By early evening, Upper Street fills with people moving between the Angel and Highbury & Islington stations, and the pubs and bars around Islington Green begin to take on their night-time character. Later, the crowds spread out towards the smaller streets off the main roads, where the pace is slower and the rooms are smaller.
Islington's nightlife is built around pubs, bars, theatres and live venues rather than large clubs, and it suits visitors who want an evening spread across several stops rather than one long night in a single place. The area is mainly residential, so the atmosphere is local and unhurried, with the busiest nights around Arsenal home matches and weekends.
Where to go out in Islington
1. Upper Street and Islington Green
Upper Street is the spine of an Islington night out, running from the Angel up towards Highbury & Islington. It holds pubs, bars, theatres and cinemas within a short walk of each other, and the surrounding streets around Islington Green carry much of the evening's foot traffic.
This suits a flexible night where you move between venues. The Almeida Theatre, just off Upper Street, has a reputation for daring and innovative productions, and the Everyman Screen on the Green on Upper Street is one of London's leading art house cinemas.
2. Angel
The area around Angel station has a dense cluster of drinking places, from traditional pubs to small cocktail bars. It is a convenient starting point for an evening, with Upper Street and the streets towards the Regent's Canal within walking distance.
The Nag's Head on Upper Street and The York on Islington High Street are both close to the station. Further north, 69 Colebrook Row, also known as The Bar With No Name, serves seasonal cocktails in a quiet, intimate setting and requires booking ahead.
3. Archway
Archway has a good number of pubs, some livelier or more stylish than a typical local. It is a more low-key option than the centre of Islington, and the venues are spread along Archway Road, Holloway Road and the surrounding streets.
The Archway Tavern on Navigator Square has a reputed republican history and hosts live music some nights. The Landseer Arms on Landseer Road is a smart pub with food, and The Charlotte Despard on Archway Road is relaxed and friendly with an eclectic clientele.
4. Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park has many pubs, several of them along Seven Sisters Road and Blackstock Road. The area is busiest on Arsenal match days, when the Irish pub The Twelve Pins gets very busy.
The Faultering Fullback on Perth Road is popular with locals for football and Thai food, with a large beer garden at the rear. T-Bird Bar on Blackstock Road hosts an open mic night on Thursdays and has a free jukebox on Mondays.
5. Holloway
Holloway Road is a straightforward, busy street with large pubs that fill up around Arsenal home matches. It suits a casual, inexpensive evening rather than a special occasion.
The Coronet is a large Wetherspoons pub with a wide range of cheap drinks, including guest ales, and reasonably priced food. Big Red is a biker-themed pub with several pool tables and live music some nights, and is normally busy on Friday and Saturday evenings.
6. Newington Green
Newington Green and the streets around Mildmay Park are quieter and more residential than the main Islington strips. This is the choice for a calm drink rather than a late night.
The Lady Mildmay is a quiet pub that does not play amplified music, serves food including a reasonably priced lunch menu, and is walk-in only.
7. Comedy and live music venues
Islington has a small number of dedicated performance venues that anchor an evening around a show rather than a bar. These are best treated as the fixed point of the night, with drinks before or after nearby.
The Bill Murray on Queen's Head Street is a comedy club. Union Chapel on Compton Terrace was voted London's Best Live Music Venue by readers of Time Out magazine in 2002, 2012 and 2014.
8. Cinemas and match days
Two cinemas give an evening a different shape: the Everyman Screen on the Green on Upper Street, an art house cinema, and Vue Islington in the N1 shopping centre, a multiplex. Arsenal's Emirates Stadium on Hornsey Road draws near-capacity crowds, especially against local rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
If your visit coincides with a home match, expect the pubs in Holloway, Finsbury Park and around the stadium to be much busier than usual.
How a night out unfolds
The sources give opening times for individual venues rather than a general pattern for the area. Several pubs open at noon and close between 10pm and midnight, while bars tend to open in the afternoon or early evening and run later: The Islington Town House opens from 3:30pm and closes between 11:30pm and 1:30am depending on the day, 69 Colebrook Row opens at 5pm and closes between midnight and 2am, and T-Bird Bar opens at 5pm and closes at midnight or 1am. The Charlotte Despard opens at 2pm and closes at 10pm, and is closed on Mondays. Plan around these individual hours rather than assuming a single late-night strip.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Halloween, 31 October
- Guy Fawkes Day, 5 November
- Remembrance Sunday, November
- Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, 24 to 26 December, with a substitute bank holiday for Boxing Day on 28 December
- New Year's Eve, 31 December, and New Year's Day, 1 January
- Carnival, Shrove Tuesday and Pancake Day, February
- Valentine's Day, 14 February
Frequently asked questions
Where should I start an evening in Islington?
Upper Street and the area around Angel station are the most practical starting points, with pubs, bars, theatres and cinemas within a short walk and good transport links at Angel and Highbury & Islington.
Do I need to book ahead?
For 69 Colebrook Row you will need to book ahead. The Lady Mildmay is walk-in only. For other venues the sources do not say, so it is worth checking before you go.
When is Islington busiest?
Pubs in Holloway, Finsbury Park and around the Emirates Stadium get very busy on Arsenal home match days, and some venues are busier on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Can I combine a show with drinks?
Yes. The Almeida Theatre, Union Chapel, The Bill Murray, the Everyman Screen on the Green and Vue Islington all sit within reach of Upper Street and the surrounding bar areas, so you can build an evening around a performance.
Check the opening days and times of the places you want to visit, then plan your evening around a single anchor venue and the streets around it.