Shaftesbury Tavern — Restaurant in London

🚇 Archway 🍺 £6.00 Pillars Pilsner

A Beautiful Traditional Tavern.

The Shaftesbury Tavern is located at the end of a row of shops overlooking Elthorne Park in Upper Holloway, Islington. The nearest Tube is Archway, it’s around a ten minute walk to get here.

This pub was originally built in 1861 then rebuilt in 1897. Close to the pub is Islington Boxing Club which was founded in 1974.

This is a traditional two room pub that has been lovingly maintained. You arrive into an ‘L’ shaped bar that is very easy on the eye. The servery follows the line of the bar and has a beautiful ornate back bar and an open kitchen to the right. The seating is traditional chairs and pews around sturdy solid wood tables. Just off the main bar is the former billiard room which has an attractive chequered floor, comfy sofas, a piano, a fireplace and a stylish Victorian atrium. The stand out features of this pub are the stunning etched mirrors and etched glass partitions. At the front of the pub is a partially covered front patio area which is guarded by black railings.

The beer choice was excellent and included London craft beers and three cask ales. I decided on a Pillars Pilsner from Wathamstow brewers @pillarsbrewery , my pint hit the spot, price point was average. The food menu here is Thai, Pad Thai costs £12. If you visit on a Sunday, Roasts take centre stage.

I arrived around 3pm on a mild Saturday afternoon in January. The pub was fairly quiet in the main bar and busy with a function in the back room. The atmosphere was relaxed with a few locals dotted around enjoying a Saturday afternoon beverage. The service was on point, the member of staff who served me was welcoming and gracious.

The @shaftesburytavern is part of the Remarkable Pubs stable of pubs. I have visited a number of their pubs over the years and have to say every visit has been a memorable one. The Shaftesbury Tavern was no exception, the beer choice is excellent, the tasty Thai food is well celebrated and the decor is beautiful. This definitely a must visit London Pub.

ℹ️ Info correct on...

The Shaftsbury Tavern, 8.4/10

We thought that we were out of options for the Champions League final the other week. Ringing boozers for a table of six left, right and centre, to no avail. As we began to wonder if it would be that bad to watch it at northlondonpints HQ, the sun beamed through the window onto an Insta post from The Shaftsbury Tavern, advertising spaces for the final. We were saved.

Classic style pub in Finsbury Park. Big TVs. Loads of big tables. Huge tap list. Ticks all the boxes. Fans from all over the country had assembled for this one. Chelsea fans. Wigan Fans. Pretty sure that was it, actually. Nonetheless, a diverse spectrum.

We did meet a fruity Italian man outside at the interval. Couldn't make out what he was saying from his heavy accent but fairly sure he was talking about pasta, prosciutto, pesto, pecorino, pizza, Pagani, plumbing and Pacino. In that order. Either that or slagging off South London. Take your pick.

Out of the large tap list, we went for Litovel. Great taste? Check. Decent price? Check. Where's it from? Czech.

Now we know what you're thinking. That doesn't look like Litovel in the picture. Alright, eagle eyes. Frankly, we don't remember what that beer was. Could've been anything. Looks crisp, whatever it was.

Reviewed 12/06/21 on...

I highly recommend NOT to go here. I went here last week with my girlfriend and two of our friends. Upon arrival i was approached by rowdy 'junkies' that were in the sitting area outside of the pub asking for cigarettes. I went in regardless, because i was meeting my girlfriend and friends inside. i ordered a burger, and the inside was raw, i was told by a member of staff that they only cook the beef at medium, this was not medium however, it was raw and greasy. My girlfriend had been up at the bar and felt uncomfortable as there was a weird looking man with glasses, whom i have just found out is the manager, who continuously stared at my girlfriend and her friend inappropriately. And another member of staff, a baldy man that worked behind the bar was irritating and unprofessional. And not to mention, the men's toilet were stinky and hadn't been cleaned, i also witnessed two smartly dressed young men, sniffing in the toilet. I would definitely not say it is a family friendly pub. However if you would like to go somewhere that has pervy unprofessional staff, under-cooked food and an all-round horrible atmosphere, this is the...