Be At One, N1

A regular(ish) haunt of mine until few years ago, I always seem to find my self drawn to the Nags Head on my now sporadic Islington ventures. The exterior is quite enticing with its usually impressive flower basket display and twin entrances with their mosaic tiled floor. The pub is very narrow which begs the question of why there are 2 doorways in the first place and one can only wonder how small the interior may have been at one stage when it was presumably divided into 2 bars. These days the interior is all knocked into one and extends quite a way back with the bar running down the right hand side. It has a robust feel with bare floors and solid furnishings although much of the old jumble and bric-a-brac has been recently removed. A few reproduction posters of local hangings and pigs for sale adorn the walls alongside old photos of the area. The rear section doubles as a local art and photography gallery. The 3 TV’s and a big screen cover the usual sporting events. There are 3 hand pumps with Pride, Black Sheep Best and Caledonian 80/- being the options on my latest visit although prices are a bit steep with the latter at £3.35. Food appeared to be quite reasonable with main courses between £5 and £8. The pub can be quite packed at peak times and always seems to be quite vibrant with a fairly mixed customer base. I have never experienced any problems although getting served can sometimes be a bit on the slow side. I was surprised to discover that it is actually part of the Barracuda chain, not one of my favourite pub entities but this is certainly one of their better efforts.

I was in here very late on Saturday night and found it surprisingly friendly and relaxed for a high street pub. There were a few drunken people in attendance, but there wasn’t any hint of trouble – maybe it was the Police songs coming out of the speakers that mellowed everyone. There are a few plasma screens dotted about this long and thin pub and Sky Sports is available for showing Premiership football etc. The staff were friendly and although the three hand pumps were all off I did enjoy a decent couple of pints of Guinness from the standard draught selection available. There is plenty of seating at the rear of the pub and there are a couple of tables on the path out front. I didn’t see anyone eating, but there were lots of signs advertising food and the kitchen is open until 22:00 every night. The bar hours are a little later as the pub shuts at midnight every night and 1am on Saturdays. I don’t think that this is a destination pub, but I was glad to find it on an unplanned traipse through Angel.

The Nags Head is located close to Angel Tube on the opposite side of Upper Street opposite the York. A Single bar pub which is long and thin and stretches quite some way back from the street entrance. The decor is heavy on wood, with a wooden floor and wood panelling on every wall. This is broken up by the use of several mirrors and quite a few black and white historical prints to try and give the place a bit of character. The large bar area covers a significant amount of the right hand side and the left has a selection of bench type seating and tables and chairs. This then leaves quite a narrow space for vertical drinking if you can’t get a seat. And there’s a couple of external tables out front which can accommodate a few people at the most. The beers on during my visit were London Pride, Caledonian Deuchars IPA and 80/-. The pub was quieter than other nearby establishments on my mid week evening visit, so I was able to get a place to sit. It’s an OK place and decent enough for a quick beer, especially as it had 80 bob on , which is not so common in London, but it’s not the type of place I’d consider to spend all evening.

Randomness Guide to London - Nags Head entry

Randomness Guide to London - Nags Head entry