The Albion Reviews 

We arrived at 6.45pm on a Saturday evening, it was busy but not packed! The young lady behind the bar was unwelcoming and we had to ask where we should sit. The tables were uncleared and dirty. We ordered from the app. Around 15 minutes later the young lady approached us and stated there was at least an hour wait on food. Ten minutes later, our food arrived. One of our meals, a steak and chips with a sauce, arrived stone cold. No one came to check if our food was ok, so I took it to the bar. I was told rather rudely that I'd be better off getting a refund than having it re-cooked due to the time it would take!! So, I ended up without food that evening. The two other meals were mediocre at best and the service was terrible. Never again!!

A nice drive up to the cafe, we thought the cafe was over priced for the breakfast we had.

The Albion in Islington has long held a reputation as a charming local, and our recent Sunday lunch visit at the tail end of April only solidified that view. Blessed with glorious sunshine, the four of us – my partner and I, along with friends visiting from Leeds – were fortunate enough to be seated in their expansive back garden. While the interior exudes a cosy, traditional pub feel, the garden was undoubtedly the place to be on such a beautiful day. It's worth noting that the pub was bustling, a testament to its popularity, so booking ahead, especially on a Sunday, is highly recommended.

Our meal got off to a delightful start with warm, soft sourdough accompanied by a generous portion of whipped butter – a simple pleasure done exceptionally well. For our main courses, we opted for a diverse selection of their roasts to cater to everyone's tastes. I chose the Saddleback porchetta with bramley apple sauce, and it was the star of the show for me. The pork was cooked to perfection, boasting succulent meat and plenty of gloriously crunchy crackling. Our group also enjoyed the vibrant Beetroot & chickpea wellington (the vegetarian option) and the impressive 45-day dry-aged sirloin of beef. The portion sizes were generous across the board, and the thoughtful touch of bringing extra gravy for the crispy roast potatoes and towering Yorkshire puddings was much appreciated. We also indulged in a side of Montgomery’s cheddar cauliflower cheese, which was a rich and comforting addition.

To round off our satisfying meal, we shared two equally delightful desserts. The classic sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream was rich and comforting, while the vanilla cheesecake, adorned with sweet English strawberries and a hint of gingerbread, offered a lighter, more summery finish.

Despite the pub being particularly busy due to the London Marathon, creating a lively atmosphere in the garden, the service remained friendly, attentive, and refreshingly non-fussy. Our food and drinks arrived promptly, as did the bill when it was time for our friends to catch their train.

In conclusion, The Albion offers a winning combination. Whether you're after a relaxing pint in a truly lovely, sun-drenched beer garden or a delicious Sunday roast (just remember to book!), this Islington gem is definitely worth a visit. We'll certainly be returning.

I ordered fitted bedroom furniture from Aquarius due to the recommendation of my neighbour's previous good experience. The bedroom furniture was fitted but on observation the shelving unit was all wrong which Aquarius admitted. I then had another visit from the fitters to rectify the situation. I had a brand new sofa bed in the room, which was protected by a cover, and on removal of the cover I noticed a puncture in the suite. Aquarius have denied liability and their communications to me have been deeply offensive. I really wished I had never went near this awful company. Avoid at all costs. I will seek regulatory advice on this matter.

I received a £120 charge for a cancelled reservation from this pub that I never made. It took me almost a week to get a hold of them to begin to sort it out. When they finally called me, Barry (the owner) and Lindsey (who I later learned was his wife) were very hostile. They constantly cut me off as I was trying to understand the nature of the situation. I have no doubt The Albion didn’t fraud me, but was hoping they’d listen, allow me to ask questions that could help my bank further investigate, and of course refund the money. The conversation ended with Barry saying: “I think the reservation was made, I think you’re feeding me a crock of [expletive removed], I’ll refund the charge and you should never show up to The Albion again.”

While I now have the rudely communicated refund, the experience in dealing with Barry & Lindsey was horrendous. At the time of the call, you can imagine the stress I had in understanding the full impact this could have on me with fraud potentially at play. I was also hoping for more positive and level-headed communication from Barry & Lindsey as The Albion is a pub I frequent very often and have always had pleasant interactions with the staff there.

It turns out my information was in fact part of a security breach. This incident did not occur by any fault of The Albion or their reservation system and fraud is not the reason for this one star review. The one star review is indicative of the the unfriendly, hostile communication from Barry and Lindsey. This situation has left me fine with taking Barry’s advice and skipping The Albion on my pub days.