Places To Eat In London: The Old Queen’s Head, Islington

I have literally found you the perfect way to spend your Sunday. Just 10 minutes walk from Angel tube station is one of the nicest pubs I have found in London: The Old Queen’s Head. What started off as a regular press review of their lunch offering turned into over four hours of sipping Bloody Mary’s at the bar, cozying up in the comfortable, quirky space with our perfect roasts and killer Lucky Chip burgers, and playing childhood boardgames like Guess Who?, Operation and Ludo (played on a Fustration board because we’re just that cool.)

You’ll need to book on a Sunday, but you’ll get your table for a good long while. You can get all the pub favourites (plus the Camden Hells is unfiltered, which I like) their Bloody Mary’s are unique and lovely (go for the gin one, it by far has the best and most curious flavour) and while they’re not on the menu, a look around the pub told me that if you ask, they’ll mix you up a classic cocktail like a mojito in a pinch.

The Sunday menu is short and simple. There is a choice of four roasts and three different burgers, and a load of sides. His roast beef (served with a good amount of horseradish on the side) was apparently perfect; a generous portion, with none of the trimmings overlooked. I’ve been told we’ll be going back to have this again.

As I have often noted, I don’t really like roasts. So, a Sunday roast pub where I could get one of Lucky Chip’s famous burgers that I have never actually tried? Count me in. I had a Five Guys the other night and it was not as good as this burger, telling of how rich, juicy and epic it really was. I went for the classic cheeseburger without the cheese (they’re all cheesy options) and literally my only note was it was very saucy. This is something I love, but perhaps something you can ask them to cut back on if it is not your thing.

Literally the only thing I’d skip at the The Old Queen’s Head is their puddings. We shared the Theresa May (how could we not, two politicos sitting there and it being named after the Prime Minister?) and it was simply okay, a lemon tart served with a scoop of lemon sorbet. Instead, just order more of the sides which are superb.

Once you’ve eaten, stick around. The best afternoon I can remember in a long time is the afternoon we spend getting super competitive playing old boardgames they have Operation, they have Guess Who they have Mousetrap, Hungry Hippos, Frustration, and these are just the ones we got our hands on. And they have a fantastic house prosecco to celebrate a winning streak with, which I totally took advantage of!

The Old Queen’s Head may actually be my favourite pub in London at the moment. I can’t wait to go back for a burgers, roasts and board games, and I urge you if you don’t have plans on Sunday to see if they have a table (you can hang around as a walk in waiting for a table to become available for food, but then you’ll have less chance of being able to chill with some drinks and games afterwards!)

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