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Steam Passage Tavern, N1
N1
N1 0PN
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 4½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about Steam Passage Tavern
One of the more pub-like pubs surviving on Upper Street, ie it hasn't been converted into some sort of trendy eatery. The low ceilinged bar extends back into two long narrow sides, largely fitted with banquettes and booths, well-decorated with pictures and a smattering of ephemera. Perhaps a few too many sports screens for comfort but nice enough at a non-sport time. Ales on were not especially exciting, possibly due to the Covid fall-out, but at least they managed to offer a range: Ghost Ship, London Pride, Bombardier and Doom Bar.
On 16th September 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about The Steam Passage
No real ale - had to have Stella. Won't be revisiting.
On 19th January 2017
- rating: 3
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Steam Passage
A first time in here the other night and Mr. Duck's not wrong when he describes this as being a pub for football fans but with added slightly chavvy transients. The floor is modern bare boarded with lots of wood panelling painted dark or pale grey. There are semi-industrial lights with low wattage filament bulbs. Furniture is mixed and there are games machines and loud music. In addition there are more TVs showing sport than a branch of Argos and in mid-October, there are nascent Christmas decorations.
Ales: Hobgoblin, Sharp's Doom Bar, Sambrook's Wandle and Hammerton's N7, price not clocked but good.
This isn't a great place and could easily be mistaken for a 'spoons and I wont' be returning.
On 23rd October 2016
- rating: 3
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Steam Passage
Busy formula pub catering for football fans on my visit, only two beers on, an uninspiring pair of Sharps Doom Bar and Atlantic. I wouldn't bother again.
On 3rd May 2016
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Steam Passage
There were three ales on in here - The Sharp's pairing of Atlantic and Doom Bar (of course), plus Rev James Blond. The Rev James came up rank, and the barmaid dipped a straw into my beer to test a drop or two of it. She wasn't entirely convinced as the beer wasn't cloudy, but changed it anyway. Interesting technique for testing beer quality - not seen it before. Food is available from a typical pubco glossy menu. Bangers and mash are £8.95, but "pies, glorious pies" is the main culinary offering with eight to choose from all at the seemingly standard price of £8.95.
It's typical pubco inside. The pubco in question is the Tattershall Castle Group (new one on me), but the ambience and layout is typical of pubcos like Stonegate or Taylor Walker. There's a wedge of tall tables/tall stools at the front of the room, with some normal tables and chairs ranged around the central island bar. There is a handful of picnic benches outside on the pavement.
This is a bustling pub at the Angel end of the heaving Upper St. It's handily placed on a main road I guess, but there's not really anything about it that would draw me back.
On 24th August 2015
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about The Steam Passage
Another Islington clone pub. 3 real ales on but nothing to inspire me to return.
On 18th May 2014
- rating: 2
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Steam Passage
Interior as described below. 3 real ales and food served.
On 19th March 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Steam Passage
It looks like two rather different buildings have been amalgamated at some stage to form this pub, which has been opened out inside to form an island bar (albeit with the surrounding seating area having been partially raised around the back). Traditional furniture and decor. Sports TVs. Patio tables out front. Now has five handpumps in operation, offering Adnams Lighthouse, Doom Bar and the from Brains: Rev James, SA Gold and IPA (£3.35, and served in a jug). Overall, nothing special but gives the appearance of being well managed.
On 16th June 2012
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Steam Passage
From memory of my initial visits many years ago, the Steam Passage has extended sideways into the adjoining building at some recent stage making the interior bigger albeit they don’t appear to really make the best use of the floorspace with the large island bar squeezing everything else to the edges of the pub.
A circular walk around the pub reveals several drinking sections running into one another with the rear slightly raised. There isn’t a great deal of interest to be found and the place feels very much like the High Street PubCo establishment that it essentially is. It is generally populated by people who are too unadventurous to explore the back streets or office groups who are hesitant to go beyond their regular safety zone.
The 3 ales available include the pretty standard choices of Pride and Bombardier complimented by Brains Rev James (£3.20)served in a dimpled mug for a traditional touch (I recall the old days when you could actually get beer in 2 pint glasses here). The pub grub menu seemed reasonablty priced for the area with main courses between £7.50 and £10. A selection of cocktail, smoothies and shooters was also on offer.
There are a couple of TV’s dotted around with some quite intrusive music that didn’t seem to suit the customer base. All in all it is quite a bland and safe choice for a pint without doing anything to warrant spending too much time in given the other local options.
On 22nd December 2010
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Steam Passage
It was fairly busy in here on Saturday night, but the service was instantaneous and I found all of the staff to be very friendly. I spotted Amstel and Peroni available in amongst the sea of standard draught and surprisingly all three hand pumps were still in action when I left at 1am and these were drawing Brains SA Gold, Dark and Pride. There were plenty of signs up for food which is served all day and much of what was on the menu seemed to be in direct competition with Wetherspoons.
The pub itself is a typical nondescript high street establishment with plasma screens throughout for watching the football etc on Sky Sports, but these were all muted as some music was being blasted out of the speakers. The bar is in the centre of the pub and there is plenty of seating at the rear and also lots up the right hand side of the pub, where a quiz machine can be found, and some café style seating can be found out the front. This was being used by smokers and some nosey people that were watching the plight of the ever so common young Saturday night reveller that has overdone it and ended up slumped in the adjacent doorway covered in their dinner.
For a late drink I thought that this place was perfectly acceptable and I would return if I found myself in Angel at midnight again.
On 28th September 2010
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5243 recommendations about 5211 pubs]