I see that the Compass has had good reviews in the past but be warned, standards have slipped!
The advertised menu was not available. When the food arrived it was badly presented and tasted awful. Probably the worst food I've ever had, I know this sounds extreme but it was easily the most unpleasant eating experience I've had in ten years living in London.

ok, lots of mixed reviews. So here's a real one for 2011. Mildly above average gastro pub roast. Potatoes were not at all crunchy. Tasted more like par boiled and flash fried to me. Im not saying they were..they just tasted that way. Meat was good though not that hot. Portions were adequate but not sunday roast satisfying. The pineapple and apple crumble was good, as was the vanilla custard. The chocolate fondue should be a rich melting chocolate experience, instead it was more of a sponge pudding with a some hot sauce in the middle. Friendly service if not all that helpful. Manager insisted on having door open even though it was a rainy day and genuinely cold and windy. We all sat with our jackets and scarves on. Later found out he only wanted to have door open so that pub didnt look closed. So basically his customers had to suffer so they could drum up more business. well they lost ours.
The background music, although at a reasonable level, switched form acoustic to dance to melancholic, basically was all over the place. Not very relaxing. Who wants dance music over sunday lunch?
We booked last minute and so our table was very squashed, fair enough if u book a sunday lunch last minute.
Experience wasnt helped by screaming kid at next table banging furniture. But then the place is trying to be a bit young n hip, hence the music and relaxed staff, so youll end up with loud kids too. Basically it wasnt bad. Food was quite nice, but in general we were disappointed. Id rather pay a bit more and go to the Albion any day. Rocking roast. Just remember to book!

Pro
Friendly staff

Con
Disappointing Sunday Roast (cold food)
Food took ages
Expensive (140 for 6 people for drinks, main and coffee)
Bill miscalculated

Sunday roast was disappointing... 6 of us ordered and the food took a long time.

Yorkshire puddings and potatoes turned up cold, we sent them back and the same plate returned (presumably microwaved) complete with the half potato my friend had tried.

The roast lamb was also cold and was returned. Chicken arrived hotter, but still cold in places.

We were also surprised that when we told our server we were 6 rather than 8, he removed on of the tables, leaving 6 of us to squeeze round a table of 4.

The bill was miscalculated, we were charged for 2 more drinks than we had asked for.

Overall OK for a beer, but I wouldn't eat there again.

I have been to this pub twice now for Sunday lunch. On both occasions we booked a large table upstairs in the Function Room and on both occasions the lunch was disappointing.
The service was ok and the pub size, decor, range of booze was all good but if you order Sunday lunch for a large group (10/15 people) they are slow to serve you, the food is cold and portions are stingy.
Both times we had to ask for more vegetables, potatoes and gravy which the staff weren't happy about (apparently you can only have one and a half potatoes each and one small jug of cold gravy serves 8). This bad food is over priced (e.g. approx £13 for two salmon fish cakes on some spinach), dry (pork belly and potato) and not actually cooked even for someone who likes medium rare (beef).
A friend joined us later and also order a roast which looked better and was a bit more generous and the cheese board is quite nice so I just think you shouldn't go to this pub in larger groups or if you do then all make sure you order at different times/separately!!

I had such high hopes for The Compass but alas on my third and final visit it was appalling, too noisy (Islington geezers) strange tasting Guinness (although i was told it was meant to taste like that).

The much advertised and praised duck scotch egg was not on the menu and the chorizo that was came burnt black, re-assuring my companions that this was just a hiccup we sat at our table and proceeded to be served by the rudest waiter i have encountered in my 45 years on earth,

can't comment on main courses as we left quietly whilst no one was looking.

It will take a lot to entice me back interested to see how they fare

Been to the Compass twice and really enjoyed it.

It's got very friendly staff, great selection of drinks - loved the Cheddar Valley Cider which I'd never seen anywhere before.

The food is amazing! The chef makes everything - even the pickle to go with the cheese board - himself.

I'm definitely going back!

They have renovated the old Salmon and Compass and made a light and airy room with big windows, and a nice feeling of space while still feeling intimate.

I went there with my boyfriend and another couple. Originally we were just going to have a few drinks after work but we tried some of the bar menu - the black pudding sausage roll, never had that before, delicious, and we shared a selection of the home made pickles and breads - all the pickles are in big jars on the bar.

I liked the empasis on home made and it really made the flavours better, and gave it more of a sense of care going into the food and the menu.So we decided to share some starters, and then some puds, and the staff seemed happy with this unconventional ordering.

The Squash salad, asparagus and the ham hock terrine all delicious. Eton mess light and summery.

I'm booking the upstairs room for my birthday!

was walking along the market stalls in chapel market in islington and noticed the compass had had a make-over, what a change, outside as well inside: cool and charming at the same time, much more inviting than before.

friendly atmosphere. i decided to have lunch there and had the fabada.

Spanish sausage and beef stew... not often do i get blown away by pub food, but god it was delicious! really impressive. go there!