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We’re big fans of Islington’s The Pocket, which launched less than a year ago and was named (by us!) as London’s best new pub that opened in 2025.
As well as serving delicious ales and delightful ciders, the pub has a decent snack selection, which largely focuses on scotch eggs and sausage rolls. ‘No reservations. No green food. No shit beer. No terrible modern music,’ the boozer says. However, as of March the pub is set to open up its upstairs room to serve a slap up lunch and dinner courtesy of super supper club, Big Plates. It’s possible that some green food might make an appearance.
Big Plates’ month-long Saturdays-only residency will serve up a menu dedicated to ‘powerful gravies and robust puddings’. There will be snacks of pork and prunes and confit leek with walnut and Worcestershire sauce, as well as a starter of mince on focaccia with brûléed egg yolk, and mains of Piedmontese onions, pork schnitzel, and butter chicken pie. For pudding you have the very difficult choice of deciding between a chocolate and stout steamed pudding, and slab of banoffee pie.
The residency takes place on March 7, 14, 21 and 28. It’s four courses for £40, and you can score your tickets here. Lunch seatings take place at 1pm and dinners at 7pm.
Big Plates is the tasty project of chefs Josh Ebsworth and Hannah Larkin, who’ve worked everywhere from Cloth in Farringdon and Half Cut Market to Lucky & Joy. Their thing is ‘classics with cheeky riffs’.
The Pocket, 25 Canonbury Lane, Islington, N1 2AS.
The best pubs in London, according to Time Out.
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