The Chapel Market Tavern, N1

Refurbished mid-2009, the Compass has acquired a shortened name (it was formerly the Salmon & Compass) as well as a new direction having now become firstly and foremost a gastro pub. The large interior is been divided into two with a dining section one end and a decent sized drinker’s area at the other. A curtain can be pulled across the room to separate the two if required. The lengthy bar runs around the corner of the pub and is equally divided into food and drink sections. The décor is quite plain and unfussy with bare floors and large curtainless windows but no real focal point. Despite being food orientated, there is a decent selection of ales available at not unreasonable prices. The 4 pumps on my visit were dispensing Adnams, Whistable India Pale Ale, Skinners Jingle Knockers and Cheddar Valley cider with the quality very good. I’m not a great fan of gastro pubs and the Compass wouldn’t be my choice for an evening session but it does seem to have made a bit of an effort to appeal to drinkers and given the policy of offering some more unusual ales, I can see myself popping in again when in the area.

This food led pub has four hand pumps on the bar that were drawing Cheddar valley cider, East India Pale Ale, Adnams and Ruby mild during my visit on Saturday night a couple of weeks ago. There are also some premium lagers and I was poured a nice half of Guinness that was served in a dinky little dimpled jug by a very friendly member of staff. This is an open plan pub with an open kitchen and I have to say that it was quite hot and I was glad to find a free picnic table on the path outside to knock back my drink. This place doesn’t open until 17:00 on Mondays and Tuesdays and midday on other days, but the closing times are listed as ‘late’, whatever that means. There’s nothing really wrong with this place, but it’s a little too gastro for my tastes.