I was looking for a traditional British meal my first night in London and this spot was perfect! Super fun vibes sitting outside watching people and cars pass by. It was easy to snag a table on a Sunday night. Their QR code to scan and order off the menu didn't display any food, so we still had to go inside to order. The Camden pale ale was a perfect beer to complement our meal. The fish and chips were so delicious. Big fan. I was a little nervous the skin may be on the fish, but it wasn't. My husband loved the meat and mushroom pie. We ended up sharing our entrees because they were both delicious! Definitely check this spot out if you're in the area! read more

See all

We ordered the fish and chips and the vegetarian burger. Both were totally bland and soggy. Our drinks were good. The waiter seemed to be in a terrible mood, no matter how friendly we tried to be. We did enjoy the overall ambiance of the place, which saved our experience. read more

Not sure why there is a lack of love for the York. Sure the York isn't the most remarkable pub in London or even in Islington for that matter, but the location, as every Yelper notes, is very very handy---just off Upper Street next to Angel Station. The York is always reasonably busy, they have a decent range of beers on tap, and for those rare sunny days there is ample outdoor space. Is it worth a trip...sadly no. But the York is a nice enough spot if you are already at Angel Station and don't want to walk far for a drink! read more

The York - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

I'm not sure why this pub doesn't have more glowing reviews. We visited during the week at dinner time, excited for a good pub dinner and beer. We both ordered the apparently award winning steak and ale pie with mashed potatoes and cabbage. Everything about it was delicious and worth coming back for again and again. It was kind of loud but not so bad that we couldn't carry on a conversation, not surprising for a pub. The beer selection was good. Seems like a great place for after work drinks or dinner. read more

Saturdays are normally reserved for spending the day with my boyfriend, but on weekends when we break with tradition I like to meet up and go shopping with the girls. This weekend I meet up with the girls at The York so we could review our holiday plans. I liked the York. When I think of an English pub the interior of the York is what I envision. The space has dark floors, little and tall tables surrounded by red cushioned topped stools. Since it was still early the York was pretty empty and we were able to quickly order a few drinks and begin our session of plotting. The bar staff was friendly but they cleared our drinks away without inquiring if we wanted another round, we were forced to go back to the bar and order. That would have been understandable if the pub was crowed but since it wasn't, table service would have been nice. In addition, I felt £1.60 for a half pint of diet coke was on the high end, but since I rarely order a coke, that might be standard...is it? read more

The York - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Now I can see why lots of people like The York - great location, right by Angel Tube Station. Nice facilities (ie. clean toilets), yes. Nice big outdoor area for the smokers. Decent food and a great range of savoury pies. Yes. Yes, the York seems cool, but to me it's kind of...soulless. Maybe I expected too much of it. I can see why it's busy, for the above reasons, but other than it being a traditional London Boozer it really doesn't have much to offer. The staff seem less than impressed with being there, and it really does reflect on the vibe inside at the bar. If you must, go in for one, but don't stay too long as there's plenty of other pubs nearby which are far more fun! read more

See all

My 80 year old dad and I arrived to Gatwick around midnight on Christmas Day 2017 and didn't put heads to pillows in London until almost 3am. A bit dazed but otherwise none the worse for wear, we staggered out of our hotel the next morning in search of sustenance. We happened upon The York and decided to make it the first meal of our stay in England. Great decision! I had the vegetarian bangers and mash. The eponymous foods were lovely, but what made the dish for me was the surprise of it being topped off with a few onion rings. These were--no exaggeration--the best onion rings I've ever eaten. My dad got the traditional fish & chips with a side of mushy peas. I have a photo of him with a giant grin, happy as a clam as he tucked in. If I ever find myself back in London, I will be making my way again to The York. This time, I will order the largest possible plate of onion rings and savor every, tender bite. read more

Aww... The York isn't a two star pub! Ok so maybe the interior isn't the classiest, the most authentic, the most discriminative, the most elegant, the most, the most, ok fine - so it's a veritable Denny's of pub interiors. And yes, maybe the clientele reflects that. But that stone outdoor seating area is perfect for people watching over a pint on a lazy summer afternoon. Or 2pm on a Wednesday... whichever. Let's just say I'm certainly jealous every time I choose to run by on a sweltering afternoon rather than join in. read more

Abdolutely delucious! Was actually looking for another place and bumped into this one. Delicious pie, great wine, nice atmosphere!! Thank god i didnt stay at the hotel for dinner!! read more

The York - Yumm chicken & mushroom pie - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

See all

Good ambience, friendly staff, good selection of beer and lager with hot food makes it a ideal after work hangout. I had been here for lunch as well and I love their chicken and mushroom pie. In the evenings we love to nibble on their home made nachos which are pretty decent. Overall a very vibrant hand happy place. Do try it out! read more

The York - Lager and nachos - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

See all

If you are looking for a 'traditional' English pub around Islington High street then 'The York' is a good bet. Be warned though, hit it at 6 o'clock and you will have to fight the local business masses for a table. Leave it too late and expect to hover awkwardly in the middle of the room. This might explain why the tables outside are always so full regardless of how uncomfortable they are or how cold it is. Standards tend to slip during the peak hours too which is why I now know better to avoid it completely between 5.30 and 8. There's nothing less appealing than being handed your gin and tonic in a piping hot glass! Despite this, I might be tempted back during its quieter hours as there is a nice old-fashioned feel to the place and a decent enough looking pub menu. Apparently it's also a good place to go if you're wanting to watch football. Having never done this myself I would rather recommend The York for its handy location (just by Angel station) and its nice warm fireplace. read more

The York - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Having dinner at 2000 on a Wednesday. It's too loud and we've been waiting 45 minutes for our meal. Update: the food has arrived. The fish and chips are good, as are the mushy peas. The Hunter Chicken was also nice, and I liked the onion rings. read more

Honestly, The York is a better pub than my rating (and others before me) have given it. The thing is that the interior/drinks/crowd just doesn't set it apart from any other pub really. What this place does have is Location, Location, Location. I will give it this though, when the weather is permitting - I give the outside seating area full marks. If London had great weather year-round(laughable), The York would probably get a 5-star rating. Alas, because of its location - I will continue to use it as my Upper Street jumping off point as well as a place to meet people arriving by tube at Angel. read more

How great can a pub get ??? This place is one you'll wish to go back and back and back again ! Summertime is especially nice, with the huge terrace, but indoors is fine too, as it is very spacious ! Friendly and responsive staff, as well as a great selection of beers and ciders top it up as one of my favourite pubs in London ! read more

A really nice place to meet up with your mates before you head out for the night. Comfy couches, large bar which assures prompt service, and if you are into sports there is a large screen and two TV's with SKY, don't get to excited about the SKY because for some reason they do not have SKY sports, only SKY one. The selection of ales includes Pride, Bombardier and guests on many of the hand pumps. Decent wine selection and usual spirits. I have never actually eaten there, only snacking with Maris Piper Chips, but I have seen the steak and it not only smelt delicious it looked really appetizing. There is a fire place which gives the pub a really nice warm feel, and I don't mean just literally. Look at the flags on the top of the ceiling, gives the place an international vive, quite a contrast with the crowd as it tends to be locals in suits. read more

The York - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

This was the first place I went to on my first visit to London! I'm American and this was my first experience with a genuine English pub. We ordered a traditional English breakfast and a cider to wash it down. We had a large party and it was fairly easy to order. I may not have a lot of experience with the entire pub scene but I really enjoyed my time there. Everyone was really friendly and I really enjoyed the food. If I'm ever in Angel again, I'll probably hit up York, specially for nostalgic purposes:-) read more

Neat looking pub but the loud-ish house/pop music kind of throws off the vibe.

A solid Meh for this one. It's close to the tube so it's probably busy due to ease of drunkenness for most. I mean, you can easily direct someone from the tube here even if they have crappy phone reception or are already smashed to bits. They apparently fired the busser on my night there because there were glasses and bottles and every other kind of recyclable on any stable surface unoccupied by bodies outside. But Laura N is correct in saying that it's got a nice outside area for warm summer days/nights. I could see myself meeting friends here when the suns still out for some saturday starters and people watching before continuing the rest of our night somewhere more interesting in Islington. read more

Excellent beers but suffers from its prime location and popularity and is often too busy. I've only been once when it hasn't been packed to the rafters and have even sat outside it on a cold November afternoon as that was a preferred option to the crush. In fact it would probably be slightly less busy if it was located in Hornsey, as the map currently indicates! read more

The York is a large boozer, very close to Angel tube station. This means that for many doing a pub crawl around Angel, this is their first port of call. During the summer months, the crowd is heaving, spilling so far into the designated 'garden' that it intercepts the passing passengers on the street. This is when the York is great and buzzing - busy, hot, sunny days where you can mill around with your pint chatting to friends, and other punters. However, sometimes the York can be middling. Busy on Sunday around lunch time, I've only ever been underwhelmed by this place when I've been on occasions other than the aforementioned. The service can be a little half arsed, but they do screen all the big sporting events if that's what floats your boat. Arrive early to miss the post work rush, and enjoy the traditional pub ambiance. read more

This pub really comes into its own in the summer. In fact, if its too cold to sit outside, it's really not the best pub in the area. It's pretty generic unfortunately. But, when it's sunny, you can spill out onto the courtyard and really enjoy the sunshine. There's something very lovely about the York punters sitting and soaking up some rays. Angel wouldn't be the same without it. As a pub though, it's not the best. OK rose, normal beers. Nothing really very special. So only go in the sunshine. Then it's all kinds of fun. read more

This is probably the most accessible pub from Angel, and yet I never go here. There was some hubub about that guy from twilight going here and I can't say I was particularly bothered by it because I hate those movies, but there's always a crowd sitting outside when it's nice out and one day we decided to pop in. It's actually a lot more un-memorable than I thought it would be for how busy it seemed to get sometimes. Though during the day there's always space to lounge about. I'm not sure there was anything particularly memorable enough to make me reallllllllly want to go back but I can't say I'd be opposed to it. I think that in itself says all I really needed to say. read more

Part of my Angel pub crawl (Nags to York to Camden), the York was pretty packed (with guys) on a Friday night. Close to the tube, good drink selection, just didn't dig the vibe here as much as I did Camden. read more

A peoples choice landmark in the Islington area, being at The York's with a pint in hand outside the pub is ideal. Yesterday I had a drink and chatted away with a friend so we could talk about a film The Portrait of a Lady. We didn't want to risk getting blows inside the pub, so this was a good alternative. The location of the flower stall adjacent to the pub makes an interesting visual statement. But with the outdoor sitting wooers have quick access! York seems to attract a certain, cane stick-trouser dropping-beer smelling-grumpy old gentlemen. read more

Startlingly average, is all I can say about this place. Service was a little below par to be honest, it seemed to take about half an hour for 2 pints, which seems a little slow to me. If this had been a one off, then it would have been forgivable, however there were more incidences of slow service, including from a different member of staff. The pub itself is a classic old men's set up, with newspapers often to be found scattered over tables. Outside is a little more palatable, as the terrace is pretty big, but perhaps a little exposed due to its location on Upper Street, and proximity to the traffic from both pedestrians and cars. read more

The beer is great (Doom Bar is my favourite)but the pub is sadly run down despite its fabulous location.

Huh, I had a very different experience to the other reviewer. They do serve food. I had cottage pie and B had steak and ale pie for lunch. The drinks list (if you're looking at the list of cask ales on tap) is far more extensive than your average pub. They have quite a few guest beers as well available in bottles. Plus on this coldish autumn day, they even had hot mulled cider. It's a Nicholson's pub, so not tied to a particular brand of beer. The pies were quite tasty, the accompanying veggies were standard. On a Sunday afternoon, it was a busy pub, but there were still seats available. I'm not sure when they stop serving food. But the ale selection does make it worth stopping by. I wasn't expecting much, as it's the closest pub to Angel station, so was pleasantly surprised with what I found inside. read more

I think the best The York can be described as is ok. The location is good close to Angel station, however the pub itself is fairly dull. There is nothing overly special about the atmosphere or decor and the drinks list is average. There is no food served, aside from bags of nuts and the service is hit and miss. The only reason I have given this place 2 stars is due to the outside area- which is great in the summer. It gets really busy on sunny days and has a nice buzz, this is rather more to do with people enjoying the sunshine (if you remember what that is !) after work than anything actually to do with the pub. read more

Jacky likes the beer, Sharps Doom Bar, top session ale but I'm drinking St Austell Tribute right now, I likes these cornish ales me hearties . Food average, good office worker boozer but sort that draft out wontcha, it's always a bit nippy here and I ain't getting any younger! read more

Went to this place for a spontanious lunch and unfortunately had a terrible experience. overall everything seemed sloppy and then the food was definitely off. luckily they gave me refund but i felt sick all day afterwards. think i might have got mild food poisoning there. will definitely avoid this place. read more