One of Islington's finest gastropubs, the Charles Lamb has a huge local following, and it's worth booking if you want food, although they are perfectly welcoming toward drinkers. The kitchen is superb, the management love their work (and their dog who is a fire side fixture) and the place is perpetually full of grinning well fed punters.

The Charles Lamb also gets into the spirit with parties for every public holiday including Thanksgiving and there are a lot of wealthy Americans in here soaking up the real English ambiance.