The Pig and Butcher - Islington

Marley & Alison
Jun 19
3 min read

Marley reviews this dog friendly gastropub in North London

People sit at picnic tables under striped umbrellas outside a brick pub labeled "The Pig and Butcher." Bright, sunny day with blue sky. — @marleymoo2000

The Pig and Butcher is an extremely dog friendly Gastropub in Islington, North London. It is a short walk away from the hustle and bustle so it feels a lot quieter and not as busy. It has an old farmhouse style interior which feels extremely homely.

White dog in pink harness sits on brown couch. Bottles line window ledge behind, with greenery and checked cushion. Calm atmosphere. — @marleymoo2000

From the offset we were made to feel welcome. We were asked if we wanted to sit outside or inside. There are a few tables outside. Even though it was a glorious day we chose to sit inside. We were seated in a corner spot where there was plenty of room for Marley to get comfortable.

Small white dog with curly fur sits on a colorful mat, wearing a pink floral harness. A pink leash and water bowl are nearby on wooden floor. — @marleymoo2000

When they took our drinks order they asked if Marley wanted a bowl of water which was well needed as it was a sunny day. We arrived at 1pm and there was still plenty of places to sit. By the time we left it was starting to get filled up.

Cozy restaurant table setting with wine glasses, napkins, and glasses. Chalkboard menu in background. Warm, inviting ambiance with plants. — @marleymoo2000

If you're looking for somewhere to hold an event, they have a private function room upstairs. It looks like you are sitting in a farm kitchen. The table is down the middle of the kitchen . While we were there, there was a wedding reception happening upstairs. You would never have known though. It didn't affect the running of downstairs.

Restaurant menu on a wooden table with leather cover and glass. Menu lists food items and prices, dated June 2025. — @marleymoo2000

Their menu changes daily reflecting the most seasonal produce available. They have a team that hand pick fruit and vegetables from New Spitalfields Market and then collect the meat locally from Smithfield market. They butcher their own meat in their butchers room down stairs.

What can I say about their food? Exquisite! Both me and my daughter had nothing but good things to say about the food we ate. It was absolutely delicious. The staff were attentive but also gave us the space we needed so we didn't feel rushed.

For starters I had the XL hand dived scallop, celeriac in a Vermouth butter and my daughter had the Pig and Butcher Scotch egg and rapeseed Mayo. The scallop was cooked to perfection and the egg in the scotch egg was the right amount of runny and the casing was lovely and crispy.

For main course, I had the Creedy Carver duck, confit leg, morels, Jerusalem artichoke and hazelnut puree and my daughter had the Old spot pork belly, black pudding, creamed mash and green cabbage. The duck was cooked to a perfect medium rare. The meat on the confit leg was melt in the mouth and the hazelnut puree was to die for. The crackling on the pork was just right, not too crispy and not too chewy. The mashed potato was super creamy.

For dessert I had the Strawberry and Jasmine tart, basil and clotted cream ice cream. The tart was stunning. The pastry was super thin and strawberries and basil were so refreshing. My daughter had the Petit fours. 2 bite size morsel. They might have been small but they were full of flavour.