When in Yorkshire Islington…

Dog friendly restaurant review: The Old Queens Head

If you prefer traditional pubs with a handful of locals, a sports TV and a tattered pool table in the corner, The Old Queens Head might disappoint…

But if you’re looking for something a little more interesting, you won’t regret visiting this dog friendly restaurant. With intricate ceramic tiles, vintage wallpaper and stained glass windows, The Old Queens Head isn’t your typical pub. 

Environment

Located just down the road from Islington Green, the closest stations to The Old Queens Head are Angel underground and Essex Road train station. You can reach the restaurant from either of these in around 10 minutes. If you’re driving, you should be able to find parking on one of the residential roads behind the pub.

The decor here is warm, vintage and welcoming. Upstairs, you’ll find leather booths around the perimeter of the room, along with mismatched chairs and wooden tables in the centre. At the edge of the room, there’s a bar covered in the venue’s signature green ceramic tiles. The stained glass windows block out most of the light, so you can’t really tell if it’s morning or night. There’s plenty of room upstairs and downstairs, so The Old Queens Head would be fit for a dog of any size. Especially if they’re a fan of Rhythm and Blues.

Price

This pub is famous for its Sunday roasts. In fact, the roasts here have been voted the best in North London. The price varies between £15 and £17 depending on which meat you choose. Alternatively, you can opt for one of their four burger options for between £9.50 and £11.50. Sides average around £5 a pop, while the desserts are £6.50 each. All in all, it’s pretty good value for what you get. They certainly don’t scrimp on the portions. We paid £50 in total for two drinks, two roasts and one dessert.

Taste

The roast dinners here are absolutely delicious. Is it the best roast dinner I’ve ever had? No. But would I come back again? Definitely. The meat was really well cooked and the sauces were super tasty. I’d recommend trying the mint sauce and the horseradish. The giant yorkshire pudding was also a winner. Why wasn’t it the best I’ve had? Well, I think the potatoes could have been a lot crispier and the veggies were pretty standard. They could have done with a bit of extra love. Maybe some honey-roasting or a knob of butter. Overall, it was a blooming good roast, but it didn’t quite match up to my nans elite level. In other news, their sticky toffee pudding is a SHOWSTOPPER.

Service

But enough about the chow. What about the chow-chows? The Old Queens Head is very dog friendly. The staff are lovely and are very welcoming to both humans and hounds. There’s also a little garden terrace on the ground floor if your pup needs to take a trip outside.

So, what’s the PETS (Price, Environment, Taste and Service) rating for The Old Queens Head?

• Price: 4.2/5
• Environment: 4.4/5
• Taste: 3.8/5
• Service: 4.2/5

Overall, this dog friendly restaurant scores 4.2 out of 5. While I can neither confirm nor deny that it’s the best roast in North London, I’m definitely going back.

Next ‘thyme’ you fancy a Sunday roast, head to The Old Queens Head. The meat here is ‘crackling’.

Check out their website here.