I is for Island Queen

It was a more difficult to find a suitable I pub than we were expecting, but the Island Queen fit the bill. We headed there unaware that Tuesday night was quiz night, so we have no idea whether it is always as busy as we found it, but the fact that it was heaving was no bad thing. The Island Queen is also, apparently, a unique pub name in the UK.

The Pub



Trendy photo taken from the outdoor seating
area just after sunset

View A to Z of London Pubs in a larger map
We found the Island Queen to have a trendy clientele and staff (with the standard(?!) Aussie barman and Irish quizmaster. A very leafy location, with the canal just around the corner, and a number of tables and chairs out the front that were well used throughout the evening by us and others. Tables and chairs aplenty inside too, although none to be had when we were there, so we sat at the bar once we moved indoors. Prices were a little on the steep side, especially with a couple of other decent looking puns just around the corner, but this part of town is probably generally a bit more expensive than most. The quiz, which we did not participate in officially, but joined in with nonetheless, was actually a pretty good one, and wasn't dragged out. We didn't partake in any food beyond a packet of posh crisps, but those who did appeared to be satisfied. It appeared that they stopped taking food orders when the kitchen got really busy, and started again later in the evening, which may have been irritating had we planned to eat, but did seem like a reasonable solution. The beer was well served, although one of my beers was a bit colder than I would have liked. The staff were all very good, and took care to check around the busy bar to make sure nobody was waiting. They also had an 'IQ likes' board up above the bar, which we were amused by, despite thinking it was perhaps a bit cheesy.

The Beer

• Ilkley Mary Jane - A light beer, Mary Jane goes down fairly easily. It's quite floral, but that gives way to a pleasant bitter at the back of the throat, and is an enjoyable journey.
• Pilsner Urquell - Need we say anything? A trendy rocket-shaped glass, a top pilsner, served cold and consumed to the delight of Lager Boy.
• Sharp's Doom Bar - Fairly ubiquitous, along with its neighbour Tribute, which I think I prefer, although this is also very good. Definitely a proper beer, and my kind of beer too.
• Veltins - A quality beer, and a good one to return to when needing or wanting a safe haven.
• Fuller's Honeydew - Win! Clear honey aftertaste, refreshing and a delight to drink, although served a bit cold for me. I also think the bottled version (as drunk here) is sweeter than the keg version that I have enjoyed previously. This is also an organic beer, so well done Fuller's.
• Stella Black - Very smooth (just like silk!). Lager Boy felt sophisticated drinking this, in a very trendy glass. We agreed that we wanted it to not be Stella, as we would have then enjoyed it more.

The Verdict

We were very happy with our visit to the Island Queen, and would happily return to give the food a go, take part in the quiz, or just have a couple of drinks. We would be even more likely to do so if it wasn't 'off the beaten track', although this is perhaps part of what makes it a good pub.