The De Beauvoir Arms in Islington

Great pub with a great atmosphere

My favourite pub in London . Exceptional food, wines and the best service too. Lovely team always excellent

Our lovely local pub. Really cosy atmosphere in the winter with the fire, and equally cosy in the summer with the outdoors seating. Wines are excellent.

It's a nice place. Classic pub though a bit pricey and I don't remember them having many vegan options. The FA Theatre upstairs is the main attraction!

great food, cosy atmosphere, very local

HIPSTER HAVEN The pub came recommended, but by the end of the evening, I found myself wondering if I’d accidentally stumbled into an ironic social experiment in customer endurance. It’s a local hipster haven, drawing a crowd so homogenous it’s as though someone handed out starter kits at the door. Still, the vibe was mostly warm and friendly—a bit like being in a curated Instagram feed come to life, if you don’t mind everyone looking vaguely identical. The food? Surprisingly good. Hats off to the cooks, who managed to deliver dishes worthy of praise. Unfortunately, that praise stops right there. Our server forgot the order, leaving us waiting over an hour without so much as a “sorry” or an offer to soften the sting. As for the bar staff, they seemed to be operating on a strict diet of frustration and caffeine, snapping and eye-rolling their way through each transaction. Now, the atmosphere: we were a large birthday group on a Saturday night, so yes, it was packed. But this wasn’t just busy—it was cacophonic. The noise was loud enough to send my ears searching for a quieter escape route, and the lack of acoustic panelling made every attempt at conversation feel like shouting across a motorway. Intimate, it was not. And finally, the toilets. Let’s just say they looked like they’d seen some things—a state of affairs that might have added a gritty charm to the place if we weren’t expected to use them. In all, it was an experience that left me disappointed.

Great vibes, good Guinness, friendly staff, heaters outside. Busy enough to make me forget it was a Monday evening. Everything I look for in a pub.

Good pub to stop off on a Sunday after a nice walk up the canal. Nice selections of beer and cosy interior.

Bit of barn. No pub atmosphere compared to irish pubs

What a lovely place. I went here for a Free Association improv show (in the studio upstairs), but what really made me want to write a review was how friendly and helpful the bartenders were. They all seemed like they enjoy working and helped make the atmosphere that much warmer. The beers I had were good, and if I'm ever in the neighborhood again I'd absolutely try the food. The bartender Marin/Maureen (? sorry, I'm not sure now) was especially kind!

The food and location can't be faulted.

Lovely waitress. Food was good quality and tasty

A real feel good atmosphere, regularly changing selection of wines and beers and imaginative food choices always well presented and perfectly cooked.

Rather baffled as the majority of people appear to be below 5"10.

Favorite pub in the area. Festive atmosphere with great drink selection and hearty food.

Pub chef prepares set lunches for £8.50

Great boozer always, but deeply kind staff, thanks all!

Really nice pub esp for a rainy summer evening, lovely food and staff were very helpful Dog friendly too

A lively bar, to the point you probably wont find a place to sit if you come to get a drink on Friday or Saturday evening. There is quite a big outside area but they close it at 10pm. Nice vibe and people tho and a really cool area. They have a non alcoholic beer options which is great! We paid ~13£ for 2 beers (one regular and one 0%)

An elegant local pub with a refined wine and food selection and a bowl of dog treats for four-legged friends. We've had good value weekday lunches there too.

We have been in here a few times now, and I really like the pub, but there are things about it that mean we generally go elsewhere. The food is just ok, the service is good. The thing that gets me the most is that there is a queue at the bar... a line, not people stood along the bar. it feels like you're at a carvery. The amount of times we have opened the door and just turned straight around and left as there is a queue of people practically to the door. ...... its a bar people, stop forming a line!

So unfriendly staff. I’ve never seen that. A shame as it’s usually nice local pub.

Always brimming & buzzy, I love my local pub where I feel central, east and north all meet in this exact junction. Food is great, drink selection is decent, service is good.

Solid best London pub contender

Cracking pub. Good food. Good times

The salmon and smashed peas were amazing but let down by the uncooked new potatoes. Then waited forever for fried potatoes services was bad it's usually great

Very nice pub and very nice food!

Push chair pub. So many infants you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a maternity ward

The place reeks of desperation, the fact the people eat meals in squalid conditions surrounded by people 6/7ft tall and can barely extend their arms to bring their fork to their mouth, just shows that. The people of the area couldn’t possibly fathom going spacing out a bit and going elsewhere. I only pass in here to go to the comedy above, but this place needs to be avoided. Unless you like extreme discomfort, palpable anxiety and having to literally scream to hear someone less than 20cm in front of you.

Another of my go to local pubs. It's a great pub and home to the Free Association, so you also have comedy every night. Drinks are great 😃 , I really enjoyed the Negronis ( surely I had a couple). Even the wine selection is great. High quality pub. It is super vibey pretty much every day, a great place to go for a cheeky drink here and there.

Great atmosphere for a beer, although tough to find a table after 6ish on thursday-saturday!

First pub I've been to that's run out of Guinness. Beer and cider were totally flat with zero head.

Always a pleasure whenever I come here. I really enjoy the crowd DBA brings. Get stuck into some potatas bravas

Great neighbourhood pub. Great food and lovely atmosphere. Very friendly staff too.

Was pouring, but they wouldn't let us sit inside and wait for 20 minutes in the corner reading the paper, till lunch started. Curiously, manager gets kinda flustered that we decide we aren't going to wait . . . Can't fathom it. Does it not rain on the planet their staff come from?

Nice outside covered yet Open seating Good service

the usual good experience. perhaps busiest time of. the week, sunday lunch.

Unfortunately the area near the kitchen is affected by the fun from the kitchen which is constantly blowing cold air making the stay very uncomfortable. Otherwise great vibe.

Probably the best pub food in London. Strongly recommend coming in on a weekday for their lunch dish of the day option.

Super nice pub: very cool atmosphere and decoration! The neighborhood is cute. We ate well and had a great time 🙂

Great drinks lovely food and a later opening what’s not to love!

My wife and I had our wedding reception at the DBA in December. We booked the kitchen table and it was sensational. The food is incredible, the staff are so friendly and the atmosphere is the best. The DBA looked after us so well on the evening and with all the organisation. There was even Christmas carollers who got us up to dance. Thanks DBA for making our special day :) :)

Kids have to be out by 8pm but great pub

very charming atmosphere, very good food and a bit noisy on a Friday

Just had a few drinks here, it was a warm and friendly pub. A very relaxed yet lively setting, with a large and reasonably priced drinks menu! I will be going back to try the food which looked very good on other peoples tables!

The beef roast was disappointing. Roast potatoes were dry, cabbage was overpowering and the gravy was watery.

An absolute joke. Walked in on a sunday afternoon for a pub lunch with my family. no one greeted us at the door or asked us if we wanted a table. when we asked for table service at the bar we were told to '' Find a table''. When we eventually found a table we found out all the food was sold out. No finesse, No good customer service. Wont be going back

Good, nice place, friendly staff!

Buen lugar para degustar y tomarse unas cifras o cervezas

Great people running the place and exceptional food. Also no music which I prefer. They love dogs which is nice for buddy.

Good food, always seems popular so good to get there early. The food serving started at 6 when we were there. There are improv comedy nights there too (check the Free Association website for details).

Got a real soft spot for this place, I’ve visited every day of the week for years and did my first born’s head wet here too. Not sure it’s still a “pub” though as it’s recently become a long snaking queue establishment (like a coffee shop), encourage people to queue along the bar please!!

A solid local boozer. Sometimes interesting food. Sometimes a bit too cool for a local pub!

Very impressed by the pork roast. The gravy was fantastic!

Nice pub in the dbv area - good selection of pints.

I've been here a couple of times and it's nice enough... plenty of space to sit outside if it's not wet. Gets really quite busy late evening.

Comfortable gastro pub with a classic vibe

One of the pubs with the best food in the area, such a great spot to spend your Sunday outside! If you want to eat keep in mind that the kitchen takes a break between 4pm and 6pm.

Great atmosphere lovely staff haven't had food yet so unfortunately can't comment

It was a delightful evening with a friendly atmosphere, excellent food and nice wine; what else do you want from a local pub

Overpriced but decent pub. Very hipster vibe.

Get the green olives. You won't regret it.

The De Beauvoir Arms on is a delightful food orientated pub offering a fine selection of keg beers, just one cask ale (today) and an exemplary wine list. Service is as good as anyone could hope for and the club chairs are very comfy. A super place to stop off and put the world to rights.

Lovely place - lovely food - lovely people

Very busy friendly staff very good menu and delicious food

I thoroughly recommend a visit to The De Beauvoir Arms! The staff and management were incredibly kind, generous and friendly. The food was sensational and the bottle of wine we shared was fantastic! They went above and beyond, and I think it's a testament to this wonderful pub that it was so busy (for food and drink) on a Tuesday evening after work. A true gem of a pub, and we'll definitely be back!

Fell off my bike. Came in here and they stitched me up. Thanks guys.

Have been coming here since lockdown ended as found on cycle route from London fields to angel. Always fantastic food great selection on the daily menu with amazing always there dishes such as the fried potatoes with alioli and boccarones with toasted sour dough. Something for everyone great garden and wine list, I can go on but what a gem, will be back many times.

Been here loads of times and never dissapoints! Beautiful food and great service.

Lovely pub, great location, both outdoor and indoor space is nice. They’ve got delicious food. It’s the local, and a real gem in the area.

Bad experience, rude female member of staff

Food always surprises me how good it is!

It's such a lovely pub. The improv comedy night is amazing. Friendly service even when extremely busy.

Great Sunday pub lunch when the weather permits. Their terrace area is lovely and good for people watching. A local spot situated at the heart of De Beauvoir. Food is hearty and fresh, lots of options for a Sunday roast at a fair price. Popular spot so may have to wait for a table.

Good vibes pub, decent seating area in the summer months

Wonderful- absolutely enjoyed it. Excellent vegan options interspersed in the menu with classic meat based dishes also available. Good prices, great food, good wines.

It's always a good idea. Prices are fair, food is tasty and the terrace is quite nice

Good food and drinks at a fair price

Nice variety of craft beers and FANTASTIC food with decent prices. Highly recommended.

Nice place, food is fine and the customer service is excellent

Best pub ever . Great staff , wines, food and a buzzy atmosphere

Excellent lunch at a great pub. Staff were very friendly and the food was fantastic. A large and varied menu so something for everyone. The pub itself is large and spacious, whilst being very comfortable and boasting a nice atmosphere in a great location.

It was really rude to ask 20 pounds for 2 thin slices of beef for sunday roast!

Had a roast here. No table service in a big group made the whole experience really disjointed and chaotic. The food order was wrong on delivery in 3 different ways. The plates were left on the table for way longer than they should have been - maybe we should have taken them to the bar ourselves?! No notice that they were finishing service and we wouldn't be able to have dessert after this time - half the table still had dirty plates in front of them at this point, despite our reservation being for 2 hours earlier and us having no starters. Doubt any of us will make a return visit for food sadly.

The staff are really nice here and it's a great vibe. But the food is quite disappointing.

Great beer and wine selection! Good vibes good times!

The food is always delicious and always changing menu

De Beauvoir Arms is a charming and cosy pub with a great atmosphere. It's the kind of place where you can relax and unwind with friends, thanks to its warm and welcoming vibe. The decor is traditional and understated, with a classic pub feel that's really inviting. The seating is comfortable and there are plenty of spots to hunker down and enjoy a drink or two. And while the drink selection is good, it's really the atmosphere that sets De Beauvoir Arms apart. The staff are friendly and attentive, and they go out of their way to make you feel at home. There's something about the place that just makes you want to stay and hang out for a while. If you're after a laid-back and welcoming pub with great food, De Beauvoir Arms is definitely worth checking out.

Good drinks and atmosphere, friendly staff and delicious Sunday roast !

You can always trust the £8 lunch at De Beauvoir Arms. Beautiful and satisfying. Feed me well and get me energised for my Improv training (which is upstairs). Different menu each day, and always good. Absolutely love it. I wish I live next to it so this could be my canteen.

It does make me chuckle seeing lower than 5 star reviews sighting 'service' as 'standard' It's a local pub, with well executed food, that's the experience. The balance between gastro and pub is perfect for a mid week pint and equally meal. Negative reviews I've read seem to be anchored in a misconception of what a pub is. The Mucky Duck it isnt, a gem it is. A pub for people that like pubs, food for people that like food, service for people that aren't expecting to held in any regard for their middle management position outside of their office ;)

Superb chicken pie today! Nice atmosphere, friendly staff. First time in this pub but certainly not the last.

I can’t say enough about this spot; I absolutely love the location, the aesthetic is fantastic, they have tons of outdoor seating, it’s super spacious inside with a big bar where it’s easy to order and to sit and eat if you’d like. They have excellent, friendly staff, a plentiful bar and the food is spectacular. 11/10 - I really love it here

Always good food. Friendly and quick service. The taste of the food is far above what you can get in an average restaurant in London:)

Nice outdoor seating area, but the Campari spritz was way too bitter for me. The Sunday menu was not impressive to me, and the dishes were average…

Excellent lunch at the De Beauvoir Arms

Great place to meet locals. Beers was fresh and delicious and the food was great. Had olives (£3.5) and chorizo (£9), best Spanish cuisine in town!

Great pub with good vibes, food and drinks. Can’t book but have always gotten a table. My local!

Great modern friendly pub with a welcoming atmosphere. Lively and convivial it's a must go to venue. My daughter and I had a couple of Negronis here which were absolutely top drawer. Staff were very personable and knew their drinks in a big way. Definitely a destination to be embraced many times. Food is available and whilst we didn't have any what we saw looked great.

Service was standard. I had the Sunday roast beef. Food was not piping hot so got cold quickly. The food also needed salt, which to be fair they provide the salt and pepper so I guess you season it yourself? Not a fan of that. But the beef was tender and melt in your mouth. The atmosphere in the pub was nice, family friendly environment.