Old China Hand in Islington

I am glad that this pub managed to reopen. It's a gem.

Great pub, fiercely independent, stocks products from independent producers, and has a great selection. Brilliant landlady running the show. Good spot to watch the rugby.

Lovely little spot, quaint and friendly.

Quirky, fun little place with good drinks, board games & dart boards. The proprietor Rowena is lovely, if she's in make sure you take the time to have a chat. No food but you can bring your own or order in pizza

Great local: great range of beers, books and board games to have a cute evening. Will be returning soon

"It was a theme she had On a scheme he had Told in a foreign land..."

Awesome independent pub in Clerkenwell.

I love The Old China Hand. You walk in and it is like an escape from London. Dart boards for a social game or two and excellent decor. A great place.

Very good range of English wines by the glass.

No food, just drinks. Good selection of draught drinks. Friendly service.

My favourite pub in London, unapologetically different to the usual brewery-owned "gastro" pubs. An incredible range of beers and ciders from all four corners of the United Kingdom, served by welcoming and chatty staff who are passionate about their pub and the drinks they serve. A real treasure

Unusual, yet really quaint. The owner was so friendly and warm. Would love to return soon. The drinks are all craft, even the spirits. Very selective, a fantastic marketing angle.

Perfect place with a huge variety of good beers - all from local small breweries. BYOF.

really great pub with great atmosphere!

Very different to other pubs in the area, ever changing ales and beers and great staff too. I love that you can bring your own pizza too.

Great pub with a good selection of board games

Great selection of locally sourced drinks, nice environment and super friendly staff. Big selection of board games and darts available.

Very cozy and friendly pub with a big variety of British drinks, board games and darts.

A Chinese run pub is unusual in London but you immediately feel this pub is quirky but in a good way. It’s not trying to be different, it just has a different feel. Good selection of whiskeys and beers. Loved this place and the friendly service.

I came with a group of friends to the Old China Hand for the first time this weekend for my birthday. The best Pub in London with really great drinks! We had a fantastic time playing darts and the owner and bar staff could not have been nicer, they were so accommodating and friendly which created a lovely atmosphere through the whole pub - I am planning my next trip back already!

One of my favourite (local) pubs in London. Lovely owner and her staff. Great vibe. A decent selection of beer and other drinks.

Small selection of very good beers/lager. Dart boards in the back. Good music :-)

Really happy this pub is back open! Lovely atmosphere and great choice of beers and crisps / snacks.

We've been coming here for years and always liked it. They have done it up since lock down and it's got a lovely fresh feel. Very friendly staff and great drinks.

Easily the best pub in Clerkenwell, a must visit for everyone in the area. Owner and staff are so generous and the best hosts imaginable

Reopened this evening (4th Feb ‘23), we had a magic evening drinking great beer, wine and cider and playing darts in the back room. The staff are new all and coming to terms with serving in a pub, but are friendly and attentive while creating a lovely atmosphere. A star of a pub.

Great selection of ale and handy for a last pint due to the 2am close. But the regulars are pompous and self entitled buffoons that think it's ok to walk behind the bar on a whim! And staff working a solo shift is absurd!! Abusive customers seem to get more sympathy than a solo staff member juggling serving/stocking/glass collection and keeping order. If you are in with the landlady then you're quids in!! Poor pub!!!

My second home! If you wish to have a good table tennis session, the OCH is the place to be. BYO food, board games, solid, friendly staff. Who could ask for more?

Nice little privately owned pub which a good vibe and also open slightly later than others in the area. Was only here for an hour but enjoyed the vibe and the drinks.

Amazing range of lagers and independent Irish beers

Nice small venue, there's games upstairs including ping pong and fußball which is great! But the floor is a tad wonky in the ping pong table.

Fantastic pub, great selection of beers and even had the opportunity to try England's first ever Trappist ale here! Highly reccomend

Lovely little pub, great drinks!

Very relaxed place just around the corner from Exmouth Market. No loud music and a chance to talk normally. Good selection of drinks to keep you going.

Superb ..loved it all. Terrific Fukwit weiisbeer amongst other interesting draughts. Impressive range of bottled beers. Small but superb range of malts including Bladnoch...fiercely proud and independent I'd love to call this my local!

A gorgeous little bar with a lot of character and knowledgeable staff who will recommend you exactly the kind of beer you want even when you're not particularly in the mood for beer. They also do darts and ping pong upstairs which is a good reason to go back with more friends.

Unique and quaint local pub with darts and snooker tables and lots of charm/character. Also you can bring your own pizza so it's a winner all round.

All about the beer and great local atmosphere

We used to come to this pub to play some ping pong and have a few drinks, it has always been a weird place, but most of the time we were on our own, so it was ok. We decided to come today, arrived in a completely empty pub again, asked the barman if we could play some ping pong... Only to be told it is £20/hour as it is peak time. I don't know if mentioned, but the place was completely empty as usual.. I don't know who in their right mind come up with ideas like that, but it surely won't bring in customers, nor the overpriced English only drinks. It used to be a cool place, but i am just wondering how it is still open, as there are no customers going there. Old china hand, you doing it wrong!!!

Found this pub on a Saturday afternoon and we could play some ping pong straight away. Friendly and welcoming staff!

Very average pub with an average selection of alcohol

Great pub, always got a cracking selection of beer

Great wood decor, good selection of beers and smily stuff!

Nice pub but the ping pong table was closed

Nice local pub that's open till late.

Like the onwers say this is a village pub in the heart of the city, it looks so small and tame from the outside but once you step inside you are surprised by the depth of the place, there's even a second floor, bar games are offered to from darts to ping pong, big selection of beers, wood takes over the place which makes this bar warm and cozy, usually quieter than the rest of the bars in the area which is an advantage when you simply want to enjoy your drinks and your company and avoid huge crowds, recommended

A hidden gem ! We just started stopping here on our walk home and it is lovely. Good selection of gluten free beers too

by far the best pub in the area. great selection of craft beers, plus a whole upstairs area dedicated to darts, table football and table tennis. football table could definitely use replacing though!

My local swan watching group have our monthly meetings here. A great place to have a beer and discuss all of the swans we have recently seen.

Nice "bigger on the inside" pub with dark bar and bright naturally lit seating area

Small pub but friendly people check it out.😎.🎩.🕶.👍.

Great place to have alternative drinks!

Lovely neighbourhood pub with a great selection of British drinks and it’s quiet enough to have a conversation. Great atmosphere with games and a piano that is played quite often. Bar staff and the owner are very friendly and knowledgable about the drinks on offer.

Very good selection of beer; not good for wine

A Good selection of draught beers and a few nice options in the bottle. The bartender's are friendly and attentive. The jewel of clerkenwell.

Great location. Friendly staff. Only serves UK brewed drinks

I discovered this place by chance on a regular Saturday afternoon when I was just meeting some friends in Clerkenwell. It has darts and table tennis. Wide variety of taps and friendly staff. The music is low so you can chat without needing to raise your voice. It has cozy decorations and the heaviest wooden furniture I've seen in a while. Pay a visit to discover more.

I loved my beer but I can't play darts so I'm very sad because the bartender was quite nice but for some reason the darts are open only between 5 and 10pm considering the pub closes at 2am

Chilled relaxed afternoon drinks

small, cosy, juicy beers. top stuff

Great venue, nice beers, they do not have food, just crisps and nuts, does allow to bring your own food. Can play darts and reserve the area for corporate events. There are table football and table tennis tables upstairs.

Cosy, quiet, great location, good atmosphere

Very friendly owner, good beer selection and great atmosphere. Lots of nice touches (board games, darts, etc.)

Lovely grown up pub with terrific beer selection and good range of spirits. One for a quiet pint and a good natter rather than a big night out.

Relaxed atmosphere with good range of beers

Nice pub, stays open till late. Great option for the area.

Friendly place, good beer selection and interesting choice of whiskies/spirits

I keep going back, when I've got time to kill before a train. No food (can bring your own), but a wide range of British drinks of all sorts (British-produced is their USP - nothing nationalist about it). Mostly millennial custom, plus connoisseurs, but hey...

Looking for a good place for a drink and spotted this place, drawn in by a note about English Trappiste beer. Turned out to be a very friendly, relaxing pub with an emphasis on being able to communicate with people with shouting. Will def visit again.

Great find! Lovely chilled atmosphere, good selection of beers and you can bring your own food. Can you ask for more??

Very cozy pub. Lot of choice beer. 🍺🍻👍🏻👌😊🔥

Lovely place-staff are so lovely, all night round the piano dream!

Very friendly staff. Good local pub.

Good pub with interesting beers and 2 darts boards around the back. Also has a ping pong table upstairs. Doesn't serve food.

Fine pub. Darts and table tennis upstairs. Don't bring your dog.

Honestly exceptional service - I came here a week ago and ordered a bottle of english wine which unfortunately wasn't to my taste, although I didn't say anything the owner/wine buyer recognised this and came over to ask if she could switch the bottle and what flavours I normally liked. She even apologised that I hadn't been able to try the wine beforehand. This is above and beyond service I've ever experienced anywhere, and the wine we settled on was magnificent! So will certainly be coming back, thank you team x

Wicked boozer with the quirk that every beer, wine, spirits are sourced from the UK.

I loved this pub. The lady owners are charming & friendly. Let me taste a selection of their English white wines before l chose the one l wanted. I loved the tables & chairs. Chunky & heavy, but very unique & in keeping with the pub. It doesn't look like a pub from the outside, but l hope l can find it again. I'll be telling my friends to go there. Loved it.

Great new local to work. All English wine list which will be great to explore.

Great little pub with interesting beers on tap. They also have two dartboards at the back

Inconspicuous, independent, out of the way pub, nice atmosphere

Excellent . good choice of drinks especially Stoney Bonk mixture of cider and ginger beer.

Great selection of bottled UK beers and a decent choice on tap. Darts and other pub games and never a wait to play makes this place great. Bring your own food or order in, they don’t mind.

I love this pub. Every drink or snack I've had here has been delicious. And if you look indecisive when ordering they offer you a taste.

Quirky bar with unusual wooden furnishings. Shame the tap beer wasn't great on our visit.

Playing ping pong used to be affordable (couple of quids or just a deposit if I remember correctly), but when I went tonight I was told it now was 15 pounds for 30 minutes or 20 for one hour. Sounds a tad excessive, especially in a pub with no atmosphere or music. It is too bad I really liked this place and enjoyed playing ping pong there.

Good games selection, table tennis a bit pricey tho.

Friendly atmosphere bring your own food too allowed

Great beer selection, free pub games and not too busy.

Cracking pub, and unique with it, too. The idea to go for exclusively British and Irish produced products is a masterstroke; it engenders a dialogue between yourself and the knowledgeable and insightful team who are always patient and helpful.

Lovely pub, friendly staff and a great vibe

Upon my arrival, I was welcomed with a smile from James the Handsome Bar Tender🙌 GREAT LAGER, DARTS AND PING PONG, THANK YOU X3

Everything to buy in here is English, they have everything and it's all very good! It's bring your own food as well! Top marks! Everything deserves an exclamation!

Great place to spend an afternoon evening or......

Not too crowded and a good selection of drinks

Fantastic name, have ping pong table on 2nd floor

Great craft beer and I love that you can bring your own food

Good pub. Cosy. Darts and ping pong. Opens until 2am.

Really like this pub, great drink selection, good service, and gets some nice evening sun if you can get one of the barrels outside. Just far enough away from the bustle of Exmouth market as well.

Quirky pub popular with young people, good range of keg craft beers and a couple of hand pumped draft beers. Like many pubs of this type not much choice between pale ale and pale ale. I guess young people will only drink lager like beers