The Charles Lamb Pub

I wanted traditional English pub in a local setting and that is exactly what I got. Total neighborhood joint, small and cute, friendly people (both the staff and the patrons) and not to mention delicious food.
Had my very first scotch egg and Sunday roast here. Very tasty. Very cool.
I'd come back and if lived here, I'd be a reg and play cards with the staff.

This review is for drinks only but after reading the other reviews on this place, clearly I need to go back for the food.

Good drinks, nice outdoor seating. A lovely place to spend a Saturday evening in the summer.

The Charles Lamb Pub is situated within a quiet residential street off from the louder, busier Upper Street. It's a dainty place, and a good local to have.

They serve an eclectic range of delicious French and English dishes such as Jerusalem artichoke, garlic and rosemary soup, steak mushroom and Guinness pie with green beans and mash, fish cakes and home cut chips and rhubarb syllabub. They also do a roast every Sunday for £12.

They have a tasty selection of wines ,which is always good to see: Picpoul, Viognier, Muscadet, Tempranillo, Merlot. As well as a good selection of lagers, Real Ales and spirits to choose from.

The atmosphere is always calm (you won't find a raucous crowd in here), friendly and homely with the usual locals about, and families with their young children and dogs.
They are open on Monday and Tuesday from 4pm, and Wednesday to Sunday from 12 noon.

It's hard to believe that this pub is just five minutes' walk from the mania of Upper Street, but there you go. It's in an area of tranquil, attractive (and doubtless eye-wateringly expensive) terraced streets a stone's throw from the Regent's Canal.


Built in 1839, the building was originally three shops, and was converted into a pub in the 1920s. The current owners renamed it in 2005 after the essayist Charles Lamb (1775-1834), who penned his collected 'Essays of Elia', published in 1823, which gave the name to the road. ('Elia' was his pen name).


The exterior is traditional with painted brick and rich brown tiling, and the two-room interior is clean and modern, with wooden floors and a light colour scheme.


It's well known both as a gastro-pub and for its selection of real ales, which include Dark Star's 'Hophead' and at least two other guest ales, including recently Kelham's 'Pale Rider'. It's certainly worth looking out for an interesting beer. They also have a reasonable wine list if you prefer grape to grain. It's in CAMRA's 'Good Beer Guide' and 'Les Routiers Places to Eat' UK guide.


I haven't tried the food, but it has been strongly recommended, and is - refreshingly - relatively sensibly priced for this neck of the woods, with starters and puds in the £4.50-£5 bracket, and mains around £9-£11. They do some interesting off-beat bar snacks (toasted broad beans etc) too, but not crisps.


There are board games available and special celebrations on Bastille Day in July (petanque in the street). Service is friendly and reasonably efficient, and the managers are friendly and have an equally friendly dog.


The only issue really is that it's a bit too small for it's current popularity, with punters regularly spilling out onto the street (there are some tables and chairs on the pavement, but don't count on sitting down).


Said punters are a wide mix of Islington locals, from students and office workers to the occasional creative type, looking like they have dropped out of the 'Its Grim Up North London' cartoon.


Well worth a visit if you are in the area.

I had the grilled pork chop with mash and curly kale, my friend had roast duck on lentils. Really good portions. So very tasty!!! I'd definitely go back again. Kinda pricey, but worth a splurge.

Nice little pub tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Angel.

The food is in season and very tasty. I was a little disappointed they didn't have a veggie alternative for the roast dinner though.

Best part of the pub is that they have board games!! We played scrabble and drank tea...very civilized! They also have Ludo and Monopoly.

An all-round nice and cosy pub!

This pub is right near my office so I've probably been here 2-3 times per month for the past few years. It's tiny and almost always rammed so get there early and try to grab a seat before it fills up, otherwise you might find yourself outside in the cold or inside in the heat, depending on the season. It's better for a drink with a date than for groups or for dinner.

They have good ales and wine, and in the winter hot cider or mulled wine. The food is decent but expensive. The staff is normally accommodating but there have been a few times they've been a bit rude to us, which is a shame since it's not cheap, and my colleagues and I have certainly spent quite a bit of time and money here. In general the customers are a mixed but friendly bunch, I've met some nice people. I normally quite like the decor; at the moment there's a huge but minutely detailed map of London fancifully depicted as its own island, with magnifying glasses to see the tiny writing.

Despite all the nice things about it, though, I do think it's a bit overrated. If you get a seat it can be nice, but more often than not it's uncomfortably crowded. I wouldn't go out of my way to come to this pub, but I do know lots of people who like it.

This was a cute, busy pub with the occasional unassuming patron in the corner eager to strike up an awkward conversation - the lonely old guy next to us who followed our convo for an hour before suddenly ambushing it being a case in point! Overall nice atmosphere, tucked away in a quiet area.

And what's with the toilets!? There is a 'surprise' step down into the ladies' room which every girl tripped on as she entered, tipsy or not! It was actually quite entertaining.

i was recommended this pub of the main drag of islington a few years back. happy to have finally tucked into the spot. they have their own brews and wine. all fairly good. we started with snacks - sausage roll and black pudding scotch egg. the latter was quite good. i had the coq au vin which was delicious for a chilly evening. the chicken was quite tender melding nicely with the basmati rice.

the staff are very helpful with recommendations and open with their bevies and food suggestions. i'll definitely be back.

I really
liked this pub, it is just a shame that it was so busy that I felt forced to
seek the respite of the pavement outside. We have now got to that time of year
where this is not recommended.
What I
did see of the inside though impressed me greatly. I saw ales I hadn't
encountered before and an unusual appealing décor.
The pub
is named after the English essayist who lived in the area in olden times. I'm
not sure what the French link is with this pub but the menu looks quite French
to me and there is even a French version of their website!
This is
one I am definitely coming back to! Just don't try and rearrange their tables!