Emilie Beck
This is a stand-out pub. The service is excellent without being insincere, the menu is small but really well executed. I generally prefer fries but I would eat their chips with chilli mayo any day of the week.
Mariya K
Such a multi functional space! First of all, the deco is beautiful. They host dance nights that are incredibly cool even if dancing isn't your cuppa. Bar staff - 5/5 - always happy to help you pick a drink. The food menu is everchanging yet reliably tasty and the beer menu often offers rather interesting local options.
Mark Cutmore
Really nice pub. Chef was on his own and think staff had taken too many orders for him to handle (one big table ordered loads). Service was slow but they made up for it with the way they handled it. My spicy bean burger was amazing, easily best I've ever had and the chef said it was a new recipe and asked for feedback great experience.
Kat McKinney
These guys put up with a LOT! We had the private room upstairs before Christmas. We brought in a games host, we were noisy and boisterous... The staff couldn't have been nicer. The room was great, the drinks well priced, the catering wasn't bad, and overall we had a great time (until 3 am!).
Sylwia Matuszewska
I love the variety of beers here and the interior design. Haven't eaten here yet so can't evaluate the food quality. But I like the vibe. 1 star less for teasing smell all over the place of burger.. hahaha smells awesome 😋
Paul Wake
Great staff, cool decor and amazing beer selection. The manager Jon is running the pub really well and it's a joy to have a drink here most Fridays. Ah... And a great Dj on a Friday night as well..! Cheers Paul
Harry Smith
Enchanting, vintage atmosphere: soft lighting, cute décor.
Swing dance classes were good. The teachers were helpful, if a little shy.
The band mostly played really fast songs: if your balboa isn't on point, you may as well not bother for a lot of it. However, they were certainly good musicians.
I didn't buy an alcoholic drink but I remember a pint of Coca-Cola was reasonably priced. The bar staff were friendly, too.
George Sabapathy
Had a few drinks here. Very chatty, friendly staff, warm & welcoming. Drinks are average prices for the area. Nice sweet potato fries. Recommended!
Andy Bullock
Visited on a Friday night, fantastic DJ playing a wide range of indie / alternative stuff from various decades. Some lovely craft beers to try, friendly staff and atmosphere.
Joseph Mann
Lovely place. Open and light. Good beer selection and a 50/50 menu. All dishes either vegan or meaty. Forward thinking. Great staff.
Susan Wachowski Richer
New honey ginger wing flavour is amazing! 50p wings and 2 4 1 beer on Wednesday. Also, proper late night at weekends. Great local!
Jess Gosling
Popped in on a Wednesday evening to a lovely live band playing and a dance class! The decor is brilliant, good variety of drinks offered and the bar staff are simply lovely!
Peter H
I visited the Joker because of a live blues band playing in the bar. It was a fantastic night, with a myriad of dancers swirling around to the music, a really fantastic vocalist, and the chance to enjoy good craft beers and food whilst I watched and occasionally joined in.
Georgia Bennett
Pretty cheap drinks which was a nice surprise. Was here for a party in the upstairs room - it was SO hot even in winter?! Staff were nice and finger food was creative and good.
Kate Duffy
Having been to this pub on numerous occasions I was looking forward to a Sunday lunch there with a group of 13 friends. Surprisingly the was no one else in there when we arrived at 1pm and not much atmosphere at all. However wine had v been bought and we sat down to select our lunch. The majority chose chicken leg, myself and my partner roast beef. We waited an average time of 15 minutes for the food to arrive served by a very surly kitchen guy. Despite only having 2 slices of beef and gravy sloshed over it the courgettes and butternut squash slices did look appetizing albeit only 6 of the first and 3 of the latter. Most of took a mouthful at the same time and exclaimed almost in unison "it's cold". Even the plates were stone cold. We called the waitress over who in turn berated the chef who in turn collected up our plates with no word of an apology. They were returned to us minutes later by the chef with no apology with some of the food warmed up but not the plates : clearly blasted in the microwave. The taste was very average and the portion sizes of 2 slices of beef and half a small baked potato and the aforementioned vegetables were sub standard. After our meal the waitress offered us complimentary tea or coffee to which one of our party asked "will it be hot?" She took umbridge at this not entirely serious comment and proceeded to have a go about how she was trying to help. With the onset of tears visible we accepted the after lunch drinks.
Unfortunately we had pre-paid for our meals as certainly I would not have parted with an average of £11 per head AFTER the meal. I reckon our party spent in excess of £300 including table wine and beer for which this establishment was clearly not grateful for.
There are plenty of other pubs and restaurants in the Chapel Market area. I urge you all to give this one a wide berth.
Matthew King
Nice place, not excessively overrun with hipsters. But having read through the list of craft beers on their website and found 9 dark ales, a mixture of enticing-sounding porters and stouts, it was a huge disappointment to find they had only a single dark beer on (I'm not counting the Guiness that's always on). If you're going to have a beer list on your website, you really need to keep it more up to date. We didn't get to sample the food, such was our disappointment with the range on offer. We went around the corner to the Craft Beer Co instead, which had more choice, including some of the ones "promised" on the Joker's beer list.
Nimmer Riaz
A slight delay on leaving a review, but I celebrated my birthday here last month. The staff and management of this place were incredibly accommodating and AMAZING! I’d made an enquiry and they got back to me straight away. I’d explained that I had a large group of people coming and they allocated me a whole area for me and my friends.
They’d told me that music for the evening was HipHop which was awesome! But I also asked if they could play some 90s Rnb/HipHop and the DJ and management were totally up for it! The Dj even made me a special playlist!
The drinks were very reasonably priced and they even had special 2 for 1 offers on which me and my friends went a little crazy on! Haha!
I definitely recommend this place! It’s a real cool vibe both interior and atmosphere! It’s a great place for having a dance! And if you simply want to chill.
Thankyou soo much for making my Birthday such a GREAT NIGHT!
Dene Stevenson
Had my birthday party there at the weekend in the function room, it was absolutely amazing, nothing was too much for the management and they helped me with everything. Food was delicious, drinks fantastic and the price was amazing. Highly recommend this venue.... I have been a few times before to the pub too and the craft beers they offer are great as well as the food.
Treacle Dee
Wasn't a great experience, had to send food back as burnt, didn't replace it for us, but did refund us a few quid, would have preferred fresh new chips. Didn't have what I originally ordered food wise, so had to change it after paying, didn't have ginger ale to go in my rum. Staff where charming, and apologetic.
Marianne Caldwell
Food amazing! 241 G&T's, good beer and jokes staff. Love the place!
Danny Jones
Hot food; cold beer; warm staff: a thoroughly pleasant experience.
I don't usually write reviews unless a place is extremely good or extremely bad. However, having previously given this place a rather damning verdict it is only fair to give an update: everything that was wrong last time was right this time. I am putting the first visit down to an off day and hopefully the second is more indicative of the service the Joker offers.
23/11/2015
Cold dinners, cold plates, cold staff. If you are looking for Sunday lunch go somewhere else.
It is clear why you have to pay up front here: you simply wouldn't pay the inflated price for the meagre portions served cold, on cold plates, in such a cold manner.
This place gets one star form me: for beer and location, certainly not food and staff.
I work just around the corner and will be sharing my opinion to help others avoid disappointment. After a muttered apology and an offer of a tea or coffee, I consider it a public service. Avoid.
Amy Curtis
I came to this pub last night for a party! I have to say it's a fantastic pub with great staff! Rosie was brilliant-thanks for a lovely evening x
Marilyn Lee
It's a great venue tucked away on the corner of Chapel Street and Penton Street. The young barman (he only works there 3 evenings, I think) was great, helpful and friendly. Managed to find ingredients to make a very old fashioned, non-alcoholic Bloody Mary. The reason I was there is because I was invited to a Fondue Party by The Melted Cheese Company which was held upstairs at The Joker. We had such fun and the cheeses were yummy. I haven't had a fondue for years. Full marks Joker for being the perfect place for the Fondue!.
Memo Torfilli
Great place with a very nice staff and fabulous music !
Coline Touaux
Great as a workspace on daytime, as a party hub on weekends! PS: the veggi burger is lucious
Ross Wharton
The best pub in North London. Great vibe. Love the Burger Bear menu
MP Flexi
Had my leaving drinks here last night. Went and saw the manager and he said I could reserve the tables and chairs pretty much most of the main bar area for my expected 80 guests. When I arrived at 7pm, it was all set up and reserved for me and the staff were all amazing and friendly the whole evening and we had plenty of space to walk around, sit and socialise and the food and drink was great! And they were open til 3am and we stayed until we got kicked out and didn't need to go anywhere else. Thanks again for hosting my event for me, much appreciated �
Kevin J Smith
I spent a very pleasant evening there with my wife..... interesting and original..... slightly off the wall Enjoy !
Roxanne West
Love this place. Great atmosphere, cool setting, nice people.
Pholoso Kate Masilela
Came here on a Monday night for after work drinks. Quaint pub with friendly staff... Amazing nachos and cheesy fries and cheap drinks!!! It's also conveniently located close to Angel station
Gingle Lists Everything
My first visit to the Joker was on a balmy Thursday before heading to Smokehouse and we just had one quick drink sitting outside, which meant I wasn't really able to assess the place.<br/><br/>I had the chance to come back three days later with some friends for some early evening drinking on a Saturday. We got there at about six and were practically the only people in the place. It's not on the 'strip' of Upper Street's bars and restaurants so if you don't know it's there, you wouldn't know it's there. Luckily, I do.<br/><br/>It's a cool pub with a modern style. Definitely a pub not a bar, but light and airy with a few quirky decorations thrown in. I loved the huge wooden comedy/tragedy masks and the 'Be Here Now' clock.<br/><br/>They also currently have Tongue 'n' Cheeks in residence serving up their famous heartbreaker burgers (so-called because beef heart is mixed in) but they've got a few other things to choose from as well if you don't like burgers, offal, or the idea of them both combined. I would fall into this camp so I had the picchiapo fries - chips topped with some fantastic, juicy pulled brisket that had been cooked with peppers and onions in a tomatoey sauce, a take on a traditional Roman dish apparently. And the chips this was heaped on weren't bad neither. They also do a philly cheesesteak which one of my friends had. This was a pretty hearty serving of meat and cheese overflowing from a hoagie-type roll.<br/><br/>It was a really chilled out place, perfect for a bunch of friends to catch up, and actually be able to hear each other - no din of music or crowds. In that respect it shares elements in common with an 'old man's pub' but this is definitely for the younger pub-goer. They also have gigs and quiz nights on in the week if you want to do more than just sit and drink. An excellent haven from the hustle and bustle of 'Supper Street'.
Meryem
Burgers and the portion was just right... Maybe one of the best burgers I've had... Now that is a statement in itself! Would definitely recommend!
Nick Andrews
I love this pub, it's tucked away at the back end of Penton Street, running away from the Angel 'strip' and contains one of the best pub kitchen residencies in London today (in my view!) - Tongue 'N Cheeks.<br/><br/>Tongue 'n Cheeks is not your usual burger slinging, street food set up, oh no. They're focused on nose-to-tail eating, using the parts of the animal that don't tend to make it onto mainstream restaurant menus.<br/> And at the heart of their offering (no pun intended) sits the Heartbreaker burger - a glorious blend of beef and ox heart. <br/><br/><br/>I caught up with them at Kerb to find out how good their burgers actually are, but you can also sample their wares at The Joker on Penton St. in Angel.<br/><br/><br/><br/>Price:<br/><br/>Heartbreaker 'Cheesy' - £6<br/><br/>Heartbreaker 'Belly Connection' - £7<br/><br/><br/><br/>Presentation:<br/><br/>Tongue 'N Cheek burgers are presented open in a wrap of greaseproof paper, wrapped in a napkin. Being streetfood, the burgers are cooked and built in front of you with the care and attention you'd hope for . Peeking out of the wrapper, the poppy and sesame seed bun gives this burger great visual appeal and the fantastic smells emanating from the packet mean you won't go far before chowing down.<br/><br/><br/><br/>Toppings:<br/><br/>On the 'Cheesy' burger, the cheese has been superbly melted under cloche with steam, coating the patty with a cloack of oozing dairy that fills in all the cracks in the patty. Add in ketchup and mustard and this is Tongue 'N Cheek take on the classic cheeseburger. They don't stop there, however, as under the lid also reside some sharp and crunchy slices of pickled radish, which give a great contrast to the soft patty and cheese. They're also rather moreish.<br/><br/><br/><br/>The 'Belly Connection' burger, on the other hand, is topped with an almost japanese-style sweet mayo, pickled onions and a couple of slices of griddled belly pork. The sweet mayo works an absolute treat with the aged beef, complelementing the rich earthy flavours of the patty, but the sheer volume of it sadly drowned out the flavours of the pork belly - which on its own was excellent. The long strands of pickled onion were sharp and offered a great balance to the rest of the mellow burger. <br/><br/><br/><br/>Meat: <br/><br/>The meat at the heart of all the Heartbreaker burgers from Tongue 'N Cheek are a thick, coarsely ground blend of ox heart and dry aged chuck, which is loosely packed into thick patties. For each burger, the patties are seared on a flat-top grill for a good long time, which results in a dark brown, and super crunchy crust around the beef, whilst retaining a juicy, pink interior. These patties have a great earthy aged beef flavour and high fat content, which should come as no surprise as they're supplied by butcher Nathan Mills who runs The Butchery in Bermondsey.<br/><br/><br/><br/>Bun:<br/><br/>White, and studded with poppy & sunflower seeds, the Tongue 'N Cheek bun looks beautiful. It is toasted, but I still found this to be a little firm for the rest of the soft furnishings inside the sandwich. I found it compressed when squeezed together, but didn't spring back, leaving solid lumps where my fingers had pressed. But I'm nit-picking here - yes, it's denser than other street food burger buns I'm used to, but looking at the practicality it's good for structure, particularly when the recipients are going to be eating it on the hoof, and it works well with the juicy patty.<br/><br/><br/><br/>The buns are supplied from The Spence bakery, based in Stoke Newington.<br/><br/><br/><br/>Overall rating: 9/10<br/><br/>I'm really impressed with the heartbreaker burger - it's charm lies in the combination of earthy, beefy flavours played off against sharp and sweet elements of the build, as well as great texture throughout the burger. Cristiano, Tongue 'N Cheek's founder, has created a thing of beauty from parts of a cow that aren't first choice on many people's list, and for that I salute him.
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