The new year has brought with it a new lease of life for trendy local bar and restaurant John Salt, and what better way to kickstart a relaunch than to pinch an acclaimed chef to head up your kitchen – enter Pitt Cue Co’s Neil Rankin. He’s bringing with him some fresh flavours for the menu, but the overhaul of the Islington Upper Road venue goes beyond the culinary.

Of course, the reputation of Rankin and his renowned skills will be a major draw for John Salt, but aside from the promise of charcoal barbecue wizardry, what can customers at the new look venue expect? A major feature of the interior is now wood, whether it be in the form of thick chunks perched atop the delicate-looking legs of the bar stools, or more the more refined furniture awaiting those who prefer to take in a bit of street life by the windows. The long tiled bar is also an eye-catching feature – although John Salt owners 580 Ltd will be hoping it stays hidden behind a throng of punters – and the flawed floor also provides plenty of visual interest if you’re a shoe-gazing Morrissey kind of drinker.