The Albion — Restaurant in London

I was sadly disappointed with the Sunday roast I had at The Albion yesterday, 10 Sept 2023.

At the end of the meal, we were asked by a member of the team how we had enjoyed the meal, I was asked, by those, I was with not to respond to save them any embarrassment.

This is supposed to be one of the best London gaffs for a Sunday roast. If this is the case then either my standards are two high of those going never cook and think the following is acceptable, especially at the prices charged!

I was very disappointed with the starter of taramasalata and sliced red radishes. The taramasalata was greasy and lacked depth and flavor. It was so greasy that it could have been used to grease a car axle.

I was hoping that the sliced red radishes would add an unexpected and interesting twist to the dish, but they were simply sliced and left to the side of the taramasalata, looking rather out of place. It seemed like the dish had been thrown together by a very hot and tired chef.

Needless to say, I returned the dish, and it is something that rarely happens.

Here are some specific details about the dish that I found to be subpar: • The taramasalata was greasy and had a strong fishy smell. • It lacked depth and flavor. • The radishes were sliced, dumped on the plate and were not seasoned. • The dish was not presented in a visually appealing way.

The lamb was chewy and tough, the Yorkshire puddings were burnt on the outside and doughy on the inside, and the carrot, parsnips, and roast potatoes were bland and underseasoned.

The gravy was also thin and tasteless, and it didn't do much to help the overall dish.

I was really looking forward to this meal, as I love a good Sunday roast. But unfortunately, this one was a miss. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a delicious Sunday roast.

To sum up: • The lamb was chewy and tough. It was difficult to chew, and the meat didn't have much flavor. • The Yorkshire puddings were burnt on the outside and doughy on the inside. They were also quite small, which was disappointing. • The carrot, parsnips, and roast potatoes were bland and underseasoned. They didn't have much flavor, and they were also quite dry. • The gravy was thin and tasteless. It didn't do much to help the overall dish.

Overall, I was very disappointed with this Sunday roast. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a delicious meal.

I add no pictures as I as so flaggasted by the poor meal I forget...

The Albion in Islington has long held a reputation as a charming local, and our recent Sunday lunch visit at the tail end of April only solidified that view. Blessed with glorious sunshine, the four of us – my partner and I, along with friends visiting from Leeds – were fortunate enough to be seated in their expansive back garden. While the interior exudes a cosy, traditional pub feel, the garden was undoubtedly the place to be on such a beautiful day. It's worth noting that the pub was bustling, a testament to its popularity, so booking ahead, especially on a Sunday, is highly recommended.

Our meal got off to a delightful start with warm, soft sourdough accompanied by a generous portion of whipped butter – a simple pleasure done exceptionally well. For our main courses, we opted for a diverse selection of their roasts to cater to everyone's tastes. I chose the Saddleback porchetta with bramley apple sauce, and it was the star of the show for me. The pork was cooked to perfection, boasting succulent meat and plenty of gloriously crunchy crackling. Our group also enjoyed the vibrant Beetroot & chickpea wellington (the vegetarian option) and the impressive 45-day dry-aged sirloin of beef. The portion sizes were generous across the board, and the thoughtful touch of bringing extra gravy for the crispy roast potatoes and towering Yorkshire puddings was much appreciated. We also indulged in a side of Montgomery’s cheddar cauliflower cheese, which was a rich and comforting addition.

To round off our satisfying meal, we shared two equally delightful desserts. The classic sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream was rich and comforting, while the vanilla cheesecake, adorned with sweet English strawberries and a hint of gingerbread, offered a lighter, more summery finish.

Despite the pub being particularly busy due to the London Marathon, creating a lively atmosphere in the garden, the service remained friendly, attentive, and refreshingly non-fussy. Our food and drinks arrived promptly, as did the bill when it was time for our friends to catch their train.

In conclusion, The Albion offers a winning combination. Whether you're after a relaxing pint in a truly lovely, sun-drenched beer garden or a delicious Sunday roast (just remember to book!), this Islington gem is definitely worth a visit. We'll certainly...

The host and server were great, but ultimately the food left more for desire. The space itself is cute and moody at night. The fire is a nice touch for a cold winter’s night.

The sourdough bread is good, but the butter that accompanies it wasn’t all that great. I ordered the duck leg, which I enjoyed, although I thought the meal itself was a bit in the dry side. There should have been some juice from the duck cooking or the cassoulet that accompanied it. Up until this point, I would have at least given this place a chance to make up for the big issue of the night…

My partner ordered a steak. On their menu, they have different cuts available. He chose the sirloin cut, which is the second “level” of meat in the menu. When we got his meal, he started eating what the could, but about a third of the way through his meal, there was barely any meat left to eat. The pieces were pure fat. We weren’t sure what to do, but he ultimately decided to voice the issue to the server. He understood the issue, apologized, and said he would work in a solution. A few minutes later, what we assume to be a manager came out. I wasn’t a fan of her attitude towards the situation - she carried the plate of food back out and tried to lecture us about how sirloins are a “fatty cut of steak” and that the options were to get another sirloin, which will come out the same, or choose another piece of steak. My partner opted for the Bavette, which is a cheaper cut. Now, the issue here is that sirloins are actually not a fatty cut of steak. She also completely ignored that there were 2 entire “slices” of steak that were straight up layers of fat. There was no meat to eat on these slices, while some of the other slices of meat were about 80% fat. It was completely not normal how much fat there was.

After my partner got the bavette steak, he ate it and was fine. No complaints. When the bill came, we weren’t sure still charged for the full price of the sirloin, which is a whopping £28 more than the bavette. At the very least, they should have split the difference of the cost and covered a round of our drinks.

There are other places known for good food nearby. We wanted to try some place new tonight, but we won’t...