The Cuckoo (ex The Huntingdon), Islington  

If we wanted to stretch the metaphor to breaking point, you could liken gastropub phenomenon in Barnsbury to the actions of a Cuckoo. One by one the traditional pubs have been ousted from their nest, only to be replaced by swanky new bars. Only the Hemingford Arms remains, which is probably why it's always so darn busy. Still, back to the Cuckoo. Once the downmarket Huntingdon, from the outside it's a wonderful looking building, very much in keeping with the local area. The new look isn't so bad, all in. Sure, there's a small menu of gastropub fare, prices in the low teens, but it still has the feel of a pub. The bare floorboards box has been ticked and wooden panelling has been painted battleship grey, enlivened with some charmingly amateur tree murals (the leaves look like they were made with potato shapes). The lighting however made it look pretty gloomy and there was a distinct lack of warmth to the colours - some plants, for example, might help. Still, service was friendly, the Adnams Explorer was in good nick and we enjoyed the Doors heavy music selection. It was worryingly quiet for a Friday, though - the Cuckoo might be the new kid on the block, but perhaps Barnsbury is now over-saturated with such places?

reviewed:
31/10/2008

pub features:(click on an icon to see an explanation)

two real ales

a few seats out front

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