The Compass, Islington

There isn’t a shortage of places to eat in Angel. In fact, on Penton Street, where John Rentsen and Charlie Silver have chosen to open their second gastropub The Compass, there are about five restaurants – including the rather brilliantly named Angel Curry Centre.

The Compass is joining that ever-burgeoning gastropub market (also not thin on the ground in Islington – see our review of Albert and Pearl) which divides opinion. Some adore expecting more from a pub menu than frozen scampi and chips.  Some despise the gentrification of their locals into gourmet-burger-touting, prosecco-flouting hangouts for rugby fans and their body-warmer wearing wives, and some, like blogger Oliver Thring, think pubs selling food is bordering on sacrilege.

I’m of the view that the more places there are for me to eat reasonably comfortably the better, and while I’ll admit there are some monstrocities masquerading under the gastropub banner, I’m happy when I find a good one.

Luckily Renston and Silver know what they’re doing – they’ve done it before successfully at The Green in Clerkenwell – and the Compass is following suit. Service is pleasant and friendly without being intrusive and condescending – though both of those are better than the pained nonchalance so often found in these places.

My starter English asparagus tips (£5.50) with butter are ravishing in their freshness. I like that the chef (who reassuringly is in my full view at the open kitchen) had done them so simply, with nothing but melted butter and a few crystalline flakes of sea salt which give the spears a delightful crunch. It makes a nice change from having them drenched in cloying hollandaise.

My companion’s starter is an elegant, towering salad of watercress, creamy goats’ cheese, sticky-sweet squash and toasted pine nuts – a lovely combination held together with a delicious balsamic vinaigrette and an absolute steal at £5. My main of sea trout has a perfectly crispy skin, some buttery, lemony samphire and sautéed potatoes. It’s a light and balanced dish – the fish beautifully fresh and delicate.

But however pleasant my trout, I can’t help getting food envy when my chum’s sirloin steak arrives. Big and bloody enough to sate Hannibal Lecter, and topped with a generous lump of stilton butter, it’s a delicious hunk of meat and well priced at £15 (the most expensive thing on the menu). We share a lovely side dish of grilled little gem hearts with rock salt and lemon (£3.50) – an addition that sums up the food here – hearty, flavoursome British grub done with panache.

If you care about food the chances are you’ll enjoy it at The Compass because the chefs know what they’re doing and they aren’t charging through the roof for it.

The Compass
58 Penton Street
Islington
N1 9PZ

Tel: 020 7837 3891

They divide opinion- some adore the informal setting coupled with on the cheaper than your average restaurant meal out -especially in these wallet-watching times, some despise the gentrification of their locals into gourmet-burger touting, prosecco flouting meeting spots for rugby fans and their body-warmer wearing wives, and some, like blogger  oliver thring, think pubs selling food is sheer sacrilege. Personally I'm of the view that the more places there are for me to eat at reasonably comfortably the better, and at least prawn sadwiches are a thing of the past...