great reputation and certainly a good place to come for lunch. There is also a lower bar area with comfy seating. read more

Great food and very friendly service. Dinner here twice. First time I had a hamburger - why are hamburgers piled so high here in UK so that they appear impossible to eat? I asked the waiter - he sat down beside me, laughed along and gave me "permission" to squash the whole thing so I could eat it like a sandwich . . . which I did . . . and it tasted great! Second time I had a chicken cassolet. For me, I found that the liquid was too thin - more like a soup than a casserole. However, I thickened it up with the accompanying mashed potatoes and all was well. Again, excellent flavour. Recommended. read more

The Island is a place that sometimes serves good food, however this is very dependent on the chef. ; ( Recently the meals had to be continuously sent back, and still came back unsatisfactory. To top it all the next day many of us were feeling unwell and had to frequently visit the lavatory. We did not ask for compensation, but felt that the manager needed to know. Although an apology was given there has not been a response since to make us feel we can return. It's such a shame as this restaurant could be a gem, but like its fellow Gastro pub; the North London Tavern, the food is very dependent on the chef working that night. What a shame. read more

Booked a table for fifteen people for a birthday celebration. The service was terrible. The management apologised saying they were short staffed. Most of us ordered roast beef which came out very very rare. We couldn't eat it. Was taken home for the dog. We were not asked how we would like it cooked. Very overpriced Would not return read more

Wonderful food in a great atmosphere, this is unusual in the area of Kensal Rise. The staff were very friendly and the food (steak in this case) was great-well worth a visit. Unfortunatley, it is very expensive so I doubt it's worth more than the occasional visit. read more

It's true this place has a great atmosphere and is a local favourite. The food in the upstairs restaurant used to be amazingly excellent but lately it has slipped. I am not sure if this is due to a change in management. The last time I went there they had stopped serving lunch as well, only dinner. Apart from that, it is a great place to wind down after work (if you live in the nieghbourhood) and it is a relaxing place to visit over the weekend. Note to staff: Put some effort into the food again, not to mention some of the decor (the 'reed' fence, outdoor seating and plants seem to need some attention) and perhaps it will be a 5 star rated place again. At the moment I would give it a 3.5 mainly for the atmosphere. It's the best gastropub on college road though. read more

Went here to celebrate my birthday with a group of friends. I had tried some other places when organising the night out and because we were a large-ish group (16) I found some places less than enthusiastic and often said we could only eat from a limited and expensive set menu. The Island on the other had couldn't have been more helpful. They created a special set menu for us at a very reasonable price and a good selection which worked for everyone (in particular they have exciting vegetarian options) and made everything so easy. On the night we were well looked after and had a fantastic night, everyone really enjoyed the food. I tasted the seafood starter, the panzanella salad and the charcuterie and all were really tasty and made with good quality ingredients. I had fish and chips for mains which I really enjoyed and heard good things about the steak pie and other main courses too. Overall I would highly recommend this, especially to a big group as the restaurant was airy and spacious and they have plenty of seating outdoors too if you wanted to arrive early and have a drink in the sun. read more