The Castle

Popped into The Castle on a beautiful Saturday afternoon around 5pm and the place was packed. There was no chance of grabbing a table on the rooftop so we opted for a table on the ground floor. The bartender was a complete dick, pretending not to understand a damn thing we said. Our order was simple — one Hammerton N1 and one Hammerton N7. After pointing out where the bottles were located in the fridge, the bartender handed them to us and told us the staggering price of £10.30.
Having just been to an opening weekend at Hammerton Brewery and having paid only about £4 for a pint at the brewery, I was shocked at the mark-​up. £5.10 for 330ml + it was served with complete attitude. No thanks.
The icing on top of the cake was when I went to use the toilet prior to leaving The Castle. I was peacefully emptying my bladder when someone tried to knock down the toilet door, insisting that it was empty when in fact, it was not. I was in the toilet. The pounding and knocking continued for the duration of my time in the toilet which, might I add, was approximately 20 seconds.
Rude staff. Rude patrons. Expensive beers.
Won’t be returning. Ever.

The rooftop terrace on a sunny day makes this pub. It isn’t huge or distinct, but pleasant enough. Staff don’t rush to serve you and rest of the pub is nothing special…

The best pub in LONDON! (Well Islington for sure) Always amazing company, lovely waiters, and a rooftop terrace. I especially recommend the fish and chips but The Castle really had a menu and reputation that can’t go wrong. I’ve been to several pubs in Britain and really can only call The Castle my home! My mates and I love it, especially Genna! Make the right choice and stop in for a pint, you’ll probably find us there!

Have been there couple of times, standard fare. It is a better place in summer when the roof garden is thrown open with Pimms and the Bar-​B-​Q!!! Very crowded though and difficult to get attention of the staff. Resonantly priced and good ambience.

Solid, but small menu offerings. A little pricey for pub food, but high quality. The beer menu needs some expanding. The interior is very cool, not your typical stodgy pub, but with more modern furniture and decorations. Excellent roof deck.

I walk by here all the time, but when it was 17 degrees in March, my friend and I decided that we had to find a rooftop terrace and this was the first place I thought of! Unfortunately the upstairs bar was not open, but we ordered drinks and snacks downstairs then brought them up. Many other people shared the same idea– it was a good atmosphere and I imagine it will only get better as the days get warmer.

We booked the roof for a work friend’s leaving do, but sadly it rained that day! Thankfully the staff gave us some tables downstairs so we weren’t caught out in the rain. The roof could definitely do with some sort of optional covering or some umbrellas over the tables though, because I probably would have braved it if we had a bit of cover, just to relax outside!
The drinks are good though not cheap, but I expect that from most pubs in the area. The pub still had a decent atmosphere and the staff were friendly, and they had Aspall Cider on tap which makes me a happy camper. :) It was a Wednesday when we came and it was really really busy so I can only imagine what it’s like on a Friday! You’d definitely want to reserve space if you wanted to bring a group after work hours.

Cute bar, gets a bit crowded though and this is its downfall. Thursday, Friday Saturday you will struggle to get a seat. I’ve had to leave a couple of times as there is nowhere to sit and its not really suitable to standing. You can book tables though, which many people do.
The roof is the best part, but it too gets really crowded. Plus as a non smoker, its a bit small and not particularly ventilated.
The food is good, we had the meat platter and it was delish.

Monopoly Pub Crawl — Stop #6 — Pentonville Road (Light Blue)
Just around the corner from Angel is the Castle on Pentonville road. This charming yet elegant little pub offers cosy couches, a step up from your standard pub range, and some excellent little half pint beer mugs for a bit of variety. We were quite entertaining by the glassware (Grant got a mini-​beer mug, I got a mini-​goblet) and that helped set the mood. What also helped was a large padded bench we could relax on to ease our tiring legs for a few minutes.
The bar staff are warm and welcoming and fully embrace the monopoly pub crawl with open arms. The Castle used to give out a bespoke monopoly card but sadly they’ve run out. That being said, the cute barmaid was happy to sign the board with a smile so we’ll take that instead.
I like this place for a bit of a different drink and in this case we had some cider on tap to give a bit of an energy boost. The food some of the more regular patrons indulged in smelled delicious so it may be worth a stop and I can definitely see me whiling away some cold winter nights here if I didn’t live so far away.

The first time the castle caught my eye it was because of the cute bunting hanging in the window. If you know me well, you’ll know I have a thing for bunting. Anyway the castle has a lovely rooftop terrace to be enjoyed when it is warm out, and fantastic mulled cider when it is cold. It is a bit on the pricey side in terms of nibbles, but the atmosphere is relaxed, and the service is always good.

They have a huge rooftop terrace which is perfect for the summer. I came here with here a large group and they were able to accommodate us immediately which was nice. We all had burgers that were just ok, but the atmosphere on the roof is definitely worth coming back for. I would come back for drinks but not the food.

O, the Castle. I don’t know if I’ve ever before had such mixed feelings on a pub.
Located between the ever busy Angel and King’s Cross areas of Islington, the Castle offers up a pretty standard drinking experience for the area. There is not much to remember about the interior — sparsely decorated without a coherent single motif, and the Castle’s claim to fame would definitely have to be the roof terrace (at least in the summer).
I will say, the roof is really nice, even if it is a bit crowded. And it is worth a visit to this place just to enjoy the terrace on a cool summer evening. Many people had the right idea of relaxing in the sun with a pitcher of Pimm’s.
The beer selection is what sort of kills the Castle for me. The best draught that was available was Bitburger, and that is not really saying much. I spent my evening drinking Stella, which cost an absurd £3,90 (especially when there are many other establishments in the area that sell Stella for £2-£3).
All in all, nothing to write home about, but you should go enjoy the roof terrace, at least once.

It’s a pub. Gas fires in winter, roof-​deck in summer.
Solid food — baked cheeses, salads, sandwiches, etc. Fancier than typical pub fare, but not completely OTT.
Definitely a nice, relaxed place to spend some time.

Often seen it and thought I’d like to see what its like Unfortunately I walked into the middle of a pub quiz. I’ve got nothing against pub quizzes per se but I feel a bit silly walking into a pub in the middle of one, like I’ve wandered into a private party or something.
Ordered a pint of T.E.A.and was asked if I would like it in a dimpled mug (serious plus points!). Theres a roof terrace (in the ramparts) which I would like to try some time. It’s nice that it’s away from the centre of Islington which gets a bit too heaving at times for my liking.
I feel a bit stingy giving it a 3 but I was only there for one so I didn’t feel I picked up enough of an impression of the place to give it any more. I’ll head back sometime and see if it maybe deserves more.

Close to Angel tube station, The Castle on Pentonville road is exactly what I have come to expect from a pub in London. As old-​school boozers fade from the map this line of suave-​looking gastropubs have rolled in to take their place and keep in line with the wave of gentrification. As such you can probably guess what the Castle looks like; lots of neutral colour, ‘arty’ pictures and chalk boards attempting to blend modernity with a retro pub look; all that happens is it ends up looking distinctly average with nothing particularly alluring or eye-​catching.
That said the atmosphere here is one of well-​mannered joviality. The clientele and bar staff are generally very relaxed people making this a decent enough location to stop in for lunch.
The food here is pretty decent albeit with a range that isn’t exactly cahllenging. Standard British pub food with a few salads all at very reasonable prices. Drinks-​wise there is a fair selection of wines along with a more standard choice of bottled and draught lager.
Not bad but nothing out of the ordinary.