Goose, Wood Green

Agree with donia123. As far as I'm concerned, it's the ONLY pub in the world. There are other places to have a drink, but the Goose is home. Having said that, I have to agree with the old reviews about how it stank a bit in the past. The epic disaster of the men's toilets circa 2006-09 was pretty daunting, even for us "low-life desperadoes". But that's been remedied, as has the depressing shortage (even the absence of a while) of real ale - which is now generally available in two or three decent varieties... It never occurred to me to sample the food until I was there with a hungry friend a couple of months ago, and it was a very pleasant surprise, quite edible, even a bit tasty in spots. But of course, the main atraction isn't the food or even the refreshingly cheap good ale, the decor, or the toilets - it's us, the clientele, the low-life desperadoes. You'll meet dwarf-tossers, art thieves, murderers, and even one or two other crackpot philosophers. We have the best sories to tell in London, all strange but true, and we'll be glad to listen to yours as well. To paraphrase Samuel Johnson, if you're turned off by the Goose, you're turned off by life.

11 Jul 2012 04:35

The Salisbury, Harringay

Jeez! I've been about 40 times and never noticed anyone being rude at all. It's worth a visit just to soak up the achitechture (surpassed only by the Queens in Crouch End) and the warmth from two or three fireplaces. The beer isn't cheap but there's a good selection, some of them unusual and excellent.

18 Mar 2005 19:23

The Queens Hotel, Crouch End

Architecturally, this rates an 11. In fact, the architecture (and interior woodwork) is so awesome, nothing else matters.

1 Dec 2004 15:16