Prescott. McEnroe. The Baptist.
Three Johns. Three very notable Johns, in fact. But they’re not, The Three Johns.
That much-coveted accolade goes to a historic pub in White Lion Street, just a three-minute stroll from Angel tube stop.
The vibe is definitely more Prescott than the Baptist, with a hearty offering of drinks on tap. Pale ales are an unofficial speciality here, plus a regularly changing selection of guest beers.
All tapped out? Choose from more than 70 craft ales, lagers, stouts and porters by the bottle, or take your pick from the extensive library of spirits behind the bar.
If you’re feeling peckish, the food is an easy-to-love menu of classic sourdough pizzas, all made in house.
That’s all well and good, I hear you say, but I’ve heard it before.
Well, The Three Johns is not your average new-wave local doling out crafty drinks and cheesy-tomatoey bites. Oh no. It’s dripping in history.
For it was here – or so Vladimir Lenin claimed in his records – that a divided clan of Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party members gathered in 1903. Lenin pitched up. As did Leon Trotsky.
But more importantly, the vote that took place split the quarrelling group into Bolsheviks and Mensheviks, the former going on to build the Soviet Union with Lenin at its helm.
One hundred years later, and that heated political wrangling is a thing of the past. In the pub, at least. Instead, there’s an atmospheric main room with dark-wood floors, bare-brick walls and antique-y seating. Crane your neck to admire the ornate ceiling and the quirky portraits on the wall.
There’s also a more intimate dining room at the back with button-back pews, distressed-wood panelling and a corner fireplace – more suited to romance than revolution.
So, yeah… The Three Johns is a pub worth Russian to.
NOTE: The Three Johns is open from 12pm all week. For more info, or to book you can visit their website here.
The Three Johns | 73 White Lion Street, London, N1 9PF
Moody boozers not really your thing? Our guide to the best bars in Islington is full of plenty of other ideas.