The Southampton Arms up in Gospel Oak is easily one of the best pubs in the city. Possibly even top 10 territory.
Big claim, we know, especially in a city of roughly 3.5k pubs, but the fact is that it’s a strictly independent pub that serves beer & cider from strictly independent breweries, which makes it strictly better than most. So it’s very good news that it now has a sibling: The Pocket.
This new space has just opened in Islington, on Canonbury Lane, where it sits a very literal stone’s throw away from The Compton Arms, AKA the competition. What sets it apart? Well, it’s got the same ethos of militant independence, and a devotion to finding interesting and delicious new beers & ciders to run through the taps, without going into weird-for-the-sake-of-it territory.
One of the great things about the Southampton Arms is that it’s a pub run like all pubs were not too long ago. It’s got an open fire, no wifi, no bookings, a small piano in the corner (from where they have live music a couple of times a week), plenty of meat & cheese, and even a pub cat. Classic in every sense of the word.
At The Pocket, you’ll find much of the same, including a confirmed set of ivories, some scattered decks of cards and boxes of dominoes, and—crucially—a hot pie counter slinging proper pub ballast.
No word on the cat, though.
NOTE: The Pocket is open now, every day. There are no bookings, but you can keep an eye on their Insta page.
The Pocket | 25 Canonbury Lane, Islington, N1 2AS
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