The Baring

There’s no such thing as too much of a good thing, and if you need something other than the Fast & Furious franchise to prove this, look towards The Baring. The slick Islington pub and restaurant is a successful example of an age-old combination. It leans towards the latter than the former, and is the kind of place you’re more likely to see Phoebe Waller-Bridge than her character Fleabag. There’s shiny, polished brown wood and exposed brick walls painted white and, if you come around 6pm, there will probably be just as many little Islingtonites in Patagonia jackets eating ricotta gnudi as there are big ones. The food here can be superb. Those gnudi with chanterelle mushrooms and pumpkin buttermilk are simultaneously feather-light and comforting, and a pig cheek starter will have you oinking in joy. Come evening the lights are dimmed and the candles are lit, and insultingly aesthetically pleasing couples and families sit down for a dinner that is undoubtedly fantastic but, if we’re to be sticklers, just lacking a bit of fun.

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