The Old Queens Head

Head down Essex Road in Islington and you'll find yourself in a proper old-school local that hasn't been mucked about with. Dark wood, creaky floors, and enough ale taps to keep you occupied for weeks—this place takes its beer seriously without being a knob about it. The Sunday roasts are genuinely excellent (book ahead), and the kitchen does solid pub food that actually tastes like something. It's got that rare thing London pubs struggle with: it feels like the neighbourhood's actual third space, not a set designed to look like one.