The Old Queens Head

Visited the old queens head for some food and drinks. Served some lovely drinks by Octavian and Rachel and had a lovely burger served by Gabby. Catered to dietary requirements and double checked everything was all good for us when served. Very good experience and lovely atmosphere, would definitely visit again!

It's definitely a very old bar/club, and some say that the place is haunted as well. You'd understand why the moment you enter the place; especially with all the old paintings and sculptures hanging on the walls all around. There's a small club upstairs. Friday nights are r&b, hip hop nights. Try to reserve a table especially if you're a big group. If not, it's a space that becomes alive only later into the night. We got ourselves a G&T and left shortly after.

I love love love The Old Queens Head! I had an amazing Sunday roast there, i’ve also attended a Saturday night there where the upstairs room is transformed into a club/ dance night. Some nights are grime and rap etc. The pub itself is just really beautiful. The decor and atmosphere is incredible, its such a beautiful building. 10/10 pub!

amazing sunday roast in north london!! my friends and i visited the old queens head in islington for a sunday roast last weekend and had a lovely time. everyone who worked there was so kind, extremely helpful and just made us feel so at home. we were even asked for feedback on what we thought they could improve on (to which we responded not a lot!) that i think was such great touch. the chicken and roasties were perfectly cooked with decent portion sizes. i am always really hesitant to order chicken whilst im out eating but they hit the nail on the head! the atmosphere was fantastic with really good music. they also have an upstairs ‘club’ area for friday/saturday nights which i’m looking forward to going back to. the pub garden was also really cute! great drink selection and cocktails as well. in total i spent £33 for the roast and two drinks which i think is fairly decent for london. i will absolutely be back! ⭐️

Very well priced Sunday Lunch at £17 with tasty gravy. They gave our daughter 2 glasses of fizz for free as it was her birthday! My companions LOVED their burgers and we all loved the cocktails especially the spicy mojito. The decor is fun Victorian reclamation, probably styled be a film set decorator. Sunday lunch had a jolly atmosphere for with a mix of young and old. Good bar.

Apparently supposed to be the best Roast in North London now I know why it's a comedy pub as they are joking meat was unedible veg raw roast potatoes like concrete blocks. I will send pic please save your money eat at a Toby carvery or elsewhere this place is a complete rip off. The food is so bad that I may have to get hygiene services involved there doesn't seem to be any proper taste test of food. Just look at the lamb fat with meat trim and photo looks yellow so you cannot see the food your eating

A lovely pub with an interesting decor - I loved the inside of this place (both upstairs and downstairs), definitely something different. The food was average - the taste of most items on the roast was good (especially the potatoes, yum) but the beef was chewy, the peas bland and the Yorkshire pudding was too crispy and a little tough to eat. The apple crumble also was average, small portion and not enough crumble. However, the service was lovely and portion sizes of the roast were perfect. Great place for a drink.

came here for the first time tonight after a comedy show. just walked in expecting a normal pub but the atmosphere, drinks, and service were phenomenal!! beautiful cocktails and even a cute little garden out back! definitely will be coming back even though it isn’t remotely local. thanks guys!

Sunday roast at the Old Queens Head. Food was superb. Cocktails perfect and service was attentive and friendly. If you're not into stairs ask to be seated downstairs

Service is excellent & attentive. From the host at entrance to team circling the floor. Its a gorgeous historic pub with clean(ish) toilets. Highlights bar & sofas / chairs. Honey glazed carrots & pigs (beside) the blankets were yummy (although we had expected the honey mustard sauce to be on the side not drenching them). Unfortunately, the Sunday roast is HUGELY overrated. It is affordable but average cooking. The beef was very chewy... The chicken dry. The Yorkshire pudding oily & cardboardy. Roast potatoes that they are famed for a bit stale? They could do with mash on the menu. Both gravy's tasted the same (although beef was supposed to be bone marrow & chicken "smoked") creme brulee was good

Beautiful and spacious pub. Went there on a Friday afternoon, got some drinks, snacks and a sticky toffee pudding. Everything was delicious and staff was attentive and friendly!

The Old Queens Head is very beautiful venue outside and in. A bustling pub with a very old time feel to it. There aren't waiters as you just order at the bar but the service overall was great and the food was even better!

If you are looking for a classic Sunday roast, this is the place to go! The food was good, the service was even better! Like most Sunday roasts, you had the classics, beef, lamb, and chicken, also a mushroom Wellington. We tried them all! Beef was amazing, along with the lamb and Wellington! The only complaint I had was with the chicken, it tasted boiled not roasted. The atmosphere was amazing and was completely picture worthy!

I'd mentioned to a Londoner friend of mine that we were planning on checking out the Old Queens Head because it was reportedly haunted. Haunted by hipsters, he said. Although much more frightening than your usual garden-variety haunt, we decided to brave the weather after all for a Sunday roast and the possibility of a ghost. Well, I'm sad to report that we didn't catch any ghosts, although there were hipsters aplenty. However, we still had a great time. There was a folksy bluegrass band playing - a bit odd to hear in a London pub, but they had a good sound and we enjoyed the show. The Sunday roast was righteous too, the meat done just right and the sides spot-on. My only beef (put not intended) was with the drinks selection - at the upstairs bar there's no taps and a pretty slim selection of liquor so wine is your best bet. The bartender did let me try a few of the reds they had by the glass so I could find my favorite, which was excellent service and much appreciated. However, if you're hankering for a beer make sure to sit downstairs or settle for the paltry can selection in the upper bar. This is a cool spot - I can see why it's become a trendy hangout - and I would gladly return.

I lived in London from 1994 to 2003 and returned in 2019 to find Islington a very different place than I remembered. Very few businesses I loved survived those 15 years, but The Old Queen's Head did! It's a beautiful and traditional pub. We just went there (numerous times over the long weekend) for drinks. The place is as beautiful as I remember and the staff are friendly. Love the little beer garden in the back. See you soon, if we can ever travel again!

Ah man this place has it all, great food, good music and banging drinks! Love love love, if you wanna party, and drop some moves this is the place! Food wise, the burgers are literally to die for! If you're passing, you gotta stop by. They are conversation enders! Whatever you order is stupendous. My friend raves about the Kevin bacon burger, and I'm all about the halloumi burger (oops I forgot the name). Standard price for a burger, but damn it's worth every penny and more! Drinks, it's pricey, £8.40 for a double and around the £9 mark for a cocktail, but seriously the cocktails are worth it! My new favourite is a prosecco and gin one - sweet and so refreshing with the lemon! Mmm beaut! The dance floor upstairs is what it's all about. After about 10.. It's going down! Everyone is dancing and it gets rammed! Proper top night out! Even if you live nowhere near, make a special trip, you'll love it! Highlight of this year was when Ms Dynamiteeee did a set! The place went mental!!

I love this pub anyway from the previous times I've gone on a packed sweaty Friday night. Always the most hipster pub in Angel in my opinion but I like that as this area is known for its posher pubs Today I went specially to check out the Lucky Chip burger residency. More specifically The Mark Wahlberger aka now newly named... 'THE DIRK DIGGLER' (mainly because Wahlberg himself went public at his displeasure at having a burger named after him here as he has his own burger name venture apparently. No fuss they came up with an even better (character) name! Burger of the month at Old Queens head pub is 35 day aged long-horn Beef patty, braised Beef short rib, American cheese, Pickled slaw, Sriracha kewpie Mayo & Spicy BBQ sauce. @lucky_chip you already had me on the name. (Oh and it's for free on a flip of a coin which we don't d get for free!). Great staff, dark setting, maybe too dark but I'm not one for harsh lighting. Good Amstel beer.

The best thing about this little haunt was the 2-4-1 cocktail deal on a Monday, we'd even named Monday's 'Cocktail Monday', but I went last week and IT IS NO MORE!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't actually discover this until pay time, when the barmaid requested £15 for two Martini's and through a forced/surprised/slightly horrified smile I pointed out, "but it's Cocktail Monday", to which she replied, "oh no, that ended a while ago". So to avoid embarrassment I just paid up, but I WAS NOT HAPPY!!!! Granted, they were good cocktails as usual, but there are far better places to flutter £10 a go. We'll still continue to visit, as for a meeting place it's still pretty good and the abundance of comfy seats are great to slip into during a cozy drinking session. I'm afraid that they have lost stars though, due to not only the absence of cocktail Monday, but the food was never anything special and the mish-mash of hunting lodge/Tom Dixon decor used to seem appealing, but now is just looks little odd. This is probably due to the fact that now I'm a lot more sober on visits, but still it goes down to only an 'A-OK'. RIP Cocktail Monday. You will be forever in our hearts.

This is definitely one of the nicest pubs in Islington. The graffiti-ed face of the Queen which hangs on a sign outside is a big clue as to what you can expect when you get in. It's very much a blend of old meets new- traditional red leather sofa's sit underneath enormous gold chandeliers, antler's hang from the wall by a chalk board displaying house cocktails. The food continues this odd blend so expect spring rolls and edamame beans next to the more traditional British fare. Nonetheless I've always been quite impressed with the consistent high quality regardless of what I've dared to order. If you're around during the week it's also worth noting that they do a soup and sandwich deal for £4.50 which is great value around this end of Islington. As others have already pointed out, The Queen's Head is almost too popular at the weekends and queue's and an entrance fee can take a bit of the charm away. My advice, drink during the week instead! Your boss will love it...

This place seems to have become my go-to spot for close-to-home drinks with friends these past few months. It's definitely a cut above your regular local, with a funky, "half way to Shoreditch" vibe (fitting), cocktails, some comfy sofas, seriously hot bar staff, bands upstairs, and did I mention cocktails? On the whole, the bands upstairs are hit-and-miss. I've witnessed "OH MY GOD WOWZA, WHAT ARE THEY CALLED AGAIN?"-worthy ones, and "jesus let's just slip out quietly, m'kay?" disasters. But the good definitely outweighs the bad, so definitely head on up (there is a separate bar up there after all, as if you needed more encouragement). Downstairs is pretty perfect for socialising, and has a really nice buzz about it. It's not the kind of place that's totally dead come midnight, and for that I am thankful. In fact, au contrare, it's hopping at that hour. Oh, and they've done it out perfectly too...the place looks completely amazing at night, considering it's a pub. You'll sometimes have difficulty in getting somewhere to sit, especially if you're a group and/or the ridiculously comfy sofas are your goal, and the customers can occasionly be a bit twatty (remember, I said half way to Shoreditch, so there's sometimes the worst of both worlds converging here on her poor Majesty), but all is forgiven. Everything else more than makes up for that. So, Yelp, I'm *definitely* a fan. Now remind me again why I'm busily reviewing instead of heading out to have one of those hotties pull me a pint. Again.

Great burgers and they are reasonably priced. I'd say best burger I have had in Islington. We had 3 burgers and 2 sides of fries for £30. I'd recommend the bacon cheeseburger. You can order food at the bar and it comes out fast. Pub Trivia is on Tuesdays nights, meaning most tables inside are reserved starting at 7pm, yet most people don't show up until 8pm when trivia begins. Great pub atmosphere, and they have ~10 beers on tap.

This was my 3rd visit to The Old Queens Head but my first for a DJ night so I'll have to do a bit of half and half. Firstly, as a pub I really like this place. Located just off Upper St it's in a really good location and they've got a decent selection of drinks. Sunday roast is pretty special but they have a no booking policy so you've just got to take a chance and hang about. Sadly as a club venue when they have DJs in upstairs it loses a lot of it's appeal. Layout is pretty terrible and the place gets so busy that it's almost impossible to get across the dancefloor and I found that it was easy to get hemmed in around the tables at the sides. The toilet is located downstairs and the staircase is pretty narrow so take care. It's definitely worth checking out but just make sure that you pick your night

So I went here for a friend's birthday a couple of weeks back, and was a bit excited as this pub's got quite a bit of hype surrounding it. And it was pretty cool. Clearly one of those 'Old pub that's tried to have a modern makeover situations, the decor is pretty swish and staff efficient and funky. The crowd is a mix of cool Islington Yuppies and wannabe-Hoxton-heroes, and is a great spot to people watch and have some fun.

Here it is, this is the best Sunday roast in Islington. FACT! Which is also kind of a pain, because it's always packed. Bummer. Now you might think, this girl is crazy, no way is a place with taxidermied animals on the walls and filthy hipsters hanging around going to be the best roast but it just is. And I've done the research. I've ate the research. This place is my favourite. Why? Point 1: Very affordable. £15 for the priciest roast. Point 2: Best gravy of your life. Point 3: Friendly staff Point 4: Awesome cocktails Point 5: Squashy couches to sit on Point 6: Jon Snow from Game of Thrones comes here.

It was a Saturday, there was ice hockey on in Clapton, and a few of us decided to go to Islington for a few beers and food before the game. We found ourselves a spot in the corner, quickly perused the menu, and sauntered over to the bar to make our order. A delightful looking woman at the bar overhears our deliberation over whether to get wings with our burgers, and chimes in with a resounding recommendation for the wings. What's more, she affirmed my choice of burger, the Dirk Diggler; informing me that it was "the best burger in town." I've heard that many times about many things. If I've learned nothing else, it's that people love to exaggerate. Now I'm all for the occasional hyperbole, and on numerous occasions I have waxed lyrical about the quality of something, yet I took her comment with a pinch of salt. Even if she was very nice to look at. So we waited what seemed like 15h for our food. Hanger had well and truly set in. "This had better be worth the wait." I thought to myself. Now let me tell you, you can stick your Byron burger where the sun doesn't shine, because it doesn't even deserve to be in the same conversation as the burgers on offer in this joint. The patty was sublime, the prime rib topping added a level of sweetness that dreams are made of, and the spicy mayo cheese fries were out of this world. So, to the woman at the bar: I'm sorry for underestimating your claim. You were right all along.

The Old Queen's Head held a free event on the 4th of May where they showed all three original Star Wars films back to back. The event was called: May The Fourth Be With You. This is just one of the reasons I am proud to call the Old Queens Head my local. (Another reason involves a rather regal mounted deer head, but we'll save that for another update.)

I like the Old Queen's Head. Maybe even better than the new one. It's in a great location, just ten minutes walk along Essex Road towards Dalston from Angel tube. There's a nice long bar and the usual selection of drinks and bar snacks. The decor is quite old fashioned, which I like, and the staff are very friendly and efficient. So far, 3 stars. But wait. Upstairs, they use their extra room to the max. It's a music venue, a bar and a club all in one! I went last weekend for one reson only: it stays open until 2am, and was really surprised. It was packed, but cheap to get in, even until quite late. There was a live rock band playing until midnight and then the choons came a-pumpin' and it was a bar turned into a club. Now, I don't really like the whole dancing thing, on vanity grounds, but this was different. They were mixing Vampire Weekend with the Clash! I mean, WHAT? GET IN! You can't help but jump around and act like a nutter who doesn't care what he looks like when that happens. I'm going back next week.

Before I get started, I just would like to point out that I'm only giving this place 3 stars due to the good food and good service. The staff were friendly and helpful, and the burgers my friend and I ordered were so so delicious. We both got the Royal Wit Cheese burger, which was so moist and juicy. We weren't expecting the food to be great for some reason, but were pleasantly surprised. Another reason for 3 stars and not 5 stars, is because the venue and building is amazing! It's really traditional and old fashioned, with a stunning big fireplace that really does warm you a lot! It's got a lot of space and we didn't feel cramped at all when we went (I don't know what it may be like on a busier night!) On the downside, the reason I haven't given it 5 stars is because of the prices of the food and drinks. I opted not to get a beer as they were too pricey, and one of my pet hates is when burgers don't come with fries!!! So I paid nearly £9 (£8.95) for a juicy delicious burger, but then had to pay a whopping £3 on top of that for some friend potatoes... Come on! Potatoes aren't expensive! We went that night for a fun screening of Elf (I went over Christmas time 2015), which was quite fun too, but it was a bit badly organised as the film started way too late, it was half an hour after schedule! It's a great pub, with a fun atmosphere and yummy food, but if you want organisation when going for a screening, or a cheap meal, then it's not the place to go. I would recommend it if you're happy to spend £9 on a burger with no fries though ;-)

I like the queens head, its your basic nattier than a regular pub, and more down to earth than a lot of places in, say, Hoxton. But saying this, the relaxed pub vibe is not there, neither do you enter the queens head and say to yourself, "this night could go anywhere". The Queens head is a good pub if you catch it at the right time, the dance floor/stage upstairs holds a mixture of gigs, and has a solid crowd, although my last visit was tainted by some idiot that thought he could get in my face about the girl I was dancing with. He was wrong, but that's another story. On the wall of the queens head hangs a head of a stag, which I have always thought was cool. I go to the Queens Head fairly regularly because when its right, its right. The best time to come is really whenever you can get a spot on the couch and just relax with some friends, so actually I would recommend it not on the weekends, but a nice weekday night when you stay out maybe a little later than you should. A good pub for a nightcap or lunch, but I'd say upstairs entertainment and weekend cover charge are enough to keep me away when this place gets packed.

In the words of a good friend, "You've changed!" TOQH should be a gem, but they have pissed all over themselves destroying everything I love. I went on Saturday night and was manhandled (very nicely but still!) into a barrier to pay £4 to get in. Yup, £4 to have a pint in a pub. So by the time my night had even started I had already handed over almost half a tenner to step into a noisy room. And was it noisy? Hell yes! I had to be introduced to my friend's fella 3 times before I could actually hear his name. Nick, no, Rick, no, Dick, no... it's Alan! Okay it wasn't Alan but you get my point. Their saving grace is their staff, happy smiling and fast. You're not thirsty for long at this bar. Still I don't want to go back so I have to give them two stars. I'm upset. Message me when you're, your old self again... I miss you.

I'll admit it, the only reason I stopped in here one day was to use the loo. And what a lovely loo it is! Really, I take note of these things and this one was quite elegant. The bar itself is also very nice. I like the relaxed atmosphere in here. I felt like I was sitting in a friend's drawing room. The bartender was very nice, helping me count out my money (as I hadn't quite gotten used to British coinage yet) without looking put out by this. And to top it off, their music selection was great. I got a little nostalgic for home when "Maps" came over the sound system as this is one of the songs I'm still trying to master on Rock Band. It's too bad an entire ocean separates my home from this bar, otherwise, I could see myself calling this place my neighborhood bar.

Made sure to check out this bar after driving passed it since it appeared to be a great place to have a drink or two. Surely enough, the pub was packed with locals and tourist alike. Turned out it was karaoke night which explains why people were pretty rowdy as we walked inside the establishment. Not wanting to take part in the ruckus, we grabbed a pint of brew and went straight to a garden located out in the back. Contrary to the commotion inside, the patio was rather intimate with the dimmed lighting and huge walls enclosing the area. I didn't even mind that other patrons were filling up the area with smoke from their cigarettes. Overall, The Old Queen's Head is one of the better bars along Essex Road. I will definitely come back especially since I heard about the second floor where they host live performances from great bands and raging parties with DJ's spinning awesome music all night long.

Nice pub in Islington and a convenient location between Angel tube station and where most of my friends live, so it's a good meeting place. We went there last night to see a live gig, only to find out the website where the gig was listed got the date wrong. We ended up paying £6 to see some weird folk music that we hadn't planned on. Out of the kindness of her heart, the door lady agreed to give us our money back after I explained our mistake. It was absolutely mortifying, but she was so nice about it, I almost wanted to stay and continue watching the lady with her accordion belt out some celtic tunes. Seems like a cool place to catch a live show though. Hopefully we can make it back in the future to see some music that's more our taste!

I used to work here! Now keep in mind that was back in 2001 when I was living in Islington. Great pub, great atmosphere. Very comfy. I was always a fan of the staff and the owners were amazing. Although I believe they moved to France. Great set of regulars and a good mix of newbies always flock here. I think they have bands play still, and they used to have an upstairs room for larger parties. I will definitely make a special trip to this place next time I'm in London.

I must say, I'm not a fan of places who play music too loud (I actually like speaking to my friends) blame it on me "getting older" or whatever but if you are like me, I'd recommend skipping the upstairs. The upstairs is supposed to be like a dance club but when I was there, no one was dancing, the music was bland and too loud. It was crowded though with hot young things so I'm sure that holds the appeal to most there. What I liked about this place was the cheap entrance fee (4 pounds) so you could have a quasi-club atmosphere without taking it fully to the club level. Also it was roomy inside and had a very cozy feel, the general impression was that I felt like I was in someone's (really large) living room. Comfy couches strewn about looked great and really added to that living room feel but on a Saturday night it might do best to pile them in a corner as this is a popular place and gets crowded... it could use the extra space the couches take up! In general I'd go back here, it's a nice spot but if you don't live in Islington, look around where you live I'm sure you can find something similar that you can just crawl home from!

Alright so I went in here thinking there was some 2 for 1 deal on a Monday and was viciously turned down by the bartender. Old Queens Head can be a cool place to hang out at times - good seating, music, people watching etc. It's better when weather permits to sitting outside as I enjoy their seating area street side. On a negative note, they were having stand-up comedy one night (which we specifically went for) and when we went upstairs we turned right back around when the women working the door was very rude to us. The £14.00 pricetag I am sure also played a major part in this as well. All in all - I've had good times here and I've had poor times here. I don't like those odds.

Great place to go for after work drinks, the Old Queens Head is usually pretty busy by 6.30pm on a Thursday and Friday. Friendly atmosphere with seating outside and an upstairs area that opens a little later, it's worth a visit - even if only to take a gander at the rather interesting decor that graces the walls.

I went to The Old Queen's Head because several members of Snow Patrol and Belle & Sebastian were supposed to be DJing here on Friday night to launch Snow Patrol's Late Night Tales. I got here just before 8 pm when it was still free to enter and ended up cooling my heels upstairs for the next couple of hours while waiting for the boys to come on. There was no sign anywhere to inform anyone of the time their DJ set was, and I left at a quarter to eleven as my arms were aching from having to carry my heavy coat and jacket during that time. If the management of The Old Queen's Head read this - you might want to consider having a cloak room of some kind if you're having music events. There may have been one, for all I know, but as far as I can tell, I didn't see one, and I doubt anyone else did either. Almost everyone upstairs was carrying their coat and bag while on the dance floor and... that can be rather inconvenient if you want to dance! Anyway, upon leaving the pub, there was a long line of people waiting to get in. As Ian said, if there's a special event going on here, you'd best be prepared to get in early and get ready for a long, long wait! Oh, and it's probably best if you're carrying as little as possible.

One of my absolute favourite Islington spots, I'm surprised it's taken me so long to say something about the place. I'm usually here for the music or the Sunday chill out sessions - and I can't say many a bad word about either. The music room bar is a stunning little venue for a gig - intimate and nicely fitted out. A great place to hear up and coming bands and songwriters. It's this room that turns into a bit of ghetto heaven come the weekend - hipsters rammed in within an inch of their lives. I prefer the midweek vibe. The Sundays are cracking. So chilled. The roast is spot on and it's a great way to finish up the weekend.

A few weeks ago I went to the Old Queens Head in Islington for a gig. I decided to go there early to have something for dinner. When I arrived, the pub was quite full - this seems to be a popular place among the locals. But I was lucky enough to find a place at a table. For the food, I ordered the sliders and fries. While the fries were good, but not extraordinary, the sliders were excellent. Just a bit small, I should probably have ordered six instead of three. There are three different sliders available with one veggie option. And I must admit, that I quite enjoyed the veggie slider. Later I went upstairs to the gig. The room offers lots of comfy places and service throughout the gig - good if you are hungry or thirsty, a bit annoying if you are there mainly for the music. But overall it was fine. The lineup was quite extensive, raging from singer songwriter artists with a voice and a guitar to complete bands. The sound was fine and some of the artists were really good. The Old Queens Head is definitely a place I will keep in mind when searching for gigs in the future.

Just the right balance between busy and relaxed, great crowd of people, lovely ambience, the perfect pub really. I've been here a few times just for drinks, but also to see a couple of gigs in the bar upstairs. For the most recent one a gig on a busy Friday night the tickets stated "doors open at 8" which seems to translate into no entry to pub without ticket, a stamp on the wrist and a 3 hours wait until the guy takes to the stage some time after 11. Not ideal when you rely on public transport to take you home at the other end of town ... I made the last bus still buzzing from an amazing performance - so well worth it!

The Old Queen's Head is located at the beginning of Essex Road, close to Angel station. Monday nights are a good deal since they have a two-for-one deal on yummy cocktails until 9pm and it is usually quiet enough to grab yourself a good seat. Last night I ventured here for the first time on a Friday and it was a very different experience. Fridays and Saturdays usually have an entrance fee of £4. It was very busy and the DJs were spinning their tunes in the upstairs room. The upstairs boasts a full dance floor which does not often happen in pubs. The music was mixed ranging from cheesy, house, or indie. All in all, the experience was OK. But I do prefer this pub on a quiet weekday evening.

This is a traditional old London pub which has been spruced up by some knowing owner to attract those in Angel who are willing to queue to drink somewhere with style. Lots of fancy leather sofas are dotted around an oversize fireplace and underneath giant wall-mounted antlers. The Guinness and cocktails are good choices, if pricey. If you are willing to brave the queue and the over-eager security at the weekend, then a modest entry price sees some big name dance Djs play in the room above the main bar. Personally speaking, I avoid the venue after more than one encounter with some odd people inside. Having said that, I still always look out for who is playing there while sailing by on my daily commute.

A few years ago I was quite a regular at The Old Queens Head and it was a good old traditional pub with great prices. I recently went in for a drink with friends and found that it's still a lovely pub although the prices seemeda lot steeper (inflation, maybe?) I was particualrly impressed with the range of cocktails, especially the mojito! If I'm in the area on a Monday I will have to pop in for 2-4-1 cocktails. I am also glad to see that the cute 'garden' is still there. Despite the makeover it has still avoided becoming a character-less venue like so many of the bars in Islington.

This is definitely the coolest bar in this part of Islington. The staff are hot, the customers are attractive, the beer is fairly cheap and the decor is cool. During the week it basically operates like a normal pub with an upstairs room that sometimes hosts gigs - I've seen some great accoustic sessions up there. At the weekend however, I've had the surprising sight in the past of people queueing out the door, prepared to pay to see some DJs play there. The bookers do manage to get some really impressive people, including members of happening bands to DJ there. A friend in Peterborough spoke of it as legendary even though he'd never been. I've never quite experienced this but still really like to head there to start a night out.

Super fun pub quiz, super delicious cocktails (get the English garden!). What's not to like? Thanks to all my Yelp London homies for showing a Philly gal a good time.

Cool spot with garden outside - inside is nice and warm - drinks are reasonably priced and all is well

A trendy music pub with a young crowd set over two floors. Often there are DJ's and live music upstairs but some nights it is a great place for a quiet sit down. The pub can get overcrowded on weekends and the queue can be long and there is a small fee on the door. They do some food but it is best on the weekend with Saturday brunch and Sunday Lunch. The decor is traditional old pub with mix match furniture, fireplace and wood panels. The toilets are really cool. There is seating both at the front on Essex road and at the back in their beer garden.

I actually found this place pretty cool. I love music and the louder the better for me. his is only if the DJs are actually skilled enough to mix live and not use CD's. This place loves playing the old school dance and hip hop with a little new stuff thrown in. Its not the greatest place to end the night, but the few times i have been, there were alot of good looking guys there. Was i lucky or was it a fluke? The outside area is great, especially when you want to chat to friends rather than enjoy the music. And with the friendly staff, i think you could do alot worse than come here, although i dont think its good enough to be my regular haunt.

I think the Old Queens Head is best described as 'a little piece of Shoreditch in Angel'; The first time you walk in everyone looks so shiny and attractive and coiffed that you feel slightly disoriented. Or maybe that's just me, but I tend to feel a bit off-kilter at the best of times thanks to an inner ear fluid imbalance; I won't go into that here. So everyone looks great, and so does the interior of the Head- All comfy old sofas, battered tables, twinkly lights and neon signs. The drinks options are fairly extensive and they serve good quality food- The chips are very moreish, as I found out one sunny afternoon not so long ago when three of us demolished 7 bowls of the things. There are two outside seating areas, one out the front on Essex Road which is a bit noisier and traffic fume filled, and a smaller, more secluded one in the back which feels like walking into someone's back garden, assuming that person liked to fill their garden with tables and chairs. The Queens Head also puts on a lot of different events in the upstairs bar [this place really is colossal in size inside] such as live bands and the like, and there's DJ sets and all sorts of bank holiday parties. A slightly livelier joint than the usual Angel boozer and all the more welcome for it.

I really like this place, plus it's local, which always helps when stumbling home afterwards. I've been a fair few times during the week, during the day, on a weekend and always have a good time. It depends what you want from a boozer really, during the day it's great to sit out on the tables out front and watch the world go by, or cosy up by the fire inside over a Sunday roast. There's also a tiny beer garden at the back but it's not much fun out there, more the place you'd go if you fancied a cigarette than anything else. The downstairs bar is big and spacious with a huge chandelier in the middle of the room and a stag's head on the wall. Nice. A couple of leather sofas are down the front by the fireplace and there's a mix of high and low tables. Upstairs is another bar (they don't have beer on tap up there) and the same fashionably shabby decor, with a couple of sofas and chairs and tables that get pushed to the sides when the DJs are on. The Old Queen's Head also manages to pull in some top DJs and there's been DJ sets from bands like The Klaxons, Late of the Pier and Noah and the Whale recently. Door tax is about £4 on the weekend, so less than club prices. I do agree about the sound system though, it is just loud, no bass and a bit tinny. There's live music throughout the month, some great acoustic nights and I really enjoyed the James Brown pub quiz wicked fun and not your average quiz with 'eating' rounds and 'celebrity drawing contests'. It's upstairs and is on the last Tuesday every month. This place does get packed at weekends so be prepared to struggle to the bar and have not much more than a shuffle on the dance floor. Plus there is usually a queue when someone good is playing. Food wise I've had mixed experiences, usually good, but I once had a terrible burger. The calimiari is amazing, though! A lively pub that attracts a cool 20-30s crowd, it's great fun and the staff are all friendly and helpful.

Nice pub in Islington and a convenient location between Angel tube station and where most of my friends live, so it's a good meeting place. We went there last night to see a live gig, only to find out the website where the gig was listed got the date wrong. We ended up paying £6 to see some weird folk music that we hadn't planned on. Out of the kindness of her heart, the door lady agreed to give us our money back after I explained our mistake. It was absolutely mortifying, but she was so nice about it, I almost wanted to stay and continue watching the lady with her accordion belt out some celtic tunes. Seems like a cool place to catch a live show though. Hopefully we can make it back in the future to see some music that's more our taste!

Just had their Sunday Roast and it was fantastic. The roast beef was actually medium rare. This is one of the things that always lets down a roast when the meat is over cooked, NOT SO HERE. It was really tender and all of the sides were yummy too. (You can get it cooked more if preferred too.) There was plenty of it as well. The Apple and cinnamon cocktail was so good I could easily have drank a pitcher of it. For sure going to be coming back again.

The Queens Head is one of those pubs that can be a hit or a miss. When it's too packed the atmosphere becomes quite 'larry' so not recommended for a quiet drink, however, when you're down for a good time the upstairs room and bar has great Dj's and live music especially on Fridays and Saturdays. Popular with local residents and trendy media types or estate agents. Recommended if you're around the Angel / Islington area.

I'm just a bit sour because I was only popping in on Saturday night. At 8pm they start charging £4 'because there's a dj on' I could only stay an hour and no dj played the entire time I was there. I think it might have been a good place if I were staying longer.....

I love this place! Have had many a birthday here and they are always very accommodating. The booths are perfect for smallish gatherings of friends and the music is always on point! They do a great Porn Star Martini as well! The pub quiz on Tuesday evening is not to be missed either!

Cool place and all... But Do NOT order food here. Vile vile Vile... Maybe I'm wrong, but a chicken burger is NOT battered thicker than the chicken, deep fried, slathered in Kung pow sauce on a stale bun with mayo and a few shreds of iceberg lettuce with heavily salted cardboard fries on the side. The cook must be a heavy smoker 'cause they clearly can't taste a THING! And how is it even possible to make a bacon cheeseburger as dry as the sahara?! Not a great Draught selection either. hmmm...