The best restaurants in Islington, Angel and Holloway

Downstairs, the William IV is a proper pub, loud and busy with a bar food selection that covers all the basics. But if you head upstairs to their dining room you’ll find a separate menu and space to sit back and relax. An experienced team are using connections with great suppliers to serve up a seasonal menu that focuses on great produce. The room is great too, with real fires in the winter and large windows that make it perfect for summer lunches.

Run by two Cordon Bleu-trained chefs, Melanie Clarke and McKenzie Amaral and only operating during the day, this cafe has already built up a loyal following for its regularly changing menu. Seasonality is key here so scones might feature wild garlic in the spring, and there’s always plenty entice on the baked goods front.

It might be a pub in name and looks, but both the bar snacks and dining room menus reveal a creative hand in the kitchen, from the jerk spiced Scotch eggs to the curry emulsion that comes with the cuttlefish arancini. Expect a strong seafood offering too.

Sharing an owner with popular Hackney wine bar Binch, Sylvain Bertozzi, this Essex Road boozer has had a very modern makeover, adding in space for a DJ and an expansive wine offering. Currently, the food side of things is run by Perkd Up Burgers. Keep an eye on their Instagram for news of a regular programme of wine events.

Topa takes over Provisions wine and cheese shop on Holloway Road in the evenings, transforming it into a Basque-inspired restaurant and wine bar. There's a menu of pintxos which changes regularly, all prepared in the tiny cooking space at the back. That's all paired with the excellent wines and cheese that Provisions is already known for.

Goodbye Horses has taken over an old pub in Islington and transformed it into a modern wine bar and restaurant. The inside has a lovely modern refit, and the design is complemented with a great natural, organic and biodynamic wine list and an inventive menu. Look out for their ice cream shop across the street, The Dreamery, as the perfect place to end your meal.

Tucked down the far end (some might say the wrong end) of Chapel Market, this seafood spot has been turning out superlative dishes since opening quietly early in 2024. Chef Maoz Alonim has swapped the markets of Tel Aviv for North London and in doing so has given Islington this enticing oyster bar and grill.

Probably Islington's most famous restaurant, this Italian affair sees Tim Siadatan (also behind Padella) and Chef Owner Conor Gadd in charge. Expect superlative Italian cuisine at any time and at weekends, you can also pop into their wine bar next door for a glass and some snacks.

Lee Tiernan's Black Axe Mangal (or F.K.A.B.A.M as it's now known) has made a small site on Highbury Corner into one of the best restaurants in London. With metal and rock music blaring out on the speakers, it's certainly unlike much else in town. It's described as 'an unauthentic, bastardised take of Turkish Mangal and Ocakbasi, with global influences.' It has a set menu that changes regularly while still featuring some of the classics like their squid ink bread.

Caravel is a restaurant on a barge, floating on the canal in Hoxton. In charge are brothers Lorcan and Fin Spiteri who are in charge of the food and drink respectively. Expect the kind of food from Lorcan "that he and Fin enjoyed growing up". There's also now a sister barge moored alongside which is a floating bar.

This Islington pub is tucked down a quiet side street and remains one of the prettiest pubs in the borough. Run by Nick Gibson, the menu is a modern take on British pub grub. Grab a table in the garden if the weather's behaving itself.

Prawn on the Lawn is a fishmonger and seafood bar - with a wine bar on the side. Expect a seasonal approach to cooking, defined by catches of the day with some of the best seafood dishes in town. Make sure to try their signature dish - the prawn on the lawn which is toasted soda bread with avocado and prawns.

Seb Holmes' Farang has become a huge Highbury hit, offering some of the best Thai cooking across London, made with both Thai and British produce. Originally a pop-up, it soon went permanent and they've recently added an excellent in-store larder.

Owners David Gingell and Jeremie Cometto-Lingenheim also run nearby Primeur and Jolene, both also excellent. Here, there's a distinct focus on seafood and the menu changes every day, although if the cuttlefish croquettes with aioli are on there, make sure you order those. In the summertime, you can take a glass of something cold out on the front courtyard and if you're really pushing the boat out, ask for the leather-bound, handwritten, ‘black book’ of fine wines.

This is the Holloway home for critically acclaimed Malaysian laksa specialists Sambal Shiok, headed up by Mandy Yin. The laksa is great, but so are all the other dishes. Look out for regular events there and enjoy the wine list with a focus on Riesling.

This Holloway restaurant (it's just across the road from the Emirates stadium) has won a deserved reputation for cooking up some of the best Shang Xi-inspired street food in London. Yes, that means there's a bit of heat involved here, but their hand-pulled noodles are among the best in town. Their pork/beef "burgers" are not to be missed.

The Compton Arms has been a tiny Islington mainstay for many years but has really blossomed since its most recent revamp. Originally the home for Four Legs and Tiella, the kitchen is now run by Rake, offering a modern take on classic dishes with a distinct seafood focus.

The Nook comes from Angus and Lale Oztek-Pook who have experience at Zucca, Bernardis and Oklava among others. The food is described as "contemporary European with a Turkish twist" and is paired with a winelist of sustainable, organic, biodynamic and minimal intervention wines. It works as a deli too, so there's lots to take away.

This restaurant comes with the backing of Zhang Chao of Xi’an Impression. The team behind the restaurant are aiming to cover multiple regions of China, all helped by the fact that they have chefs in the kitchen who originate from different regions and bring with them varying experiences and knowledge. Here you can expect an excellent pan-Chinese meal, that just happens to be plant-based too.

Originally launched by Corbin and King, this is a revived Islington grand cafe which now offers a menu that's more of a traditional French brasserie. It's one of the largest restaurants in Angel and there's a very handy bar in here too.

The Tamil Prince is a pub in Islington's Barnsbury area that has a big focus on South Asian cuisine. It's named after the chef, Prince Durairaj and the cooking has specific references to the cuisine of his home state of Tamil Nadu

Named after the Vietnamese word for ‘Cheers!’ this casual spot features a menu that takes in most of the classic dishes you’d expect to find in any good Vietnamese restaurant from summer rolls to noodle rolls. They also make a big deal of their regularly changing seasonal specials.

Run by the same family since the Sixties, this longstanding Islington institution is a tardis-like space that stretches from its Camden Passage facade back to a bright conservatory restaurant and gorgeous gardens. Food is modern European that’ll please most people, making this a great family restaurant.

Sharing plates are the heart of this independent Peruvian restaurant on Upper Street. Expect to find everything from ceviche and anticuchos to tiradito on the menu, along with some punchy cocktails.

London’s pizza obsessives know that a pizzeria run by Neapolitans is a good sign that the pizza is going to be great. And so it proves at this restaurant, a follow-up to the group’s central and west locations. A traditional pizzeria with an oven imported from Italy to make sure the pizza is as authentic as possible.

This is the second Islington Indian pub from the team that scored such a huge hit with The Tamil Prince. As with its sibling pub, you’ll find Indian and Tamil bar snacks and sharing plates. The Sunday roast with an Indian twist is a particular draw.

If you’re pining for a chicken fillet roll, or want to try the viral Irish takeaway spice bag then Homeboy’s Islington bar is the place to come. Match the home cooked food with an Irish-inspired cocktails at this lively speakeasy.

With an ex-Fifteen chef Nathan Collymore in the kitchen, this modern Caribbean restaurant and cocktail bar is genuinely changing the face of Jamaican-influenced vegan food in London.

Owner Mr Pham trained up at Suntory and Miyami before opening his own sushi counter spot by Angel. For more than a decade they’ve been building up a fiercely loyal Islington clientele, and have recently had a very modernist makeover.

This Chinese restaurant on Upper Street not only serves up top drawer dim sum, but stands out for its halal menu, which means there’s no pork on the menu. Standout dishes include the chef’s own creation - mango golden floss prawn.

From the same owner as Korean street food spot Bento Bab in Aldgate, the spot tucked off Islington Green is all about Korean BBQ.

This pub (previously The Poet) is reborn as The Baring with an impressive team behind it. In the kitchen is Rob Tecwyn (ex Dabbous and Kerridge's) and the pub is run by Adam Symonds (ex Orasay and Six Portland Road). They're offering up a a seasonal menu, showcasing provenance and aiming for a low environmental impact.

This restaurant brings fresh pasta to Islington from chef Louis Korovilas (who created the original menu at Bancone). Expect pasta dishes that evolve with the season alongside plenty of fritti action (including fritto misto, of course).

After gaining a reputation for cooking Italian in the much-loved Bocca di Lupo, Jacob Kenedy returned to his US roots with a wonderful Cajun and Creole menu at his Lousiana-themed Plaquemine Lock on Regent’s Canal. If you fancy some deep-south cooking in London, there's little better available.

This artisan bakery in Islington is best known for its pastries - chief among them the maple bacon croissant, but its bread is up there too. Head along here for some great coffee in the minimalist setting and work your way through some excellent baked goods.

This Spanish restaurant on Upper Street comes from expert jamón producers Jamon y Salud, so you'd be expecting their jamon to be of a particularly high standard (it is). But it's not all about ham as the restaurant does a great line in authentic Spanish tapas, as well as serving up excellent Spanish wines. It's also worth popping in and grabbing a seat on the bar if you just need a snack.

Slightly off the beaten track in Canonbury is this small neighbourhood wine bar, serving up a changing seasonal European menu. The owners are Hugo Thurston and Vinny Burke, who were also behind Shoreditch's Jago.

This bright, friendly neighbourhood cafe really comes into its own at the weekends when it serves up one of London's best brunches. You'll have to fight off every other Islington to get a seat, but it's worth it for dishes like Crispy Pork belly with spring onion pancake, kimchi and scrambled eggs.

Tucked away down Chapel Market this Korean 'tapas' joint is owned by top Korean mixologist Taeyeol Kim, so the cocktails are as good as the food. The menu covers everthing from Korean fried chicken through to kimchi pancakes and tteok.bokki - rice cake stew. Look out for Friday regional Korean specials.

Not to be confused with Shop Cuvee or Cave Cuvee, this is the original opening from the team who brought their enthusiasm for natural wine to the Highbury/Finsbury Park borders. Dishes change regularly but might include treats like a very good pate en croute or asparagus cassoulet.