please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Classic building, can't believe its gone. Had been going down hill but presume the owners knew it was being replaced by a friggin Jigsaw and lost the will to live. 10 years ago I used to love popping in here on an Islington pub crawl. Heaven knows I'm miserable now...
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Sad to report that this N1 institution has now closed and is due to open any time as...a women's clothes shop (Jigsaw). Tragic really as, although not the best pub in the area, it was something of a landmark and always popular. That's it then - the last pub on Cross Street has gone. At the current rate, there will be no "pubs" left in Islington. Just chain bars, coffee bars and shops.
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Open late and free to get in, usually with a reasonable DJ playing poppy music rather than dance.
Clientele always a little strange (Essex girls up in town, middle aged couples, geeks and shady characters) but generally fun, in a no-frills kind of way.
katep - 26 Apr 2006 15:55 |
Alright pub, good atmostphere. Bar staff seem to have a bit of attitude, serve very slowly, and all seem to have been blessed in the frontage department (wouldn't normally draw attention to this, but they couldn't be avoided).
The beer was warm - they obviously have a problem with the cellar, as they keep glasses in the fridge. The lager selection was a bit dissappointing. The Star was off, which left me with either Leffe (���), XXXX or wife beater to choose from :( The fact that they came round with free fahita nibbles helped though.
The comedy night upstairs, "Fat Tuesdays" (which I was there for) was a fairly good laugh, although the room itself is tiny, and they pack it out, so the room gets very hot, and chairs are hard and uncomfortable.
anonymous - 15 Oct 2005 16:08 |
Nice enough place shame the beer was a tad to warm (ale should be 11-13 degrees c).
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Function room upstairs brilliant! Good downstairs too! Nice alround pub!
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Overrated.
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Great little bar which has come to be the nicest places to drink in Upper Street. It set the trendy decor style that lots of decent little bars try to achieve in London. May have gone a bit mad with the bronze paint in the men's room, but the old photos of Islington pubs give a slick stylish local feel (nice bit of Belgium photoshopping). After drinking in a few of the bars down the street I am shocked to hear that it is seen as expensive, I would admit that �3 for a Guinness (I found the normally well hidden price list) is a bit on the high side but on my last outing two pints of lager was 40p more then the Scream pub, The Mitre (student bar and in a chain) over road and its character is worth more than a few pence extra. There is a decent selection of beers from your usual pub brands to a little Finnish jobby 'Lapin... something', fun looking cocktails (I haven't tried) and spirits which you might not have seen unless you have a well used passport. On weekends they have local DJ's pumping out a few tunes, no dance floor means that it keeps the place lively and drives out any possibility of old smelly drinkers. If you are looking for a quiet Saturday night not the place for you as is always standing room only (all the sofas get occupied early). If you are in the area well worth a try.
John - 10 Sep 2004 16:57 |
Fantastic Thai food, very friendly staff and a proper english pub to boot!
Jaynie - 8 Jul 2004 12:19 |
A lovely pub for day time and mid week drinking as it gets very crowded on fri/sat nights (although everyone is having a good time!0. Sunday is the best day fro a bit of afternoon drinking as they have free bar snacks (cold meast, seafood, cheese and bisuits - they used to have chicken drumsticks and roast potatos also but seem not to do these any more, a shame as they easily got us to stay a good two/three hours longer than planned everytime we went!)
michael - 22 Jun 2004 16:51 |
Strangely popular - as is expensive, overcrowded and uncomfortable.
Russ - 20 Jan 2004 13:17 |
Simply one of the best pubs in London. Cosy and raucous by turns - whatever you want it to be.
Big Ern McC - 13 Aug 2003 21:07 |
Conveniently situated for the Cross Street Cafe (four doors away), the OPH is on the northern corner of Upper Street and Cross Street.
John - 9 Aug 2003 14:23 |
