This place felt really quite fancy, though I suspect that that was the intention. Like, it isn't even located in a fancy part of the city, though then again much of inner London has gentrified. Anyway, yeah, I didn't mind it, and there was a nice balcony overlooking the canal, but stull, it felt a bit more like a Gastro pub than anything else. read more

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I saw a pirate on a narrow boat in the moat! Seriously, I did! I even snapped a photograph of him in between bites of my Sunday roast (a gastronomic tradition I'd gladly take over brunch any weekend!) We were a heaving table but the staff at the Narrow Boat accommodated our needs fairly efficiently. The two disappointing bits about about my meal were: - no Yorkshire pud with the roast chicken - their Pimm's Cup was not up to much read more

The Narrow Boat - This is the pirate I snapped floating on a narrow boat in the moat while dining at the Narrow Boat! - British Near Me - London, XGL

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Great location and we sat out on the balcony overlooking the canal. Staff were nice if we could get their attention. That's the main source of our frustration with the place. We got in around 4pm and stayed until 5:15 on a Sunday. It was busy and they were turning people away that hadn't reserved tables. We ended up just ordering at the bar rather than continue to be ignored at our table. But even flagging down a bartender proved challenging and we were told to hold many times. Eventually we had two rounds of drinks and a yummy sticky toffee dessert. My second old fashioned was awful though. Not sure I'll be back as could have my own drink w the same view on a bench on the canal without the same trouble. read more

The Narrow Boat sits right on the canal, with a few tables positioned outside. It is perfect for an alfresco dining experience when the weather is hot. Don't be fooled by the establishments small stature upstairs, there is a spacious dining area downstairs with a little extra outside seating. I had a Sunday roast and it was really tasty. It was like little drops of beefy heaven slapping slovenly against my puckered lips. I ate, and ate, and it was GOOOOD! I must even applaud my perfectly balanced lager shandy. Slightly heavy on the lager but with enough sugary zing from the lemonade... Mmmm that hits the spot. The Narrow Boat is pricier than your average boozer at £11.95 for roast beef. When your plate arrives leaden with hot scrumptious food, you'll know it is money well spent. P.s. The Yorkshire puddings were spot on. Crispy on the edges with a softer moist finish towards the middle. Almost rivals our dear Aunt Bessie. read more

The Narrow Boat - British Near Me - London, XGL

Islington is like 'a secret garden'; full of little narrow streets and hidden doors. Such is The Narrow Boat, facing a narrow part of the Regents canal. Walk in with your sweetheart or friends its always a friendly and cosy place to be in. They have a little sitting facing the canal which is perfect for lonely souls pondering over a pint of cider. This place is service to offices nearby and also to residents. You can often see schoolchildren practicing their canooing skills and little ducks quacking away in the spirit. read more

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As everyone else has pointed out it the location of this pub that makes all the difference. Walk up the road a few more metres and you are back in London, on the high street. Here you can escape it all. I found this pub by accident, walking down from Regen's canal in Hackney, all the way down to Angel. It is, along with the cinema, the best place to be alone and not feel lonely. The upper level, on the terrace is top notch, especially in the summer, with a pint of Hoegaarden on your left hand. The food menu is a bit limited but fish and chips and mushy peas never fail, they are not amazing but the atmosphere will make a huge difference on the taste of your food. The specials on the chalkboard can be tastier than he actual menu, like the swordfish stir-fry with egg noodles (£9.50), the chilli flavour and the squid rings were very satisfying. read more

The Narrow Boat - British Near Me - London, XGL

Have eaten here a number of times and always enjoyed it. Unfortunately, today was a very disappointing experience. Fish & chips not available because of late supplier delivery. Two of 4 mains delivered to table luke warm. Spiced cauliflower main was disappointing main of small size better suited for appetiser. Our server did her best but overall atmosphere and service was very frenetic and harried. Not the enjoyable and leisurely canal side lunch we'd expected. read more

The Narrow Boat - British Near Me - London, XGL

Stumbled upon this lovely place after a long evening. The food was great, but our waiter really sold us on the experience. John was the most charismatic fellow I have ever met. My dad couldn't stop asking him questions about ww2, but John was a true historian and handled him like a bro. I would definitely come again, great atmosphere and lovely service. By service I mean John. read more

It is a rare occurrence where I find myself ambling about looking for a place to drink beers in the sunshine for a few hours in London on a random afternoon. 1. There is not a lot of sun here. 2. I rarely find myself drinking away an afternoon (perhaps I should change this?) Yes, I should. And so I started at The Narrow Boat -- as we just so happened upon it on our walk back from Angel. With the sun still peeping about in the later dusk-like hours, the canal nearby, people enthralled with the idea that it just *might* be summer, and the aimlessness of a Sunday, all added up to YES. My comrade and I pulled up two comfy chairs in the front and spent a good hour lounging, talking, enjoying the atmosphere (and the dogs! dog-friendly!), soaking up sun through the big paned windows, mingling a bit with the regulars. The staff was sweet (the tall blonde behind the bar, major props -- very welcoming). I'd not resist another attempt to drink a few pints here...especially when all the stars, suns, afternoon hours and blissful London spring arrives. read more

A very pretty place, a pretty substandard experience. Pre-booked (in advance) for a birthday dinner, our bakers dozen sat in front of pinned back bifold glass doors on a long table, the sun shined in on us and the babbling canal babbled by. Tourists did the same. Babbled on by, intrigued, peered in. Eyes gazed on diners plates and after some time, I did too, crane my neck around to spy on what other diners were eating. Our table gleefully saw what was being placed down around us and with equal expectation we eagerly anticipated our salubrious Sunday meal. When a setting for 1pm, gets you served dinner at 2:50 not with the greeting 'enjoy your meals', but a "may we remind you that your table is reserved for someone else at four". I can't say that this got my digestive juices flowing considering their inattentive reactions to us waving for service several times, but rather, this made my mouth dry as if it were lined with feathers and I was about to spit them out. This got my blood boiling, in fact, when the only thing that should have been boiling were the carrots. Now this is not the temperature which I want my food served, but initially, when we were given the choice of rare or well done meat, two of our party chose to opt for beef as rouge as our blushes, rare as one would be if raring to go in a little red car, rare like a little red ruby in the sand, ya get me. I want the protein pink. It arrived very very well done. I'd say well done for the rustic-ish menu and beautiful setting, but when one wants ones slab of meat bleeding it's a disappointment to say the least when it wasn't. Two of our party quite rightly mentioned this as advised in the menu, that one ought to state how one likes ones meat. They obliged and conceded to mistaken plates and returned sharpish with these replaced plates, pronto! Great. How wonderff...freezing! Absolutely freezing. Both replaced plates of food were cold. Our group tired of this service and at now at 3.15 one of our party was still without The Narrow Boat's attempt of their dinner. To put things thrice time right our manageress through gritted teeth asked us if there was anything they could do to make things nice. It'd have been nice if they'd have got things right in the first instance but this affair was as casual as a cable knit cardi. Sadly the dishes all around were pretty slap dash, a miserly pork roast of no sizeable match to the rest of the roasts was disappointing, duck salad came with a boiled egg with yolks powdery and sad as the cremated shredded duck. When we all took our turns to raise our complaints, our manageress pleasantly smoothed over the bad service and did as much as she possibly could to appease their weak game, even replacing plates, but for a leisurely not particularly busy 'busy spot', they need to raise their game at the very least. The Narrow Boat will narrowly miss my future recommendations I'm afraid. read more

There is a magical feeling you get when you're jogging past a pub in the summertime. You're working out, getting a sweat on, doing something good for your body, feeling all healthy-like, while the pub-goers are drinking, indulging, getting their inner glutton on... Actually, I think there is a word this specific emotion: jealousy. It was only a matter of time before my run took a detour into the Narrow Boat. Turns out those gluttons knew what they were doing! When the weather is nice, there's nowhere I'd rather be than in this canal side bar sipping a pimms or cider. I wouldn't rate their roast however. Skip the food and stick with the booze! (It's easier to run off that Yorkshire pud...) read more

Nice little pub by the canal on two levels with some outdoor space. Great if you want to watch less mainstream sports, as it turned out, as we were able to book a table by a TV so we could watch the boat race (and control sound etc) and we didn't have to keep getting up to go to the bar as they do table service for drinks. The Grand National was also on so it was an exciting afternoon! They do food, which looked pretty good. read more

Killing time before a cinema date, I ambled down to this canalside gastro one sunny September evening. This is such an idyllic spot, that the Narrow Boat wouldn't have to do much to be a very nice pub indeed. There's a lovely balcony over the canal, and the upstairs bar has large west facing windows which catch the setting sun. Luckily, they do a lot more. The service was warm and friendly, and they have a normal pub with favourites such as a fish and chips and of course burgers. My haddock butty arrived blazingly fast and was none the poorer for it. The only drawback, was that from somewhere on the canal, diesel fumes were washing over the balcony and into the pub. That ruined it for me, still I retreated inside and basked in the setting sun while enjoying my food. Hopefully, the fumes were a one-off because this is one of the nicest spots I've been to anywhere in London, so I will be back. read more

Boo. Double Boo. This has become a chain pub and the Sunday Roasts really reflect it. Instead of the juicy chunks of lamb, it was...just 'meh' lamb. Nothing that sparkled, nothing amazing. When we got there, I'd reserved a table for 4 for brunch. Instead of putting us at a table, they put us on 2 couches with a small trunk between them. There was no way in hell one could have had a sunday roast without being hunched over the entire time, sretching to get to the table. When i asked politely if we could have a table that we could actually eat off, I got a mindless, blank look i've only ever seen in Zombie movies. 'Oh...we gave you that table because we thought you guys would want room.' Very kind of you, I said, injecting a british 'I'm-sorry-I'm-being-difficult-blame-my-nationality' smile, but we really do need a table that we can eat at. They point at the next table and tell us to sit there. A group of 4....sitting at a table for 2. Ultimate fail. Clearly, the service has also gone down the pipes--the servers kept walking by as we were trying to flag them down for more drinks and they just gave us the zombie look when we asked for our Bloody Marys to have more of a kick to them. Narrow Boat, we knew thee well. Rest in Peace. read more

'I'm meeting people for a roast. The Narrow Boat. GPS says it's on the canal, do you think it's an actual boat?' It's not and it isn't right on the canal. I'm clearly just a very literal minded person. But wouldn't it be awesome if it was an actual boat? Someone needs to make that happen. Good fish and chips. Not that you could call them chips, more like quarters of potatoes on a plate. I reckon the chef got a bit excitable over the 'fat chips' concept, or his hands were too tired to cut them smaller. I like this pub though, it's massive and they loads of varieties of posh cider. I want to drink there in the summer and, obviously, pretend I'm on a boat. Because that would be awesome. read more

Nice little stop that provides a bit of atmosphere to get that riverside feeling from the comfort of your local canal. Nice cosy little bar, which is indeed narrow, you get what is says on the tin! Not the cheapest place, but if you want a quiet weekday stop for a bottle of wine, you may have found the perfect place. It would be good to stop back in the day and check out the outside area, I'll have to pop back in! read more

Location, location, location. If there's anything to be said about the Narrow Boat, is its strategic location on Regent's Canal... with balconies, people spilling out on to the river bank, this is a pub that has a 'good feel', especially in the summer. The service is 'meh' (smiling never hurt anyone), the food is pub decent, but not 'gastro pub' excellent. A 13£ fish'chips ? That thing should be smoookin'. It was just ok. But hey, they've got ginger beer, some Czech beers, and the usual array of lagers and bitters... and hey ! Did I mention that it was on a canal ? It feels a bit like Amsterdam. read more

Went there with the girls for Sunday Roast, the food was fantastic and definitely very gastro pub-esque. I had the beef with the yorkshire pud and ordered a creme brulee afterwards. The beef was done medium rare which is in itself rare sight to see, and melt in the mouth gorgeousness. The presentation of the dish was a bit deceiving, since I thought I only had a few same-ish greens on the side, but after devouring half the plate, I realised hidden under the great slab of meat, there was a large selection of different veggies! Absolute find! The creme brulee was citrusy which worked beautifully for an otherwise heavier end to the meal. It was a shame that the weather was dreadful, so we ended up getting a seat inside, barely at a window. Don't get me wrong, the decor is definitely stylish and it wasn't too busy either so it was the perfect location to catch up on the goss. But I'm looking forward to summer when we could sit outside the Narrow Boat and take in the view and fresh air! read more

The Narrow Boat - Sunday Roast - the surprisingly large selection of veg is hidden from sight - British Near Me - London, XGL

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Looks good but isn't! I came here on a Sunday evening with my boyfriend and left disapointed. We ordered the roast lamb and burger. The burger was dry and rubbery, edible but not tasty as you'd expect for the £18 price tag. The roast came drenched in gravy (that I didn't request) and there was only one spoonful of cauliflower and cheese on the plate. Again edible but not a meal I wish to repeat. Service was poor. We found our own seats downstairs and waited 5 mins before getting our own menus. Wait staff weren't attentive and were more interested in joking around with each other. Unprofessional but friendly I suppose. Nice venue so might go back for a drink, probably not for a meal. read more

I don't know what dodgy stuff is going on with yelp. but i wrote a bad review on this place on Jan 111, and it has been removed. WHY??? Everything I said was fact. In summary, my burger was rotten and smelt like blood. Dont eat the food here. read more

We only had beer here but a great selection for such a small place (16 drafts). Their menu sounded delish but we had other plans for dinner this day. A burger came to the next table that looked amazing. read more

A bit on the pricey side but if you can snag a seat outside on a sunny evening it's pretty awesome as the views of the canal are lovely. The food itself is fine; nothing to write home about. The staff is nice but don't expect table service - just order from the bar. If you wait on table service you'll be waiting a while. read more

Not a lot of Londoners know about the Grand Union Canal, which flows from Angel towards East London. Along this canal lots of house boats have docked in port . This is an ideal Sunday walk to get some fresh air. But any walk should end with a glass of white wine and some food, right? The Narrow Boat has both. When the sun shines you even can sit on the terrace and have a view on the water! The restaurant is built over two floors, very narrow and looks like inside of a boat. As a tradition, Londoners eat fish on Fridays, but I make an exception. At The Narrow Boat I order fish and chips with mushy peas even on a Sunday. My friend selected the pork sausage and mashed potatoes coming with a rich sauce. After a good lunch you can read your newspaper and drink some coffee without getting asked to leave. Leaving the restaurant you can stroll back along the canal and if you are lucky you can see the sun downing reflecting in industrial buildings - I feel like not being in a city for a moment. read more

This is a pleasant, if slightly gastroesque pub on the canal near Islington. It can even be accessed from the canal and has a few benches outside (no glasses) for the nicer weather (not for a while then eh?). The layout is narrow, as you might have guessed (but is on 2 floors). They served 4 real ales I thinka couple from the Fullers range as I recall. The staff were friendly enough, clearing away all the food stuff so that we could sit and drink in a pubas God intended. Not my favourite pub in the area by a long chalk, but I will be back in summer! read more

I can't say I've ever eaten at The Narrow Boat along the Union Canal but I have been there on many, many an occasion to drink during the summer months. Spread over two run of the mill gastro-pubby floors, The Narrow Boat serves traditional British food but it's USP really has to be its fabulous location. This is one of the best places to go in the Summer if you reside in either Shoreditch or Islington as you can buy drinks inside and enjoy them on the benches outside the pub along the canal. A perfectly lovely place to get perfectly squiffy during Britain's fleeting summer. read more

The Narrowboat is in a fantastic location on Regent's Canal. You can either walk down to it from Islington or up from Old Street. It's quite a small pub, but there's enough room to pull up a seat and have a drink. I've been to a few parties and work dos here too. They also do food, and there are tables on two levels. If you're passing on a summer's day and have a thirst, it's nice to take your drink down to the towpath and sit on the seats overlooking the water. I have fond memories of sitting down there one balmy summer's evening with a pint from the Narrowboat and watching a fantastic moonrise in a lilac sky over the water. bliss. read more

Having passed this place frequently while cycling along the towpath, I recently took a friend here for a birthday lunch. We were both waiting for bike repairs at Lock 7 on Broadway market (see later review) and asked one of the staff there for a recommendation. 'Try the Narrow Boat - just down the canal'. 'Just down' turned out to be a 25-minute walk which, when you're hungry and don't know quite where you're going, ain't good. But it was worth a bit of a schlepp, as the food was unexpectedly superb. Arbroath smokie paté with toast to start, a huge lemon sole with new potatoes (black sauce - capers/butter etc), roast lamb with new potatoes. The sole was sublime - by coincidence I'd used the same recipe for skate some weeks ago, and it's definitely a winner. Tempting to knock a star off for the sticky tables - the varnish is corrupting, degrading or some such and they've not put cloths over them. But I'm in a generous mood, so I'll let it slide. I'd definitely recommend this place for a Sunday lunch on a summer's day. £55 for two included three courses each and a glass of wine. Pretty good value, and nice service read more

Canal side gem with great food, drink and staff. We popped in here on Saturday lunchtime to book an area for an upcoming party. The manager was really friendly and helpful, and although we couldn't hire an area there, he suggested loads of other cool venues. I had a nice pint and a grilled vegetable pastie covered in cheese which was amazing. Will definitely come back. read more

Wonderful, canal side cosy pub. Having enjoyed a brisk winter walk (in the sunshine) along the canal heading towards Angel, this was the perfect watering hole. The Narrow Boat serves Harvey's Ale, alongside the usual lagers and a decent looking wine list. Suitable for groups and lone drinkers alike. We enjoyed our beer overlooking the canal on one of the small terraces and as soon as it was too cold to stand, we moved inside to thaw-out in front of the rawing open fire. They serve food, though we didn't eat (this time), I'm looking forward to the next visit. read more

I'm astonished that this got such a miserly rating!! A group of 15 of us came here for Sunday lunch, it was recommended by the staff in more popular Sunday Lunch staple The Island Queen. We were delighted with the food, generous roasts and awesome desserts with the incredibly accomodating service, the lovely stroll to get there, and the relaxed atmosphere. I really recommend you go while it is relatively easy to get a table 15 of us, and not a single complaint or critism. read more

I was Leary based on a friend's past experience. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the food was greay friend's salmot. My fish and chips with mushy peas was excellent, and my frriend's salmon was very tasty. read more

Cute pub on the Regents Canal near Angel. Good spot to enjoy a beer outside on the terrace if the sun is shining. People actually seems to sit out there no matter what the weather is like. Unfortunately their food is quite boring and a little expensive too. I had a risotto with no flavour at all. Not even salt. And my partner had a strange sandwich - and not strange in any good way. Their coffee (latte) was not very good either - it was more like warm milk with a little coffee taste. So stick with the alcohol and it is a great place. read more

When I am running along the canal, I curse the drinkers by the Narrow Boat blocking my way. But when I am one of the drinkers, I am happy as a clam. Nice collection of ales and the great atmosphere on a nice day are big wins. And I was pleasantly suprised by the very nice Sunday roast that I partook in with fellow Yelpers. I appreciate that it wasn't your usual peas (I just can't get into the peas) and that they had a nice chicken option bursting with all kinds of yummy veggies. And the Yorkshire pudding was divine. The setting was the icing on the cake.... read more

Let me first say that it takes a lot for me write a bad review... but here it goes... So I just got back from The Narrow Boat and I would be happy to give you a review of my meal... If I ever got one. I sat at my table for almost 25 min... Until someone came by... To get the drink order from the people next to me who came 15 min after I did. I did nothing when arriving but ask if i should seat myself or wait for a hostess. They said seat yourself, so I took a nice seat out on the balcony. I sat quietly and watched the world go by as people came in and out of the establishment without a care in the world. Let me mention that this was just after 2pm when the lunch crowd was dying down. I don't know if it was because I was a tourist or not (I had my camera and backpack on the side of the table that screamed tourist) but I will never recommend this establishment to anyone. So sad, it had such charm. What a bad taste in my mouth... Definitely not from the taste of food there since I never got the opportunity to eat there! read more

Fantastic dinner spot! Had the duck - amazing. And the sticky toffee pudding - also amazing. Lovely atmosphere, looking out the window onto the canal. Highly recommended! read more

Come aboard the Narrow Boat and enjoy a Sunday roast with all the fixings. There will be a canal side breeze dancing through your hair, friendly waitresses ready to fill up your beverage and a massive meal that is sure to send you into an afternoon food coma. With many reserved signs perched on tables, I was glad we had reservations. This eatery boasts a narrow corridor of tables, all intricately woven over two floors to give the feel of an overcrowded lounge room at a family gathering. The downstairs view over the water was the atmospheric added extra that carried my stresses away. The food itself was up there on my list of Sunday roasts, all the elements were there and nobody tried too hard to fancy it up. It's meat and potatoes and that's what I came for. Not to forget the Yorkshire pudding and gravy, of course. read more

Great pub along the canal. The food quality is high, with a great atmosphere. They have some of the best F&C in London!

Not a bad little pub. Pretty standard fare, with the exception that the canal view is great. If you're in the area and it's a sunny day, I'd stop by. read more

Ahhh The Narrow Boat! This quaint little hideaway is such a gem. There's nothing I like more than heading here on a sunny weekend afternoon to spend a few blissful hours sitting by the canal enjoying a crisp glass of wine. It's a 10 minute walk from Angel station, but the minute you step inside you literally forget that you're in London. It's such a nice break from the loud, bustling pubs of upper street. Now, don't get me wrong this place does get busy, but due to its size, people don't tend to loiter around the bar...if there's a table people stay, if not, they tend to head elsewhere which is fantastic as it frees up space and servers for the rest of us. The service is always really good and I can't seem to fault the food. I've tried the burger, the steak and the linguine and all were fantastic. They have a great selection of beers and wines; my favorites being their Chardonnay and their Pinot Grigio. If you're heading for the Sunday roast I'd definitely suggest that you make a reservation...trust me...you don't want to be part of the "elsewhere" crowd. read more

The beauty of the Narrow Boat is being able to enjoy a pint while overlooking the canal. In fact, on a warm London day, the path along the canal is packed with people pouring out of the Narrow Boat. The food isn't amazing -- especially the roast. But, this place is perfect for meeting up with friends for a pint or enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon. read more