Wow! It has been quite a while since I was so completely blown away and satisfied with a meal. Considering it is one of the original Gastro Pubs this neighbourhood establishment has no airs or attitude but is instead welcoming and friendly. There is something grand in its slightly worn in wood patina and mosaic floors. The large curved bar almost gives is a Paris bistro feeling. Indeed this is an ideal location for a Gastro Pub: Polished yet cozy. Now I will try to keep the superlatives to a minimum, but I really cannot say enough about how enjoyable a meal I had here. I sat downstairs in the pub area, though there is a restaurant space upstairs. The waitstaff was friendly and easy going, the menu seasonal, the ales were choice. I opted for the roast lamb in a red wine jus and red peppers, with mash and greens. Outstanding! There is just no other word for it. Cooked to perfection and presented on a plate with style like it was a high end restaurant. Just gorgeous. Even though I finished the whole thing, I had to have dessert which consisted of a bread pudding in three sauces which I fear I will be dreaming about in the months to come. And that means only one thing. I will be going back very, very soon! read more

When I first went to the Peasant, it was before I was really into yelp, and I have decided that my review did not do this place justice. This place is probably the best pub in London - The Old Brewery gives it a run for its money, but that is another story. The Peasant is such a wonderful refreshment from all of the chain pubs and pub/music venues in London. It is a small, intimate little independent pub that knows what it is doing. The beer selection is one of the best that I have seen... anywhere. They always have a Meantime on tap, along with Erdinger, Guinness and a selection of wonderful guest brews that is ALWAYS changing to keep things fresh. And by always, I mean my friends and I go to the Peasant at least twice a week, and the selection is a little different every single time. They also have a good selection of bottled brews, notably several varieties of Brooklyn. The food is great, and rather unique in today's homogenized mainstream. You can get everything from standard fish and chips to a meat platter which includes ox tail and cow's tongue (being a vegetarian, I have not had this, but I hear good things). The food is a little pricey, but definitely worth it. The staff is perfectly friendly - they always great you with a smile and make time for the customer, no matter how busy. The atmosphere strange, yet wonderful. The worn 17th Century mosaic tile floor contrasts with the Sex Pistols and Depeche Mode artwork on the walls, but the Peasant manages to do it in a way that works. It can get crowded in the evening hours, when all the workers from the City make their way here to have a drink after work, but even then, the crowd is rarely unbearable. Go. Have a drink. It will be good for your soul. read more

The Peasant - Gastropubs Near Me - London, XGL

This is a five star pub. They have a full drink list, an excellent kitchen and they put up with last minute big groups and a rogue baby. What more could you ask for? The fish and chips and Sunday roasts are always a huge hit. read more

Um, 2 words. Belgian beers. La Chouffe, Rochefort, Westmalle, Duval and a few others I am forgetting. The do have several British offerings on tap, but as I'm not well versed in those, I will leave it at that. Popped by after class with friends, and the place was empty, but I imagine that it is very popular based on other's reviews. Beautiful tiled building, friendly barstaff, and loads of space. Gastropub offerings. I will be back for a meal, and update my review then! read more

The Peasant - St George Killing A Dragon - Gastropubs Near Me - London, XGL

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This wasn't our first choice of pub. Nor was it our second. The other local pubs on our list that evening were either reserved for a private party or shockingly loud or--worse--closed for no apparent reason. The Peasant did happen to be down the street from where we were staying, which was a big plus. Though music wafted from the first floor, where a neon green sign indicated that that was the "Restaurant" section of the establishment, the ground floor was shockingly empty, and the staff was starting to clean tables and wash up behind the bar. They still took our order, and the orders of another group that came in after us. We weren't expecting a magical place, just a warm location where we could get beer and talk. This was it, and nothing more. The music was fine, not too loud. The smell of cleaning fluid was unfortunate, and so was the lack of free munchies (peanuts or chips, anyone?). It was also suspicious when, after my friend asked about the origin of the Peasant pilsner, one bartender affirmed that it was a house brew, and the other one said, "No, it's from Camden" at the same time... As soon as they started dimming the fairy lights in the windows, we left. read more

Brilliant food! I was there on Tuesday for a company function. The ambience was nice and cozy with downstairs divey pub atmosphere and upstairs sit down restaurant. We were a group of at least 50-60 people and the service was excellent given the headcount. I opted for the Red wine risotto for appetizer, Cod and Israeli couscous for main dish and an apple pear crumble for dessert. The cod came with green beans and a chilly peppercorn oil that was super spicy but ridiculously delicious. I would highly recommend all these three items but not sure if they are part of the regular daily menu. I would come back anytime! A little more ice cream and softer pear pieces in my crumble would have been an extra bonus. read more

The Peasant - Apple and pear crumble - Gastropubs Near Me - London, XGL

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Solid gastropub in Clerkenwell. We arrived at about 7pm and it was bustling. But then again, when is a pub ever not bustling in London? Probably never. They have a good beer selection and my pint of Leffe started me off to a good evening. Finally after waiting 2 years from my last trip to London, I ate REAL fish and chips again that night. When I say REAL fish and chips, I mean the whole fish fillet battered and fried, unlike in the US where battered and fried fish strips are used in fish and chips. The traditional pea puree also came with the fish and chips. The chicken ballontine was also pretty darn amazing. To say that the texture was smooth would be an understatement.... I hardly had to do much hard chewing on the piece of chicken. My sister had the roasted fillet of salmon with tossed linguine which she loved. Service was good despite being busy. If it gets too crowded, just walk up to the bar and order your food there. They'll bring it to your table. read more

The Peasant - Fish and chips - Gastropubs Near Me - London, XGL

Had a great dinner here with a group. Downstairs, we were able to grab and table and order off the full dinner menu. I ordered the grilled seabream, which was excellent. Great plating, nice portion, with crispy salted skin. A friend order the shared mezze sampler, which was decent. Another ordered the rump burger, which comes out looking insane - piled high with onion rings and pickles. They also had some craft beers on cask, which were in good shape. Overall, we had a great time. read more

Pub culture in England cannot be beat. This place was a classic and charming pub environment with cool mosaic floors and a good menu. I came here to visit with old friends over dinner and the light and sound levels were perfect for a catch-up. Not 100% perfect for vegetarians as the mains on the menu were pretty meat-forward. read more

Great ambiance and wonderful service! The food was absolutely delicious and it had a good wine list. read more

The Peasant - Gastropubs Near Me - London, XGL

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Now this is a truly lovely pub. The only reason I haven't given it 5 stars is because it has the feel or a 'regular' and I would need to go a few more times before saying it's in my top watering holes. If I return I promise to review again. I went with friends on a Friday after work. Surprisingly, it wasn't very busy for a London venue. Most tables were occupied, but there were empty seats still and it didn't feel like the crammed pubs I've gotten used to. "Perfect", I thought. Not being a big beer or ale drinker, I feel like I can't do it's drink selection justice becuase I stuck to vodka and lemonade, but my friends seemed happy. I can, however, talk about food. We chose from the bar menu because we were led to believe the restaurant was for hire only. Perhaps, on reflection this was the only menu? I'm not sure. I was slightly surprised at the limited number of options, but hopefully there's something that will tempt you if you go. I opted for the more chicken with red wine jus and mashed potatoes, but was told that they had in fact ran out of chicken so could offer lamb rump instead. Honestly, this was even better in my mind. The portions were generous and the lamb was beautifully cooked. I couldn't fault it. If you're in the Clerkenwell area I'd highly recommend you try this place out. It's perfect far catching up with friends over a drink and nice meal. read more

Ate here for dinner on a recent trip to London (Sept 2021) and was very pleased. Thought the menu choices were a bit limited, they were adequate for my party of 8. The food, however, was well beyond "adequate." It was delicious, with large portions and very tasty sauces. And the price was very reasonable. One of the best meals our group enjoyed in London. read more

Last night, my husband and I made risque sounds at The Peasant. We weren't involved in any hanky-panky, we were noisily enjoying the pork roast. Each bite was melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. We left in a daze and, half a block away, my other half realized he had forgotten his rain jacket. We looked towards The Peasant and saw our waitress running towards us with it. Such food! Such service! I love this place. read more

I have seen numerous michelin stickers on the doors every single time I passed the Peasant so I finally decided to give it a try. The food was absolutely fantastic. We had beef and chicked they dishes were so huge that we dindnt manage to finish them. We tried the draught cider which wasnt great. Id definitely come here again for the food though. read more

The Peasant - Great chicken with vegatables and mashed potatoes. Ill definitely come again! - Gastropubs Near Me - London, XGL

You know when you watch movies/tvshows where the lovable gang of main characters have some crazy night out and regroup the next day for a hungover brunch worthy of champions? The Peasant would be the establishment of choice for such a shenanigans-filled meal of awful reflection in the hypothetical movie/tvshow of my life. Came here on a Sunday and the roast was exactly what I needed. The large windows and strong coffee were also helpful. Also expect pleasing-decor, a surprisingly quiet neighborhood setting and (of course) delicious delicious food. If only my dignity would allow for more post-weekend antics meals! read more

Now back in California only a day after our great experience at The Peasant, I am already longing for a Truman's Runner ale and another great meal. Alas - I am now more than 5,000 miles away and can only look forward to our next visit to London. We were staying in Bloomsbury - and based on yelp reviews decided to go to The Peasant for our last dinner in London. Although we were hungry and walked past some other gastropubs we held out for The Peasant, and we are so glad that we did. It was Monday and the upstairs restaurant was not open so we ate in the bar - and usually prefer that anyway. the full restaurant menu was available, however. The bartenders were very attentive and went out of their way to be sure our questions were answered and that we were happy with everything there. When I asked what beers were available by hand pull - I was brought a sample of each so that I could decide based on taste rather than by description. I selected the Truman's Runner ale. I also agreed with my wife that she was provided the best martini either of us ever tasted. They just did everything right! Our meals were creative and original, the flavors complemented one another and I can't say enough about the excellent quality, flavor, and presentation. The Chilean heritage of the chef was evident in my dinner - the pan fried salmon with beetroot, chickpea and coriander salsa - just the right amount of heat in the salsa and fabulous combination of flavors. My wife was equally ecstatic with her whole roasted poussin entree. To top it off for desert, the Chocolate and Bailey's Eaton mess was a decadent finish to the meal. We left happy and well fed for our journey back to the states and we will definitely return to The Peasant on our next visit to London. read more

I'm actually trying to figure out WHAT precisely about this pub makes it such a win... I really really adore it, but it's not any one thing that makes it stand out on its own...let's explore. Near to my old university, we would visit here fridays after classes (because on Fridays, it's find to start at 3:30...or so we believed) and we started coming because it was hands down the cheapest place around (the Queen Bodicea down the street is RIDICULOUS). After we came here once, we all agreed unanimously that it was a win. The drinks were reasonable for being in the heart of Islington next to a university, and when we ordered nibbles over the summer, they had THE.MOST.AMAZING desert ever...It was called the Eton Mess or something? I'm sure an actual Brit is going to be like, yeah it's ____________, which is a national desert, you bloody American, get it right!' Well, it was absolutely amazing. A friend said their bread pudding was pretty darn good too. The inside is just funky, withh posters of lots of different bands everywhere with mismatched furniture and tables. Overall, it's got a quaint/retro feel, which is just multiplied by the authentically NICE barmen. I've seriously NEVER met such friendly barmen in all the pubs I've been to (and let's be honest here....that's quite a few). If you're not sure exactly what you want, food or drink wise, they'll be more than happy to make suggestions, which is how I ended up with the Eton whatchamacallit. Nothing fancy, but highly endearing. read more

This review is based on a Christmas party our office organised for about 45 people, so I don't know what the pub is like for a regular meal or drinks. The manager was very easy to work with and very willing to work with our stricter payment options. He gave us the entire upper floor for private use and accommodated our requests as best as he could. So I would definitely recommend organising a work party with The Peasant if you're looking for a place! Overall, the atmosphere of the pub was very lovely and festive, perfect for our traditional Christmas dinner. The staff were friendly and set up the tables beautifully. We went with the standard 3-course Christmas menu, which offers meat, fish, and vegetarian options. I had the vegetarian options and sat with others who had the meat dishes. My starter - a light salad - was refreshing and light, though it wasn't very memorable. The nut roast was pretty tasty and had a lot of comforting flavour. The letdown was the dessert, which, for me, was a chocolate lava cake. I just thought it was dry and just left me thinking the overall dinner was only a little bit better than average. But the rest of the night was fantastic as the drinks and conversation flowed with the group. I do think the price, though, was very reasonable, so even though I am in between 3 and 4 stars, I went with 4 stars taking into account how great they were to work with, the beautiful interior, and my tasty main. And the fact that I am curious to stop by for a regular meal in the future. read more

Very classy place with Budvar by the jugs I like this gastropub. They have cool rock posters along side old European circus posters adorning the walls, which sounds incongruous but seems to work. There's also an old tile mosaic of St George slaying the dragon, making for some epic drinking. Still with all the scenery, The Peasant somehow retains a low key, leave me alone and let me drink vibe. Bless 'em. As for the gastro side of things, they veer toward the high brow (I've seen tablecloths and highly specific tableware). Although I've only dined in in the pub on the ground floor, there is a supposedly elegant dining room upstairs. Despite its namesake, The Peasant has a rather upmarket menu which is certainly tasty but you pay for it. I like the whitebait as a starter and can remember having a very respectable Sunday roast there once. read more

I keep going to nice places, which speaks volumes for my impeccable taste. It does, however, get rather dull to be continually writing 4 and 5-star reviews. Sharing the joys of good food and drink is terribly rewarding, but the act of writing a vicious, unpleasant review in return for a brutal, painful dining experience is... well, it's cathartic. And fun. My meal at The Peasant, then, was a ghastly experience tempered with a kind of pre-emptive schadenfreude. Every gruesome mouthful was seasoned with glee. You're making me hurt, Peasant. And if I'm in pain, I want as many people as possible to know about it. If we hurt the one we love, I personally will take great pleasure in administering a planet-sized shoeing to the one I hate. That's you, by the way. Ok, it's a gastropub. It's sort of midway between Angel and Shoreditch. Downstairs is a standard boozer, upstairs is restaurant. The joy began when the six of us sat down. How are you, we smiled at our waitress. Harried, was the response as she scuttled off. No, she wasn't joking. And the restaurant wasn't even half full. An auspicious beginning, I think you'll agree. Starters came and were bad, with that sort of creative badness that suggests a Bond villain artisan in the kitchen. Someone's really sat down and thought this badness through. Crab claws deep fried in a beer batter had barely a smattering of dryish meat on them. The batter was greasy and too thick, perhaps to offset the paucity of actual crab. And when you order a duck spring roll, you're effectively offering a prayer to the twin gods of duck moistness and envelope crispiness. Fail and fail. Truly, the gods of the culinary weren't smiling. They weren't even giving us a La Giaconda lip-curl. Mains. Well, the wine was good, but recounting the mains makes me feel as though I need another couple of glasses. I'm desperately, desperately trying to remember what everyone else had, and I can't. I just can't, and it was only 3 nights ago. The only explanation I can come up with is that my cortex has somehow successfully expunged all extraneous memories from those forever-lost 150 minutes. Yes, my brain has spontaneously done its best to block as much of this evening out as it can. Thank you, brain. Sadly, recollection of my own main is branded in inch-thick letters on the front of the cerebellum. It was roast lamb, which is something of a favourite of mine. And it was bad. It was really, really awful. It was dry. It came in the form of what appeared to be cutlets, but sliced diagonally and then lumped one atop another in a frighteningly unattractive cairn of grey meat. And it came with a sausage roll. Yes, you did read that correctly. A. Sausage. Roll. Now, I'm all in favour of experimentation. What the hell... a classic may be a classic, but I'm willing to admit that there's always a chance a bona fide classic can have something added to it. A little twist, another glance... something that generation after generation of cook, chef and meat-basher has missed over the many, many hundreds of years that roast lamb has been served around the world. For anyone to whom the outcome of this review is still in any way a surprise: guess what? A sausage roll is not it. Least of all a sausage roll that could have been shaken out of a packet that's languished at the back of a Somerfield freeze since the mid-80s, slowly accumulating bile and a deep inner hatred for all life forms. A sausage roll that seemed to have gone bad. Not in an 'off' way... in a kind of Damien from the Omen films Roll of Pure Evil way. If this sausage roll had owned a dog, you wouldn't even had had to look to know it was a Rottweiler, yellow fangs glimmering with poisonous drool. This sausage roll would steal children's sweets and kick old ladies. This sausage roll, frankly, could have served in the apartheid government of 70s South Africa. As Minister for Being a Bastard. I can't remember what people had for dessert. I ordered an espresso. A restaurant-owning friend of mine once said to me that you've got to get the bread and coffee right. First thing and last thing you have, right? Start well and end well and you can get away with the occasional shortcoming in between. He was exaggerating for effect, of course, but the point was well made. The Peasant's coffee is crap. read more

I wish it was a bit closer to some of the other pubs and shops around the block on Upper Street, but this is a great spot for City University students and anyone willing to head out on the 43 or 153 to have a bite and some nice brews. Their warm apple cider with Pimm's is worth a visit in the Winter time, however try to avoid the holiday office party crowds. They tend to really spoil the atmosphere. read more

I was really impressed with my first visit to The Peasant and so disappointed with my second I will explain why. My first visit was with a friend in the summer and as we sat at the bar drinking, we decided to order some food. We decided to go for the tapas for 2 and everything was delicious! At the time it was about £12, I believe and the amount of food and the selection was good for this price. I love tapas anyway, so I was very happy. My second visit was planned to go for the tapas. This was mid-autumn and we arrived to be told that the only sell tapas in the summer and shown the winter menu. The prices were a bit more steep, but the food all sounded delicious so we decided to stay. I had fish stew which was nice, or at least it would have been as a starter. £16 for half a bowl of soup is not my idea or a gastronomic delight. The dishes the rest of my part had were similarly minuscule.. This aside, the pub has a nice airy feel to it as has maintained a little rustic charm. I guess what I'm saying is that it's worth a trip in the summer, but not in the winter! read more

I went to the Peasant for a birthday dinner and it was wonderful. We meet in the bar of the pub and had a drink. I liked the warm environment; it wasn't over imposing which is always nice. After a drink at the bar we went upstairs to the restaurant. The restaurant was laid out nicely with a roaring fire, it was a very cosy. I was impressed by the extensive wine menu and the food was excellent. We enjoyed various red wines, the six bottles would attest to how much we liked it. For dinner I had lamb with vegetables. The lamb was deliciously cooked and the vegetables crunchy, which is how I like them. I had chocolate mousse for dessert, which was positively sinful! Each bit of mousse was a delight and I was a bit sad when it was all gone. The Peasant was an outstanding dinner experience. This is one of the best gastro-pubs I've been to and highly recommend it, especially for a romantic dinner for two. read more

The Peasant - Gastropubs Near Me - London, XGL

Really great pub food! Nothing revolutionary, but really solid food, big portions and great service.

Charming gastro pub a little east from the bustling life of center London, though nicely located between Angel and Holborn. Vintage typed bar, high ceiling, long wooden bar, huge windows, small fire place in the back. Very nice ambiance. We got in for diner on Sunday and got the pork belly roast along with plaice as mains and calamaries and fish cakes as starters. Calamaries were nice, thinly crackly, lightly grilled, cakes were crusty and tasty, pairing well with the tartare sauce. Then on to the mains : a lovely plate of plaice strips on top of beans and tomatoes diced; and a beautiful huge plate of pork belly sitting on top of roast veggies, caramelized sauerkraut, grilled potatoes and yorkshire pudding. I haven't tried the plaice but god the pork belly was on point. Tender near the crust, moist and easy to peel off, very very yummy. They had put some apple sauce on top, not my favorite but actually quite nice with it. The veggies were delish. One big plus compared to some other roast was the sauce sitting at the bottom of the plate. Loved dipping the veggies and meat bites in it. Honestly, for a first try, 4 stars no doubt. 5 next time I come if it stays at the same level. Plus, service was very courteous, cautious and all. Good feeling overall. Will be hard to avoid next time in the area. read more

The Peasant - Gastropubs Near Me - London, XGL

Dinner on 7-2-2012...lovely pub, excellent fish and chips, friendly and attentive service, excellent ale. A delight.

I had *such* high hopes for this place after reading Yelp reviews and seeing in the paper that they were the spot for Eton Mess (my achilles heel dessert!) So I managed to happily spend an hour reading the paper and drinking organic cola while waiting for the restaurant to open at 5pm. The waitress was friendly and helpful and as soon as the clock struck 5, she came over to take my order. By this point, I couldn't wait for dessert, so I just started with the Eton Mess. When it arrived it looked beautiful. But with my first bite, I realised something was wrong. The cream, meringue and fruit was studded with what tasted like cheap chocolate chips. I'm not an expert on chocolate but I've had some pretty good stuff before, and these chocolate chips were very waxy and completely incongruous in the dessert. Perhaps they are using cooking chips which are higher in fat and so don't taste at all well when surrounded by cold items (as they're meant to be melt). I knew there were meant to be hints of Baileys in the Mess (which I didn't get) and maybe some brownie pieces (which were lovely) but the chocolate chips kept getting in the way, and I ended up spitting them out, watermelon-pip style. What a shame, for such a simple beautiful dish to be so confused... read more

Great meal (unctuous Pork Belly with Mash and crisp vegetables) a properly pulled pint of Guinness, and a very cool ambiance. Proletariat posters, great rock/punk music (though the volume was too low), and left-over ornateness from the building's previous lives. A really interesting clientele and lots of laughter. Great service from honest working class folks. I don't live in the UK, but I found my local. read more

Adding to the lovefest going on here about the Peasant. I think this pub is doing a lot of things right. We enjoyed a truly lovely dinner upstairs in the restaurant part. The starter vegetarian mezze was delicious (and a huge amount of food) and we completely demolished it. The pub has several good vegetarian options on the bar menu, which they were willing to serve us upstairs in the restaurant. My husband had a vegetarian kedgeree that was very tasty, and my vegetarian haggis was equally yummy. All in all, we were very pleased with The Peasant, and I would definitely come back if I'm in the area. read more

Beautiful looking pub with amazing mosaic tiles on the floor but I was not that impressed with the food. It was really quite bizarre at times with such gems as huge square pieces of tofu deep fried and served with hard pieces of shredded duck on top. Not quite sure what was going on then. Maybe best to stick to drinks here. Prosecco pretty reasonably priced at £20 a bottle. read more

Very comfortable ambiance, good food, fine service. I was a truly solid dining experience. This comes from someone who has almost given up on the notion of gastropubs. They have come to mean pretentious, fussy food that is not particularly good. The meal my partner and I had couldn't be further from overdone food. Dinner was simply delicious... and isn't that why we like to eat? read more

Great pet-friendly pub experience! I've recently moved to the Clerkenwell area with my dog and the Peasant was a great find! Enjoyed Sunday roast there this past weekend, food was excellent and reasonably priced and they even brought out a water bowl and pieces of leftover chicken for my dog. read more

Meh. We went here for a staff Christmas meetup. We booked a table of 8 for some drinks, and 10 of us turned up. The manager had a hissy fit, and proceeded to give the organizer a good telling off in front of everyone else. Bad vibes throughout. read more

Clerkenwell has its share of gastropubs, but The Peasant remains one of the best. The downstairs bar area is full of character, serving a long list of ales and beers, with plenty of room for both drinkers and diners. The upstairs dining room is relaxed and airy, ideal for long lunches with the family. read more

Great pub with friendly staff and a wide selection of beers and wines. Wise to check ahead at weekends that it hasn't been exclusively booked out for a wedding party. read more

We really enjoyed our weeknight dinner here. The food was delicious and the beer plentiful. I had a chicken dish with root vegetables and cabbage that was totally perfect for a chilly fall day. My husbands beef bourguignon looked even better. The upstairs restaurant was pleasantly crowded but still roomy, with a good volume level that made it feel festive. We would absolutely go back if we were ever in London again. read more

We had our wedding at the Peasant in October 2010. The place was perfect for the event and the staff were tiptop wedding planners. Everything ran smoothly, the atmosphere was warm, the venue was unique and intimate, whilst also being grand. The bar downstairs was perfect for the reception, the dining room upstairs was ideal for the sit-down lunch. read more

We had our wedding reception at The Peasant and I have to say absolutely everything about it was perfect. The staff were helpful and the service superb. The food was amazing and they made our day. They even put up all our decorations for us so when we arrived at the pub it looked fantastic. Couldn't recommend this place enough, whether you're just going for a pint and some Sunday lunch, or whether you're having your wedding there like us. You're in good hands. read more