please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
If I'd have read the reviews before ending up in this place I might not have gone in. However it was a great evening.
It is a rockgrungy kinda place and my image doesn't fit in to either of these categories. At all. All the staff are very polite and courteous, the regulars (lots of em) are all very friendly too.
Everyone just seemed to keep to themselves and are just happy to soak up the atmosphere that this place is oozing with.
Incredibly busy, brilliant live band, pool and fussball tables all filled... It wasn't bad t all. Maybe I was just lucky? But I would certainly go back to find out.
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I don't get how some people think they are 'the shit' for being rude to people. If they were doing it to authority figures, their landlord or boss, or some bullying person, THAT would be cool. Otherwise it's just ignorant, and that's allowing for personality differences. I hate people who dress up nice then act like twats - worshipping image over substance - but I only even let it bother me when they rub my nose in it. Like saying my (severely un-trendy looking mate, who is a rocker at least) had to get out if he wasn't drinking. He was hungover, not homeless, and I was drinking (and fast enough to count as THREE people, let alone two). Stuck-up people... the first quality on your 'I'd like to pay their wages' list, isn't it? Ignorants.
This was some years ago (say 2009) but I believe the staff haven't changed much nor the attitude... The music's not bad though, but clique-y places are not even healthy for the clique, let alone punters. I guess if you look 'right', they treat you 'right'. But isn't that the same ignorant attitude that gets alternative-looking people abused daily? Ah yes, passing the negative karma back around, how enlightened. They're just pub staff, why expect enlightenment? Well, this is London, you CAN find PhDs to work there... or at least sociable people. I've had nice staff serving too, but anyone who thinks you have to be dressed from the 40s-50s to be cool is pathetic. Cool is not how you look, it's how you act, with a SIDE-serving of how you look. Same principle applies to food, right?
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Crap service from rude confrontational staff. AVOID this place if you want a pleasant night out
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Never been treated like this anywhere! First I was on the phone just outside the toilets and the waitress just nudged me passed waving her arm as to clear me from her way and worse I was playing a delightful game of fuzball when to my bad surprised my half full pint was picked up by a waiter. When I went up to the bar and asked why he just suggested I leave if I was not happy!
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Bit of a dodgy location, I felt like I was walking out the wrong end of the town, but once inside it's easy to get caught up in the friendly atmosphere and good music. Pool tables started off some friendly rivalry with some other punters. Bar staff approachable and obviously enjoy the rock scene, and the late opening (or should I say late closing) really allowed us to let our hair down.
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Was a nice boozer,unfortunatley it's not big enough for Bens head anymore.
super - 21 Apr 2011 09:36 |
Of course if you actually want beer other than Super chilled Guinness, go elsewhere.
The food is OK
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The nachos were great (lots of toppings!) and the music good, but the 'entertainment' drags the place down a bit...went on a Friday night during an unfortunate screening of Bikini Bloodbath Carwash 2. :-/
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Discovering this pub is like discovering a diamond in a mile's worth of dog turd! Although the location is not particularly desirable, it doesn't matter because you will probably end up staying the whole night in Big Red anyway (the late openings help). The pub is dark but not moody (although I get the feeling it would like to be), the bar is always well staffed and the atmosphere in the evenings is always good. Had a fantastic new years here (tickets were free as long as you donate a present for a children's charity per person). recommended
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Fantastic place, my favourite rock bar in London. Loads of paraphernalia on the walls and yes, there are empty jack daniel's bottles with candles in on the tables which is heading towards cheesy, but you need to see the comedy in rock and metal and I really like it. Good music, good food and a highly enjoyable place to hang out in.
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I think that I have missed the attraction of this place as I found it to be dark and dingy and my pint of Guinness, which was served in a chipped glass, was far from its best.
There is plenty to do in here as there is a pinball machine and two table football tables along with four pool tables at the back of the pub. I also spotted a plasma screen and a rolled up projector screen so I�d imagine that Sky Sports is shown.
The barmaids were very friendly, but the attraction of sitting in the dark and joining the locals in a Jack Daniels session isn�t really my cup of tea.
I think that in future I�ll leave this place to the under 25�s and the ageing rockers.
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When one is told after at 1am after a very boozy evevning on Upper Street " Hey I know somewhere on the Holloway Road that'll be open" you can understand my having some serious reservations. They could not have been more unfounded, Greeted by welcoming smiley doormen, varied and aggression free clientele, good service, qualiyt vintage rock music and delightful staff. And open 'til three, just the best thing ever. Looks like the fright bus home to West London again for me very soon, Fantastic Boozer! Please do not change ANYTHING,
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Great pub. Moved to Tufnell Park about 4 months ago but only recently discovered this gem. Good food, good bar staff and good music!
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have dropped in here on my way to the dirty water club, and it's a fantastic place to spend an evening.
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Great Pub.
bar staff very good, and very easy on the eye.
Was in here last night for the Nemhain Gig last night ,great evening's entertainment .
would highly recommend this pub to any passing.
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THEEE greatest pub!!!!!! End of
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Unreal....... in a chav-tastic holloway rd you can actually go into a bar where the staff know what they are doing!!It plays decent music and the food.... 10/10!! spot on!!
An 'americana' kitch feel and real life rock and rollers this bar isnt for a wine drinking prada wearing type....thank god....!!
With wine bar-esk mania of late.....im so relieved to see a londoner, stripping all that back and staying true to what he believes in... old fashioned rock n' roll! The gov looks like he dabled in some heavy stuff in his time but has lots of trust in the most varied crew of female staff i have ever clapped eyes on!! there really is something for everyone...
This bar has really knocked me for six....not far from everywhere!! a real touch of class, in a place they've tried ta spit and sawdust up.... they've polished a diamond.....
see you there soon for a well earned pear-cider n a chilli burger!!!!!
and all this from one very fussy whore 8-) xx
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Great boozer,started my crawl at old street right through to highgate village.This place is banging.
super - 13 Nov 2007 12:06 |
Great place - one of the best I've been to in London. Not expensive by London standards, food looks amazing, although I've never eaten there, quick service, lots of pool tables, good music, late licence, really good atmosphere, slightly tacky but quirky decor (like some sort of mainstream Americana festival) and no hassle. Even the door staff are nice (what?!), especially not batting an eyelid when a mate and I arrived here quite clearly stoned off our faces one night. Didn't think places like this actually existed in London...
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BEST BURGER IN THE WORLD!!! In fact anything they put their chilli on rocks!
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BEST BURGER IN THE WORLD!!! In fact anything they put their chilli on rocks!
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This pub is the DON LICK ME THERE IT TICKLES,
I have always had a laugh in this gaffe the regulars crack me the Nuts up.The beer is the nuts and the food the dogs.
If your in there keep an eye out for 2 fellas who always sit at the bar one of them is the funniest fella you will ever meet i cant remember there names but there 2 big lads
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An excellent pub, relaxed and open during the day, buzzing and a bit rougher round the dges in the evening. Prices are slightly higher than for the rest of the lower Holloway area, but you're paying 30p more for the atmosphere and Jack Daniels candles on your tables, the barstaff with tattoos and Guns n Roses rocking the speakers.
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An excellent pub for lazy Sundays. The burgers are delicious and great value. There's nearly always available pool tables and seats. It's comfy and unpretentious. The prices are okay. There are a couple of lovely barstaff, the rest are sulky and slow. The jukebox rock music is great, but repetitive.
It does get incredibly busy in the evenings, at which point it loses its charm.
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An excellent pub for lazy Sundays. The burgers are delicious and great value. There's nearly always available pool tables and seats. It's comfy and unpretentious. The prices are okay. There are a couple of lovely barstaff, the rest are sulky and slow. The jukebox rock music is great, but repetitive.
It does get incredibly busy in the evenings, at which point it loses its charm.
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It's like sitting in a theme pub at Alton Towers, in appearance and atmosphere. I keep expecting a ghost train car to come smashing through the door at any moment, complete with screaming witch and siren. And when the pinball machine is twanging away it just feels anything other than a pub.
Amazed there's no toffee apples on the menu.
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BIG RED BURGERS ARE THE BEST! And yes i agree Ben should run for president!
anonymous - 22 Apr 2007 15:25 |
The Big Red is by far one of the best pubs iv been in. I love the atmosphere, the bar staff are lovely and the food has always been 5 stars every time iv eaten there.
I would recomend everyone whos in the area to visit.
I cant stress enough how good this place is, so visit it!
loz12 - 14 Apr 2007 18:09 |
Quite likely the best establishment on Holloway Road so long as one does not seek a particularly traditional pub atmosphere. Then again if you are looking for a traditional pub atmosphere you're in the wrong damn place. As an American I find a certain charm in the constant G&R on the jukebox and the extensive array of bourbons and tennessee whiskeys, okay so it's beam and jd but that's one of each so it counts. Not a 'real pub' and they do not serve ales so it's a loss for CAMRA but a dream come true for, well, if it's your dream come true raise your hand. At least it's fifteen billion times better than the Holloway.
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Good pub, good crowd, mixed ages and a few pwople i knew.Guinness was ok,and prices not too steep (for London)
i definatly would go back
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Beer, music and overall scene is ok, but the food is dreadful, our burgers were literally red, uncooked and raw beyond anything I have ever seen or eaten.
The manager on duty with just a touch too much attitude said that it states on the menue that the burgers are very rare and unless told otherwise that is how they are served.
So it goes without saying that we have been on the pot all day and have had quite a windy day and I am not talking about the weather.
Thing is with these bar guys with the baseball caps and the tattoo sleeved left over from the days of Soundgarden is they really think they are the shit, in fact they are shit and this attitude thing just compensates for theyre lack of integrity and a better job.
Drink all day, but DO NOT EAT THE BURGERS!
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nothin' like a good old fashioned, "you starin' at my pint?", saturday night punch up, Met truncheon in the groin, then gettin' banged up by some over zealous pimply faced betwetting old bill and...oh, no.. hang on, that was my OLD pub, The Dockers Fist..I digress.
So, Big Reds..far and away theee best pub in this manor, being a local chap I've visited a few..none of your camden dandy fop shoegazers, and not tooo many crouch hill channel 4 types, just a good honest friendly down to earth boozer, perfect for locals and not so locals alike.
Great selection of beers, tattoos, piercings, pool tables, tv's, music, license plates, posters and the odd martian or two. Nice smiley bar staff, and the friendly security geezers at the weekend wear shiney ties...grand food for pub grub as well...Ben should run for president and the staff could be like...his senators..we could all ..like...vote for him, and...uh-oh, thorazine is kicking in..la-la-la..one thing not so great about this gaff though. It needs to be closer to my house..now where's my cup of tea gone??..ramming speed Mr Sulu
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A friend visited here by chance a few months a go and loved it. I joined him there the other week and enjoyed it also. It was a quiet night but had a great feel to it. It's compared to the Intrepid Fox, a place that I never experienced but if it's like this it's a shame I never made the effort. I don't have any piercings or tattoos but I really like this place. Good bar staff, good value (except the food menu that although I didn't try looked a pretty damned expensive for what it was)and a great juke box. It won't be everybodies cup of tea and I won't be there every night but it's on my local list.
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Great pub. Rock music meets the Wild West, in North London.
No ales though, only lagers.
Certainly a lot better than the new Intrepid Fox, though shame it's a bit of a trek to get there from the West End.
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Finally got round to visiting this place.
Friendly-ish atmosphere, not a bad pint, and at �2.30 for a pint of Carling not a bad price! (although for some reason I think this might have been wrong.)
A real 'alternative' bar, rock and roll on the jukebox and piercings and tattoos serving the drinks.
Didn't try the food but seemed fairly expensive for general pub grub.
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This is a great pub, not the biggest range of alcohol I have experienced but enough to satisfy most tastes.
The only thing I feel lets this place down is the fact that everytime I've visited they seem to have AC/DC playing, which isn't a bad thing but a better range of music would be good.
Average prices, four pool tables, pinball machines and a jukebox by far the best pub I have visited in Holloway.
Highly recommended 8/10
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Bring back the first band that ever played the Big Red back in mid June 2004. That covers band was the best that I have seen in my entire life!!! I've never seen that band play the Big Red again and I really want to see them play again (and again and again). Ben and Ashley, are you listening?
anonymous - 6 Sep 2006 21:41 |
Good atmosphere and a friendly crowd.
anonymous - 14 Apr 2006 15:34 |
A superb pub in Holloway with a great "pub" lager selection and a cheap but good food menu.
The jukebox is pretty unique as it is stocked with some really old sh1t!! 4 pool tables to play on and the onlyt hing missing is a dart board or 2.
The bar staff are friendly and it's ideal for a hard nights partying at the weekend or a quiet pint during the day. One of the few places that has a decent big screen in the area for the footy.
The only problem with it is that it doesn't serve real ale, so if that's your tipple then not the best place to come for a pint.
Definitely a gold mine of a pub in the Holloway area!!
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Fab atmosphere, well stocked juke box, firendly staff and good prices... a refreshing change for those that like the atmosphere of Camden but are bored of drinking with poncey muso's in bad hats and leggings.
Perfect for all your needs.. good music, good menu and late openings every night also bands on thurs, frids and sats... good for a party or a quiet drink.
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Worth braving the bizarre clientele and grim house wine for one of the best jukeboxes in London
anonymous - 11 Mar 2006 23:09 |
If the roasts are always like the one i had on sunday all the time just dont bother with them. �7 for a plate of microwaved pork, mash potato and mashed carrots. It was truly the worst plate of food ive ever been served in a pub and for that price. It actually ruined my life for about half an hour then i got over it.
meady - 24 Nov 2005 10:56 |
much to my dismay the burgers are now back to full price!!!
Still a good un though
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I really like this pub, theres nothing worse than being a pool player and not being able to get on the one table in your local, the Big Red has four so your always guaranteed a game, good value food too, you can get big burgers for under a fiver in the week. And yes the playboy posters are a nice touch
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i don't like this pub at all i feel very un comfortable in there, like everyone is watching me.
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I really like this place but I cant go in there without spending billions of pounds what with the day drinking sessions playing pool and keeping the blinding jukebox ticking along and succoming the stench of meat that makes you want to eat a wild boare. Ooh, and playing choose your favourite playboy girl from the 50's playboy bunnies poster is fun too.
meady - 14 Nov 2005 17:41 |
nice lil pub...my uncle den goes here all the time... being a geordie...hes naturally a joker...so u'll proberlly bump into him..
its a sorta rock/sporty pub... about 4 pool tables at the back... quite big pub overall...
wehad to share the loo with the ladies...which was kinda weird..but must only be for short term..
all the staff were female..which i found pleasing (not being sexist) they seemed like a nice bunch of girls..
ordered a spagetti bolognese with meat balls... that went down well with my 6 stella's and 6 JD n orange...
mmmm
only bad point was that the music was repetative...no modern stuff...
but hey...i went on a sunday night...so...ill have to get down there on Fri/Sat...apparantly its lively...
7/10
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I FELT INSTANTLY AT HOME IN THIS PUB, GREAT STAFF, THE GOVORNOR BEN IS TOP (ALTHOUGH HE HAS ILLUSIONS OF BEING A COWBOY!!!) AND A GREAT SELECTION OF BEERS! NOT BAD PRICES! IT A FAVOURITE OF MINE! 10/10
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Fairly lively pool-hall type 1950's Americana bar but with a poor beer/lager selection. Good juke-box though.
anonymous - 31 Aug 2005 14:31 |
very good juke box in there with decent sized pool tables out the back a nice pub
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Wicked Bands Thurs Fri Sat
Great Atmosphere definatly one of the better bars on Holloway Def check out the menu!
Roxy - 12 Apr 2005 18:11 |
