The Drapers Arms in Islington

Drapers Arms came highly recommended and it did not disappoint. Friendly attentive service, bustling atmosphere and exceptional food. So good I didn’t want it to end!

It took 5 mins for someone to greet us and take us to the table. Everyone front of house seemed stressed and flustered. When we were taken to the table there was no offer to take coats. The table was wonky so the candle nearly fell off. The waiters were hard to get attention of and were quite moody. They also were scruffily dressed with dirty jeans. Considering the price of the food the service was terrible and the steak we had was nothing worth the price. You guys need to do ALOT better.

Friendly efficient staff, delicious food and a great place to dine.

The food was very underwhelming this time. The steak tartare was dry, fish was overcooked Beautiful spot though

We live in the neighbourhood so will keep coming despite the subpar experience. We were seated at the worst table in the restaurant despite having a booking and there being many open tables. A 15 min wait between arrival and our drinks order led to a 90 minute wait until our mains arrived. When asked , we were simply told the kitchen was backed up. With such a long wait, a comped drink or dessert would have helped. Sadly, even though the food was great, the seating and the wait detracted significantly from the overall experience.

My favourite local gastro pub, always delivers. The food, the staff, the energy of this place is always lovely.

Great experience! Incredible food and very nice atmosphere.

The suet pastry beef and mushroom pie was very good

What an interesting daily changing menu. Second visit and had the suet crust pie both times. It's really big, thought I'd only eat half but somehow it all disappeared. This visit was beef, bacon and mushroom. Only comment both times, I like a bit more gravy in it, but we're all different. We had with leek gratin- probably a million calories but so worth it, and cabbage with chilli oil. We were utterly full but fortunately ignored and shared/fought over a chocolate pot with cherries. They were really busy- on a dark freezing cold Monday night in January, so obviously very popular. Interesting wine list but regrettably on a dry night. Another reason to return. Sunday lunch looks amazing.

Excellent food, excellent service, we will be back as close neighbours. But if you like cosy atmosphere, you should avoid Friday nights…

The entire party agreed that the food was excellent. The reason we marked down the srevice slightly was because we had to wait for quite a long time between receiving the bill and being able to pay as the staff were otherwise occupied.

A delightful time, as always, at the Drapers Arms. This pub is an oasis for those seeking amazing food, thoughtful hospitality and a warm atmosphere to catch up with friends and family!

Fantastic waitress! Didn’t get her name but super lovely and helpful.

I feel that the food menu is limited - I get the idea of sharing but I think there should be a better balance between dishes to share / those to have indivifually. Overall though this place is excellent such a good vibe and great service, that I’m happy to compromise on the food - what we did have was great.

Brilliant. The Moon Under Water of Gastropubs. Fabulous food. Amazing wine list. Superb lady who knows about all the wines. My only negative would be that the chairs weren't totally comfortable but that really is being ultra picky.

The hot tongue starter with potato salad and capers was divine. Beautifully cooked.

Service was a little slow and we didn't feel especially welcome to begin with. We were also seated upstairs which we hadn't expected. It doesn't have the same atmosphere as being in the actual pub so not as cosy. The chicken and lamb roasts are only available for 2 people or more which was disappointing, and the lamb is astronomically expensive at £75! A large jug of water was placed on our table and left there, which being a small table wasn't ideal, and we had a to wait a while before drinks orders were taken. The food was great but the pork roast came without a Yorkshire pudding and with gravy already poured which I'd have preferred to do myself. The sticky toffee pudding was very nice but should have been served it in a bigger bowl. All in all not bad but not great. Probably wouldn't rush back.

Don’t often get veal kidneys on an English menu so my husband was in seventh heaven. Perfectly cooked .

Amazing high end up dining experience, without it feeling too stuffy or highbrow. Great, simple French/English dishes with interesting and thoughtful twists. The winter menu was rich and bursting with flavour but still had acidic and sweet elements to balance. The staff were super helpful, fast service even though it was super busy. Wine was great too

Excellent food and wine as always. Wonderful warm staff. Can't wait to go back.

Excellent food as always . Most enjoyable family reunion

Wonderful food and service. It was a beautiful dining room.

Always great. The food is on point as is the service even on a very busy Christmas evening service.

Lovely service, delicious food- particularly the steak, and wonderful wine list!

An AMAZING Sunday Roast!!!! Delicious, warm, inviting with a very welcoming staff! it is a must visit in London!

Dinner was magic as always. We appreciate you moving our booking back and accommodating the buggy. The whole operation is really top class.

Wonderful sharing roasts. Has to be one of the best roasts in London.

Absolutely delicious food, friendly service, warm atmosphere, no rush to vacate table, service at a moderate speed to allow you to enjoy a slow paced lunch. Highly recommended!

Excellent food and a really extensive wine list. Real ales also very good. Staff very helpful and are happy to guide you and offer tastings of beer and some wines. Relaxed atmosphere with tables being available for 2 hours. I’d highly recommend a visit. Booking advisable, it’s very popular!

Food was fantastic. Atmosphere was great. Wine list is exceptional for a pub. Service was hospitable but lacked a bit of attention (fork never came for one guest, sat with dessert menus for 30+ minutes, etc). In any case, will be back and already looking forward to it.

Perfect as always. The Drapers Arms is our go-to for a meal out.

Roast arrived warm, if not slightly cold. Took a while to get our bottle of wine, but otherwise the food was delicious and the venue is really nice. Staff are friendly but obviously very busy!

Good service and food but the dining room is very noisy so we had to shout for 2 hours in order to hear each other - so not exactly a relaxing Sunday lunch….

Food was excellent, good choice and wrll presented. Lovely table, efficient service.

Excellent birthday lunch/afternoon at The Drapers Arms for 6. Service very professional and welcoming, slight hitch with one plate (mistaken order)but no qualms about rectifying and correct plate arrived very promptly. Each dish was delicious and obviously freshly cooked. Plenty choice of beer and wine, a very enjoyable experience and celebration. Thanks to all staff.

Lovely sunday roast at the Drapers Arms. Restaurant is very cozy and great for large groups.

I think this is, on balance, the best Sunday roast in London. The quality of the roast meats is on a par with Quality Chop House…absolutely delicious (especially the lamb), but the dining environment is slightly better. It’s that close, but Drapers just pips it with room/comfort. But if you only care about food….it’s a tie, and you’ll have fantastic Sunday roast in either place.

Really great food and atmosphere in a great neighbourhood setting

A neighbourhood classic that serves up everytime. Food superb, phenomenal wine list - with choice bottles either end! Suet crusted pie a perennial seasonal favourite.

Great pub with excellent food, delicious beer and great wine list. Lucky locals!

The place was recommended by our French Guidebook, and we were more than delighted ! The room was beautiful (very quiet at this time of the day) and the food excellent. We plan to come back in summertime to enjoy the little garden !

One of the best food pubs in London. Excellent cooking and an unbelievable wine list. Outstanding service. Made the New York Times recommended list for London for a reason.

Für mich einer der besten Gatro-Pubs in London mit sehr freundlichem und aufmerksamen Personal und einer Küche weit über dem Durchschnitt

Great option in Islington! We had a burrata tomato starter and steak-frites for two. Great wine recommendation from the young man serving us.

Love it! Server super nice too Warm local pub Great wine too

Great food and atmosphere, non touristic. Fantastic service

Everything was great expect there was a couple at the bar aggressively touching and making out for a few hours. The man at one point had his hands in the woman’s pants, a little disappointed the staff didn’t say anything. He literally had his hands in her pants and then was touching the bar top.

Delicious food and excellent service. Patient when we took an age to decide on our order and super friendly and professional throughout the evening.

Great food. Stellar service. So lucky to have this place a 10 minute walk away

The noise in the dining room (which is beautiful), really damaged our evening. It was just hard to speak across the table. The food was fine, the service was a little slow, but when prompted everything arrived on schedule. This is such a nice location And we had hoped that a Monday evening would be a little more tranquil. It was lovely to hear the buzz, but there was just too much of it.

amazing Sunday lunch - great service and discovered white port and tonic! Wonderful!

Good service, good food. Nice open room, not crowded at all. Service was good - friendly, efficient and welcoming. My only quibble - which is in no way the fault of the staff - is that the front door kept sticking. An we were sat by it. So every few minutes there would be a frantic banging and rattling before a staff member could come to let them in. This happened a few times - my dining companion had to do it herself three times... So, in summation, spend a few quid on a carpenter, Mr Drapers manager.

Great experience Beautiful food, keenly priced, and very friendly staff 👌

I am a big fan of the Drapers Arms. The beer, food and service are always very good. The only criticism I have is that I don’t like being charged service on drinks served at the bar. We had a tab set up, but then left the table and continued in the bar. The final bill failed to adjust for this. I would have expected a member of staff to suggest settling the tab after we’d eaten. That aside, I will happily go back.

Service wasn’t amazing but the food was great! Had a roast

Wow - considering we tried to get in a number of times and finally got a reservation - we were very excited to experience the Drapers Arms. Unfortunately, we took the advise of the waitress and upgraded to a sirloin steak to share between me and my partner and what a disappointment. We should have stuck with the roast. The sirloin was very undercooked, we ordered medium, it came blue. And the waitress never returned to ask how our meal was. It was not good. The steak beside being blue, had a lot of fat, and the potatoes were tough - yes, tough. They were roasted and looked amazing - but they were cold and were very difficult to cut. Our friends potatoes were the same. Would go again for a pint, but I will certainly not go for the roasts again :(

It's always nice when I bring guests for special occasions, we have a lovely time. I love coming! Plus the creme caramel was just as it should be - super! Thank you team, you are great!

Great food and lovely service. Excellent cocktails.

Really friendly staff, great food, will be back again as I’m new to the area!

Service outstanding, small plates excellent. Mains good but rather on the heavy side. Deserts enormous and a bit mass produced. The garden is delightful. Indoors is lovely but very noisy. All in all an excellent place to meet friends and have a gastropub meal.

The Drapers Arms is one of my favorite restaurants in London for drinks or a meal. It is next to a lovely square in Islington in a beautiful refurbished pub. The food is creative, contemporary and fresh, with hints of British and California cuisine. Really yummy! The people working there are friendly with attentive, but not over the top, service. We went for my birthday and they added a thoughtful touch to make it special. One aspect I especially love is the back terrace, great for drinks or dinner in the summer. A knowledgeable server at River Cafe recommended Drapers Arms last year and it was an exceptional discovery for us.

Great pub in a great location. Food, drink and service was excellent.

Delicious food and drinks on a very hot evening - thank you!

Incredible. I adore the Drapers: divine food and exceptional wine list.

The food is incredible. Great atmosphere too. Highly recommend it

Very great food!!! We had roast lamb. Taste amazing. Great place for meeting friends

Firstly the food was very good, as was the service! Efficient without being intrusive! Started ,with roasted Aubergine with hummus and crispy chickpeas! Delicious! Both had fish, skate wing beautifully cooked! Cod with creamy cucumber ribbons, fennel and dill was amazing! Washed down with a Vinho Verde! Quite reasonable price wise considering the quality of the food! Wii go again!!

Friendly and considerate staff, good food and lovely surroundings.

Refreshingly unpretentious. Great value for the quality of the food and wine with excellent service.

very warm and friendly welcome at the Drapers Arms - helpful on GF beer options- and we both enjoyed our Sunday roasts . clearly very family friendly - good atmosphere

Great back garden - food was good and service prompt

Lovely! Our favourite local pub/restaurant. Relaxed atmosphere. Nice staff. Good food.

Excellent Sunday Roast and as always friendly, efficient service. Extensive and carefully curated wine list. Lunch in the garden was a thoroughly enjoyable moment with friends.

Great roast dinner and really quick service in a lovely setting

Beautiful local gastro pub with nice garden area. Food was original and well prepared and presented. Roast hake was great but portion was very small so sides should be recommended.

The Drapers' Arms was absolutely perfect as always.

We loved our Sunday roast at the Drapers Arms. The staff were accommodating as we were running about 15 mins late but were still able to seat us. We were welcoming by a lovely member of staff who was very helpful and the sharing roasts were delicious - especially the lamb!

Extremely good food and great service. A lively atmosphere, a bit noisy, but it comes with the pub environment. The steak and ale pie was absolutely amazing! A place to visit!

Great spot, friendly staff, good food! Out of the way but worth the effort

Perfect Father’s Day lunch. We were sat upstairs by a window in the sunshine, it was lovely. Roast dinner was yummy and quick. We will be back!

Careless service, slapdash food, noisy ambience, wholly without charm.

Our beef was over - we asked for medium and it was definitely over. Nonetheless still very tender and we ate it. The food was also not served hot enough for me we should’ve sent it back but we were both too hungry. Love this place but a little bit more attention to detail would’ve gone a long way.

One of my favourite pubs. The food is excellent and the service is great.

i love this place as its so relaxed and like a proper pub but also has excellent food - the service and attention is superb - Ill always go here in preference

Fantastic as always, love it here. Just one thing about the food, the beef was raw, not rare. I understand it’s better to have it under done, but it was barely sealed off and as the sirloin has quite a bit of fat, if it’s not properly rendered, it can be very chewy and stick in your mouth. It was tasty, I’d just seal it off and render the fat more.

Lovely staff and amazing whole roast chicken platter 🤤🤤🤤

Yorkshires soggy, potatoes old (not crispy), gravy too thin and half the menu out of stock. Very expensive and super grumpy wait staff. Such a shame as was so highly rated!

Went on a Thursday lunchtime and we were one of only a handful of tables occupied which was surprising. Ironically the noise level was quite high as one party was quite loud and the floors/walls are very plain and hence there is no sound deadening. So a bit lacking in ambience and a bit loud at the same time. My friend and I both had one of the Drapers Arms home made salt crust pies and they were very good indeed. And very reasonably priced. The wine list is outstanding - a really wide choice from all over the world. Against that there are very few bargains - we had an Albarino at I think £42. Service was prompt and friendly. If the place was fuller I can imagine the noise level might be really quite intrusive.

We had a lovely time with delicious food. I can highly recommend this pub and will be back.

I've been trying to get a table for the Sunday roast for yonks and finally got one. It didn't disappoint. The roast chicken was so tasty, the gratinated leeks were a revelation. The room upstairs was beautiful with the natural light.

Love The Drapers. Great selection of draught beers, great food and refined bar snacks. Lovely little sun trap of a garden. Service is always friendly and excellent.

Never disappoints- one of our favorite places in London to dine.

My favourite pub in London! We had the most wonderful evening and absolutely delicious food. Would like to mention our lovely and very attentive waiter. Didn’t get his name but he was American and just so sweet! Thank you!

Lovely lunch! Food was brilliant, lovely service too - felt at home. Great wine list for those who are into wine (and got help when we didn't know what to pick!)

The meal here was basically inedible . The potatoes tasted like they came off of plate from last nights dinner . Yorkshire pudding tasted like it was sitting for days . The Sunday roast tasted like they threw it in a microwave and sent it out . What a disappointment !! Locals that took us were embarrassed by the food .

Such a lovely place. Great service, really chilled but everything handled perfectly. The food was great. Flet like a little slice of heaven for lunch.

5 stars every time. Best pub in London for every occasion; drinks, snacks, lunch or dinner. Thank you!

Beautiful pub with friendly and helpful staff, delicious food!

Booked last minute, an hour or so before, and they had a few tables ready to accommodate me and my partner on a busy Bank holiday. We were greeted on arrival by the lovely bar staff, who led us to our table. Non-fussy but attentive service, brilliant wine and food knowledge; the set up is exactly what you would want from a pub that not only serves amazing drinks but beautiful, seasonal food cooked with an eye for detail. Always recommended. Can’t wait to revisit Thanks Drapers Team

A lunch time visit to one of tge best gastropods around. It wasn't without stress as my partner had gone away to visit a friend. Unknown to me she had left her phone at home and couldnt confirm when she had returnedto London. I spent 2 hours calling and fretting about where she was before biting the bullet to find she'd been in the pub and was being well taken care of. Food was good and the service was exemplary. What more do you want from a lovely place.