Islington’s Albert and Pearl

Albert and Pearl replaced the desperately empty and tired Medicine Bar just over a year ago, and was received pretty well.

Some top class marketing, a nice angle creating Albert and Pearl as a dapper young couple of the ’20s era, and some interesting cocktails meant it emerged fresh and vibrant onto a street littered with generic banality. A year on, it’s settled into its skin and is still a pretty cool place to hang out.

The décor is funky and looks fresh – a range of sofas, stools, low tables and actual dining space gives you options – and coupled with some cool lighting design, fresh flowers and crazy wallpaper it feels relaxed and comfortable, but not tired.

Upstairs there are what can only be described as two of the best spaces to book out for a party. Known as ‘Pearl’s Parlour’ and ‘Albert’s Bar’ both are enticing private spaces, equipped with their own drinks cabinet (in Pearl’s case) and old–fashioned bar (for Albert), as well as a mish mash of antique furniture and general ’20s frippery.

The cocktails and spirits menu is a delight. Some fun has clearly been had with putting it together and the result is some fabulous unique cocktails, interesting shots served in rounds of four, teapots of alcoholic ice tea, globes of cocktails to share – such as Albert’s Grog and Pearl’s Punch – and ‘ginormous’ punch and Pimms bowls. Summer fun has very definitely arrived.

I started with the awesomely named Archibald Periscope cocktail – a lovely mix of gin, peach juice, Rioja and lemon juice. Then we moved onto the Sourpuss (no saucer needed, apparently) a delicious short cocktail with apple, vanilla and lemon flavours; and finished by sharing a wonderful globe of Pearl’s Punch – apple, champagne, vodka and lemon juice. Bloody awesome.

With this many spirits inside us it became clear food was very necessary. Sadly, food-wise the Albert and Pearl is a bit hit and miss; they’d run out of all the things I wanted – chicken liver pate, a pint of prawns – but the scotch egg and Welsh rarebit we had instead were excellent.

The cheeseboard was also fantastic, though the mushrooms on toast were not – bitter, and cold – which was a shame after some otherwise splendid food. The wine was equally a little disappointing, more in terms of selection than anything else (four red, four white, two rose), and the ones we had didn’t taste too exciting either.

This place is clearly all about affordable decadence – it’s cocktails and style all the way – and the food is a generally good accompaniment to all the boozing. We were there mid-week and it was a little quiet, but I reckon it hots up at the weekend and there is a definite lingering air of cool about the place.

Albert and Pearl
181 Upper Street
Islington
N1 1RQ

Tel: 0207 354 9993

www.albertandpearl.com