please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Now known as The Meeting. Visited on a Saturday evening. Good place to eat. Thai food was very good, if a little expensive for the area. But the pub... Forget it. Frightening décor and full of the sort of customers who are banned from other pubs in the area, Real bottom of the barrel stuff. Hard to believe that the restaurant coexists with such a awful place. Cant comment on the beer, but if you are happy to drink with such people the I guess you mind too much. We just stuck our heads in the bar after our meal. It took all of 3 seconds to decide to have a drink elsewhere.
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The Southbury (as surely it will always be known to the good burghers of Enfield) has now been refurbed and rebranded as "The Meeting" complete with a funky sign with flashing lights underneath.
The Thai restaurant which previously was confined to the small area closest to Southbury Road has now moved into the larger space on the far side of the pub, and jolly nice it is too. The pub section now consists of the middle section and the area which formerly housed the Thai food and you can still get the food in the pub bits.
As this is a pub review site rather than a restaurant site, what is the pub like now?
Pretty good is the answer! It's a mixed bag to be sure (no real ales, slightly dearer than some other places in the area, can be a little cramped and has that "new pub" vibe which can feel a little soulless at times), but I firmly believe that the positives (comfortable seating, good karaoke and DJ nights, a nice crowd, efficient and friendly bar staff, good quality screens for sports and reliable drink quality) outweigh the negatives comfortably. The "beer garden" or "large expanse of tarmac with outdoor furniture on it" as it should more accurately be known, is still pleasant enough on warmer days and for smokers nipping out for a quick cigarette in the winter months as long as you can endure the fumes from Southbury Road. Given that there aren't that many pubs in the immediate vicinity, it's well worth a visit if you find yourself living in or visiting the area.
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I was in fairly recently on a wintery Monday night and thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
The fire was on, there were a handful of regulars at and around the bar, the staff were friendly and helpful and the prices were more than fair.
Everything a decent pub should be.
It's always been a lovely building but the interior is starting to look ever so slightly threadbare.
A cold Monday night probably isn't the best gauge of a pub, but I liked what I saw.
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well it seems that whomever mayfair123 is they don't like what i have to say about this pub because somewhat suspicioulsy my comments keep being removed - so i can only assume this person is the landlord or a very close relative or friend, because according to them this is THE greatest pub on earth! As i class myself to be of a higher intelligence i will not be drawn into playing such silly word games......so in summary, if you're a chav who loves to drink in dives go visit this place because you'll love it - if, like me you prefer a classier establishment avoid it like the plague!
I am also aware this pub isn't in Edmonton per ce but as it is an area in the East of the London Borough of Enfield i think we can safely say i am referring to the correct pub - but just so there is no confusion; the pub i refer to is The Southbury Hotel which is across the road from Cineworld, Old Orleans, Pizza Hut, Brotheres Chinese Restuarant and The Outback...need i go on? i think not!
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We visited the restaurant part of this pub and found it absolutely first class. The thai food was wonderful and the staff were very friendly and helpful. It was a pity that not more people were there to take advantage of this very nice establishment.
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Ok, The Southbury is now back in my good books. The new management have addressed the problems that were blighting this pub and turning it from a pub I'd regularly visit to one that I avoided at all costs, primarily this is in respect of service which is now much more pleasant and quicker. Decor is as you were with the dark wood tables and red leather upholstered wooden chairs and benches, the games room has been done away with and replaced with a Thai Restaurant which is very welcome. There is now a decent jukebox with a big selection that plays throughout the pub at just the right volume. Prices are roughly the same (cheaper than most normal pubs, more expensive than Wetherspoon's and their ilk) and the beer is good. Some hand-pumps are now in place and Greene King IPA has been added to the menu.
Nice atmosphere and the new owners seem keen to entertain the punters with a quiz night about to start and special events like a forthcoming Casino night and they're friendly to boot.
Thai food can be ordered to your table in the pub itself if you don't want to go round to the restaurant area and is very nice and generously portioned but not particularly cheap.
A good effort all round and this place has been rescued from the jaws of the abyss to become a good pub once more. Keep up the good work!
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This is a horrible pub. Bar staff are rude and unfriendly, Don't go here!
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this pubs full of forty somethings stay away
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is it still Tony running the Southbury? I thought he was OK. It did always feel short-staffed though; I used to work there in 2002 and left.... to work at a wetherspoons...
anonymous - 24 Apr 2006 17:08 |
Hate to say it but this place is going downhill. Lovely building, great location and cheap prices should add up to one of the best pubs in Enfield. Sadly, it all falls apart when it comes to service. Not that individual bar staff are incompetent or rude, just that there never seem to be enough of them there and the manager is a particularly surly individual who is rude to all and sundry to the extent that it's hard to believe some of the staff have stayed there as long as they have. Quality of beer has been distinctly variable of late as well. Food seems cheaper but takes a while to come and the steak is poor. Still far from the worst pub in the world at the moment, but at the current rate of decline it's advisable to get in there quickly before it becomes unberable.
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i only drink there after football cos its colse. beer good and at a good price. but the service is so bad do not want to say anything more on that. but get rid of the manager!
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Service Service Service. Bar staff are friendly enough but there's usually only one of them and they are having to serve 10+ people at a go. Football can and does bring the scum in (I see people are calling them Chavs these days). What really bugs me about the service though is that there's a bloke who sits at the end of the bar, with his inbred cronies, who watches paying customers get exasperated with the lack of service and leave and does nothing about. So what you ask. Well apparently he's the manager.
Meach - 20 May 2005 21:18 |
Dont be mistaken in thinking this is a hotel!
I have been going to this pub for the last 4 years and about 2 years ago, this was the place to be on a friday summers night. BUT will someone please get rid of the miserable manager who killed the atmosphere! Drinks are fairly cheap (not sure about bitters or lagers etc) but spirits are decent and there is always a bottle alcopop on a deal.
anonymous - 17 Mar 2005 13:07 |
Asked for a room and got a slap. Slow to cook food cheap pool though.
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This could be a wonderful pub. It has the facilities and location to be a really good pub, but sadly it is run and staffed by people who seem not to care. The beer is simple but mainly good, nothing special but what they do serve is generally good, Limited Bitters, plenty of Alcopops. The D�cor is typical (why do they all have books in them?) The service is frustratingly poor. The big screen TV certainly attracts a football crowd � but often they�ll choose to show a Portuguese version of Sky showing Villa Vs Blackburn rather than England Versus Ireland in the last game of the Six Nations (I know that is very specific but it�s still bugs me). It will always do well because there are no other pubs in the immediate vicinity � However it does have to compete (and loose out I feel) to the likes of TGI Fridays and Old Orleans. At the end of the day I drink there because it is close to the gym! PS The Southbury is busy but never busty!
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A decent pub, not as cheap as some well known chains but cheaper than most. If you just want a quiet beer you can have one in comfort, if you want to watch the football they have big screens with a good picture and there is a games room for those who wish to play pool or quiz machines. A fair mix of different types most of the time although beware of the influx of boisterous young chavs on their way to Eros nightclub on Friday & Saturday evenings from 9.00 onwards. Service behind the bar is friendly but at times painfully slow. Reasonable range of draft and bottled beers that are normally cold and fresh but nothing much of note for ale drinkers or those with exotic tastes. Food is generally decent pub grub and you get a big portion for an acceptable price. Suitable for all types of drinkers and largely trouble free. All in all a good all-rounder of a pub that doesn't break the bank and is quite friendly. Could do with a jukebox for the whole pub and not just the games room though, as someof the CDs played through the speakers in the main area of the pub leave a lot to be desired. In the summer the beer garden which is a tarmac area out front with wooden benches right alonside Southbury Road (a very busty main road for those not familiar with Enfield) is your best option if you can stand the petrol fumes.
scotty - 9 Nov 2004 16:49 |
This pub was once the hub of life for all those with an open mind in an area full of townies. Punch have tried (and failed) to refurb it in a way that makes it oldy worldy, don't they realise that this is imposible. They have turned it into a typical townie pub - shame. Big love to all those that used to drink there 97-98, to name but a few Tony, Tim, Jen, Ben, Oz, Will and all those I can't be arsed to write
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I have been drinking in this pub for some 13 years now. Will this compnay please, for once give us a Manager that will turn the pub into the thriving business it should be. Great sports bar, nice beer garden, needs more products, Bar B Q ?? Give me the pub - I'll do the job for the salary that's being paid !
?? ?? - 2 Jul 2004 00:31 |
