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Keston Lodge
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From the same stable as Camden's Lock Tavern and Shepherds Bush's Defectors Weld, Keston Lodge adds a touch of cool to the Upper Street maelstrom. Although boxy, the place has a cosy glow about it, with convivial booth seating, orange fairy lights and a 'Small Disco' with a DJ booth under the stairs. Cocktails include £7 mojitos, but most drinkers here favour pints, wine, random spirits - anything that means they can get away from the bar and back to their chat-up lines. The tiny beer garden is fine for smokers, but pretty hopeless for summer drinking.
Time Out Bars, Pubs & Clubs Guide 2008/9
Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.
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Details
- 131 Upper Street, Islington, N1 1QP
- Area: Islington
- Tel: 7354 9535
- www.kestonlodge.com
- Category: Bars & Pubs
- Travel: Angel tube/Highbury & Islington tube/rail
- Times: Open: noon-midnight Mon-Wed; noon-1am Thur; noon-2am Fri, Sat; noon-11.30pm Sun, Food served: noon-3pm, 5-10pm Mon-Fri; noon-10pm Sat, Sun
- Price: £3 after 10.30pm Sat
- Credit cards: MC, V. DJ
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It's all about the cocktails and the decor in The Keston and it is head and shoulders above the rest of the Islington wannabe bars in both stakes.
Lose the unecessary door policy on Fridays and you would have yourself a really good dj bar...
Love the Keston, it's pretty much the only place on Upper st where you can get decent cocktails and they even so offer on Thursdays and Sundays.
The burgers are a staple with their skin on chips (best in London and I am a chip critic) and if you don't fancy battling it out with the cool crowds downstairs they have a small terrace and a mezzanine type bar on the 1st floor which is perfect for stealing a cosy drinking corner.
Music is always good but then it is apparently owned by the Lock Tavern so it should be!
Get here early though if you want to guarantee a table.
This place really does offer something a little bit different, yes it can be busy during the weekend but it's in islington most decent places are, it's just the way it is. On the otherhand head down on a saturday lunch time and you'll find the bar has transformed into a mini market. With a wide range of stalls offering everything from clothes to comics to make your own badges and everything in-between, especially the amazing cakes! This is definately something worth checking out if your stuck for idea's on a Saturday afternoon. great
Very disappointing place! Rude staff, long queues to buy drinks and never enough seats. The decor is very cool but the atmosphere and music are a let down.
I only have great things to say about this place. Both myself and my friends are massive fans of The Keston Lodge. I work nearby so it’s really convenient for me and my work mates. Great music, great food and the staff have been nothing but friendly and attentive when we have been there. I would always recommend this place to anyone who was looking for somewhere to go out.
Forgot to rate it last time so will here
Do not come here if you are looking forward to a relaxing, inviting evening. The staff make you feel as if it is not their job to serve (that's a hinderence) but to talk to eachother loudly and rudely! Why are they so arrogant, they are about 18! The service was actually non-existent. We didn't have anyone come over to clean our table the whole evening we were there, and i actually felt fairly intimidated when i was being served. Probably because i am well spoken and take pride in my appearance and manners, what they seem to be lacking....
Having been a regular visitor at the keston lodge for over a year now, I find the lastest review a little hard
to take in, I have never had a bad meal or experience in there. Sure the service can be a little relaxed
at times, and when it's busy there may be a longer delay than usual, but the food has always been great.
I was only in there this week with my partner and we both had a great meal from their new menu, the service was fine
and the food arrived within 15mins!
The staff have always been great, friendly and polite, fair enough they seem to have a laugh and a joke behind the
bar but who wouldn't. My only negative comment is that there is no real table service, you have to order both your
drinks and food from the bar...
This aside I would recomend the Keston Lodge to anyone!
Do yourself a favour.... NEVET EAT AT THE KESTON LODGE!
A group of 8 of us headed there for a Sunday Roast and were disapointed on every level. The starters came at the same time or after the main courses, the roasts were stone cold and one meal never arrived at all.
The worst part of it was the service and the attitude of the staff and the Manager. 3 roast dinners arrived with no roast potatoes! When we mentioned this to the bar staff, one of them eventually came over with a bowl of potatoes, threw them down on the table and said "better?", sarcastically.
Awful food, awful service, don't waste your time!
Having heard from a few friends about the Keston lodge, I decided to give it a go for myself, I headed down on a Saturday night. I was surprised to see a queue as it was only 9pm, but having spoken to the very friendly door team they assured me that I would not have to wait for more than 10mins, and sure enough 5 minutes later I was inside (thank god as it was freezing). I met some friends inside and we had a great night, partying away to a great sound track until the early hours….I will definitely be going back.