The Star of Kings

You'll find yourself on York Way, that stretch of N1 that's quietly become somewhere you actually want to spend time. The Star of Kings pulls off what feels increasingly rare—it's genuinely local without being self-conscious about it. The kind of place where regulars prop up the bar alongside people who've wandered in off the street, and nobody makes you feel like you've arrived at the wrong party. There's proper ale on, the kitchen does unfussy pub food that lands, and the whole thing has that warm, slightly worn-in feeling that comes from actually being loved by the people who drink there.