Famous Cock Tavern
📍 0.8 miles from Emirates Stadium
About this Pub
Why it's great for Matchdays
Next to Highbury & Islington station and walkable to the Emirates, it's a proven matchday hub. The pub explicitly shows live football on Sky Sports and TNT Sports with multiple HD screens, so you can catch early kick-offs or post-match games. It's described as home to a lively pre/post-match Arsenal crowd, yet travelling supporters also use it due to the handy station location. Food is served (with a full menu), making it a practical spot to fuel up before heading to the ground or to linger after full-time.
Recent Fan Reviews
We went to Famous Cock Tavern to watch an Arsenal game. The atmosphere was great due to Arsenal winning. I am not sure whether I'd visit if there isn't a game I want to watch on the many screens. The bar feels a little touristy and a pint of lager is more than £8 which feels steep.
Came here to watch the F1 and loved the booths with their own screens – such a great setup. The service was warm and friendly, though it would be helpful if cutlery and napkins were provided automatically with food orders. The 1kg Korean wings were tasty and satisfying. The fries, advertised as skin-on, unfortunately lacked skin and didn’t have much flavor, and the flat white was served piping hot, which made it difficult to enjoy. Overall, a pleasant visit with a few small areas that could be improved.
First stop off after arriving in London, staff are very friendly. Location seems very nice and I'm enjoying a nice refreshing cold pint. The layout is nice and spacious, feels like a nice old yet modern pub, nice and cozy Very close to the Highbury and Islington stop
Terrible Experience at The Famous Cock Tavern - Avoid at All Costs! I visited The Famous Cock Tavern, right next to Highbury & Islington station (259 Upper Street, London N1 1RU), on Saturday, January 31st, 2026, and it was an absolute nightmare due to shockingly poor management and service. At exactly 8:46 PM, I tried to address an issue with my order — the food itself was disappointing anyway — and requested a refund for unsatisfactory service/items. The so-called manager – a mixed-race individual (boy/girl) with short hair and a visible tattoo on their hand – refused to provide their name or any managerial details so I could lodge a formal complaint. They also refused to give details of their name and contact details of head office when asked, despite being pressed multiple times. When further questioned on how to properly complain or escalate the matter, they admitted they didn’t even know the procedure, despite supposedly being the manager! Instead of handling it professionally, they panicked and ran off like a child into the kitchen area, disappearing completely. They also flat-out refused to refund me, and to make matters worse, we ended up having to pay again for the same or replacement items just to get anything resolved – completely unacceptable and leaving us out of pocket twice over with no proper resolution or apology. This place clearly uses inexperienced kids as managers with zero training, accountability, basic customer service knowledge, or understanding of refunds/complaints. The whole encounter was unprofessional, childish, and frustrating — and that’s before even getting into how mediocre the food turned out to be. Steer well clear of this pub – there are far better options nearby with actual competent staff and decent eats. Not worth the aggravation or double payment!
I came here to redeem a cherry bakewell spritz via the Mixr app. I was served by Reiss, who went out of his way to make this drink for me as he had to search downstairs for the amaretto and Schweppes cherry bakewell mixer. A lovely, refreshing drink and great service.