The Albion is an Islington institution. Best-known for its whole roast suckling pig and beautiful rear garden, if you’re not lucky enough to call it your local don’t pass up on an opportunity to attend one of the many birthday parties or celebrations that take place at the venue.

The Venue
Set on an otherwise quiet little street in the heart of Islington, the front of the pub exudes a warm welcome. There is sparse seating fronting the street and also in the bar area as you walk in. But the most important aspect of the pub is the dining room at the back, and the extensive outside beer-garden.

The Albion has a genuine English pub atmosphere. In winter, the inside seating area is wonderfully cosy; in summer, the beer-garden is as accommodating as a pub gets, although they do close it off at 10pm as it backs onto local housing.

The Atmosphere
The Albion features a heady mix of distinguished surroundings, fine wine and good food. Admittedly, things can get a little loud but the crowd are, on the whole, good-natured and up for a boozy session.

The Food
The food at the Albion is hearty. There are a wide range of choices on offer, and even though the prices nudge the twenty pound mark for a main, the size of the servings ensures that it just about represents value for money.

There’s plenty on offer across starters, mains and desserts, although the Sunday roast is a firm favourite (£14-£17), and the whole roast suckling pig – which needs to be ordered 72 hours in advance – is what the venue is famous for. At £300, it might seem very expensive but it can serve up to 10 people and it is an impressive feast.

The Drink
There is a bountiful selection of wine, some of which are available by the glass, starting at around £4. House wine costs £14 a bottle. The wine-list has a global outlook with an emphasis on Europe.

The Albion has a surprisingly good choice of tap-beer – the likes of Becks Vier, Guinness, San Miguel, Black Sheep and Hoegaarden range from £3.40-£4.30 a pint, which indicate this is a well-to-do part of Islington. A small list of cocktails are good value at around £6.

The Last Word
A beautiful pub on an otherwise sleepy residential street in Islington, The Albion really comes into its own in the summer when the double doors are opened out onto the beautiful beer garden and birthday parties, wedding receptions and all host of celebrations takeover.

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