Randomness Guide to London - Differences between Version 24 and Version 22 of Compton Arms, N1 2XD

Version 24 Version 22
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Pub tucked away on a side street in [[Locale Canonbury|Canonbury]], not too far from [[Highbury And Islington Station]]. It changed hands around 2018; see <a href="https://london.randomness.org.uk/wiki.cgi?id=Compton_Arms%2C_N1_2XD&version=20">earlier version of this page</a> for a description of what it was like before.
Pub tucked away on a side street in [[Locale Canonbury|Canonbury]], not too far from [[Highbury And Islington Station]].
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It looks small from outside, and when you get in you realise that it's <i>really</i> small, though a little further investigation reveals another (small) seating area around the left side of the bar. Out the back there's a part-paved part-decking courtyard beer garden with picnic benches.
<b>Note:</b> According to [https://whatpub.com/pubs/NLD/5448/ WhatPub], as of mid-2018 the Compton Arms has changed hands. We've only made a very brief visit since this happened (they were opening an hour later than intended, and we weren't able to hang around) and so although we can confirm that as of September 2018 it's open again, some or all of the details below may be out of date.
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The floor is varnished wood, the walls are half-panelled, and chunky (somewhat fake-looking) wooden beams run along the ceiling. Above the muddy brown panelling, the walls are painted an inoffensive magnolia, relieved here and there by framed items including a Penguin cover for George Orwell's <i>Animal Farm</i>. The front windows are small-paned bullseye glass, and lighting is provided by stylised streetlamp heads.
It's rather untypical of [[Locale Islington|Islington]], being small, cosy, and friendly. It looks <i>very</i> small as you enter, but there's another (cramped) area with seating for about 16 people accessed by going around the left hand side of the bar. It also has a small beer garden (smoking permitted) out the back with a number of tables and some high stools.
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[[Kake]] visited on a Tuesday afternoon in September 2019. There was just one other customer at 3:30pm, apparently a regular. Retro music was playing, not too loud. The handpumps were clipped for Moor Nor'Hop and Ilkley Summer, and I gathered from the staff's conversation that they also had a Purity and an Adnams ready to go on. A pint of lime and soda was &pound;1.80.
[[bob]], [[Kake]], and Liz visited on a Saturday evening around 5:30pm; we liked it enough that we came back the same evening around 9pm after dinner at [[Le Mercury, N1 1QY|Le Mercury]] down the road. Although the place was lively enough, we had no trouble getting a table either time. The service was friendly anyway, but got even friendlier when the Welsh barman realised that Kake and Liz were Welsh too. Very nice pub, and quite a find for the area; as well as its general niceness, its location on a side street helps stop it getting too rammed, since you have to know it's there.
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According to the Compton Arms website as of September 2019, food is served from 6pm Tue-Fri and from 1pm Sat-Sun, provided by [https://www.instagram.com/fourlegs_ldn/ Four Legs].
There were four beers available in December 2007: Greene King IPA (&pound;2.80), Abbot Ale (&pound;3), Davenports(&pound;3.10) and Batemans XXXB. On a visit in August 2009, two of the pumps were on, serving Abbot and IPA, with the other two off (LBW and Sun Dance were on the clips, suggesting that two have rotating guest ales). Draught lagers are basic, as well as Beck's Vier.
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Accessibility: A large step with no handrail to get in. No further steps to the ladies' once you're in. Two steps to the lower seating area, from which the garden and the gents' are accessed.
Food is served noon-2:30pm and 6pm-8:30pm Tuesday to Friday, and noon-4pm Saturday and Sunday (no food Mondays). It's all simple pub food, but good value and perfectly decent. [[Ewan]]'s vegetarian burger (&pound;5.50) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/3859702341/ photo]</small> wasn't too dry, and came with plenty of chips and a couple of onion rings.
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* [http://fancyapint.com/pub/98 Fancyapint review]
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* [https://straightuplondon.com/restaurants/four-legs-the-compton-arms-islington/ Straight Up London review]
* [https://whatpub.com/pubs/NLD/5448/ WhatPub entry]
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<div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[Kake]], September 2019. Opening hours taken from the Compton Arms website, September 2019.</div>
<div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[Ewan]] and friends, August 2009.</div>
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category='Beer Garden,Good Beer Guide 2007,Good Beer Guide 2008,Good Beer Guide 2009,Good Beer Guide 2010,Pub Food,Pubs,Real Ale,Smoking Area'
edit_type='Normal edit'
category='Beer Garden,Good Beer Guide 2007,Good Beer Guide 2008,Good Beer Guide 2009,Good Beer Guide 2010,Greene King,Pub Food,Pubs,Real Ale,Smoking Area'
edit_type='Minor tidying'
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formatted_website_text='https://www.comptonarm...'
formatted_website_text=''
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hours_text='Mon-Thu: 3pm-11pm; Fri: 3pm-12:30am; Sat: noon-12:30am; Sun: noon-11:30pm'
hours_text=''
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major_change='1'
major_change='0'
== Line 35 == == Line 34 ==
opening_hours_text='Mon-Thu: 3pm-11pm; Fri: 3pm-12:30am; Sat: noon-12:30am; Sun: noon-11:30pm'
opening_hours_text=''
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summary='Pub near Highbury & Islington station, just off Upper Street.' summary='Pub near Highbury & Islington station, just off Upper Street.'
website='https://www.comptonarms.co.uk/'
summary='Pub near Highbury & Islington station, just off Upper Street.' website='https://www.comptonarms.co.uk/'

Pub tucked away on a side street in Canonbury, not too far from Highbury And Islington Station.

Note: According to WhatPub, as of mid-2018 the Compton Arms has changed hands. We've only made a very brief visit since this happened (they were opening an hour later than intended, and we weren't able to hang around) and so although we can confirm that as of September 2018 it's open again, some or all of the details below may be out of date.

It's rather untypical of Islington, being small, cosy, and friendly. It looks very small as you enter, but there's another (cramped) area with seating for about 16 people accessed by going around the left hand side of the bar. It also has a small beer garden (smoking permitted) out the back with a number of tables and some high stools.

bob, Kake, and Liz visited on a Saturday evening around 5:30pm; we liked it enough that we came back the same evening around 9pm after dinner at Le Mercury down the road. Although the place was lively enough, we had no trouble getting a table either time. The service was friendly anyway, but got even friendlier when the Welsh barman realised that Kake and Liz were Welsh too. Very nice pub, and quite a find for the area; as well as its general niceness, its location on a side street helps stop it getting too rammed, since you have to know it's there.

There were four beers available in December 2007: Greene King IPA (£2.80), Abbot Ale (£3), Davenports(£3.10) and Batemans XXXB. On a visit in August 2009, two of the pumps were on, serving Abbot and IPA, with the other two off (LBW and Sun Dance were on the clips, suggesting that two have rotating guest ales). Draught lagers are basic, as well as Beck's Vier.

Food is served noon-2:30pm and 6pm-8:30pm Tuesday to Friday, and noon-4pm Saturday and Sunday (no food Mondays). It's all simple pub food, but good value and perfectly decent. Ewan's vegetarian burger (£5.50) photo wasn't too dry, and came with plenty of chips and a couple of onion rings.

See also:

Last visited by Ewan and friends, August 2009.

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