Looking through the old My 2 Pints reviews, a lot of genres are covered. Pubs, Bars, Clubs, Special Interest (roller skating), Gig venues, Restaurants. But there’s one type of place missing. There’s a distinct lack of proper, downright dirty, Gastropubs. Luckily (and the reason I bring this up) the Drapers Arms, 10 minutes walk from Islington Tube, is a filthy, unapologetic gastronomous, Gastropub.

This means you’ll find it easy to snatch a fair qualitied slice of grub in there of a Sunday afternoon. Sunday afternoons of course, are the Gastropub’s bread and butter, if you’ll accept and enjoy the pun. Drapers Arms does not let you down on this most imperative of stakes.

To give your mind an idea of the menu, as well as your lips an idea of the salivating mess you’ll become, these are some of the more common menu dishes available:

Starters:

‘Confit pork belly, watercress, shallots, capers & buttermilk dressing.’ Eh?!

‘Beetroot, blood orange, Stilton & pine nuts.’ Wha?!

‘Veal breast, chicory & anchovy dressing.’ You’re ‘avin’ a larrf ‘in’t ya?!

Mains (Which they’ve poshly names ‘Main Courses’ La-De-Dah!):

‘Brace of slip Soles, herb butter.’

‘Lentils, butternut squash, cow’s curd & mint.’

‘Haggis hash, fried duck egg.’

‘Rib-eye steak, cremed chard.’

‘Whole roast brill, mushy peas.’

I’ve stopped attempting funny here, but are these all strictly real ingredients? Each one of these dishes includes at least one thing which, if you span me round and chucked me into Sainsbury’s to find, I’d exit 4 days later trying to eat my own face. What’s for pudding? Treacled unicorn heart? Bread and leprechaun gold butter pudding? Vienetta?

Gastrofood certainly is (for anyone North of the Zone 2 Border) exotic, no doubt. With prices to match. Starters running at an average of £7, and main courses for £12-15 (not including the whole roast seating 3-4 for £45). So if you’re into the weekend lunch idea, and you fancy something expensive, by all means, it’s great tasting food. But surely you need something else in a pub.

How about a weeknight? It’s not the place you’d go to drink without ordering proper food. It’d feel like sitting down in Mc’Donalds and cracking open a bottle of Chamonix Rouge, in the ball-pit, in your pants. So weekend nights are out too. I can imagine some kind of Quiz night might work well. And if they do one, I might check it out, but a short visit to their website’s ‘what’s on’ section, gives you a list of events, all food related (barring the obvious mandatory World Cup-a-thon). So perhaps not.

BEER SELECTION: Only advantage to it actually being classed as a pub. A good beer selection (compared to a restaurant). ****

COST OF A ROUND: Two soft drinks = £7. Prices the same as the food, yet the drinks I can get elsewhere for less than half the price. *

STAFF: Smiley and friendly enough. If you’ve got a wine/food question, you get an instant, educated and informed response too. ****

FOOD: Gastro food. Looks great, sounds great, tastes great. But it feels pretentious, a bit pointless, and breaches the higher side of expensive. ****

SKIRT RATIO: Highlights the area it’s in. Someone thought they might have seen an actress, but couldn’t remember her name. Posh family place. Bring Your Own Friend. *

Overall: Very very niche. If it’s Saturday/Sunday afternoon, and you want to pay a lot for a nice meal, making you feel a bit special. Brilliant. If anything else, you wouldn’t even consider it. **

Drapers Arms - Islington - Brought to you by James Wormald -