The Alwyne Castle, Islington

Yes, the bar staff are a little blunt and on the more than odd occasion you have to wait a bit for a drink, but the Alwyne is, at the very least, a Great British pub. It has fought the good fight, and whilst offering a good food menu and actually producing some quality nosh at reasonable prices, it has retained its boozer charm and held at bay those who would otherwise turn it into some pretentious 'posh' gastro pub for the all too common Islington media luvvies. At the Alwyne, you are guarenteed an eclectic mix of people, from young and old, to parents and prams, students, mid twenty to thirty somethings, groups of mates, and the odd lunatic who smells of wee. A champion of a "public" bar. The Alwyne holds its middle finger aloft at all those yuppy havens around the corner, like the newly re-opened Canonbury or the Albion.

A great selection of lagers, ciders and speciality beers/ales. Not bad wine list. All very normal pub prices. The Alwyne is spacious inside and has a large outside area (although right on St Pauls Road). It always seems to catch the evening sun so perfect for a pint later in the day. Nice bbq's in the summer.

Huzzah for the Alwyne!

2 Sep 2009 16:41