Swimmer at the Grafton Arms in Islington

Our Go-To Pub – Always a Great Experience! We’ve been coming to The Swimmer at the Grafton Arms many times now, and it never disappoints. The service is always friendly and professional, and the food is consistently delicious – you can tell they care about quality. It's got a lovely relaxed atmosphere, perfect for catching up with friends. We especially enjoy coming on Tuesdays for the quiz night – it's loads of fun and adds a great buzz to the evening. Whether it's a casual drink, a tasty meal, or just a chilled evening out, this place has become one of our favourites in London!

Great food. Try the fish 'n' chips. Amazing gin selection and great beer. Staff are super friendly. Great local pub.

So even on Mother's day was able to get a table. Ordered Roast Lamb. Must say it was so tender and so much of it.Roasties were a plenty and tasty. Served with Yorkshire pudd, cauli cheese, carrots and green beans. Everything cooked to perfection. Not sure what others are after. You can see chef prepping the food in the corner of the pub. Nothing was too much trouble for the staff

We visited here for Sunday lunch 30/3/25 The menu not only included Sunday lunch but a great selection of other dishes were available too . We settled on lamb and we were not disappointed at all empty plates all round . Will we back ? All I can say is it may be as soon as next Sunday as there is still the beef, chicken and pork to sample .

I’m literally sitting at their table writing this review because I genuinely don’t understand how this place has such high ratings. Maybe I was just unlucky today, or there’s a different chef working, but we came specifically to try their roast lunch/dinner after my boyfriend did a lot of research based on the glowing reviews. The bar staff were friendly and the drinks were fine, but everything went downhill when the food arrived. The waiter brought out the dishes, but the plates were so hot it was obvious the food had been reheated—plates and all. Not only that, but the waiter didn’t even bother to warn us about the temperature, and I ended up burning my hand. Now, about the roast beef… The meat was okay, but the gravy tasted like it came straight from a packet—one of those pre-made powder mixes, definitely not fresh. The roast potatoes were the biggest disappointment. They were soggy, bland, and clearly not freshly made—tasted like they’d been sitting around since at least the day before. Overall, this was such a letdown. I would never come back here, and I definitely wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

Great London pub. The Sunday roast of lamb was excellent 👌

Our local pub and one of our favorite pubs in London. Come here multiple times a week, food is great and the staff very friendly. Would recommend to anyone, 4.9/5

This place is sublime. I will not attempt to describe the ambience of the place because, I wouldn't do it justice. Just pop in and see for your selves!

Lovely pub with a great Sunday roast! We soent £58 for 2 pints and 2 sunday roasts, both were delicious and the service was quick!

Great pub that is a favourite after football venue. Good outside space. We had sunday lunch here a couple of weeks ago which was really good.

I have been coming to this lovely hidden away gem for 5 months, the staff are all extremely efficient and friendly, even if it’s a match day, the Sunday roasts are exceptional and gluten free if required, also their burgers are amongst the best with lots of quality fries, nothing is ever too much trouble to make this a great place to eat and drink!!💕💕

Went to see Paul Sinha. Very crammed small room, chairs touching each other, but the comedians were great.

Great london gem. Burgers are amazing

Wonderful place. On the smaller side but that just makes it seem "cosier". The beer selection was fantastic and varied and the regulars all seemed like perfectly nice people. Staff friendly and talkative. I did not eat but the kitchen looked fantastic too

Lovely cosy pub. It's on the small side - not too many tables inside, fits more people in summer with outdoor tables. Had an excellent chicken parmigiana.

Lovely pub. Introduced to The Swimmer on Arsenal match days by my Aunt and Uncle who have made it part of their ritual. Good is great, drinks are great and staff are great. Side note for Christmas, the decorations are lovely!

Great spot for lunch, well made dishes and beer - try to get the table close to the lovely fireplace

Great local pub. Always busy yet staff still makes you feel welcome and cared for. It's a local go-to destination.

Bar staff always really friendly, food is excellent too, and a great, interesting beer selection

This place has quickly become by absolute favourite. Love art first bite. I knew I was becoming a regular from the first instance

Lovely setting for a roast, cosy and the staff are so friendly. The chicken was cooked so nice and was really tasty, spuds were also good. The cauliflower cheese let it down a fair bit- was lacking flavour and uncooked. Same with the broccoli. Yorkshires on the oilier side, but not bad just need some work. Would also love a little extra gravy on the side. Overall not a bad roast

Great beers selection. Amazing food!!

Traditional pub with very nice service, good food and beers. We especially liked the baked camembert with bread. The Czech Premium Litovel was most welcome to see on offer.

Very friendly staff, a quiet and cozy first floor to have a good pint. A place to put on the pub crawl. The food portions are generous, except for the hummus which is a bit scarce. Recommended!!

Second pub on our route, recommended, very friendly treatment and delicious food.

Super cute place, lovely kind staff! Such a cozy place to get a roast

On a return visit back down Holloway Road, I decided to call back in the Swimmer at the Grafton Arms to make sure this visit was as good as my last, and I was not disappointed. This time I ordered the hearty Sausage & Mash and presentation was what you'd expect. 3 tasty Cumberland Sausages on top of a creamy Mash with buttered carrots and green beens on the side. Full of flavour and filling. I know I'll be calling back again..

This is my favourite pub in this part of town. They have a good selection of beers and whisky (including cask beers). I paid £12.60 for a Bones lager and a Neck Oil. The food here is excellent, check out the 2 for 1 burgers on a Monday evening. This pub can get busy on Arsenal home games but there is jupstairs seating as well as a large exterior seating area. The service is always good. There is free iced water at the bar and a free to play juke box. A delightful pub well worth a visit, but check opening times first because it does not open until 5pm during the week.

Lovely pub with good atmosphere, but unfortunately when we went, the beer and cider we had were fairly obviously off.

Fabulous pub. Highly recommend.

Second visit. Confirms first impressions and ate this time. Food was good

Nice pub with delicious food and drink.

Great value food and lovely staff!

Lovely pub with nice outdoor seating.

Great beers, friendly staff, good food. Great customers. Great place all round.

Perfect local pub with great staff and food

Stumbled on this place today. Best Sunday roast I have had in a long while. Simple, homely cooking. Very fast friendly service, and nice atmosphere. Will be back. I would give food a 5 star but in honour of the other 5s . But the food is exceptional.

¡Qué joya! La comida era excelente y la Bloody Mary iba a morir por! Todo servido por personal muy amable. ¡Qué placer! ¡Volveremos!

Lovely vibe about the place. I had a meatless burger and hubby had a wagyu burger. Both presented nicely and were very tasty. Glad we found this place while holidaying in London 😊

Great place to have a drink, inside or outside

The sweet potato friesand coffee were delicious.

Great pub with a variety of beers to suit everyone! The fish and chips was enormous so really worth its price. On the other hand, the mushrooms with cheese were disappointing as there almost no mushrooms, I wouldn't recommend it. The service was adequate, it's a self service so you have to go to the bar to order anything. The atmosphere is the classic one of a British pub. Bonus point for having a nice yard so you can sit outside when the weather is nice.

A great pub with a very friendly staff and very tasty pub grub. Huge fun to be had on Tuesday’s quiz night!

We had a wonderful family outing at the pub this Sunday! The food was delicious, and there was plenty of space for the kids to play. They really enjoyed the games provided, which made for a relaxed and enjoyable afternoon for us as parents. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a family-friendly spot!

Very disappointed with the Sunday roast very badly presented won't be going back there again

Loved this new find, very cozy, comfortable.

Best beer pub in north London !

A nice place, just off the hustle and bustle that is Holloway Road. There is plenty of space for people both inside and outside. The pub itself is full of character. The food on the menu is a little bit expensive. However, it is totally worth it. The cod was huge, steak cooked to perfection, and a decent size, and the homemade onion rings were great! It got a bit busy due to it being an Arsenal game, but still, had a nice atmosphere.

My favourite pub in London (and my local). Great food, service and atmosphere. Drinks and food are well priced. Lovely fireplace for the winter and outside area for the summer.

My friend took me, windy rainy for 2nd time this family friendly fireplace cozy inside and outside outside under covered space

Solid atmosphere, open fire, jukebox and great choice of books and board games. Large outdoor space with shelter and heating. Function room but didn't get a visit. Decent value but a welcoming local pub for whose in the know.

We went to The Swimmer for the traditional Sunday Roast and it was a delicious feast! The portion is really big, the quality is excellent, we had the lamb and pork belly, and the price effortable. The service is also very nice and both food and drinks are quickly served. Make sure to be there a bit earlier as it fills up quickly. Reservations don't seem to be possible.

Nice people around, nice ambience, different and tasty food, and I loved the games/books/free juke box!

Nice pub with helpful and friendly staff. Nice and busy without being too full on a Saturday evening with a nice buzz of chat and people playing some of the many board games available to choose from.

Great friendly pub just a block off Holloway road. Helpful staff and delicious food. Go for the Litovel Premium, you won’t regret!

A great pub to enjoy a drink with mates as you dissect the latest Arsenal performance after the game.

One of the better pubs in the area at least beer wise anyway. Worth visiting just to try the Omnipollo Prize Pils beer. Friendly service and a decent atmosphere.

Really lovely local boozer with a cosy fire for the colder winter months. Pub quiz is great and their guinness is my favourite I've had in London.

Greatest pub in London. No competition.

Lovely pub with nice Christmas atmosphere and good mulled wine. We’ll come back for more.

Fantastic local! In an area lacking great pubs this is a go to venue!

Traditional English pub. In a quiet street off the main road. Good wide ranging food and beer menu, traditional and modern, great fish n chips. Good prices. Very friendly staff . Wheelchair accessible. Nice outdoor covered area

Not only is this pub top-notch, with delicious food and beers, but the staff are absolute gems! I left a chocolate advent calendar behind for over a week and those legends didn't touch a single piece. That's some serious self-control and customer service! 5 stars

great neighbourhood spot. high calibre pub grub. only downside is the closing time - 11pm on a Saturday !

A great boozer with an excellent choice of beers. Good atmosphere too.

Great food and beer. On my visit they've been pretty slow to cook a couple of starters.

We came here for lunch and had a lovely time. The food was very tasty and the portion generous. Staff was very attentive.

Sunday roast was okey, but the bloody mary was AMAZING. One of the best ones I’ve ever had

Great pub, lots of seating is outside, but mostly the quality of the food is superb. A little pricey but worth the extra for the raised level. Ive had a couple of wagu burgers and a roast here.. always delicious, but little gems like pulled ox cheek and chorizo shepherds pie and other small plates are the real winners imho. Highly recommended

Fantastic service and food, brought family here from overseas to experience a traditional English Sunday Roast and was bowled over by how accommodating staff were for my little 2 year old girl. Didn't mind us moving doors to get the pram in, moving fans cos it was hot. Got her entertainment in form of colouring books. On top of their excellent service the good was very good, four beef roasts arrived quickly piping hot with delicious Yorskhire puds. Apple crumble for dessert was marvellous too. My new go to roast pub...and I'm NOT a local!

Great option for Sunday Roast, very tasty and good draught options

Chicken Parmi was amazing can’t remember the last time I had one that good! Service and the beer garden was also great! Will be coming back for sure!

Nice local pub with a lot of outdoor seating. The staff is friendly, I'll definitely come back!

Always fun, very friendly and attentive! Great outside seating!

Lovely pub in a calm street, with a pleasant terrace, juke box, board games and a great choice of beers (e.g. Brugse Zot on tap!)

Dropped in, on a one night stay in London. Lovely staff, very helpful and friendly. In time for last food orders, which were excellent. Very lively and young crowd; so my wife and I stood out but great craic, great pub!

SUCH a nice local. The staff here are so so friendly and the clientele are equally lovely. Such a nice atmosphere for a casual drink or a meal. Came through by chance and it was the most wholesome experience.

Great little find, good range of beers, including some excellent low alcohol on tap.

Pub de quartier.. très sympathique... accueil chaleureux... à recommander

Beautiful gem a bit hidden from the main road (which makes it even better). The staff is friendly and smiley as you enter. There's plenty of beer options and the food menu is fantastic. Recommend the Cod Goujons. We had Sunday Roast and it was delicious. Wish I lived in Holloway.

Great spot. Friendly vibe, delicious food

Been here a few times for a roast and honestly of the of the best roasts I’ve ever had. If you’re getting roast GET THE PORK BELLY! Super tender and juicy, super generous portion and very reasonably priced. Best roast in this area for sure!

Usually drop in here for a pint or two before/after the game. Very decent selection of beer/ales. Last night I went for food and was not disappointed. Great food always tastes better when accompanied by great staff and atmosphere. Also, decent customers. The mackerel pate was perfect and the fish n chips really top notch. A dream of a place in Holloway.

Amazing roast dinners on Sunday! Lovely staff! Highly recommend!

One of the best pubs in the area and certainly one of our favourite. The highlights here are the great selection of beers, the extremely kind staff and the environment, but the cuisine in this pub outstands everything. The fact that you can actually see people cooking next to the bar makes the experience even better. They want to do a good job and they nail it. There's a nice burger offer on Mondays which I'll let you guys discover by yourselves. They have been hosting ales from the Five Points and Siren Craft Breweries which I personally love, but I'm sure everyone can find the right pint to pair with any dish on the menu. Take a look of those nice t-shirts they sell!

Leuke rustige locatie waar veel locals zitten. Heerlijk gegeten, bestellen aan de bar, en ook lekkere drankjes waaronder de vlierbessen spritz. Personeel super vriendelijk en behulpzaam.

I had one of the best roasts I’d ever had in London here. Buzzy atmosphere and big outside area at the front of the place.

Kind service, good selection of drinks.

Great veggie burger, excellent prices in a lovely dog friendly pub. Will def be coming back!!! Impressed by the amount of vegan/veggie options, a definite find :).

Wonderfully decorated with loads of outside seating and a great, friendly staff. The food is much better than general pub food and they stock many different wines. The best place in Islington!

This is the perfect pub. I have lived around the corner for almost 5 years now and it's still my favorite pub in London. It's unpretentious and cosy without being scruffy or run-down, there's always a good mix of people and the team there are so friendly and welcoming. If you want a reliable spot for a pint in a proper pub then the Swimmer is your best bet. The food is good - not gourmet but reliable pub food.

Our stop off when visiting the Emirates for the football (coming from Birmingham to watch Aston Villa) Easy walking distance from the stadium and a great find, first impression was a homely feel with outstanding friendly staff. A range of very decent beer covering various strengths and some phenomenal food. My fish and chips were amongst the best I have ever tasted and my friends (3 of them) raved about the burgers stating they were magnificent. We will return here every time we are back at the Emirates, what a find.

To be fair. Not my first visit. But first time in a while. This pub remains my favourite pub in London. Why? Because it’s got great beer, great food, music is good and run by good people. Most of all because the staff are excellent. I’ve not been for months and I’m welcomed like an old friend. Stayed for a couple of beers. Can’t wait to go back. It gets very busy when Arsenal are at home, but that’s no reason not to go. Good atmosphere and you’re still made to feel very welcome.

Just had two wonderful meals here , Saturday lunch and Sunday dinner The Sunday roast was fantastic and I had fish and chips which was huge. So wish it was my local

Very nice atmosphere and nice food. The waitress that served me was Saiyaara very attentive and I felt at home. For sure will recommend it

Here to set our daughter up in a flat (from USA)... OMG, absolutely wonderful!!!! Food was fantastic and HUGE PORTIONS! As for the service, you couldn't ask for better, prompt and friendly!!!! This place is super clean and they disenfect everything after each customer!!!! This is a definite revisit location!!!!

The first thing that struck me is how very little of this pub there is! In fact, it took some considerable persuasion by my partner to convince me that what we could see really was all the pub there is! Still, this makes for a cozy intimate space with a rather nice fire at one end. We all had a roast, which was delivered to the table swiftly after ordering. There was good array of vegetables, but my beef was tough to cut and chew, although partner had no problem finishing it up!

I came to The Swimmer at Grafton Arms on a Friday night in October. Overall the service is good, the beer is well served and the pub has a really nice atmosphere. If you want a nice old school pub with a modern twist in North London then The Swimmer is a fantastic choice.

Probably the best Sunday lunch I have eaten in a pub for some time, puddings are good too. A small pub tucked away down a side street .

I went here for the first time to eat with a group of friends to mark the departure to Wales of one of my friends. A nice little touch was a tile with a Welsh dragon on and a drawing of my friend. The food included a good choice of traditional food with some more exotic specialties with a good vegan/veggie choice. The food when it came was tasty, good quality and in generous portions. The price by London standards was very reasonable.