The Marquess Tavern

T he Marquess Tavern feels surprisingly off the beaten track, considering how near it lies to Essex Road's mob of bars. A magnificent unspoilt Victorian building, it boasts a comfortable front bar with original wood panelling and a back room (probably once a games room) which claims an impressively high ceiling. When the management changed a while back the emphasis shifted more towards gastro, with the aforementioned back room transformed - with the help of some white emulsion - into a dining room. An expensive dining room at that: prices hover in the mid-teens, excluding requisite side dishes at additional cost. Still, service remains down-to-earth, and friendly - we were there all afternoon on a Sunday, and always felt welcome. There is still beer here, with a small range of Young's beers on tap, accompanied by an impressive range of more exotic bottled beers can also be found. The changes seem to have attracted an audience, as the place gets very busy - there are a lot of families that use it, including children. It feels more like a country pub now, in some ways, than a pub in central London, probably because of its backstreet location - Islington's weekend visitors simply don't see it. It's doing a grand job and the regulars obviously like it this way - can't say we blame them.

Coted Time Out Gastropub of the Year in 2006, and deemed to serve the best roast beef in the UK by Restaurant Magazine, the Marquess Tavern serves some of the best British food in London. Created with a view to be everything a perfect English pub should be, the restaurant sources its products locally wherever possible, including incredible meat form the Ginger Pig and fish from Steve Hatt. The wine list includes some fantastic English wines and there is a mind-blowing selection of beers and whiskeys. With lovely people behind the bar and friendly service we think this has all the ingredients to be one of the best places to eat British food in London.