London's pub scene is thriving in 2025 and this latest news from Islington is very good indeed. If you're a north Londoner you'll probably know of The Southampton Arms in Kentish Town. It's a gorgeous, old-school (and tiny) spot up near Parliament Hill that specialises in ale and cider.
Well. the same team behind that are responsible for taking over a long-closed site on Canonbury Lane in Islington, where they're getting ready to open The Pocket. This too will be a traditional ale and cider house which, they say will concentrate "exclusively on beers and ciders from small independent UK breweries and cideries. Homage is paid to the traditional alehouses of a London past with focus firmly on the drinking experience."
It's taking over the old Four Sisters site, which has been shut for a long time and is a site that's seen a few bars fail but, as locals, we reckon that turning it into a proper pub could be just the right thing.
"The beer scene in the UK is more exciting than it's ever been," says owner Pete Holt, who's also the founder of Hackney Wick’s Howling Hops Brewery. "There’s a huge selection of fantastic beers, ciders and perrys without having to drink the tasteless mass-produced stuff."
As for the food, they'll have a hot pie counter serving up Scotch eggs, homemade sausage rolls and pies. There will also be an extensive selection of good British cheese on offer.
"So often a pub is ‘gastrofied’ or exclusive in its offering," they say. "That’s not always a bad thing but we want to keep The Pocket part of the community and welcome everyone who wants to come along. There’s an old piano, so a good old end-of-the-week knees-ups will be on the cards!....oh there’ll be cards too... and dominoes."
We're delighted to see this space get a new lease of life. Good luck to them.
More about The Pocket
Where is it? 25 Canonbury Lane, London N1 2AS
When does it open? 20 March 2025
Find out more: Follow them on Instagram @thepocketn1
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