58 Penton Street,
Islington,
London,
N1 9PZ
0872 148 4081
The ViewLondon Review
In sharp contrast to London’s many style bars, where a big spend on décor and branding is often undermined by a lack of attention paid to the sounds, the Salmon & Compass is all about the music.
This friendly, slightly shabby pub uses little more than red paint and fairy lights for its ambience, relying instead on a solid, and varied, music policy to pull the crowds. And it works.
Working with labels and artists including the legendary Salsoul, Breakin’ Bread, Keb Darge and Booker T, as well as local record shop Disque, the Salmon & Compass packs in the punters every Thursday, Friday and Saturday with nights like Up Jump the Boogie, Hot, Funky and Sweaty, My Salsoul and Shake & Bake. Its floor-space-to-seating ratio is a clue to its intentions, and the large central area is often shoulder-to-shoulder after around 10.
In fact, there’s something on every night of the week, from rare breakbeat to jazz breaks to soul; it’s a vinyl junkie’s mecca. But these are rough-around-the-edges parties for real music lovers; socialites and North London poseurs should definitely go elsewhere.
There’s a good selection of bottled beers, alcopops and the usual draughts, and spirits with mixers are well-priced. The cocktail menu is a little limited, but they’re extremely well-made (especially the fruit daiquiris – unsurprisingly, given the Salmon & Compass’s location right on Chapel Market) and worth their £6 price-tag.
Venues like this really are the bedrock of the London bar and club scene, nurturing new acts and showcasing sounds that will eventually filter through to the mainstream chain bars and larger clubs. The Salmon & Compass’s commitment to its music policy is laudable, and with such a broad range of sounds on offer, if you like your music, this is one place that should be on your map.