Canonbury, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

Despite some “really stunning” reports in our annual diners’ poll, we have held off on rating this new Islington ‘bistro pub’ (open in early December 2024, before which it was called the Englefield) due to changes in the kitchen. Launch chef James Cochran (ex-12:51 in Upper Street) moved on as our poll was in progress and a new chef – Stephen Bunch – arrived in April 2025. James is well-known in N1 (and beyond), so his fan club will be disappointed. Stephen was ex-head chef at London Shell Company (a seafood specialist) but also aims to highlight meat on the menu: new dishes include a ‘made to share’ 1 kg côte de boeuf steak, alongside a market whole fish of the day. In summer there’s a 50+ cover outside terrace to the rear of the pub, for weekend BBQ.

The new long-term chef residency at this culinarily renowned Highbury gastropub is from a duo, Jay Claus and Syrus Pickhaver, promising long-forgotten British dishes using whole-beast butchery and sustainable Cornish fish. It has yet to inspire any interest in our annual diners’ poll, though (nor for that matter, amongst any newspaper reviewers) – reports please!