The Wilmington

Excellent food. My waiter was very helpful and, after I mentioned I was looking for something low-​carb, recommended his personal favorite: grilled bacon chop (veg instead of chips). It was perfect.

Went here for a Sunday Roast and enjoyed every part of the dish. Impressive beer selection as well on tap!

I think I’ve come to a point with pubs and England where I believe a pub is a pub is a pub. When you break down a pub’s offering, it seems all pubs offer the same things — crappy lagers, warm ales, a few wines, and maybe a couple of slightly complex cocktails (mojitos, cosmopolitans, etc.).
My husband and I were lured into The Wilmington mid-​day on a sunny Saturday after having coffee at Exmouth Market. How were we lured? Well, we were lured by the sandwich board outside stating, «Best bloody mary in London.» I’m a huge bloody mary fan and have yet to find even a somewhat good bloody mary anywhere outside of the US, so I said, why not?
I poured myself a glass of self-​serve cucumber water via the jug on the bar and then placed my order — «One bloody mary, please.»
And then my stomach sort of cramped up because things had already gone bad. The bartender did not ask me how spicy I wanted my drink and as someone who gets heartburn simply by looking at a bowl of salsa, I knew I was in for trouble.
I watched him make my drink from one of the large library-​ish chairs a few feet from the bar. I noted that the springs on the bottom cushion of the chair were broken, so I propped myself up with a pillow from another chair. Sorted, I turned my attention back to the bartender who was pouring the bloody mary mix out of a plastic container, as if they make their own mix. «Hmm,» I thought, «this may not turn out bad after all.»
My husband delivered our drinks to our table and one sniff and I knew I was in for heartburn for the rest of the day. The flavor of the mix was good — just way too spicy. I don’t understand why bartenders associate bloody marys and spice as one in the same. A bloody mary should not be spicy as hell.
Long story short, had the drink not been so spicy, I likely would have ordered a second. Instead, I forced down one drink and spent the next 24 hours in pure, heartburn agony.

Really amazing local gastropub! Really good and friendly service, amazing food that changes very regularly and very nice atmosphere and music! This is more than our local, it is our favourite restaurant in the area!

Popped in here when visiting my friend in London after hearing good things and we were not disappointed… really cosy and relaxed venue for drinks in the bar or an evening meal. We sat in the restaurant which has a slightly more formal feel to it and we were served by a lovely waiter called Gregorie who happily advised us on the specials and his recommendations.
Both of us ordered the ox cheek which was soooo tasty and even the chunky chips were divine so couldn’t fault it! The chocolate fondant dessert was ok in my opinion but didn’t live up to the quality of the main course. Highly recommended for the pub grub and I will definitely return when I’m next in London.

I popped in here with a friend for lunch and a cheeky glass of prosecco.
Great and quick service, fab décor with comfy armchairs and all in all good vibes!

What a great place! Popped in to the Wilmington early on a Saturday while in Farringdon hoping for a quick pint. Staff were friendly and knowledgable and introduced me to a few spirits I’ve never come across before, all in all a great experience and a public house I wish was a closer to home, so much so that after my appointment and something to eat, ended up back in there later that evening with guests! Five stars from me and thanks for a great drinking experience

Such a lovely pub. Amazing food with a menu that changes often (breakfast til 5pm most days!!). Lovely staff, well-​stocked bar (the homemade infusions are always worth a try), really well-​lit, warm bar, and they play fantastic music! What more could you want! Go there!

Sunday roast super tasty, had the rump cap, very tender and the horseradish cream-​lovely! Paired with a glass of the cote du rhone. Yummmm!

Walked by this place when looking for a Sunday roast, and had a wonderful meal here! A real gem!
Sunday afternoon at 3pm and they had several tables available for us — yay. The waitstaff was incredibly accommodating, first letting us take as long as we wanted to mull over our first drink before ordering food. Then when our toddler woke up earlier than expected, they were quick to take our order and get us a high chair for him.
Food was excellent. My husband had the steak roast, mom had the fish cake and I had the vegetarian quenelles. Mine was exceptional — fresh flavors and delicious. Mom and husband both loved theirs as well.
If rating on food alone, probably four stars. Really, really good gastropub food but maybe not the absolute best I’ve ever had.
But add in the experience — beautiful décor, excellent wait staff, no wait, cool bathrooms, etc. and this is definitely a five-​star experience.

My favorite place in the neighborhood. It always has a good vibe in the front bar and the food is really well prepared in the back. They also have some really nice/​friendly/​quirky waitstaff who make it an adventure every time we go there.
I normally go with colleagues and we’ve ordered all over the menu for both breakfast and dinner. They also have specials every night and everything has been delicious so far. We’ve gotten everything from the burgers (like little mountains of juiciness on a roll) to a veggie pie with a handmade crust to fishes I’ve never heard of (but was glad I ordered.) I live in manhattan, so I sometimes need an explanation of ingredients but they’re patient in explaining.
I spend about two weeks per month in this area on an assignment and try to go there at least once each week.

Great pub (though never been in for a gig) bartenders are friendly, drinks are well priced and records are a great touch. Best for groups!

This place has just reopened a re-​vamp so my review might be a bit different to the others here.
I popped in for lunch mid week with my other half and REALLY liked it.
It’s spacious and comfy and has a dining section as well as a bar. The immediate welcome we got was friendly and fun from the man behind the bar. They have a really good cider on tap, which impressed my other half immensely.
We had food here and they were only too accommodating. They specially prepared a dish gluten free for us and I had one of the nicest burgers of my life!
All in all, good pub food, good atmosphere and VERY friendly staff. Well worth a visit.

Awesome pub! The bar staff is very friendly, and the drinks were decently-​priced. Friendly patrons who tend to start the conversation before myself. That’s telling!
Not only that, they host Bright Club about once a month. Who’s up for smart comedy?

Great little boozer with its own theatre venue attached, which has live gigs .
Good selection of drink, with good food served as well. Very friendly staff, gave me a lolly with my bill, impressive

In the middle of the hottest Easter in recorded history (probably) I entered the Wilmington Arms to the sounds of ‘Jingle Bells’. Irony? Stupidity? Or am I just missing the joke?
Above the unusually festive music was a particularly rowdy bunch of (what I assume were by the fact that one of the bar staff was one of them) regulars gathered around the bar — a little intimidating for a quiet looking pub on an afternoon.
Anyway, The Wilmington is a fairly average pub. It looks like it would be a nice place to see an up and coming indie or folk band, or have a few quiet pints.
Drinks were regular prices — food seemed a little expensive for what are regular pub grub type things — although they do serve a pint of chips. Food in drinks containers is always fun. Try to deny it. You can’t. Also took note of an excellent and expansive condiment selection.
Nice touch — ale in tankards. Apart from that — decidedly average.

As a music venue, a bit better than as «just» a pub. Some great stuff on in here, and almost never more than a fiver.
Also, extra points ‘cos Bright Club is here– the UCL comedy revue by UCL-​related PHD students and professors. Thought provoking comedy by noncomedians. Awesome.

I’m not sure why it took a friend’s gig to get me here… A cleverly split pub-​cum-​gig-​venue, in that you can be in the pub bit, oblivious to the gig next door, and vice versa, or you can flit between them.
The pub half holds its own as a boozer: buzzing on the Friday night I was there, good staff, quick service. But it’s the performance-​space half that sets this place apart: it seems to be in almost constant use for music, comedy or film screenings, which justifies the 10 minute trek from the nearest tube stations. Or if you’re going to Exmouth Market anyway, pop your head in and see what’s on.

I went along to The Wilmington (just off from Exmouth Market) last night to see a friend’s band play. We initially walked into the main bar and were instantly struck by how warm, cosy and buzzy the bar was. A very warm welcome to two cold punters on a fairly miserable, dark, rainy November evening!
We asked at the bar where the band were playing and were directed out of the bar and to a side door where The Wilmington has a back room with a small stage and bar.
Both main bar and back room have pretty good service, although it did get really busy (Friday night etc). Strikes me that this place is pretty popular with people going out straight from work or like us, seeking it out when there’s a small, unknown band playing (I notice on their website they lay claim to some pretty impressive recent bands playing — The Guillemots, VV Brown and Mumford & Sons to name but a few!).
Toilets are pretty basic (no lock on either female toilets) but a hundred times better than venues like The Enterprise or Barfly!
10−15mins walk from Kings Cross or Farringdon. 341 + 19 buses stop just down the road as you leave the pub on the left handside of Rosebery Ave. If you’re in the area, pop-​in for one or check out the list of bands playing any week night. From my «one night» experience the main bar music appears to have improved since Sian visited in Oct ’08!

The Wilmington Arms is great because it boasts a separate music room. There is nothing better than the complete separation of contrasting sounds, i.e., sweet folk music and drunken pub noise. It is not always sweet folk music that occurs in the music room, but it is when the monthly ‘Indoor Picnic’ folk night is on.
Besides keeping noise separation the way it should be, The Wilmington Arms also serves a good quality of beer for a slightly less that standard price. The traditional English pub food is not amazing, but it is also not expensive.
I think that the pub is definitely worth a visit, but a visit wouldn’t be complete without checking out a gig.