The Hens and Chicken Theatre Bar in Islington

Lovely small corner pub, great beer selection, team very friendly and helpful, big shout to Aleksandra for being w star of our night out. Highly recommend

Just a great pub. Friendly, clean, everything I wanted

NADINE!!! Absolute hero, 1 man band sorted us out all night

Had a great night here and Nadine was brilliant

Incredible Guinness and Nadine's gaydar is unrivalled

Great little gem of a pub! Shout out to Chelsea who looked after me all night. A pub not to be missed.

As someone that spends an unhealthy amount of time at this pub, I can honestly say that it is a wonderful place. It’s not a huge establishment or a place that plays loud music and has vast crowds, it is instead an intimate, quaint pub that has an abundance of character and something akin to a zen vibe. It’s located a stone’s throw from Highbury and Islington station so you’d expect it to be heaving with an overcrowded energy, but instead it exudes a lovely relaxed atmosphere. The staff behind the bar are all top notch, particularly the manager, Lucas who charms with an easy humour and also Nadine, who has such a lovely vibrant energy. This is the ideal place for when you’re having a bad day and better yet, a perfect place for when you’re having a good one. I’d say it’s a hidden gem and I encourage you to NOT visit, because you could very well take my favourite seat of one of the comfy leather, Chesterfield arm chairs.

A really vibey place with a great selection of beers and non-alcoholic cocktails! They have a theatre space on the 1st floor, which shows comedy on most nights, so if you're looking for a place to see a show and have a drink it's a really good shout. The service was quick and friendly, so we'll definitely be coming back!

Lovely atmosphere ! Saw a show upstairs which was great. Nadine was so lovely on bar and really looked after us. Definitely will be coming again.

Great place! Much better than the other bars around Highbury Corner. Big shout out to Nadine who looked after us all night!

Brilliant venue. Good music, really pleasant atmosphere and friendly helpful team. When I managed to lose my wallet by letting it fall out of my pocket they couldn't have been more helpful - searching everywhere until they found it! Fantastic place.

Met a friend here on 23rd December for a pre Christmas meet up and a few drinks. I'd always passed it on the bus and always thought 'i must pop in' well I'm really glad I did. Really cosy venue with a great atmosphere. I met a really lovely bar server called Nadine who mad the evening even better. She was so friendly and offered a really warm welcome. Drinks are a reasonably priced and they offer a range of bar snacks. Will definitely be in again as we were made to feel so welcome. Thank you so much!

Always a great experience with lovely staff and a great buzz.

Great pre-football pub, friendly staff, good service.

A quality pub for everyone. Good beer and friendly staff.

Great service from shineane made a it a great experience. Highly recommended

No ales on today, but been assured this is temporary and look forward to trying on my next visit.

Has a great little theatre as well

I put 1 star for food because there is none but they have snacks, I got served by Lukas. Nadine and I believe Alex brilliant service with a smile and a little chat, Atmosphere is nice chilled if packed you might need to stand but other then that I will be coming back again with friends. Thanks

Great pub, Chelsea was great behind the bar

Love this place! Friendly staff and the show we saw upstairs (Hungry Animals) was excellent! Looking forward to many more evenings out here to come.

How on Earth this place survives with so few folks for some of the shows... who knows? But the shows are great, the cocktails tasty, and the selection of other bevvies diverse enough to please any palate. Go. See a show. Support local theatre.

As always, very hard to review a theatre without also reviewing the show you saw there. I saw "Yoga and sex...for women (over 40)". The show was superb! Side splittingly funny! See it if you get a chance. The bar was good, with relatively quick service, even though it was quite busy. You can take in drinks, but they need to be in a plastic cup. One star off because they don't offer food.

Nice pub and theatre, visited for a show and found it very welcoming, staff lovely as well.

A pooular pub with an upstairs theatre.

Nice little placed packed with a nice atmosphere. Chelsea (?) made it a lovely evening for us

Popped in after a visiting friends, was served by a lovely person called Chelsea, explained the different wine options and Rum choices to my partner, lovely atmosphere and drink choice, can’t wait to pop by again soon

I had a wonderful experience last week and Chelsea was a really friendly bartender who delivered incredible service and the whole atmosphere of the bar was brilliant.

I had such a great time here last week. I was served by Chelsea who was so lovely. She pointed me in the direction of the Camden Stout, which I was hesitate to try, but she knew I would like it and I did. Will definitely be coming back again.

Very nice pub and great selection of drinks. The staff were very friendly and welcoming, especially Seian she was very professional and accommodating!

Lovely little find! No hot food but a great range of beers and a few snacks to make up for it. Chelsea was super helpful in recommending which of the craft beers to try!

Nice pub but the staff are the most miserable people I’ve ever encountered. If you fancy spending £7 on a pint to have the staff look at you like you’ve took a dump on their kids Christmas dinner then this is the place for you. Don’t be in hospitality if you can’t give good service with a smile. Miserable people

I came to watch a South African Comedian as a recent expat to the UK myself. They wouldn’t except my South African driving licence as a form of ID, a rule that seemed to be made up on the spot (I’ve used it many times before and never had a problem). I felt the staff were pretty dismissive and I was unimpressed. I did enjoy the show though, great comedian and cute stage area.

Always a lovely venue :) great vibe.

Went to see a play in their little cosy theatre above the pub. It is great. It accommodates around 50 people (maybe 40?). Seats are very close to the stage and if you want or not you feel like you just become a part of the play. Definitely worth to experience once if you are looking fir non commercial, old school, trendy little theatre with its own charm! Personals behind bar very friendly, always keen to serve you fast. Unfortunately didn’t get chance to try food, but be back there for sure! Pub very clean and welcoming. Loved their old fashion Chesterfield’s high back arm chairs. Could sit in one for hours 😊

Great vibe, one of the first pubs I visited in london and wasn't disappointed! Chatted with harry at the bar and he was very friendly, will visit again!

I had a great time at the Hen and Chicken’s today, Harry was such a great bartender

I love it here, the theatre is lovely and the bar is great. Shout out to Harry who I chatted with today and was brill!

Having a great pint before the Codeine show at The Garage, Islington. Harry the barman is super helpful and friendly too.

Lovely pub on a nice corner in Islington. Perfect place to sit outside when it's nice out. Great staff, especially Harry, he pours a phenomenal pint 👌

great atmosphere, and the drinks were yum! special thanks to harry for making our night exceptional!

We usually really enjoy this pub and go there semi regularly as it is not far from where we live and a change of scenery! My friends and I were there the other day and playing a card game in which there were occasional levels of excitement/cheering. The group by us was consistently at a loud level, so the pub was not quiet and it was late enough that a play wasn't going on upstairs. A woman (i think the manager, geometric glasses) gave us a hard time upon ordering earlier in the night but came up to us as we were playing the game and told us she could hear us from the cellar so we had to be quiet. We were confused as the group by us was loud the entire time compared to our bursts of noise and otherwise relatively tame levels of speaking. Not sure what was bothered down in the cellar from a card game level of excitement but we all felt it was handled aggressively and we will not be returning unfortunately! (We want to point out that the young man working alongside her was incredibly lovely and helpful, very efficient, very kind!)

Small but decent pub, comedy / theatre upstairs and tables / leaning space available outside.

A wonderful pub with friendly, efficient staff. Great atmosphere.

Fantastic venue with a great little cabaret space upstairs!

We use to be regulars but for the past couple of years it went a bit downhill. Now it has become our local once again. Lukas has done an amazing job and turned this place around with efficient staff and personalities to match. I really can’t remember waiting any longer than one minute to be served, even with the theatre crowd. It really has got its vibe back and most of the time, has a great atmosphere. It is nice, early Sunday evenings, being quieter. We have noticed new regulars coming into the bar, which is great and haven’t seen that for quite a while. A testament to the way this bar is ran.

Delightful pub, and cosy fringe theatre. A welcome break from the hussle and bussle of Islington

Excellent, their service and treatment is excellent

Pop in for a few drinks Lovely atmosphere Bar staff was very nice Will defo return

Lovely theatre and pub in the heart of Highbury and Islington.

Am a local but got a half pint not filled to the top. When I remarked on it to the bar lady, she politely declined to deal with it as she couldn't be sure that I’d already drunk from it (or not). Why would I return to the bar in this way… people behind the bar should aim to provide good customer service, around the clock and not get weary when shifts are ending.

I was attending an event in the cinema upstairs. I had a drink at the bar. Nice location, nice seating area, good windows for people watching.

Very good place to pre drink before the football! COYG

Lovely pub and theatre. Very good value too

Nice atmosphere and friendly staff (special shout-out to Joe!)

Great pub, welcoming and relaxed. Brilliant staff who are attentive and knowledgable. Great vibe and a famous little theatre upstairs. Well with a visit.

Great pub. Great pub theatre upstairs. That's a complete evening as far as I'm concerned.

Great place for a beer after a game.

Great place and friendly staff, large choice of draft beer, definitely recommend

Quirky, great view of High iry Corner

Great pub. Friendly, happy, helpful and polite staff. Excellent selection of beers, good atmosphere.

Decent pub attached to a theatre. Great, friendly staff and good selection of drinks

I had a lovely pint here, and it is a beautiful theatre upstairs. The trip was made great by the general manager lukas who was really friendly and the staff seemed really happy having him

Good location and great beer. We had a great time, until a group of highly intoxicated guys came to the pub and caused trouble. The group of guys came into the pub heavily intoxicated (two of them couldn't stand up properly), and they were still being served alcoholic beverages. One of the guys kept leaning on my partner's mother and gave her uncomfortable looks. I politely asked him to leave her alone and move away, but himself and his friends threatened to attack me, followed by insulting me with foul language. I informed the staff at the bar, and the staff moved the intoxicated group to one side. They carried on going near us, antagonising me and threatening me. The staff refused to ask them to leave, so we decided to leave instead. Very poor management. It was my partner's Birthday, and this pub ruined her night. Myself, my partner, her sister, and her mother, felt extremely uncomfortable, because of the intoxicated guys being creepy to my partner's mother, and threatened to attack me. We will never be visiting this establishment again. Safety is an absolute priority, and this place is not safe. The staff already broke the law by serving intoxicated clientele. If one of the intoxicated cliente harassed us even more, I would've contacted the police. There needs to be security in the premises.

Good atmosphere, handy for the tube and a good selection of Whisky

Lovely pub on Highbury Corner. Small theatre upstairs. Staff nice, whole place clean and comfy. Atmosphere was very relaxed. Pub is small, but quiet when we went so no problem getting a seat.

Very friendly staff who gave us great tips for a trip through London... we'll be back

Nice spot with good drinks selection and friendly bar staff.

Baseperson with short hair and glasses looked my 23 year old friend up and down and said she doesn't need to see her ID and then proceeded to refuse to serve me (25yr old) after I offered to show ID. This was at 10pm on a Tuesday evening. Laughable yet annoying.

Lovely pub with a good selection and draught drinks. Good atmosphere and kind staff. Some board games available which is always a nice homely touch, and the bar staff were extremely nice when a game off Jenga smashed a glass !

I went here for the Rainbow Umbrella Festival showing queer films made by queer creatives. I had such a lovely time meeting Mark. Thank you for hosting, making me feel comfortable & sharing queer films. On top of that, the atmosphere was cozy & laid back, and the staff is very friendly.

Great place to go to for a few drinks before going to Arsenal football club.

Tiny little pub, but amazingly cosy and beautiful architecture and design in and out! Good beer range and the people behind the bar are super friendly!

It is a nice and cosy pub, can get quite busy though. Location is great and service is good

Nice, fairly quirky bar with all the Christmas lights and decorations, etc. good service and a chilled vibe even on a Saturday evening.

Lovely local pub with upstairs cinema/theatre space. I went to a late cabaret performance here which was short and sweet. Would be interesting to see a film here as it seems like an ideal private cinema space.

Had a relaxing and tranquil evening post hustling and bustling weekend. Me and the wife had been visiting all the Christmas merkte and had a lot stuff our in “stockings” (no pun intended) all weekend so a bottle the H&C Bar’s finest red was exactly what we needed. Naz was a joy, super helpful and friendly. Would come again… 10/10 out for vibe and service. Lucas was great too!

If you’re gonna go…. Ask for Seian! Amazing waitress! And wow what great drinks she makes

Love this place. Excellent customer service. Lovely ambiance. Not too crowded on a Wednesdaynight

Fantastic bar. Perfect even. Fantastic staff and great, varied music (from Girls Aloud to Glam Rock, Marva Whitney, and more - what's not to like?) and a well stocked little bar. Super friendly, atmospheric, and while I was only in for a pit stop before a gig down the road, I'd love to come back and visit the theatre upstairs. A lot of really cool things going on around this place. Fabulous. You should come.

Really great pub wonderful staff, great atmosphere. Thank you for the great nights this week watching the various films you've shown and your hospitality 😊

Really cute small bar with awesome theatre above

Lovely small pub with a good atmosphere.

Top quality boozer. Come on you Gunners!

Rate, never too busy and kind staff

Great little bar, really enjoyed the theatre upstairs and open mic night was awesome.

Excellent service and the theatre above is a great space (and air conditioned)

Still absolutely 5 star in terms of service and choice of drinks. It transforms from its quaint self to a football pub on Arsenal match days, which is when I go. Probably not ideal for the staff but they cope admirably with lots of fast drinking, noisy punters. Great pub.

Lovely little theatre at the top of the pub

Friendly staff and good drinks!

Lovely pub! Had a great time and staff are great. I’ll be back 👍🏻

Went to see a South African comedian - Alfred Adriaan. Nice quirky pub with an intimate performance space upstairs. Good range of beers, and also do food (not sampled). Good London boozer!

Excellent pub with amazing, friendly staff. First visit, won’t be the last.

Nice spot outside to watch London go by. Beautiful decor inside. Good beer

Nice people but painful steps to the theatre keeps people sway

Nice place. Lots of character, and good staff. The small patch of green opposite makes a pleasant afternoon pint in the sun

Nice pub and theatre bar . Helpful staff.

Watered down beer is all I have to say

Nice little pub near station and with a theatre. Check out what's on

It's my go to place pre match day following The Arsenal. Great atmosphere and staff are friendly and efficient. There is a small theatre upstairs with a variety of acts performing, known and new. Good range of beers on draught catering for all tastes. Compact pub but lively.