Burnt treacle squash and ancient grains plus artichoke and baby swiss chard

TUCKED away behind Upper Street is a whitewashed, low-ceilinged building that’s everything the north London rom-coms tell you a pub should be. Warm, candle-lit, attractive men wearing Merino jumpers – the Compton Arms is Islington according to fiction.

It also happens to be what George Orwell tells you a pub should be, having served as his inspiration for a 1946 article on the perfect pub, The Moon Under Water.

Now, eight decades later, chic-looking locals, who give the impression they would read Orwell, are the punters. In the summer, they drag from cigarettes as they stand in the street in front of the ivy-covered exterior. But in the winter, escaping the cold February downpours, they huddle by the bar or sit at wooden tables dotted around the small, low-lit snug.

Ales and IPAs are poured in equal measure, and an extensive cocktail menu ensures that you can be catered for if you’re more in a spicy marg or negroni mood.

In Orwell’s day, food may not have been the pub’s biggest draw, but the Compton Arms’ historic bones have been given a modern twist thanks to its restaurant residency programme which allows budding chefs the chance to cultivate their talent.

Past inhabitants include the team behind Four Legs, which has now set up permanent shop at The Plimsoll in Arsenal, and Reece Moore, the brains behind Belly London.

The kitchen is now run by Rake, and the food a mix of British classics with extra frills. There’s beer-battered cockles, chips with curry mayo, and roast lamb leg all over the menu.

Rake have been in situ for a year now, but there is clearly no shortage of restaurant-goers eager to try their frequently changing menu.

On a Wednesday night, every table, both inside and in the small garden out the back, are full with couples and groups of friends catching up on midweek gossip.

We started with soft soda bread that arrived next to an enormous cloud of salty butter. This paired well with a shallot-y vinegary oyster.

Next up were the ray wing tenders, delicately placed on a crumpet and drizzled with hot golden syrup. It’s a dish that wouldn’t look out of place in an American diner. A take on the much-loved chicken and waffles combo, as my Ohio-born dining partner pointed out, but made British.

It was quite frankly delicious, the flaky salty ray encased in crisp batter complemented perfectly by the pillow-like sweet crumpet.

For main courses, we ordered the whole cornish sole, burnt treacle squash, and a side of baby swiss chard.

The fish fell off the bone, flaky and light, with lemony citrus oozing from the skin. Meanwhile, the grains were rich and nutty, and the squash sweet – although perhaps a little hard for our taste.

The chard retained its crunch, soy sauce infused but fresh.

We were too full to take on dessert, but the rice pudding and marmalade on the menu looked enviable – another inventive twist on a dish most associated with the British primary school.

The prices are fair for an innovative culinary experience that is much more than simple pub grub.

If you’re popping in for a pint, you shouldn’t miss out on grabbing a snack to have alongside.

Compton Arms
4 Compton Avenue, N1 2XD
www.comptonarms.co.uk/
Wednesday-Sunday