Trinity - Pizza Pilgrims - Basement Sate

Wednesday 3rd September - A return to Clapham Common for another leisurely lunch with my parents. Last time out, The Dairy swept us off our feet.  How would Adam Byatt's Trinity do? 

We arrived hungry at 12.30 and found, for a while at least, that we had a dining room all to ourselves, with windows opening out on to a sunny Clapham pavement.  Yes, that is Starbucks, not a delightful independent coffee shop.  Give Clapham a few months.

We went straight for the lunch menu.  2 courses for £22 or 3 for £27 (Tuesday-Saturday).  A La Carte is of course available, or you can go for the £50 tasting menu.  We ordered a trio of greengage bellinis (one boozy, one water, one lemonade) which were accompanied by a complimentary snack box of radishes, cheese sticks with olive tapenade and roe mayonnaise.

Greengage Bellini

Complimentary snacks - radish, olive tapenade cheese sticks, roe mayonnaise

More treats turned up before the starters - a bowl of sourdough that was the product of 14 years of fermentation (!) and triple whipped butter.  This threatened to steal the show, and seconds were ordered. Funnily enough, the only other place I have been served butter on a rock since starting this blog was at The Dairy round the corner.  Clapham knows how to serve its bread.  I shall be triple whipping my butter from now on, but I'm not waiting 14 years for the perfect sourdough.

14 year fermented sourdough with triple whipped butter

The starters soon made their grand entrance.  Staff were balletic in their approach to serving, with plates going down in unison as details of the dish were almost whispered to the relevant diner.  A quail's egg sat atop a fort of potted smoked trout whilst watercress soup was poured all around - great presentation with flavours to match.  My mother meanwhile had a generous portion of Vitello Tonnato (a Piedmontese dish of cold, sliced veal covered with a tuna-flavoured mayonnaise) which was wrapped around bobby beans, with crackling and ravigote (a lightly acidic, classic French sauce).  Could Trinity keep up this high level throughout?

Watercress Soup, Potted Smoked Trout, Quail's Egg

Vitello Tonnato, Bobby Beans, Crackling, and Ravigote

There was no sign of a dip in quality (or quantity) in the mains.  That second portion of bread might have been a mistake (I said might).  Beautifully cooked warm roast salmon with bonus crispy skin, leaning on a spaghetti of vegetables, was surrounded by al dente agnolotti (another import from Piedmont, beef and vegetable stuffed pasta) and a crab vinaigrette.  Wow.  I might have to rush back for more before the menu changes with those pesky seasons.

Warm Roast Salmon, Agnolotti, Crab Vinaigrette, Spaghetti of Vegetables

My Dad's plate of Lamb Offal was an impressive sight - not something that I would order, but right up his street.  It firmly got the thumbs up, an empty plate telling most of the story.  If you've got lunch plans to eat at Heston's Dinner (£39 for 3 courses, 2 Michelin stars), it might be time to change the booking.  

Lamb Offal: Liver, Kidney & Sweetbread, Fricassé of Peas, Lettuce and Onions

After a brief discussion about sharing desserts, we greedily ordered three separate bowls, spurred on by the superb staff's enthusiasm for their favourite pudding making it back on to the menu. 

That enticing, inverted fried egg looking thing you can see is a Valrhona Chocolate Hot Pot with Salt Caramel Ice Cream.  Granted, the salted caramel struggled to compete with the gooey, rich Valrhona chocolate, but who cares?  I was ultimately defeated, but I ate way more of it than I should have.  

And then they went and brought us some macaroons on a bed of cocoa nibs.  I managed to fit one in - only polite, right?

Valrhona Chocolate Hot Pot with Salt Caramel Ice Cream

Macaroons on a cocoa nib bed

As you might have noticed, we were rather happy with our lunch.  Not just the food and drink though as the service was second to none.  I shouldn't think it will be too long before we are back for the tasting menu. Well done Trinity, you (and The Dairy) are doing Clapham and South London proud.

N.B.  Trinity has some unexpected opening times: Lunch is served Tue-Fri 12.30-2.30pm, Sat midday-2pm, Sun midday- 3.30pm. Dinner is served Mon-Sat: 6:00-10pm.  On Monday bank holidays Trinity is also open for lunch.

P.S. Adam Byatt has another restaurant, Bistro Union, on the charming Abbeville Road. I might go along for a Sunday Supper Club evening when corkage is free.

Right, now, don't judge me, but there's a chance I was hungry again a few hours later.  Ahead of a bar launch, Natalie and I decided to check out the new Pizza Pilgrims Pizzeria & Friggitoria in Kingly Court, already being very familiar with their Neapolitan pizzas from street food events and their Dean Street home.

I won't go in to too much detail, as you can read about their original pizzeria here, but I will mention a few new things.  Firstly, space! They have lots of it, including plenty outdoors in Kingly Court and also downstairs, where there is a full-on Super Mario mural.  An arcade machine (supposedly Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) is soon to be added there too.  

Coffee. They have a separate little coffee outpost next to the pizzeria with their friends at Terrone Coffee Roasters, who run a popular stall at Netil Market.  The Terrone owner, Edy Piro hails from just outside Naples, so that's all good.

Booze.  Collaborating with Chase Distillery, they have crafted Sohocello, their own take on Limoncello with Luigi Aceto’s Amalfi lemons & Chase English potato spirit. They have also sensibly sourced some exciting Italian beers from Birra del Borgo, a brilliant brewery.  It's about time Londoners knew that Italians make more than just Peroni.

Friggitoria.  Not content with nailing the art of pizza, they have turned their hands to frying, including Pizza Fritta (mini deep-fried calzones), Carciofi Fritti (deep fried artichoke hearts with rosemary salt) and best of all Frittatine di Maccheroni (macaroni cakes with parmesan, ragu & buffalo mozzarella).

Outdoor seating in Kingly Court

Pizza Pilgrims & Chase Distillery Sohocello

I did manage a bit of food after my epic lunch.  We shared a Salsiccia & Friarelli pizza (Bianca base, fresh fennel sausage, wild broccoli, parmesan, basil, olive oil  time- hard not to order this one every time) and a cup of those fried macaroni cakes.  I'm happy to report that the pizzas are still of the highest quality even though James & Thom are spreading themselves thinner with two sites and various street food commitments. And the Frittatine di Maccheroni were everything I hoped for, and oh so healthy.

Salsiccia e Friarelli Pizza

Frittatine di Maccheroni

It's good to see them expanding, especially as now there's space for everyone.  Kingly Court is clearly the place to be, with fun foodie neighbours like Stax, Rum Kitchen, and Wright Brothers already settled.  Senor Ceviche is the next arrival on the horizon.

Pizza Pilgrims next residency adventure is at the three month pop-up that has been causing quite a stir, Swingers.  No, not a leave your keys in a bowl affair, but a MINI GOLF / BAR. I'm pretty excited.  Book your tickets here before they are all gone.

That's enough food for one day, I think.  To balance it out, we made our way over to Broadwick Street for the launch of Basement Sate, a cocktail and dessert bar (that's a thing now) in the space that Soho institution The Player used to inhabit.

It's a good-looking bar - all dark wood, red brick and low lighting (to the extreme), plus a very funky back bar arrangement with spirits on small stepladders.

The booze and pudding idea is down to Dublin born Cathleen McGarry, co-owner of the excellent Sherry Butt in Paris.  The 12 strong cocktail list has been devised by Byly Tran (Prescription Club), and Dorian Picard (Club Gascon) is the pastry chef behind the puddings.  Enough name dropping for you? Expectations were understandably high.

After a bit of a scrum at the busy bar, I started with a moreish Arboriculturist (Calvados, Cinnamon & Pear Syrup, Sherry - £10) - boozy fruit with more than a hint of Christmas.  My bottle of Calvados is normally reserved solely for making many a Sidecarriage, but I might just have to branch out if someone divulges the specifics.  

Next up was Eagle in the Tub (Gin, White Port, Fernet Branca, Ginger Ale - £11) which didn't stick in the memory, but long drinks aren't really my thing.

The unlikely winner for me was Beet Me Up (£11), a fiery mix of vodka, beetroot, ginger and Moscato d'Asti. My vodka bottles rarely get an outing from the drinks cabinet (mostly when Big Lebowski is on) but now I have a new excuse.  Another recipe needed please.

There's plenty more fun to be had on the short menu including Patrick the Wombat (Rosemary-infused Tequila, Aperol, Umeshu, Grapefruit - £10), Prairie Meuh Meuh (Cognac, Suze, Punt e Mes - £11) and Salty Granny (Japanese Whisky, Wakame-infused Vermouth, Granny Smith syrup - £13).  

Arboriculturist - Calvados, Cinnamon & Pear Syrup, Sherry

On the dessert front, we tasted three miniature versions, but below are some photos of the real deal for you to gawp at.  London - Brest (black sesame choux, praline cream, "hidden" hazelnut, tonka creme anglaise) was the mini winner on the night, but I'd have to have the £10 full version before I could really pass judgement.  It will be interesting to see whether the desserts get as much attention as the cocktails over the next few weeks.

Others of particular interest on the menu:

Bulle - spiced blood orange sphere, Visitandine biscuit, passion fruit gel, Granny Smith foam £9

Mille Feuille Fromage & Truffle - filo pastry, truffled cream cheese, honey&rosemary, pine nut pesto £11

Raviole - cocoa ravioli, raspberry ginger cream, cassis chocolate truffle, gin & citrus gel £12

London - Brest (black sesame choux, praline cream, "hidden" hazelnut, tonka creme anglaise) 

Vacherin (Lime meringue, basil cream, strawberry sorbet, cranberry and orange coulis)

It's a bizarre concept, though similar projects such as After Hours Dessert and The Pudding Bar have proved to be very popular, and the bartending is strong enough without the additional sweet course, so I'm sure Basement Sate will do well.  I will probably avoid returning on the weekend when a "high-octane party atmosphere" is promised - a chilled out jazz vibe midweek sounds more up my street.  Take your pick.

Nanban at Market House - Shrub & Shutter - Three Eight Four - Rosie's Deli

Saturday 30th August - Here comes another evening of food & drink in Brixton, but did we end up at Seven or Craft as usual? Cast your votes now.

Team Brixton assembled at Market House, a Brixton bar bringing in the crowds with smartly chosen food residencies.  We went along to try out Nanban, Japanese soulfood from 2011 Masterchef Champion Tim Anderson (the youngest ever winner at 26).  His stint as manager of The Euston Tap (beer haven) and multiple collaborations with Pressure Drop Brewing are of more interest to me!

One problem with food residencies for chefs is not having total control.  I say this because Market House weren't very interested in fitting us in without a booking, despite there being an hour and a half window on some empty tables.  Eventually we decided to just sit down on one and force through an order, and *shock horror* everything arrived within 15 minutes and we were out within an hour.  Other groups were turned away - throwing away money.  And since when do trendy, hipster, popup, food residency thingamajigs take bookings? I can't keep up.

Making our minds up quickly, we ordered four bowls of ramen, bypassing tempting sides of Karaage and Ackee & Saltfish Korokke.  To drink, I was hoping to get a special Pressure Drop Nanban Kanpai on the side (wheat beer with yuzu, grapefruit and orange juices) but they were fresh out.  However, my Nagashima Iced Tea (with smoked black tea liqueur, patron tequila, peach schnapps, jasmine syrup, lemon juice) was an excellent replacement, especially at £5.

I thoroughly enjoyed my comforting bowl of Kumamoto Ramen (rich tonkotsu broth, pork belly, tea-pickled egg, fried garlic chips, burnt garlic oil, fermented greens etc).  Perhaps I'll tea-pickle my eggs this weekend, any tips?  Are greens still one of your five-a-day if they are fermented? Who knows.

My companions all went for Brown Stew Chicken Ramen (thick and spicy tomato-miso broth, pulled chicken, fried shallots, pickled Scotch Bonnets, slow-cooked egg, and miso-pickled Daikon), which was a much more filling affair.  In fact, two were defeated by it!  I prefer my ramen much less thick personally, but the flavours were good.

Kumamoto Ramen

Brown Stew Chicken Ramen

No time for their famous Whippy-San ice creams, or shots of Shochu, it really was a flying visit.  I hope Nanban settles down in a permanent location soon - I'll be back for some more thorough research.  Keep tabs on them via their Facebook page or Twitter.

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Next stop was the soft opening of The Shrub & Shutter, a new cocktail bar from Chris Edwards and Dave Treganza (aka cocktail consultants Salts of the Earth).  

We were warmly welcomed with a Nuclear Daiquiri of sorts (with an apple sour ice cube / sweet at the bottom) and an impressive plate of snacks, a hint of small plates to come once fully open.  

After a quick skim of the menu, we ordered our first round.  

Bandage of Brothers (snow queen vodka, poppy liqueur, wolfschmidt kummel, sherbert, sweetener, gunpowder) came with a little army man attached via a plaster, and a banger to throw on the floor at any time - the element of surprise and all that.  All good fun, though I'm not entirely sure how the super sweet drink connects to the title.  

The Shrub & Shutter intrigued Luke with blowtorched fennel & chlorophyll bitters garnishing a glass of gin, green chartreuse, maraschino, cucumber shrub and toasted fennel sugar.  

Lauren opted for a No Stone Left Unturned - effectively a sour with a choice of spirits and rotating flavour based on the stone fruit of the day (cherry in this case).  

However, I feel I made the best choice with Does A Bear Shit in the Woods? - St George's Terroir Gin (made with pine), Akvavit (distilled Scandinavian spirit), pine bitters and mancino ambrato vermouth served with smoked salmon on the side.  I can't resist a "spirits-focused" drink and this Scandi gin martini twist was right up my street, and the salmon (working well with the pine) was an added bonus.

Blackboards for all to use take up one wall

For round two, Caroline ordered pudding in the form of Wonka Bar - gin, vanilla ice cream, chocolate soil, truffle, gold leaf and truffle bitters.  The finer ingredients seemed to get lost in the mix but it was a very drinkable boozy milkshake.

Luke's Little Miss Sunshine was one of the more conventional drinks on the menu - an attractive sunny Bloody Mary with Beluga Vodka, Isle of Wight yellow tomato, tomato water, roasted balsamic shrub, celery, spice & seasoning - very tasty at all times of the day.

Vegetarians should steer clear of The Deer Hunter - woodford bourbon, orange, romeo y julieta bitters and birch sap, with a hunk of venison on the side for good measure.  Boozy and delicious.

Dare I say it, I think I won round two as well.  You Can't Handle Chartreuse arrived in a wonderful bath-shaped glass (don't go stealing them now!), with chilled gummy bears and neat squares of green chartreuse jelly on top. If only bathtime always involved Portobello Road gin, Del Maguey mezcal, yellow chartreuse, pineapple, lemon & elderflower.  

Does a bear shit in the woods?, Bandage of Brothers, Little Miss Sunshine, Wonka Bar

The Deer Hunter, The Shrub and Shutter, No Stone Left Unturned

You Can't Handle Chartreuse

All the while we were serenaded by a jazz trio who squeezed themselves into the corner of the relatively small back room.  Live music will be a regular occurrence, think ragtime / blues piano.  

Only half the cocktails were available on our visit, so I'm sure they have plenty more surprises up their sleeves, including some wacky sharing cocktails.  A return visit is in order for more research, but on this showing Shrub & Shutter will be a popular addition to the Brixton bar scene.  Well done lads.

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Our third stop on Coldharbour Lane (efficient eh?) was Three Eight Four, a small plates restaurant and cocktail bar from those clever folk at Seven.

Seven has made it on to Matt The List an unprecedented three times, as almost every Brixton trip seems to involve a couple of their fantastic £5 cocktails, so expectations were high for Three Eight Four.  The fact that the bar was at full capacity when we arrived only added to the anticipation.  

Thankfully, a large group soon left and we crammed in at the bar.  They won me over instantly with their well-lit bar surface, how novel to be able to read the menu and actually see your drink.  It's a good-looking place in general, which is no surprise given Seven's funky décor.

Cocktails are competitively priced at £6-£7.50 a pop, except for the rather special Mr.Flambastic at £8.75 - Blackwell's dark & Red Leg spiced rums mixed with Cointreau, shaken with flambéed peaches in Gran Capataz brandy, theatrically created at the end of the bar.

I went straight for a Smoked Manhattan - Pikeseville Rye with Punt e Mes, Luxardo Maraschino, stirred & smoked on the spot to great effect.  I wasn't so taken with the Negroni Sbagliato - Campari & Punt e Mes, stirred & topped with sparkling red wine. Very much an acquired taste, aggressively bitter and almost medicinal.  

Caroline chose well with Bombay Kitchen - Opihr Indian spiced gin & Koko Kanu rum, coriander, mint, tabasco & mango juice, with a side of papadum & chutney.  It arrived in a cezve, a pot usually used to make Turkish coffee.  There was just the right amount of tabasco, and the normally dominant cardamom heavy Opihr played well with others.

Last but not least was Tart'n Tide - Auchentoshan lowland whisky, stirred w/ Licor 43, Cointreau, lemon & honey, over a seaweed infused ice ball.  We ordered two of these which came out rather different to one another, perhaps an extra splash of Licor 43 found its way into one of them, but both were very enjoyable. Don't let the seaweed put you off, order this if you like a boozy whisky cocktail.

Bombay Kitchen

Smoked Manhattan

They've created an interesting little menu and there were some real winners in there, and at £7 they represent great value, though not quite enough to knock Seven off its perch as my favourite Brixton bar.  Classic cocktails are also available, alongside well-chosen wines and beers, and some old school American soft drinks (e.g. Dr Pepper Vanilla Float, Dad's Root Beer).

The food will have to wait for another time, but I'm sure you won't go far wrong with the likes of reuben sliders, slow-cooked beef brisket, 'nduja with ricotta on bread, and pear & pecorino salad.

View the menu and follow Matt The List on Zomato

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One more thing to quickly mention.  We wandered round the corner in to Brixton Village to have a quiet drink at Sean's Bar to finish, which is usually housed inside Rosie's Deli in the evenings, only to find that Sean is no longer there.  Apparently, he is looking to open up again in a new space in Brixton soon, though he is keeping busy with Sean's Thai Bar in Balham in the meantime.  

Anyway, there is still a bar there, now run by the Rosie's Deli staff, and not a lot has changed.  It's still a fun, relaxed spot for simple mixed drinks, beers and wines with some tempting food available for those that need it.  Prices have gone up a little bit, but nothing drastic.  Luke and I enjoyed bottled beers from Brick Brewery (Peckham) and the local Brixton Brewery, whilst Robyn had the world's biggest Aperol Spritz (£6). A cosy spot to end any evening.

Rosie's Deli is open all weekdays 'til 5.30, Thursday, Friday, Saturday evenings 'til 11, Sunday 10-5

Brixton: Nowhere near as good as Brixton thinks it is.
— Tweat_Up (@Tweat_Up) August 29, 2014

Each to their own, I guess. Definitely wrong though.  Brixton is great.

Oh, and we might have popped to Craft Beer Co afterwards very briefly. What can you do?

Vapiano - The Hop & Berry - The Three Johns

An Italian walks into two pubs...

Thursday 28th August - Over 130 branches of Vapiano exist in 28 countries, and yet I had never heard of them before I went last week.  Have I had my head in the sand or is anyone else with me here?

Anyway, after my trip to their newest site in Soho (their third following Bankside & Great Portland Street), I'm kicking myself for not noticing them sooner.

Vapiano Soho is a rather attractive, relaxed Italian restaurant with a couple of twists - on arrival, you are handed a card which loads up the cost of your meal as you go along for you to settle up at the end.  This system is necessary as you head off to various counters (Insalata, Pizza, Pasta, Bar) to order different courses as and when you want.  If this all sounds a bit Nandos with gift cards, don't worry.  When you get to the front of the (very short) queue, you are greeted by a skilled Vapiano chef who cooks your food up fresh on the spot for you to take back to your table instantly.  I was intrigued to see how well the system worked.

After some agonising over the tempting menu, I sent Will up to the salad counter with one of our cards.  A minute or so later, he popped back with a taster of a raspberry-maple dressing we were eyeing up.  He was clearly making friends.  He soon returned with some larger plates, a selection of antipasti and a quirky spinach & strawberry salad, with goat's cheese, pine nuts, red onion and the afore-mentioned raspberry-maple dressing. Considering the ingredients, it did well to not be too sweet and it all came together nicely. On the antipasti plate, the mozzarella with pesto combined wonderfully with the fuss-free bruschetta, whilst the meats, roasted veg and parmesan went down very nicely with our excellent glasses of house red and Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc.

"Where did the wine come from?", I hear you cry.  Well, much to Vapiano's credit, they haven't done away with floor staff as many might do with this concept.  Plenty of charming waiters & waitresses were on hand to fill in gaps and speed up processes such as wine, coffee and desserts, and to suggest specials and popular dishes.

Antipasti selection

Strawberry & Spinach Salad

Next it was my turn to visit the chefs.  I wandered up to a counter and was given a few decisions to make. What type of pasta? Extra chilli or garlic? Free ciabatta? I hazarded a guess at Will's preferences (which proved to be accurate) and gave him some linguine for his Salmon Carbonara.  I opted for pappardelle with my Salsiccia con Ficci (Spicy Italian Sausages with Figs and Tomato Sauce), mostly because I like saying the word. All of their pasta is made fresh on site in their mannifatura (machine) which is always on show in all of their restaurants.

A few minutes and some friendly small talk later, I was on my way back to the table with our mains.  What a great idea to have you connect with the chef briefly while he prepares the food without the awkwardness of having them watch you eat it!  Another nice touch is the herb gardens dotted around, and the plants on the table, free for you to pick from if you fancy some extra basil or similar.

Will gave grunts of approval whilst demolishing his unusual bacon-free Salmon Carbonara, whilst I devoured my curious plate of pasta, Italian sausage and figs which again had just the right amount of sweetness, balancing the dish perfectly.

Linguine Salmon Carbonara

Pappardelle Salsiccia Con Ficci

During the mains, a twist on a strawberry bellini, served long over ice with fresh strawberries instead of ice found its way to our table for us to give feedback on.  A continuing theme of the meal, sweetness was again well balanced thanks to the superiority of fresh strawberries over purée.  Their mixed drinks are extremely competitively priced at £4.50, a much more agreeable price for an Aperol Spritz than many London bars that somehow get away with charging £7+ for such a basic drink.

Not A Strawberry Bellini

Since we'd had strawberries every step of the way, we continued the trend to the end by getting a fresh glassfull to dip in to sweet basil pesto with white chocolate, mint and almonds.  After several generous portions, this was a great, light dish to finish.

Fresh strawberries with sweet basil pesto, white chocolate, mint, almonds

Latte Macchiato

Before departing, we checked out the stylish downstairs space which was quiet at lunch but apparently fills up very quickly in the evenings.  One side is for dining, whilst the other is a cosy café of sorts, complete with a charming mini-library.  If only all chains with over 100 outlets had this much individuality.

It is comforting to know that Vapiano is out there in 28 countries serving great food with a smile.  They have obviously had fun discovering things along the way:  Why are there no characters for rocket in South Korea? How can it be that there's no basil in La Réunion? I might just seek them out next time I'm abroad, but I'll almost certainly drop in to another London branch again soon.  Very affordable, delicious, filling food.

Oh, and if I haven't convinced you yet, there are free gummy bears on the way out. 

I'll leave you with their motto:

“Chi va piano, va sano e va lontano”: According to an old Italian proverb, “If you have an easy-going and relaxed approach to life, you’ll live more healthily and longer”.

View the menu and follow Matt The List on Zomato

Friday 29th August - At the time of writing, London has 71 breweries. SEVENTY ONE. Pretty ridiculous. Anyway, London pubs have no excuse for not having exciting, fresh beer on tap, and some have taken it to extremes by only pouring London-based beers (e.g.Peckham Beer Rebellion).

Another pub joining this club is The Hop and Berry in Islington which just opened on the old site of The Barnsbury (after a speedy two week turn around).  I went along to the launch night with one half of Anspach & Hobday to take a look around.

The décor is pretty eclectic - bright red lights on the bar, cosy dining tables tucked away, a gym vault by the door, an odd shaped garden and a fishbowl (with Ron & Jeremy inside) keep you guessing.  An empty London brewery map will soon be filled in / have pins attached.  Pride of place is the beer board, a striking list of London beers with the added detail of how far away each brewery is - a very nice touch.

Delicious food came round on sharing plates, but you will have to investigate the menu properly for yourself. I can comment on the range of beers, which were well kept and not too pricey.  Brews from Hammerton (new kids on the block, well, 0.4 miles away), Pressure Drop, Brew By Numbers and Anspach & Hobday all impressed, though my favourite of the night was Brodies Sour Clementine - a great example of the genre if sour beers are your thing. 

Brodies Sour Clementine

The Hop & Berry has all the right ingredients to do well, and I will definitely drop back in for a pint if I'm in the area.

The Hop and Berry, 209-211 Liverpool Road, N1 1LX

We decided to tick off one more pub whilst we were far from home, stopping off at The Three Johns on White Lion Street near Angel tube station.  It's another great Barworks pub (Harrild & Sons, Exmouth Arms, Earl of Essex etc) though it doesn't have the 5CC cocktail bar attached as three others do.

It's one good looking place, with eye-catching brickwork and lighting all around.  The back bar disappears towards the ceiling, packed full of high-end spirit bottles that I could see no way of reaching.  And the beers are predictably impressive, as they are in all of their venues, particularly the extensive bottle list which is neatly presented on well-designed menus.  Hackney New Zealand Pale (a welcome discovery) and Beavertown Neck Oil went down very nicely.  

Sadly, we arrived just as the kitchen was closing, so I didn't get to sample their enticing pizzas.  Fennel sausage, chilli-roasted sprouting broccoli, mozzarella and parmesan has my name on it next time.  You can in fact get them delivered if you live close enough using Deliveroo, one of several new companies aiming to deliver food from classier eateries to your doorstep.

The Three Johns is another top Islington watering hole to add to the map.  It hasn't pulled in the crowds yet (it was very quiet for a Friday night), but hopefully Angel residents will start to support it some more, if they can tear themselves away from Craft Beer Co. for an evening.

The Three Johns, 73 White Lion Street, N1 9PF