St Johns in Islington - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

A lovely family lunch in the familiar theatrical surroundings of St John's Tavern was made really relaxing by the warmth and charm of the welcome. The waiting staff spontaneously offered sensible alterations to the menu and rhythm of the meal to meet the children's needs and made sure everyone felt welcome. The food was great, particularly the starters which were truly delicious.

I’ve been coming here regularly for over 20yrs. The food and service has never let me down - I always recommended it. But something has changed… the service was poor and so slow. The menu small and though the food was okay, but the portions have become tiny and so expensive for what was served. A tiny piece of fish hidden under a mountains of pea shoots. And chips for my fish and chips were not included? Terrible to say but I won’t be going back.

We came here for a Sunday roast. The food was very tasty, but we were a bit disappointed by the quantities considering the fairly high prices. I had the vegetarian option which was £16 for a couple of small slices of Celeriac, some potatoes, apple sauce, and gravy. In order to have a meal which didn't leave you feeling hungry afterwards, you'd have had to spend quite a bit more money on sides. Also charging 50p for lime slices is a bit of a joke...

Hi manager, the pup is so nice and friendly. I like to go there that’s only around Junction Road which is my favourite pub nice people

We have been going to St Johns for 15 years and always loved the food and the atmosphere. I am not sure if the management has changed because the last 2 meals have not been good. Myself, my husband and a friend had the Sunday lamb roast yesterday and it looked undercooked. We have all been up with stomach cramps and nausea. It is a shame as it was such a great place but we will not go again.

Always a varied and exciting menu, great wines and beers and the dining room is somehow both grand and cosy. Dogs are welcome too!

How this place just gets a four star review is beyond me. Just had roast rump beef as a Sunday roast and it was amazing.The ambience, food, service, beer and wine selection is first class.St Johns is the best restaurant in the area (including Highgate) by far. Bar is lovely too and has a fine selection of beers and homemade bar snacks/ food.You will not be disappointed.Service has always been perfect, courteous and helpful so I cannot recommend this place highly enough. They’re also taking Covid precautions very seriously which is refreshing. It’s the safest I’ve felt throughout this ordeal. A massive well done to you all. Thank you!

We had a great experience here, with all elements enjoyable.The place had a good atmosphere, observing the restrictions we are all engaged with, unaffected.Brilliant food, pleasant service, great beer, charming character.Demonstrated the capability of chef and staff throughout.It always a good sign when people proudly carry and place the food.And when the same degree of pride is placed on vegetarian food.

We went here as it was still doing Eat Out To Help Out in September, excellent quality food and drinks, I really enjoyed the rabbit, which you don't see on many UK menus. Service was excellent, and with the discount the price was right.

Fuimos a cenar el sábado por la noche, llevando a nuestros gemelos de 16 años. Deliciosa comida. Besugo entero generoso y muy bien cocinado, ensalada tibia de quinua y perdiz con mermelada de ciruela. Escalope de pollo en abundancia para los adolescentes hambrientos. Sabores adecuados cocinados por un equipo talentoso. El personal fue muy amable y cortés, nos informó sobre nuestra comida y nos preguntó si queríamos pedir postres 30 minutos antes del "toque de queda". Recordarle al marido que se vuelva a poner la máscara cuando se levante. Sí, tuvieron que quitar algunas mesas del comedor, pero estaba lleno de atmósfera y el aire de la gente realmente se estaba divirtiendo, muy contentos de estar comiendo juntos. Si está un poco preocupado por la seguridad de Covid en los restaurantes, este es el lugar para ir. Absolutamente impecable y muy recomendable.

Nuestra primera vez cenando en la calle Johns Tavern y nos quedamos impresionados. El servicio es educado, amable y oportuno. Pedimos pan de masa agria para comenzar seguido de pescado y papas fritas y carne asada para el plato principal seguido de una mezcla de helados para el desierto.El tamaño de las porciones del plato principal es muy bueno y la comida era muy sabrosa, sin carne grasosa ni ingredientes de baja calidad. Los helados, el rábano picante y la salsa de tomate son caseros. Las bebidas también tenían un precio razonable.El costo 59 incluye propina: un precio justo teniendo en cuenta la ubicación y la calidad de la comida. Definitivamente volveremos.

Alojarse en London Archway por negocios buscó lugares para comer y la taberna de la calle Johns tuvo buenas críticas.El interior es moderno pero aún conserva el ambiente tradicional de un pub británico.El personal fue muy alegre y servicial. Tan pronto como nos sentamos, el agua fue traída a la mesa con los menús.El menú de comida tenía la fecha de hoy, lo que sugiere que podría cambiarse a diario. Excelente selección de productos británicos en oferta con algunos artículos interesantes como hamburguesa de caballa.La comida llegó y fue excelente. Todo claramente recién hecho con productos de buena calidad. Incluso el ketchup es casero que estaba delicioso y ligeramente picante.Otros puntos positivos fueron la excelente mezcla musical de soul, soul del norte y jazz. No hay un solo uso de plástico en esta barra que pude ver. :)Volveremos y lo recomendaré a cualquiera.

Estaba emocionado de venir porque había escuchado cosas buenas sobre el lugar, pero me quedé un poco decepcionado y pensé que la relación calidad-precio no era buena. Tuve la mejilla de los cerdos para comenzar, que estaba delicioso, pero la manzana que venía con él había salido directamente de la nevera y estropeó el disfrute general del plato. Mi plato principal era el pulpo, que me encanta, pero cuando llegó era solo una pequeña carpa en una montaña de papas harrisa. Estaba muy sabroso pero el plato era principalmente papas.Era un restaurante muy concurrido y éramos una mesa grande, pero las bebidas tardaron una eternidad y la comida no llegó al mismo tiempo. Aprecio que fuera el día de año nuevo y algunos miembros del personal lo hayan exagerado o no se hayan presentado, pero parecía un poco confuso frente a la casa. Al decir esto, los niños en nuestra mesa fueron servidos súper rápido, el personal fue realmente muy amable con ellos y les tomó una foto de la mesa. Creo que quizás este fue un día muy ocupado y no me molestaría probar este lugar nuevamente.

Tuvimos un asado del domingo que estaba bien, y el otro plato principal estaba empanado haloumi con calabaza. Esto no fue muy agradable: las verduras estaban frías, poco cocinadas y poco apetitosas. Solo el haloumi era comestible, así que dejé el resto. La camarera, que era perfectamente agradable, no mencionó nada, pero un servidor diferente preguntó cómo estaba la comida cuando pagamos. Cuando le dije que mi comida no había sido buena, dijo "Deberías haber dicho algo", lo que implicaba que la culpa fue mía. Dije que nadie me había preguntado en ese momento, y él simplemente se fue, lo cual fue muy grosero. Es una pena porque el bar está muy bien decorado, pero si tuviera que estar seguro de un servicio profesional, no volvería a llevar gente allí.

Almorzamos tarde el viernes. Tuve un maravilloso vodka martini y mi compañero tenía un anticuado, la calidad era excelente. La comida era deliciosa, sopa de coliflor, sopa de gambas, tarta de pollo y jamón (¡es grande!) Y escalope de pollo, cada plato era encantador. El pub en sí es acogedor y la decoración es elegante. El personal es muy amigable y útil. La calidad de los pubs en Kentish Town ha disminuido, por lo tanto, nos aventuramos un poco más, volveremos a ver el ambiente de fin de semana.

Vi var 5 personer - 3 voksne og 2 teenagers som nød deres ualmindelig gode mad og service. de har både traditionelle engelske retter med et tvist, vegansk retter og fish and Chips. stedet er delt i to - en bar med retter som scots eggs og en egentlig restaurant med mange gode og spændende retter og portionerne er store, velanrettet og velsmagende - kan varmt anbefales

Hemos tenido muy buenas comidas en la calle Johns, pero últimamente ha sido tan mediocre que me siento obligado a escribir esto. Ayer pedimos tagine y lo que llegó a nuestro plato no era mejor que la calidad de la cena escolar: diminutos trozos de cordero nadando en una desagradable salsa roja. Sin embargo, no es tan desagradable como el camarero (gerente) que seguía hablando con su amigo detrás de la barra mientras caminaba en nuestra mesa y luego, presumiblemente aburrido con la tarea, procedió a tomar nuestra orden sin mirarnos una vez. Este lugar solía ser tan bueno y los camareros eran divertidos y comprometidos con los clientes. ¿Qué pasó con la pasión por la comida, el sentido de la hospitalidad?

Experiencia atroz en la calle. El pub de John anoche. El propietario o gerente, un borracho desaliñado, se acercó a nuestra mesa y me acusó de rociar graffitis en los baños del pub. Soy un hombre de 50 años que nunca ha rociado graffiti en mi vida. El gerente del pub o el propietario no nos dejaron en paz hasta que le mostré que no había pintura en mi bolso. Sin disculpas de él después.¡Mantente alejado!

I’ve been here twice in recent months and on both times its been excellent.The staff always look after you really well. They have a lovely gin cocktail with vermouth and orange that is amazing. Good selection of beers as well. The food is always amazing and they have some wonderful meals. I really like their French onion soup and they do excellent fish and chips. It’s also dog friendly.

We had booked for four. Excellent Service, great roast pork and a sharing ham hock. Good desserts, great beer and cider. Overall an excellent Sunday lunch experience.

Good Bar space. Dining room is well run, and casual.

Mi esposa y yo recientemente tuvimos el almuerzo del domingo aquí y lo disfrutamos. Ambos tuvimos la cerveza maltratada pescado y patatas fritas, fue excelente. Nuestro camarero nos dio una recomendación para una buena cerveza y él fue muy agradable. Nos atendieron varios empleados y todos fueron muy buenos. Buena atmósfera. Este es un excelente Gastro Pub. Recomendado.

Llegamos temprano pero habíamos reservado. Mostrado a la mesa por un camarero muy servicial. Fue deja vu. El servicio fue tan agudo como antes y amable. Nuestras bebidas fueron ordenados y menús proporcionados. También hay lo mismo en pizarras grandes en cada extremo de la sala. Nuestra comida llegó después de un tiempo, estaba recién preparada. Nos las arreglamos para hacer llegar nuestros pedidos antes de que dos grandes grupos comenzaran a realizar el pedido, lo que era un punto a favor. La comida estaba muy rica para todos nosotros. Mi queja menor, no comunicada en ese momento, era que el estofado no se calentaba de manera uniforme. Fue mi elección no decirlo porque quería continuar y no causar ningún problema. Para mí no arruinó la comida en general. Realmente es un gran lugar para ir.

Sé que este restaurante es uno de los pocos que han sido galardonados con diez de cada diez por un crítico gastronómico de un periódico nacional. No sorprendido. Gran personal, fantástica habitación. . . Bacalao y Brandade simplemente brillante, filete brillante cocinado a la perfección, "Casa" Montepulciano muy razonable a los 20. Ambiente sin pretensiones y encantador. Ahora mi restaurante favorito en el Reino Unido y posiblemente en el planeta.

Tratando de reservar una mesa para el almuerzo, llamé 8 veces durante un período de cuatro horas durante las horas de apertura. Siempre recibí el mensaje de que no había una máquina grabadora y "devuélveme la llamada". Si no se les puede molestar en contestar el teléfono, entonces no se me puede molestar a comer allí. Ningún restaurante ha proporcionado un servicio de reservas tan atroz.

Almorcé aquí después de bajar del metro en Archway para ir al cementerio de Highgate. Lo encontramos en Google, comprobamos el menú y, como tenía opciones sin gluten, decidimos comer allí. Encontramos una mesa para pedir bebidas y cuando vinieron pidieron comidas que llegaron bastante rápido. Mi hija y yo comimos hamburguesas que venían con papas fritas y la Sra. Stingy tenía los moules. Todo estaba delicioso, la factura no era escandalosa, tenga en cuenta que esto incluía un cargo por servicio, y nos fuimos llenos. Vale la pena una visita.

A great place to have had dinner for a family reunion after many years. Great atmosphere and really busy - a bit noisy to begin with but not really an issue. 8 of us, and all agreed the food was lovely. Will definitely go back.

I have eaten in The St John’s Tavern many times & it is my go-to restaurant when entertaining guests from outside of the area.

Didn’t eat here but had a couple of beers in the front bar on the eve of the World Cup. Fine selection of real ales and lagers with friendly bar staff and a lively atmosphere plus a paper to read for those solo visitors rather than live in your phone. Next time in area must eat as well.

Elegant unique food in a un pretentious setting. Try the bone marrow and lamb heart. Pass on the meat pie but try the earthy red wine

Nous voulions faire un "VRAI" pub anglais et franchement déco typique. Nous sommes malheureusement arrivé trop tard pour dîner. Mais nous avons trinqué avec une bonne bière et quelques spécialités : une boule de viande dire avec un oeufs a l intérieur. Des chips de porc. C était atypique. Ça nous a plu. Il y avait aussi a dispo des jeux colle jeux de dame ou autre. Sympa

Awesome food, friendly and just super nice service and amazing choice of beer - including the best alcohol free beer I’ve ever had. Please put pecan pie back on the menu, I was so sad it wasn’t there last week x

Went with friends, incredibly nice service - couldn’t have done enough to welcome us - and our very annoying dog who barked at everything. Food v good -particularly enjoyed the tapas pre dinner. Good beer. Would very much recommend

The food was wonderful, my lemon sole with prawns and samphire was exceptional as had been my starter of pomegranate, beetroot and feta salad. The fish soup was apparently lovely lovely as well. The staff were great, friendly and professional. I also just love the ceiling in this place. A good local treat.

A cavernous and quite dark room separate from the main pub, and sensible to avoid tables near the draughty entrance on cold evenings despite the fire! However, good food at fair prices make this a positive experience. Fish soup was really deeply flavoured and rich, served with a decent garlicky aioli and croutons, and parsnip soup had a good peppery bite. A shared leg of baby lamb was a tad tough but very tasty and nicely pink in the middle, with very good crisp roast potatoes and (not quite enough) deeply flavoured gravy. Raspberry Eton mess was huge and very good, and sticky toffee pudding tasted homemade. Sensibly wines are available by the carafe as well as bottle or the glass, and also fairly priced. Neither the menu nor the cooking are ambitious, but they are assured: simple well-flavoured food well cooked and in decent portions. If only there were more such places.

We ate here on a bitter Friday evening in February, in the beautiful old music hall at the rear of the pub. We had a choice of tables and took the one in front of the fire. Service was friendly and efficient, and the food and wine were wonderful. We shared a leg of suckling lamb with roast potatoes, and both were excellent. Desserts were similarly outstanding, with a stunning cheesecake. Highly recommended.

Our food was wonderful for a Monday

I rarely write reviews unless my experience has been one of great pleasure or grave dissatisfaction. Unfortunately my visit to St John’s comes under the latter.

I don't normally write reviews but feel it useful to do so for St John's. I live close and have been in a fair few times over the last 10 years. I have been with extended family, friends, and my partner and child.

A real shame, since this place changed hands. Used to be brilliant. For some reason starter and main arrived at...

Cibo ottimo e personale simpatico e disponibilissimo . Consigliati al meglio sulle specialità del giorno abbiamo mangiato sia carne che...

Ottimo pub inglese. Buona scelta di cibo. ha due aree una più ristorante e poi l'area pub vera e propria....

Superb- firstly one of my favourite German beers, rothaus and Czech Pilsner Urquell. Great central European menu, generous and well...

Hemos estado aquí muchas veces, es un perro lugar acogedor con buena comida y personal. Me temo que ellos mismos con un deje ayer en nuestro enorme retraso platos principales. Para ser justos fueron excepcionalmente ocupados y la cocina claramente no daba abasto.

We had booked and arrived on time. Shown to the table by a very helpful waiter.

hadn't been here in a while but went back the other Sunday for a roast and it certainly didn't disappoint. Huge Yorkshire pudding with a generous amount of beautifully still pink roast beef with crispy outside fluffy inside roast potatoes and some mixed veg. The plates are huge so, initially it doesn't look like there is a lot on there but, don't be fooled! there is more than enough to leave you with maybe just enough room for one of their gorgeous desserts. Great service and lovely atmosphere. It definitely won't be long before our next visit!

Arrived with high hopes, having lived in Archway for 4 years we hadn't tried St Johns, but left deciding that we wouldn't be returning.

We dined here on a Sunday evening, and we were not disappointed. The pub itself is nice and lively, and there is outdoor seating in back. The food is a step above, with several items for vegetarians and some farm to table options. Good desserts as well. Gin seems to be the main focus at the bar, but there are good wine & beer options too. Service was top notch and friendly.

Went for dinner with a friend, we're both veggies and was not disappointed. The food was fantastic and the atmosphere was nice and relaxed. Great London pub.

I have to admit, the service was absolutely superb, as was the food.I had been disheartened by the low standard of Sunday Roasts in London, this has restored faith. The Beef was incredible, and my friends having the Pork thought likewise.I would recommend you come and try it yourself!

This is a nicely decorated "gastro" style pub, light and airy feel to the place and is very dog friendly. We like the ambiance of the place and the staff. Menu is varied, very good sour dough bread. Mackerel dish on potato cake very good as was enormous pork chop. We've been several times when busy and quiet: pretty consistent performances summer and winter.

Nice pub, attentive staff, food was good, service quick, price not bad, will go again. And the beer very good.

I have such fond memories of this place. I and my family have visited and eaten here many many times over the years. Which is why, when my extended family were visiting, I recommended we all come here for dinner. Boy what a mistake. I should have known there was going to be a problem when we were asked "single or double" when we ordered gin martinis. Surely: it's as the bartender prepares them. We waited a long time for our food to arrive. One of our party's starters was not delivered and we had to remind them. But when it came to the main courses, the problems really started. We were waiting... and waiting... and waiting. Finally we asked the wait staff what was going on. We then saw them go and argue animatedly with the kitchen staff. We waited more... I asked again what was going on. More arguing. Then, finally, some of our dishes were delivered. But half of our party didn't have their food as we continued to wait. Someone came to ask us if everything was OK when it was clear that half of our party had not been served. We had to remind them what had been ordered. We waited some more, and finally some food came out but one of the dishes was the wrong order so we had to send it back. More arguments between the wait staff and the kitchen staff. We finally gave up and left, after one of our party had not been served. The dishes we were served were mediocre at best – definitely not up to the standard I had come to expect from St. John's. To the waitstaff's credit, after I complained, they comped our entrees. However they tried to argue with me that some of our orders had gone in at different times (we had all ordered together so this was nonsense). The head waiter also told me that "this might not be the kind of service you're used to where you're from" because we are an American family, even though I had already told him that I had been to this establishment many times in the past and that we live here. I found this personally insulting and I will never darken their door again.

Nice pub not far from Archway tube station. Now serving Spanish tapas. The food is delicious. The drinks cold . If the weather is nice , there is a small garden at the back . Staff friendly . The pub itself is clean and well maintained. Not too posh , not too dingy. Just right.

I came here for dinner on a Wednesday with a few friends. The restaurant was not very busy so we were served promptly. The East European lady was very good and attentive but we did not have any experience of anyone else.The menu is on a blackboard and for many tables could not be read without getting up and walking over to it. They did not seem to have any paper menu!There were several different and interesting dishes on the menu. Our table were all very happy with their choices.The starters were mostly £6 to £9 and main dishes £10 to £15. I felt that they were rather on the expensive side but my friends thought they were reasonable.We all liked the high ceilinged dining room and there was also a small garden outside. But it was fairly noisy and that would have detracted from a romantic dinner for two.

We went for lunch yesterday and although great reviews it was cold when it arrived ..we had the chicken roast and the potatoes and veg were cold

This is a great pub/restaurant. Very tasty dishes from a relatively short menu selection (e.g. pig's head terrine, mackerel burger, haddock & chips). The burgers are excellent (only £8.50 with beef fat chips). There is a tapas selection from 4pm - the menu looked delicious. There are also some very appetizing scotch eggs displayed on the bar. The staff are really friendly and professional. So many restaurants in North London take themselves for granted in terms of what they charge and the mediocre food they serve, so it is very refreshing to come across somewhere like this. We were very impressed and will definitely be returning!

My Sea Bream was so overcooked it was dry and tasteless and the accompanying fricassee of vegetables was very ordinary. Two of my companions complained about their steaks being overdone. One sent back her broccoli as being inadequately cooked and was not enamoured with her french fries.I complained to the manager who handled the issue badly. I was very dissatisfied and insisted that I would not pay for my meal. He should have ripped up the entire bill.Never again.

Great food. Great service. Lovely space. I would highly recommend this place for all occasions quite frankly.

We were taken out by our visiting relative. Whilst I didn't see the bill the food was very well executed and the Minervois we had with dinner was excellent. All good.

Don't get me wrong, I do like the concept of open kitchen, traditional food with a twist, hearty dishes...all good.But not the way it's done here. We had breakfast at the Spitalfields branch if St. John's, restaurants I typically do like.After one hour in this place, you can burn your clothes and need to decontaminate yourself, because the place is fuming of greasy kitchen odorous and smoke. Disgusting!The food is ok. It is kind of edgy but again too greasy and unrefined. All edible and clearly you don't leave the place hungry (quite the opposite). But it takes forever until you get it. Any extras - things as extravagant as a slice of toast - arrive after you've finished eating. Just annoying.The hipster staff is too self absorbed to worry about guests.No go!

Helped organise a surprise party and did it fantastically. Delicious food , very friendly service and a great space. Will definitely be back

Watermelon & Feta £6.00, with even Gazpacho £6.00?! Jeez, we're talking about stale bread, cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic here. Then fish & chips £14.75?! Really? How do you justify these fat prices, do you garnish your dishes with unicorn's blood perhaps?Only worse than their prices is actually accepting this evil game and paying them.The place inside is nice enough though, with a small outside area quite cosy actually.

Visited for dinner with my wife - a really interesting, cool (I mean, temperature - if it was 'cool in any other respect, I wouldn't have been there, or been allowed in!) dining room opening out onto a little garden at the back, perfect for a warm summer evening. Service was friendly, unobtrusive and efficient, food was really spot-on, very good. Portions were enormous - I'm ashamed to admit we didn't finish our main courses, but it wasn't for lack of trying. A really good experience, and clearly being enjoyed by a mixed crowd - there was a family with grandparents and babies all celebrating a birthday, a few couples, a big group of ladies on a night out - but due to the dimensions of the place, it didn't feel stuffed or noisy.

This is a cheery and busy place, far bigger on the inside than it appears. There's a spacious dining room with a blackboard menu - not cheap but interesting and the service was very good. It's my second visit. The big dining room is suitable if you want less noise than the crowded bar area.

Have been before just for drinks so decided to try Sunday lunch. My friend had the pork roast dinner and I had Gorgonzola risotto with chicken. Dessert we chose apple & quince crumble with custard, I asked for extra custard, for which we were not charged. All I can say is it was all delicious. All the staff are really friendly. The atmosphere is great and the background music is not intrusive. This is a place I will definitely visit again. Highly recommended.

Åt en riktigt bra söndagslunch, med traditionell English roast, likväl som Confit du Canard. Fina ostron till förrätt. Trevlig, glad och social personal. Ett ställe vi gärna återvänder till. Flera gånger.

Booked this for lunch based on the great reviews. Service was awful, food average. Staff not even surprised when we asked to lower the service charge. Two hours for lunch and 1 drink, other food/drinks though ordered simply never arrived. Very disappointing.

Food here is fairly typical gastropub london food and prices reflect this. The problem is the service. Very very slow, took 2 hours to have a main and one drink. Second drink ordered never arrived and then some items were on our bill.Poor. Avoid - can get food as good in many other places and have a 3 course meal in the same time.

We ate dinner in the dinning room (not the bar) and if you want to have any chance of hearing yourself think this is the best option. The room is large and the ceiling high but there is nothing to absorb sound and even the dining room was noisy. The noise in the bar was deafening.All three of us enjoyed our meals. The menu has quite an extensive list of British favourites with some french influence.Our mains were steak, lamb shank and lemon sole; all of them were good.We wanted a bottle of sparkling wine. The Maitre'd recommended the Nyetimber from Sussex; I did not know that good sparkling wine was produced in England but this was delightful and well worth a try.My only complaint is the quality of the service which was really pretty poor with plates and cutlery being passed across the table when access was easily available from all sides.All in all a good place for an enjoyable meal; we will return.

If you want an above average place to eat full of educated types including young families then St John's is the Gastro pub/restaurant for you. Sunday's are busy so you should book in advance. There is a wide range of food available on the large chalk boards. They display the regular roasts and other delicious meals. I have been a few times and am yet to be disappointed. The staff are welcoming, polite and very attentive, showing a genuine care to ensure you enjoy your experience. The food is extremely tasty and the varied menu caters for all tastes.St John's has a wide selection of drinks available and the staff will assist if you are unsure of what to try and happily recommend and give you a taster of wines upon request. I shall be returning.

Never disappointed when making a visit here. By far the best quality of food and drink in this area and great atmosphere and friendly staff and clientele

I've been coming here on & off for almost 20 years. Not a regular by any means, perhaps once or twice every year or so. We used to live near here pre-kids. Anyway, after some deliberation we thought we'd come for a meal on the evening of my 48th birthday this weekend and i'm very glad we did. The quality of the food was excellent. The grilled squid & chrorizo starter was amazing and up there with the best squid i've ever eaten. Was almost tempted to find out from the chef how he cooked it. Next up was the Venison. Amazing, melt in your mouth tender. The rest of the family were equally happy with their food.The place has a very relaxed, warm & welcoming atmosphere. Not pretentious in any way and the waiting staff are all friendly and attentive.I'm looking forward to my next visit, whenever that may be.

A bunch of us who used to work at the Whittington hospital and live locally met here on a Saturday afternoon recently. Not easy to say this as this place was a firm favorite about 4 years ago. In recent visits the place has dropped it's standards a tad. The tapas menu that we ate from was limited, expensive and didn't really deliver on flavour. Also sticking a 12% service charge on a bill just because we ran a tab was annoying. Appreciate paying for good service is a must but 12% for sticking some plates on a table is not really on.The staff were a little off with us too..On a plus the selection of draft beers and wine is really good. Won't be going back anytime soon.

There is no finer pub at night in Archway than St John's with its tasteful lighting, great seating around the bar and well laid out tables, the exceptional tapas type dishes for bites as well as the delicious scotch egg and the pork scratching, the music that is just the right volume and tempo to liven the night and the staff who are very pleasant.I am not new to St John's having lived in Archway but I moved out 2 years ago. I always found the pub as well as the restaurant a beautiful space and to come back to find it even more tasteful. The bar area is long and always had stools so you could drink and enjoy the exceptional bites they had such as chorizo, scotch egg, sausage roll to name a few. Now they have created an opening to the kitchen so you can see the chef in action and there is a magnificent display of a cured leg of ham with the alcohol displayed and lit quite magnificently. People sat all along the bar area enjoying their drinks and some tucking into the tapas or classic English nibbles. While the pub is cheerfully busy at night you are likely, as we were, to get a seat or share a table with another group as people come in for a quick drink before heading off to a main meal. The house white wine was fine as was the well bodied pilsner that I drank. I ordered some of the pork scratching to go with it. This had much improved since the last time I had it as it was lighter and like a giant crisp that was light and tasted Heavenly. That it came with apple sauce was a bonus. My wife and I quickly tucked away and finished it within 15 minutes. As I looked around I could see that everyone was enjoying the night. There were staff serving quickly and very politely. Some exceptionally friendly staff can be found in all the Islington pubs and St John's does not skimp on this. Treat them well, treat them as fellow humans and you will always find great service. There were also staff walking around clearing the tables regularly which made it just a clean and comfortable environment. I think St Johns is best at night where the lighting brings the place to life. Whoever designed the bug has abundant taste. A short walk from Archway tube I would recommend this pub to anyone who is serious about quality pubs and a great start to the evening. The restaurant by the way is a sheer joy to the eyes and the stomach but on this occasion were only visiting the pub as our food journey would take us elsewhere.

We have been coming to this pub since the mid 90s and it never disappoints. Great pub, friendly and attentive staff and consistently fantastic food which is reasonably priced for its quality. We eat out all over Islington and Hackney but to St John's we always return.....

We visited the Tavern last night, with some friends. We were celebrating two birthdays, and some of us had been there before and had a lovely experience. Unfortunately, this did not happen last night.We are all in our 25-30s, and we all have experience working in hospitality (3 of us are a sous chef, a chef de partie and a restaurant manager, the other two have worked in restaurants and bars for a long time in the past), so we are aware of the problems a restaurant may encounter in a busy saturday night dinner shift.We were greeted by a very nice french waiter (who has been the only thing I would save of that restaurant, together with the wine and the oysters). We ordered some pre-dinner drinks and two bottles of wine; after we got our drinks 1 hour and a half passed before anyone asked us what we would like to eat. My sous-chef friend ordered the pig's cheek, and it was chewy and undercooked, with close-to-raw chickpeas. He tried to tell the waitress there was something wrong with it, and tried to order something else (and pay for it), she dismissed us and we saw her talking to who we think was the manager; he then clearly rolled his eyes and they both ignored us for a good 20 minutes. By that time we had all had something to eat, except for him, who was obviously getting upset about it. The waitress then came back and dryily said: I took your dish off the bill. As if that was all we were hoping for. No sorry, no asking if he would like to have something else instead.Our mains then arrived. The partridge was quite dry and chewy (although the potato dauphinoise was ok), and we had ordered two pear, beetroot, walnut and feta salads, as a main, so a slightly bigger portion (one of them for the unlucky sous-chef, who was VERY hungry at that point). The salads were clearly the same amout of ingredients for the starter, with A LOT of added lettuce and greens. The result was a tasteless salad with no dressing, with 3 pieces of feta, 2 slices of pear and possibly 5 beetroot slices. The research committee for the walnuts is still looking.We obviously decided to put an end to an average dinner and avoid desserts. We asked for the bill, and let the waitress know that we were not happy with the food. Shewent to the manager (who rolled his eyes again)and then insisted we speak to him. Two of us went to the bar and spoke to the manager, who obviously thought we were trying not to pay (although we insisted to pay before complaining, to avoid this kind of misunderstandings). He said (I swear!) that the restaurant was full, and that meant that their food was good, it was impossible that we had not eaten well. He also insisted that we were lying and inventing problems. Our birthday dinner was ruined by the fact that this person was not able to say "Sorry guys about the experience, we were busy. Hopefully we can do better next time, if you give us another chance."While we were leaving, obviously fuming at the arrogance of that person, the nice french waiter offered us a couple of beers. A small, caring gesture that was miles away from the incredible rudeness of the manager.There are a lot of nice gastro pubs in London, please go elsewhere.

We often eat here. Sometimes in the bar area other times at the informal rear dining room. At the last minute we decided to reserve the restaurant for NYE. The atmosphere was jolly without being too excessive. The staff were amazing and attentive. The bouillabaisse was outstanding. The menu was slightly reduced in options but extremely fair priced. Mollie and Archie our dogs were made to feel most welcome and it was a perfect NYE. Thank you.

Well, it is not often that the warm welcome and charming service is super supplemented by fabulous food and wine in a great place in NW5. Great Albarinio and Gruner Vertlinger, lovely food, and even better - they love children and dogs, what could be better? I have to say Laura, who remembered my name on the second visit, I did not remember hers but do now - was the most amazing lady, this is a big place, and just delivering the food and service would make most of us completely knackered! zapping around a large area is very tiring so do do it with a smile - intelligent conversation with a lovely lady who knew what she was talking about made it even better. Well done! the Restaurant only open in the evening I have not yet had the pleasure of visiting - however I will do soon. Thank you Guys, especially the delightful Laura - besos, as they say in Spain! and I have not yet mentioned the food! Spanish inspiration, peppers padron, great oysters, I could go on and on, well worth a visit, thank you laura x

We managed to get an early evening slot, which suited us very nicely. Large / spacious dinning room with large tables. We were joined at the other end of ours by another couple and, apart from some good humoured initial banter, we didn't feel the need to engage in any in-depth conversation. All the food was fresh and smelled very nice. I had the mackerel which was very fragrant. Service was good too; I said I'd mention Sylvia, who served us.

What a wonderfully refreshing place! A menu that inspires and takes some time to decide what you should have. A well balanced and nicely priced wine list combined with knowledgeable professional service. Worth a trip away from Central Londons 'must be seen in' places

This pub in Archway/ Tuffnell Park is a great place to go for a Sunday lunch treat or celebration. In fact, when we visited yesterday, there were many families and friends, it was packed, and a lovely atmosphere all round.The pub area was all reserved, so we were seated in the dining room. We had a booth- type table which I prefer as everyone has a comfy seat. There are roasts available, beef, duck chicken (to share) and pork. There are also fish options. The roast beef came up rare, which is how my family prefer it, with a gigantic Yorkshire pudding. I had fish and chips, and it was really good. All the food was looking good, I could see because I was directly in front of the serving hatch.Serving staff were efficient and busy, but not too busy to be helpful and friendly.Desserts are on the specials board, I had roast figs with Matcha ice- cream (a first for me). My daughter had churros in a toffee sauce which was superb, and my husband had the apple crumble. In short, if you find yourself in this neck of the woods at the weekend and fancy a good roast, then you'd be hard pushed to find better than St John's. Great experience.

Arrived around 2pm for Sunday lunch. After placing our order we received our food an hour and a half later. A table of 5 next to us ordered much later than us and were ordering their desserts before we'd received our mains. Poor communication as to where our food was meaning we didn't leave even though we should have! Food was mediocre - tough potatoes and luke warm and unseasoned meat.

The food is nice but the tapas are not spanish really! I think that they do a great job with all the menu but I was dissapointed with the iberic thing .... no good ham, just one piece of cheese and then bacon and a toast. Everything else, good! Place is confortable and nice service!

Food is delicious no matter what you choose.Spectacular service No faults return time after time.Tapas is yum as is dinner menu, can't wait to return

Popped in for a late lunch in the bar side and was blown away. Small interesting menu, charming staff, undeniable value. I had away tempura mackerel burger & double cooked fries. Exquisite. Mum had cold roast beef with beetroot & leaves. She only buys organic & again the beef was perfect. About five huge slices, pink. Covered a mains plate. I requested horseradish. This took a couple of minutes & arrived freshly made- grated & creamy. Unusual & a pleasant surprise. Filtered water in own bottles refreshed without asking. And the best of all: lunch for two came in at £21 (plus parking meter £2!). Really impressed with quality, taste, ambience & price. These two dishes would sit well in any top restaurant. The wine list looked good & reasonably priced but sadly I was driving!

Great meal here today. Roasts were excellent but also fantastic to see other options on the menu. Had a lamb tagine which was delicious. Nice summer pudding to follow. Fresh and tasty. Don't often write reviews but today deserved one! Quality food. Will be coming back soon. And great beer selection. What's not to like?

This could be my local but it's not !Foods not been good the last couple of times I've tried and the service is not great, staff are pretty stuck up.The only time I would pop in is for a quick drink but wouldn't bother with the food.Such a shame because it's a beautiful pub.

St Johns Tavern is a nice option for a drink and some decent food. A limited and changing menu with some easy options. Outdoor seating is not great (though of course outdoors). Do book a table at busy times, or request a booth if you're inside as these are comfortable and spacious.

Hadn't been here for a while as the last few times I did, I found the food to be a bit pretentious. Went back for a family lunch- much improved. Feels like they have stopped doing crazy things and got back to doing what they do well- proper food, tasty, with good friendly service. Prices are OK too. They seemed to have done the place up a bit too so that was nice. Glad I went back and will go again now!

We went with a group of old friends to the St John's for Sunday Luncheon. If you want elegant, than this is not the place to go. It is one of London's gastropubs, where the decor is battered, the napkins are paper, and many have used the knives and forks before you. As we do not get halibut (£16) in South Africa, I chose that. Unfortunately they had run out by the time my order was placed, so I had Sea Trout (£14.50) instead. Several others had Roast Beef (£19) which came with a big Yorkshire Pudding and Roast Tatties and there was a Roast Pork (£16.50) with trimmings. For one of those who had the beef that was not her first choice either, so the management took all the drinks, plus the extra kale and my mash (£3 ea), with a total price of £22.60 off the Bill, and that was more than fair!! Three of our company had room for sweets, and with the size of portions of the main meal, I have no idea where they put it, two having two scoops each of sorbet (£5.50 ea) and one a Sticky Toffee Pudding (£6) and I confess to having a teaspoonful of that! Our drinks were 2 Americano Coffees(£2 ea) and two Double Espressos(£2.50ea) one diet Coke(£2.50), one Breton Cider (£4.25), one pint of Hackney Best(£4.35), a 125ml glass of white wine at (for a South African) an eye watering £3.50 ( We can buy a whole bottle of decent glugging wine for less!!) and Jill and I, ever abstemious, had two bottles of sparkling water at £1 ea. (The coffees we paid for)The St John is really good value for money, especially with the discount, as the total with the obligatory non-obligatory bill came to £167.63 for eight people or just under £21 a head. This is London so we expect to pay more than Cape Town, but we all came away, with full tummies and warm memories, of a delightful meal

A pub that belies its quality from outside. Friendly staff, intriguing restaurant with lovely large fresh flowers. Interesting menu. Attentive staff.

One of my favourite locals and a gem of archway, little bit pricey but the staff are very friendly and the food is very good. Great Sunday roast.

Went as a family party of six. Not quite happy where we were first seated but staff were obliging and got us resettled in our proposed location without too much ado. Good range of of bistro-type offerings from giant blackboard menu. All food well-flavoured and good portions (yummy mussels). Only quibble was burgers served on boards that were slightly too small. Knowledgeable maitre d's suggestions of wine and digestif much appreciated. Light, airy surrounding with doors open to outdoor seating made this a very pleasant Sunday lunch venue indeed. (Looked as though it would be equally comfortable for a winter visit.) Would definitely revisit.

Really friendly and attentive staff both in the pub area and the separate restaurant. Fairly limited menu on a board with only 2 veggie options (not counting the fish and chips). I had the falafel - which was very nice and the salad was lovely. £40 for 2 (including a pint each) so reasonably priced as well.

Cuando se viaja, también se conoce a la gente que vive en los alrededores. Acá la gente es muy amable y la comida, exquisita y recién hecha. Recomendable 100/!

I am rubbish at writing reviews so the very fact I'm attempting to write one for St John's should be high praise enough.Great, friendly staff. Excellent choice of beer. Fantastic atmosphere.

St john's has been and will always be a favourite, but... today we were having a drink in the bar, my husband went to the bar to get a drink, and a charming and lovely young man said, 'don't worry I will sort this out for you'. Great and lovely. Now when the bill came, after too-ing and fro-ing, we found out a 12% service charge had been added. I don't mind if I'm eating in the bar and I get served, I don't mind if I am told - 'by the way this is table service and you will have a service charge'. But really - two glasses of wine and some pistachios in the bar area, having been at the bar, and 12%. It seems like taking the piss, it seems underhand. If I am wrong, then I am wrong, but I feel I am right. 25 POUNDS for two glasses of wine and nibbles...

We visited here quite late on BH weekend Saturday after spending a day around London with the girls while the boys went to Southend for the footy. It was late probably bout 10.20 but on arrival we asked if they could fit us in a table of 8 and a lovely gentleman said let me just look to see what I can do.In five minutes he had prepared a table of 8 just by the kitchen but it was ok plenty of room and didn't interfere with other diners. We were quickly told that there was only 4 steaks left and we all managed to review the menu and plenty to choose from. Hubby had the shoulder of lamb sharing platter with another person and I had fish and chips. All the food arrived quickly all together and all fresh and tasty. Hubby's lamb was devine as I stole a taster.All the time from arrival to departure we were served by a very helpful and friendly waiter previously from America Massachusetts but living for 12 months in London he was very attentive asking if we had everything we needed and we had no complaints. Maybe a little mint sauce for the lamb Highly recommend and will definitely book next time as we would be so disappointed if we couldn't get in !! Thank you

Amazed at the transformation and how spacious and well set out the bar area was - the restaurant area was very impressive with large pieces of art.The staff were very friendly and chatty. A lovely atmosphere - a good mix of clientele......the tapas on the other hand has a lot to be desired: the battered spring onions were stringy and greasy, the prawns were tasty but not cleaned - and so the prices were too high for the quality - the tapas bar food let my experience of the place down - unfortunately. Go for the atmosphere and drinks - not the bar food!!