<![CDATA[Greater London - Islington - Angel - Eating, Drinking and Nightlife - Bars - Reviews]]> http://www.welovelocal.com Reviews from welovelocal.com en A Middle Class Rileys http://www.welovelocal.com/en/london/islington/angel/bars/the-elbow-room-n19ex.html#r16458 I like the Elbow Rooms in Islington, it has its drawbacks with its quite generic interior (if you have been to the other branches) but it provides considerably more pool tables, good food, a large selection of drinks and is open late throughout the week. Somewhere to go if you want to get off the upper street crawl for a bit or stuck for ideas for someone to go.

]]> Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:13:01 BST Forgettable http://www.welovelocal.com/en/london/islington/angel/bars/glass-works-n10ps.html#r12415 At first it seems like a typical Wetherspoons (usually not much to write about) but scratch the surface and you find it a more moronic place than most.

As you reach the door you find that the bouncers will ask you ID no matter how old you look. Not terribly unusual, until you go there a week later and find that the exact same bouncers will ask you for ID even though they admit they've let you in before. You can pretty much have the same ridiculous argument with them for several weeks. This is particularly ironic as once inside the place has the feeling of a youth club disco as it has a huge number of underage patrons.

The drinks are as cheap as it should be but its really not worth the hassle to get in. Admittedly its not so bad during the daytime but at night there is nothing but attitude and run-of-the-mill DJ-ing. Fairly forgettable, and with so many infinitely better venues in Angel, what the hell was I thinking trying to get in in the first place?!!

]]> Sun, 13 Apr 2008 17:07:18 BST A shame. http://www.welovelocal.com/en/london/islington/angel/bars/anam-n19ez.html#r2725 A year or so ago I would've given 4 stars at least, maybe even 5. On a weeknight you could sit at the bar, chat with the staff and drink £8 cocktails that were so good and so boozy you actually felt you were ripping them off by not paying twice that. The cocktail menu was about 12 pages long, with all manner of obscure ingredients and interesting combinations. My favourite was the Chilli Chocolate - chillis, chocolate and about 5 types of booze. Mmm... Chilli Choclate...

Sorry, where was I? Oh yes, Anam as it is now. In the past year it's changed management, they've reduced the cocktail menu to a fairly standard one, and turned the music up just a bit too loud for the size of the place. It's not bad, the cocktails are still above average, they still do the Chilli Chocolate (mmm... Chilli Chocolate...), but it just makes me remember how good it was before.

]]> Mon, 06 Aug 2007 16:16:46 BST As the name suggests... http://www.welovelocal.com/en/london/islington/angel/bars/offside-ec1v1la.html#r2685 this is a football bar. It has two projector screens along with about three or four other flat screen tv's scattered about the place.

Beer is OK, and as it is in Islington, you'll get a lot of Arsenal fans in when their games are on.

Neat feature is the fact that the sound of the games is piped into the toilets so you never miss a goal...

]]> Sun, 05 Aug 2007 18:33:15 BST Must try harder... http://www.welovelocal.com/en/london/islington/angel/bars/the-elbow-room-n19ex.html#r1334 I really think London is crying out for a chain of cool pool halls. Elbow rooms tries hard but ultimately fails.

I like the idea of paying for an hour upfront and not getting hustled all the time (although of course I hustle the hustlers back, or something...). And I like the fact they have the American style big pockets because it makes me look and feel good.

But.... agreed it kind of gets lost between a bar and a pool hall. And the clientele are not usually to my liking really.

]]> Tue, 22 May 2007 17:50:26 BST A Pool Excuse for a Bar http://www.welovelocal.com/en/london/islington/angel/bars/the-elbow-room-n19ex.html#r1226 The Elbow Rooms has many locations across London and is a bar/pool room. The difficulty the chain has with attempting to be both a pool hall and bar is the fact it acheives mediocrity in both areas. As such the Elbow Rooms falls short in trying the create the desired atmosphere of either a bar or place to play pool. In addition to this, the Elbow Rooms is fairly expensive and overall, is not really to my liking.

]]> Tue, 15 May 2007 21:10:30 BST The Elbow Room http://www.welovelocal.com/en/london/islington/angel/bars/the-elbow-room-n19ex.html#r727 Steer clear on the weekend it is busy rowdy and generally unpleasant. Good during the week with loads of pool table booked by the hour. Seen live music here too which was mostly good quality and an acoustic duo gem. This pub has made the news for two shootings. Inside on new years eve 2006 into 2007 and previously the bouncer was shot after refusing entry to several men. I am sure it is fine most of the time but not my kind of place on the weekend.

]]> Fri, 11 May 2007 17:20:29 BST The Elbow Room http://www.welovelocal.com/en/london/islington/angel/bars/the-elbow-room-n19ex.html#r727 Steer clear on the weekend it is busy rowdy and generally unpleasant. Good during the week with loads of pool table booked by the hour. Seen live music here too which was mostly good quality and an acoustic duo gem. This pub has made the news for two shootings. Inside on new years eve 2006 into 2007 and previously the bouncer was shot after refusing entry to several men. I am sure it is fine most of the time but not my kind of place on the weekend.

]]> Fri, 11 May 2007 17:20:29 BST