After having had a pleasant experience a while ago, I booked to have our team xmas lunch here. However, the experience we had this time round was completely the opposite. For the price that we were paying, we expected great service (with a smile, no less), great food, and a warm and welcoming Christmassy ambience.

Far from it, we received conveyor-belt style service with staff demanding that we eat our food even though only half our party were there, and constant reminders that we HAD to be out by 2.30pm, as soon as we got there. Plates and glasses were taken from the table before they were even finished on more than one occasion. Drink orders took ages to come, and food portion sizes and quality were below average. The brownie was more of a cake as it was so dry. The cheese 'board' was a very poor excuse for one. And - just a little thing, but it was very much noticed - a very low quality Christmas cracker with only a tiny plastic model for each person. We paid almost £50 a head - we expected a bit more than this. The final blow was when we tried to ask for our bill as we were painfully aware of our deadline to vacate the table - it actually took us over 20 minutes for us to settle the bill as staff were so slow at bringing the card machine to us. The staff then glowered at us for delaying the next table, who were asked to wait around our table, which didn't make the experience any more enjoyable.

The whole party left feeling very underwhelmed, and none of us have absolutely no inclination to return, or recommend this place to anyone else. Steer clear of this if you want much higher quality food and service for much cheaper.

A review to counteract all the moaners. The Albion does the best roast in London. Period. It also has a waitress with the best arse in London. For this it deserves a double thumbs up. Move out of the way all you moaners!

I went last night with couple of friends and the beer garden was full, but managed to get a table and had the most amazing dinner, starter of smoked salmon that melted in your mouth and a meat platter, my friends then shared one of the special steaks and i had the juiciest burger ever. The portions are quite big so didn't go for dessert, but the whole meal was fantastic. I must not forget to mention the service which was great, the staff were busy, but made sure we got everything we wanted, would definitely go back!

I went here on Saturday night for a farewell dinner for a friend staying from the US.

We waited 30mins to be seated at our table. After 35mins of waiting for our food one of my friends asked for some bread and how long the wait was. No one came back and we never saw the bread. At 9.30pm it was too cold to stay outside and we asked to be moved in. We also asked again for the bread. It never appeared but the food finally arrived after over an hour of waiting.

If the staff had explained what was going on and offered us some olives/bread I wouldn't have minded but having to keep asking where our food was and being given curt, angry responses was unacceptable.

It was very good food but we were so hungry when it arrived we bolted it down. The staff were incredibly rude and we ended up having to pay the bill at the bar because no one came to the table.

The evening was ruined by the staff. Looking at reviews this has been a persistent problem the Albion hasn't taken on board. It's a shame given that the food is good and the interior and garden are very attractive.

I went to the Albion for the first time last night for a friend's 30th birthday. It is the most over-priced pub I've ever been to. 55 quid for 6 drinks and a jug of [very weak] pimms. I don't mind expensive bars and pubs but if I'm paying through the nose for crap drinks, I expect the astronomical mark-up to fund things like cleaners for the toilets (which weren't nice in the slightest). The garden and building are both very beautiful but that's not enough to get me back there again.

Very disappointed with this pub! Has the potential to be a great place with its great location , and great decor and layout with a pretty beer garden.

Unfortunately the staff completely drag this pub to a 2 out of 10! Very rude and unwilling to help, according to them either there way or the highway! Food is very over-priced, very pretentious, the pub has a lost identidy between pub and restaurant!

As a local in the area, there are many nice pubs, especially with the crown just 1 minute further down the road, ive never written a review for anything, as i felt i was spoken to so rudely by the staff in this pub i felt i needed to! The selection of beers, ciders and ales is minimal!! I used to work in a pub and enjoyed talking to punters and being helpful, i honestly wouldn't bother with this place!

Singularly the worst pub in Islington with the rudest staff. Last night we turned up in the pouring rain and the pub was open, we walked in and were told our booking was cancelled for a wedding. They wouldnt even let us have a drink before braving the rain. Last week the food on Sunday was so bad we got up and left our food.

What a disappointment this place was. Can't fault the food in terms of quality but massively overpriced.
The main problem though are the really horrible and rude staff who just completely destroy the atmosphere

I took my father here last night for a special treat he loved it and they made a real fuss of him which was sweet.

The sun's shining in the garden drinking a beer with the dog at my feet. Is there a better spot?

They've even got treats for the dog.

Love spring, love this pub!

I went the Albion this weekend and felt compelled to leave my thoughts. After reading the other comments I almost cancelled my booking for my husband’s 40th but I’m glad I didn’t.
Rarely in London have I been to a place that’s so accommodating especially as we were a large table with children. We’d ordered a pig which was perfect and easily feed the 15 of us.
The staff were great (especially the manager who likes like the guy of strictly).
Highly recommend.

This pub has always been up its own arse and a recent visit confirmed that it's worse than ever. Very poor in every way possible, and that's coming from a man who once deep fried corned beef in a wok because it's all he had in the house to eat!!!

We went there on Saturday 23rd January and experienced terrible service and mediocre food! I ordered the vegetable hot pot which was bland and boring.

The dessert menu at the bar was far better than the dessert menu in the dining room. I asked the waiter whether I could choose a dessert from the bar instead. The waiter looked at me indignatly and refused to help. I went to the bar to order the dessert and the bar man refused to serve us saying "the kitchen is already closed". This was not true since they were able to provide other people with deserts from the dining room menu!

As soon as people had finished desserts the bill was slapped on our table. We paid an exorbitant amount and then once we paid the bill, the waiter rudely told us we had to leave the pub at once because it was closing. They started turning off the lights when twenty of us were still in there. They were incredibly rude.

I won't be going back there - it is a real shame because the pub is located in a very quaint area and the decor is quite nice. Real shame about the staff and the food.

I was a there last night, third visit this year and I have to say very disappointing. We had made a reservation for 4 only to be given a tiny round table squeezed in to the corner by the toilets next to a large table of 12 people. That was the last we saw of any waiting staff for at least half an hour.A very restricted menu was on the table. After 15 mins I went to the bar to order some drinks and let them know we were ready to order. I was informed it would be wise for me to order and pay for the drinks while I was at the bar.

Squeezed back to the table to wait a further 15-20 minutes when eventually grabbed the attention of a waitress who offering apologies took our order.Food was very ordinary. The steaks were ok, the burger tasteless. Frozen chips etc etc.They had run out of most red wines but the house red was very reasonable.After we had finished our mains the plates were cleared and we were told if we wanted a dessert we had to order now as the kitchen was closing- 10.25pm?

At 11.20 we were told to leave, I asked if we could finish our drinks as firstly we had been given a 9pm reservation, had waited 30 mins to order our food, waited a further 30 mins for the starters to arrive, had to go to the bar to order all our drinks including coffee and had to ask for the bill where we had paid their added service charge. I was told no, closing time was 11.20 and it was the law.All in all very disappointing as it had been such a good place. I fear it has suffered the curse of having a recommendation and dropping their standards and customer care.Will not be going back as there are some other great places to eat very near by where the food, service and atmosphere is better by miles.

Like many, i was tempted to visit because the Observer had rated it earlier this year the best place for a Sunday roast in their food awards. The paper even stated: "This gastropub was the winner in this category by a long stretch."

What one must conclude is that the competition this year was lousy. The judging panel needs to come round my house and i'll show them what a good roast tastes like!

We all ordered the roast beef which came in at a hefty £17! The waitress seemed to have misplaced her smile, the horseradish had to be asked for and worst of all, the 6 plates of food all came out lukewarm. I of course got the manager whose response was: "Well what do you want me to do about them?" To which i replied: "Er... heat them up." He then went away and came back to tell us the chef wanted to redo our plates from scratch. That was better but when they arrived again they were not exactly piping hot.

So, in short, visit the Albion if you 1) want to be hoodwinked by the Observer; 2) like service without a smile; 3) like paying over the odds for what you actually get; and 4) like your roast dinners lukewarm. If that's not how you like yours, i would suggest you avoid.

One would think it's hard to spoil a place located in such a lovely area but The Albion do succeed profusely.

The only thing I did like was my Bloody Mary which had just the right balance of spices. The food...I don't even know where to start.

At the prices charged it really is appaling that this place gets away with what they are serving.

I am not a gourmet believe me but at 15 pounds for a portion of fish&chips you would expect the fish to be slightly thicker than a sheet of paper and not burnt pretty much to the bones.

My boyfriend's chicken salad was also bland and greasy. Generally, I'm quite tolerant as far as service is concerned but in this case I can't say we were looked after that much.

It's a nice place to go to if you're looking to have a drink on a sunny day as they do have a nice front garden but god knows how this place is surviving in winter. I'm very unlikely to go back.

Went up to The Albion (a far stride from Clapham!) for a friend's birthday last Saturday night.

I got there quite late but it was still busy which was not too bad although when there's a party of 20 of you standing in a small area it gets quite annoying.

The outside area was just shutting when I arrived so can't comment on the garden, but the inside area was nice and plenty of seating.

The first barman that served me just kind of grunted at me and didn't even attempt to crack a smile, but the wine was cold and tasted nice so I was happy.

I guess he was just peeved at being there on a Saturday night. The second barmaid that served me was, again, slightly morose, but then when we asked when last orders was she said "10 minutes" and cracked into the biggest grin I've ever seen on a member of bar staff, so I think my idea about being annoyed at being there on a Saturday night was right!

The smoking area at the front was nice, it's a quiet residential area so you have to keep the noise down but it was comfortable enough and the other people drinking there seemed friendly.

All in all it was a nice place - wouldn't make it on my list of definites to do when in north London but if I'm in the area I'd probably pop in.S

Following my review 25/4/09 I returned to The Albion to use a voucher that I had received from the management following my previously bad experience.

I'm glad to say that this experience was much better. We were shown to a table in the garden and our waitress was very pleasant.

I was a little taken aback by the request to put a credit card behind the bar, but luckily my emailed voucher from the management was sufficient.

The food was good, and I have to say possibly the best fish i've had, the Sea Bass was cooked to perfection on the BBQ, so well done for that.

I was pleased that Angelo took the effort to come over to talk to us, to apologise and to ensure all was well this time.

The Albion has been removed from my 'Never Go Here again' List, but i still think it is a little over priced, and there is just something a little missing. A pub/restaurant in this location should be better when there is so much competition about.

I would encourage people to give this place a go, especially for a drink and bar snacks and possibly for dinner if they like the look of the menu! Good and bad reviews, it will not be for everyone, I think the easiest thing to say is give it a go!

We visited The Albion last weekend (25th/26th July). The pub had been highly recommended and our intention was to book a table for Sunday Lunch for a family gathering.

After reading some of the reviews on this site we were a little apprehensive so decided to send a reconnaissance party in for drinks on Saturday evening.

What we found was a wonderful, friendly, lively pub with staff to match. We returned the next day for lunch in the garden and experienced the same welcome and friendliness from all the staff.

Nothing was too much trouble and we felt very spoiled by the end of the meal.The food was excellent. (We had the BBQ lamb and chicken and a vegetarian dish)

The garden area is beautiful and, although very busy, had a real laid- back atmosphere.

We thought the prices were very good for the quality of the food (four of our party shared a huge leg of lamb with all the trimmings for £60.00)

I don’t usually write reviews (good or bad) but, such was the contrast between our experience and other reviewers, that I felt compelled to write this.

I’m even beginning to wonder if there aren’t two Albions in the area!I have no hesitation in recommending The Albion.

The only problem I can see people having is getting a table at short notice. The place was full throughout our stay on Saturday and Sunday.

AMC

The Albion has the worst attitude towards its customers that I have ever encountered in around 50 years of restaurant-going, during which I must have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on food and drink.

When you order a meal, they demand that you give them your credit card, which they lodge behind the bar until you pay the bill.

And before you ask – no , I do not look like a career criminal. I look ridiculously respectable and have, in fact, eaten dozens of times at the Albion before under previous managements.

I can understand that they may have a problem with dishonest folk who leave without paying, but I have never been treated as a potential criminal before in any pub, café or restaurant where I have eaten – and I’ve eaten in some pretty dodgy areas, believe me.

The management of the Albion is extremely foolish, because just around the corner is the Draper’s Arms, with superior food and an appreciably better attitude.

I cancelled my order of food and wine and walked out. I shall not be returning to the Albion until it is under new management. If you don’t want to be treated like a criminal, I would advise you to boycott it too.

HI,I went there this evening with my hubby, for Sunday Roast, granted we got there after 6pm but i know from living in Islington for 6 years that you can still get roast dinner on a Sunday.

I asked the waiter and he said NO only from the menu. I had Pork and my husband had Chicken.

Yes it was tasty, but I have to say that both dishes could have been cooked at home at the same quality.

So big disapointment, seen as this is the place for the Sunday Roast. So not going back there any day soon and way over priced.

so NOT IMPRESSED. Regina N1

I went to a birthday party at The Albion a week ago. It’s a lovely looking ‘country-style’ pub, with a large beer garden.

I was expecting a great afternoon, the sun was shining, and The Albion has great reviews.

That said, you’d have to pay me to go back. I couldn’t believe how monumentally rude the staff were.

When I asked what ‘St Telo’ was on the menu, the barman barked ‘CHEESE’ as though I was being offensively stupid and turned his back on me.

It took three attempts to even find out where I could place an order for food, and had to ask another three waiters to actually take my order.

And shamefully, it’s not just the barmen or waiters, it’s a problem that goes to the top. There were about 15 of us there so we spent a lot of money that afternoon.

When we tried to pay the bill, the manager (yup, manager) repeatedly turned his back on us and walked away mid conversation. We were gobsmacked. How can a place like this get away with it?

By buttering up critics from newspapers I imagine.The true ‘icing on the cake’ was the fact that the birthday boy’s girlfriend had made him a cake the night before.

She was told that to have it on the premises, everyone in the party had to pay a surcharge of £2.50.

When she said this was ridiculous considering we had booked a large meal and were paying through the nose for it, the restaurant manager eventually relented, graciously saying we could have it in the pub, but we weren’t allowed to ‘publicise it, let the staff know we had it, or even eat it’. Thanks a bunch.

We felt so welcome we left soon after.Having read other reviews about the service at The Albion in Barnsbury, I shouldn’t think anyone would want to go.

But if you’re a bit of a sadist and want to feel like a scumbag who shouldn’t be in a pub, by all means go and meet the staff there.

The Albion is a beautiful pub, undeniable. The food is good but a little expensive (good restaurant prices but similar quality)

The staff, including general management are rude, unhelpful and missing huge opportunities to make a lot more money.

Booking a table for 12 people to eat a £300 suckling pig at 3pm in the afternoon to have 10 additional people joining us later to drink until the pub closed would be seen by most pubs/gastro’s/restaurants (I’m not sure what the Albion wants to be?) as an excellent opportunity to earn a lot of money and an excellent advertisement for the pub to a group of young professionals who live in the area, and invariably, spend a lot of money in pubs.

This wasn’t our first experience here. Unable to find seats just to drink is a common problem and a shame with the garden.

And previous experiences made us weary, but with the Observer on side and a great garden we decided to book for the 30th birthday gathering and give it a go.

Big mistake.After making a surprise birthday cake and with honourable intentions by calling ahead to prepare them and ask for a bit of fridge room, I was told we would have to pay a £2.50 surcharge per person (10% of pig cost) to have it on the table / kept in the fridge.

When I explained the cake was quite inedible but looked lovely and was for surprise and effort value as opposed to eating for desert, this was still disregarded.

After a lengthy chat with management who agreed to contact the general manager they came reluctantly back and agreed to let us have the cake…..

However, we couldn’t eat it on the premises, nor would they keep it in a fridge for me (It was 26 degrees), they couldn’t even “touch it”, nor could we publicise that they had made such a leniency. (Woops)

It is beyond comprehension or business sense to be so difficult and have such tight regulations which leave a sour taste in your mouth and

A truly unforgettable meal- we sat out in the stunning garden surrounded by the wysteria and tucked into the most delicious food I have had in quite some time.

Particular highlights for me were the melt in the mouth bone marrow and capers (quite experimental for a pub) and a half lobster grilled served with seasonal spring greens and jersey royals.

Delicious and a real feel of a country pub despite being in Central London. Service was impeccable but unobtrusive.

25th April 2009.How disappointing!

My first visit to the Albion and I most definitely will not be going back!

Firstly, this is the first review I have ever written. I am not the sort of person to complain about things, and this was the first time I have ever had to ask to speak to the manager, who i doubt was the manager anyway!

As you enter The Albion you think, this is going to be good. The waiters, well to be honest pretty poor!

First thing was to order a bottle of wine. The first bottle was presented to us, wrong bottle, second bottle presented, wrong bottle!

It's not that hard when you write it down.The menu is limited, and because of this you expect the food to be of a high class.

Our starters were brought out and once again, they had got my order wrong. Crab/Trout, surely they don't sound that similar!

I started with the Crab and Apple on Toast. Well the toast was burnt, and the crab and apple was pretty tasteless.

My girlfriend had the Oysters, which can only be described as average.

My girlfriend had the Sea Bass, which was nice but only because the amount of butter it was in!

It was poorly presented! I went for the Venison and Root Veg Pie. Sounds nice doesn't it..now i'm no pie expert, but this was terrible.

The meat was dry, and the whole dish lacked taste and there was a distinct lack of gravy.

I managed about a third, and was extremely disappointed. I would advise a visit to Pie Minister on Upper Street instead!

I decided not to order dessert so as not to be further disappointed. My girlfriend went for the Sticky Toffee Pudding. Having waited over 30mins, enough was enough.

I informed that the dessert was not longer required and we wanted the bill and the manager. The bill obviously came first, and looking back at it, i should have refused to pay the £63 (£17 bottle of wine!).

Had Sunday lunch at The Albion today.

Booked a table ten days ago, offered no choice of inside or out, and when we got there it was packed, our table was outside, the sun had gone behond the clouds,

it was getting v chilly and we were not allowed to move to a vacant table inside - too complicated for the staff apparently as we had already ordered by that time - though once we'd placed our order we were told that it would take half an hour for the food to come.

In the event it was closer to 45 minutes. When it came it was adequate. 4 main courses and 2 bottles of wine = £125 - no starters, dessertss, coffee. Would I go again?

Probably not: there are better, and better organised, places. Shame really.

This is without doubt the worst pub in London! It has all the makings of a great pub - it's a nice looking building, beautifully decorated with lovely outside space but beware for this is a wolf in sheep's clothing! The staff are miserable and rude and tried to charge us a 12% service charge on a bowl of chips which we went to the bar to order - the bar man was so rude when we refused to pay it he called the manager out! If you're looking for an exceedingly mediocre experience - this is the place for you!

The steak costs £18 (sic), and is comparable to a small Sainsbury's rump steak chucked in a frying pan. I know there's a recesssion coming, but they might want to consider cutting their prices as well as their costs...The staff are very unwelcoming as well.

I booked The Albion for my partner's 30th birthday and it turned out to be a brilliant night. I left it until the last minute, calling them a week before the big event, and was surprised when they agreed to squeeze in 12 people for an early evening dinner.
It was bustling with people by 6pm when we turned up, but they'd come up trumps and reserved us a big table right in the midst of the atmosphere. I booked the meal for 6.30pm, and was originally told we had to get our orders in by 6.45pm, from a limited menu. So i was a bit anxious by the time the whole gang arrived around half an hour late! But the staff were really relaxed about the whole thing, happy to take several rounds of drink orders until everyone turned up.
Turned out we were able to choose from the whole menu, and the food was gorgeous. Especially the choc pudding! The staff were all really friendly and on-hand for drinks orders (of which there were many).
I was also under the impression other people had booked our table and we had a set time to eat, but this wasn't the case. We were having such a laugh we stayed in the pub until closing time and our grand plans for a pub crawl were thwarted.
Really good night and would def go back.

An absolute must for anyone looking for a down-to-earth traditional pub. Great to go to for an after work drink, or evening catch-up, and equally as accommodating for a family meal out. The food is exquisite, and most definitely sizeable, i'm yet to make it through a whole three courses! Despite all this, it doesn't break the bank, meals are about £12-£15 for mains and drinks are very decently priced considering the area. All in all, excellent service, very friendly and accommodating staff and food value, ticks all the boxes!

Nice interior but overpriced and, if you don't look like the the usual, upper class, Islington crowd, expect to be served last and the service to be minimal. They even had the nerve to charge gratuity on my bill! Never again!!!

The food is okay if overpriced, and the location guarantees almost a captive clientele but goodness me, they are easily pleased.
I can't call the staff rude as they aren't interested enough to be rude.



We gave it over an hour after order-taking before raising a query. Only the intervention of the maitre d' led to the arrival of part of our meal minus vegatables and trimmings, and minus the coffee we ordered.



I am always reluctant to blame the lower level staff but in this case, having had so much time to look around at most of the waiters and waitresses, this place would benefit from getting rid of most of them.

what a fantastic transformation!
All I'd say is go and have a look for yourself although a part of me would like to keep The Albion as a special secret. We went this weekend and had the best time. It was incredibly busy and all the staff were still so friendly (a rarity in london pubs!). The management we saw were obviously doing something right and where nothing but positive - like I said a fantastic pub!

The Albion has been crying out for a good makeover for years. I've been coming here on and off for 9 years and it's got to have one of the nicest positions in the area, but was always let down by bad food and very average decor.



The new interior revamp is an improvement although it hasn't left much of a pub atmosphere. However, there's a big improvement in the garden and at last what looks like good food - if I'd got to try any!



Our problem was that we turned up to find our reservation had been lost, and even if they had remembered to reserve us a table they had already sold out of food! Not great, as we were hungry and had dragged two friends across London for lunch. This was one of The Albion's first weekends and mistakes happen, that's understandable, but what wasn't acceptable was the lousy response I received from one of the managers on duty, especially for somewhere that's trying to pitch itself as up market.



When I approached the manager in question to explain our frustration he came across with a generally uninterested attitude, giving no apology and questioning whether we had really made the reservation. This left me feeling far angrier than finding out we weren't having any food for lunch!



A simple apology, followed by the offer of a drink or some bread to tide us over would have worked wonders. The other manager we approached later did do this and the rest of the staff seemed very nice.



All in all, a big improvement was let down by one unprofessional manager and a couple of teething problems.

The Albion was a great find for us this weekend. Apparently it's been refurbushed which might be why I can't understand some of the previous reviews. I found it to be delightful.


The food was excellent, the beer great, the staff friendly and above all else it was so comfortable to be in or out - the garden looks amazing. I will be back soon and I'm sure many others will be too - The Albion is fantastic.

The Albion is fantastic and refurbished. Ignore all reviews posted pre Jan 2007, this place has been taken over by great new owners and is being managed by a couple, who really know how to run a pub. The food and atmosphere are superb now the renovation is complete. Get in The Albion soon before everyone finds this gem.

The smell of paint always makes me nervous when entering a place. But I had no need to worry. It seems like finally The Albion has people running it who can see it's potential, as a great looking refit is matched by great food.


We went for the rib of beef to share, which was a Desperate Dan size piece of meat. The Albion is highly recommended.

To say The Albion sucks is an understatement. Eight of us went for a special Christmas lunch. There was no turkey on the menu for starters, and six of us had to send our lunches back as they were stone cold. Then they were miffed that we asked them to reheat them. The food was so overpriced I could cry. £16.00 for one potato, one pice of brocolli, a bit of beef and a Yorkshire pudding.


It was truly awful. Let's hope the Albion management changes quickly. It was utterly terrible. Don't go here - it really was the worst food I have ever had the displeasure of tasting. They finally offered us a free drink - I wish it had been arsenic.

The Albion is smelly, big time. I think it smells of cats piss. Don't waste your time in The Albion.

The Albion's garden is gorgeous - if the weather is less than sunny, better to go somewhere else.