The Barnsbury

209 - 211 Liverpool Road
Islington
London
N1 1LX

How right can they get it? 'Just right' is the answer. Take one old pub, strip back its decor to its very nice essentials, revealing wood panelling, a curving wood bar, scrubbed floors and open fireplaces. Add some smart
modern touches like funky chandeliers and a changing array of up-to-the-minute artwork. Put someone in the kitchen who knows their way around a cooker, say someone ex-Conran, and let them devise a menu of honest, flavoursome dishes that aim neither too low or too high. Get real ales pumping round the place with some guest ales just to keep the regulars on their toes. Chalk up an affordable wine list. Then locate the whole
package in Islington and - voila! - The Barnsbury. The atmosphere is smart and relaxed, and so are the clientele. Try starter of slow-roasted plum tomato tart with cumin jam, main course if fillet of salmon with pesto crust and lemon and dill butter sauce, and pud of panna cotta with
caramelised oranges. The prices are right, too.

Average Price: £25

Cuisine: Modern European

Underground: Angel / Highbury / Islington