please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I've yet to come here and not find it heaving. Our Saturday evening visit was just as bad as previous visits. The rain outside probably wasn't helping, as everybody was staying indoors. But this is still a nice pub where you can have a good session. Food from the open kitchen in the corner is still popular and the place feels just as trendy as ever. Although there was more of a mix of age ranges this time. Ales were Five Points Railway Porter, East London Foundation Bitter, King Beer Lost Kingdom IPA & Northern Lights, Hardknot Continuum & Thornbridge Lumford Pale Ale. Ciders and perries were all from Hogans - Panking Pole, Poachers Perry & Rock Steady. Although the latter was a collaboration with Tiny Rebel. Has a good selection of keg beers too. But some can be pricy.
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Very good indeed. Good selection of beers, reasonably priced for London, decor okay, service efficient. Not a bad pub at all.
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Reliably decent. Great selection of ales but quite pricey, lack of soft furnishings make it a bit like a canteen when its very busy
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Clarification. Nothing wrong with BohemBawerk's review. The comment I was challenging has now been removed.
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Highly rated and no wonder, comparisons have been made to the Southampton Arms in Kentish Town and the range of ales and ciders make this apposite - a ginger and apple cider was superb and here was a strong Berkshire tinge to the beer selection on our visit - the Windsor & Eton and Ascot breweries were represented. Our visit came on a glorious sunny day so the pub as quite, sleepy and relaxing inside although I am in little doubt that this is unusual. The food looked good - no nonsense versions of pub staples.
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FIVE POUNDS FOR A PINT OF ALE.
That's all.
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Returned to the Jolly Butchers on Sunday afternoon. It was much busier than on my previous visit. It seemed all of the youth of Stoke Newington had confirmed here for Sunday lunch and a few drinks. The drinks selection seemed better than last time - Buxton SPA & Rednik Stout, Crack of Dawn Late Knights, Ascot Multi Hop & On The Rails, Windsor & Eton Windsor Knot & Anarchy Smoke Bomb. Perries and ciders were Sandford Orchards Pear Shaped & Cider Ginger & Orchard Pig Explorer. Tried a few new ciders I hadn't had previously from the bottle range. The keg beer and cider selection is interesting too. This included Brodies Rum Mocha & Orchard Pig Reveller. Beer quality varied from poor to excellent. Still a good pub. But a bit too popular for my liking!
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A thoroughly decent range of beers, well kept and fairly priced in an area that borders on the 'edgy' (Hackney) and 'hip' (Hoxton). There was an air of efficiency about the place - the bar staff, the busy chefs serving up piles of gorgeous food (fish and chips, heavenly) and the convivial clientele made for a pleasing hour and a half. Aside from the irritating loos (make sure you don't pee in the tin-bath overflow under the taps by mistake - what's wrong with sinks guys?), The Jolly Butchers is a stand-out pub.
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visited yesterday evening...excellent range of beers...had a pint of Ascot Ales Alley Cat which was ok..also had the Redemption Hotspur ..one of my favourite beers..chefs were busy at the kitchen area.food looked good...I didn't eat but will return for a meal....
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not too bad really, but it is infested by hipsters, as some comments indicate.
still, i suppose they have a right to good beer too, and real ale druids have to start *somewhere* on their lifelong quest to becoming annoying ;-)
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Visted as it opened on a Thursday, and was obviously going to be busy by 5pm. Very foody, but I though the beer range was very appealing, and whatever dark beer I had was pricey but very good.
WIll also recommend the excellent Turkish restaurant/takeaway a munutes walk south.
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I'd read about this pub and even recommended it to others to try, on the strength of some of the reviews. But I finally made my first visit this week. The Jolly Butchers is handily located on the High Street in Stoke Newington and is a gastropub with a good selection of cask ales and ciders, as well as a good selection of more unusual keg options such as Brewdog Winter Porter (a bit steep at �4.90 a pint). Ales on were Darkstar American Pale Ale, Redemption Trinity & Fellowship Porter, Ascot Anastasia's Exile Stout, ELB Foundation Bitter & Windsor & Eton Knight of the Garter & Guardsman. There's an obvious focus on local breweries. The real cider was Sandford Orchards Devon Scrumpy, with Broadoak Perry also on handpump. I should also mention that they had a decent bottle range too. The interior is dark and open plan. It was very busy with few if any tables available. Many were eating. I wish I had been here sooner. But I will be back.
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Agree with Stokeyblokey - I had a really disappointing Sunday Lunch in here a month or two back. Disappointing because the one I'd had previously (must have been about a year back) and the other meals I've eaten here were great.
Still a great pub, but maybe give the roasts a miss.
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Waited over an hour for a very disappointing, luke warm Sunday roast. Ok, the manager tried to make things right by offering me a free drink and a hot replacement for the meal but I doubt I'll bother again. A sad introduction to Sunday roasts for my American friend....
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i really like this place....
PLUSES..
*friendly, knowledgeable staff...always happy to give you a taster, and well versed in the products theyre selling....thought the eastern European manager blokey could learn some manners/lighten up/curtail the "marching powder" usage?.......
*lively, buzzing atmosphere
*FANTASTIC food!....seriously...the aberdeen angus burger and chips is a massive plateful, and by far the best burger ive ever had....EVER....fish'n'chips is good too....considering the quality and quantity i would say the prices are very good value
*ever changing , diverse range of ales....especially the porters....so nice to find a real ale pub that does more than just blonde golden lager imitates
MINUSES...
*"hipsters"....ok, i know its hard to escape the vacuous hordes of attrociously dressed "look at me! ive grown a stupid tache! im an artist!" hipster zombies anywhere in East London these days, but this place does seem to have more than its fair share of single speed riding trust fund ******'s.....sigh....still, it provides entertainment, and to be honest theyre more pleasant than the feral dregs who frequented the places previous incarnation..........just worse dressed...
*noise...it gets loud, REALLY loud.....sound just bounces around, shame they cant deaden the acoustics somehow....go early evening or afternoon if you fancy a quiet pint...avoid fri/sat nights
well worth a visit, try the burger....
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A great choice of ale and cider. And European beer too! More research required.
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Not bad. Decent range of beers, well kept - pricey, but just about worth it. Food not really worth the money though.
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I found this yesterday, and am so glad I did. OK, it's a bit mismatched-quirky, but the ale selections from smaller breweries, and the two cask ciders, more than made up for that. It's not really that pricey either in these inflationary times, and considering it offers such a specialist choice. The food is huge, far too large really. My ribs came as a piled plateful of meat with a bowl of chips on the side, and my China's fish and chips was a very substantial haddock with fat chips. Neither of us managed fully to finish our grub; but it was good stuff. As it's only eight minutes on the train from Cambridge Heath to Stokey, I shall return often.
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Great pub for the beer and the food and the lovely staff.
Although yes, i agree, it's not cheap (much like The Greenwich Union, my favoured old local).
My main gripe with this place is the lack of space and the open feel which means you end up sat with your elbow in the neighbouring table's fish and chips and have to shout to be heard despite there being no music playing.
I reckon they need to put up a few screens or something to break up the space. Judging by the positive reviews they can probably afford it!
Minor gripes aside, this is our favorite Stokey Pub.
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fantastic selection of ales/foreign lagers/ciders,all shockingly expensive,opted for two pints of "fannys bramble"4% blackberry cider served by a very cute wench at a very not so cute �four a pint jug,still its a nice venue 7/10
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Somewhat gastro-ey with prices to match but a good range of beers and clientele.
Went there for the first time last weekend, was impressed, and returned for their one year birthday event on Tuesday.
Nothing to do with beer but I don't like the ugly bare brick plaque on the Garnham Street wall which presumably was the original Jolly Butchers sign before the place was renamed for a while. Put some signage there please
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Pleasant buzzy spot on Stoke Newington High Street with a good range of interesting beers. The clientele tends towards the twentysomething, and it's certainly loud, but then it's nice to see so many youngsters trying different beers!
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Excellent pub - amused by some of the comments, beer snobs are hilarious!
I like drinking ale, and this pub serves nice ale. Staff are very friendly and helpful, recommending pints, letting you have a taster. Plenty of choice, if a previous favourite ale is no longer on, there'll be another favourite to try.
The food is pretty good too, gets rammed at weekend evenings, so get there early if you want to sit down.
A welcome addition to N16 drinking.
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2 visits here confirm this is one of the best pubs in north london, friendly service, excellent brewdog, thornbridge, and fynes beers, worth a trek to the suburbs
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Me and three others made a first visit to this place last night. The ale on was excellent we tried, between us, stuff from Redemption, hophead, Thornbridge and Atlas. The staff couldn't have been more helpful, friendly and knowledgeable and the food was as good as it gets in a pub. By 7 in the evening the place was packed with a nice laid back crowd. Great place can't recommend it enough, will be back
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finally made the trek to the suburbs, i have to say it was well worth the effort, good range of well kept ales/international beers , i'll be back..
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Rammed to capacity on my recent visits. They've hit upon the right format in the right place it seems. I think I'll stick to the quieter end of the week from now on.
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Jesus krishnamurthi this puib is cold!!!!
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Visited Fri 22 Oct, was impressed by the pub. Buzzing and lively, indeed spotted the landlord kicking out a couple of louts but that was the exception. Extensive beer range, on this visit featuring Brewdog, Dark Star, Camden and Redemption on the handpumps, along with a well-chosen selection of German/Belgian beers on the keg taps. Food is reasonably priced, when compared to other London venues doing the same thing, and one very good idea of theirs is snack-size portions of main course dishes (e.g. bratwurst).
While staff and most customers seemed friendly enough, the only gripe was having to moan for a top-up on every pint. But I add they were topped up without further questions being asked, a good thing.
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Finally got down here after long wanting to visit. Impressed with what I found. Superb choice and range of beers and very quick turnaround to new barrels once various casks had run dry. Fine pints of Jaipur, Urban Dusk and Camden Town bitter, plus a nice half of Schlenkerla Rauchbeer that I'd last had in the brewery tap in Bamberg. Food was good to and good to see an ale led pub absolutely buzzing on a Saturday night.
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Still witnessing incredibly short measures being given to other punters. Thought they'd sorted that out. To be fair it's only one member of staff doing it now, the fat camp guy with low-slung tits who walks round like he's a supervisor. Accurate review earlier by "shand83", "seems like an ale house for people who don't like ale", or we might say who don't know what they're doing. Which is why they don't ask for a top up when served two thirds of a pint. Shocking sometimes.
15th July plant, as well.
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Terrific place, albeit more an English bistro than a pub (you're unlikely to make lifelong friends at the bar; the clientele is middle class, young and in groups). The beer selection is terrific (though beware the curse of the ale-in-a-dimpled-mug, it comes without warning, though they happily serve in a straight glass if asked) and the service impeccably friendly, albeit not chatty. Again, this is a bar-service bistro, not really a pub.
The food is superb and keenly priced given the quality and disposable income of its regular crowd.
As it started out, there were teething problems with beer quality (not range, which has always been superb) and temperature but these appear to have been addressed. Very impressive.
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Holbornboy good reviews my son. Not got a clue wat foghorn`s on about but i`ll have half of wat ever he`s on.
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Paid a return visit last week and was greatly pleased to find the pub hosting a 'Brewdog week'. Trashy Blonde, 5AM Saint and Punk IPA on the pumps, 77 Lager and Hardcore IPA (9.2% and being sold in half-pint measures) on the taps. My pints of Trashy Blonde and Punk IPA were good, but still not cold enough! Nevertheless, an improvement on my last visit.
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tried this place last night with some work mates. loved the place: good selection of ales and the staff were extremely friendly and knowledgable. it's a bit out of the way for me but i think i'll got to the extra effort and be visiting frequently.
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This, to me, seems like an ale house for people who don't like ale. Everything they served tasted like it had been artificially flavoured.
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JohnBonser has pretty much hit the nail on the head.
The positives:
The beer choice here is fantastic and certainly worth coming to if you're in N16. Never seen smoked beer on tap in the UK.
There are some good original features
The staff are friendly and knowledgeable.
The negatives:
The open kitchen is unnecessary and I don't really want the smell of fish when I'm drinking my beer.
Once ordering my pint I looked where to sit, but struggled. Nowhere seemed comfortable. As John says, nothing to break up the eyeline, from one side to the other. No soft furnishings, plants or anything else. There are many pubs which have taken this wooden stripped out approach, but they usually end up soulless.
The Southampton Arms in Kentish Town is also stripped out, but the small size works to its advantage. It becomes simple, rather than bare and stark. I reference the SA, as clearly the owner here has 'borrowed' a fair few ideas. The typography of the outside sign is virtually identical, for example.
Despite this, I did like it here and will probably be happier to return than johnbonser.
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I paid my first visit to this pub yesterday and it has changed completely from the days when it was known as 'The Flying Bottle'.
An amazing array of beers were available on handpump including 3 from Thornbridge, 2 from Dark Star and 5am Saint from Brewdog. I had a pint of the Brewdog and also a pint of both Dark Star beers, Hophead and APA. All 3 beers were in excellent condition and were all filled right up to the brim of jug type glass.
Clientele seemed appreciative of having somewhere like this to drink instead of the old scum infested hovel it used to be. The old regulars seem to have decamped to the nearby Spoon which consequently has to have bouncers on the dooor at all times.
The food menu looked good and I'll probably try the food next time. The only niggle I had was the smell of cooking oil throughout the pub but I'm sure this could be rectified by a good extraction system.
I will certainly be back though.
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Camrawoman - Please tell us you do have a girlfiend ;-)
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Hear hear.
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Could Camrawoman, Dimple Mug and N16 please take their petty squabbling off line, please ?
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i too was in there there the other day, and was inexplicably overcome by feelings of inertia and nausea. must have been the night you were in pimple mug. please don't make a habit of it.
mr. n16 seems a nice chap, and if i encounter him in there, i will allow him to buy me a dekoninck, so please leave him alone. while i'm on the subject of plants;
Indicators of a plantpot
1. An obsession with posts from other users
2. A large volume of entries, evidence of a lack of friends, or anything else to do. And certainly no girlfriend
3. Considers himself the site arbiter, and the sole authority on the veracity of peoples posts
4. An inabilty to leave politics out of every aspect of life. Why else would you mention 'class' in a pub review?
5. Obsession with measures. Because they have so little else to worry about.
A. Get. Life.
6. Pomposity. 'I will be keeping an eye on this pub' sort of thing. As if anyone gives a flying witches fart what you think. Your liking for somewhere is a disincentive for right-thinking people.
7. Nerdy, knob-jockey and entirely predictable liking for rubbish music (vinyl only, of course) by people with nutty names like 'old blind lemon shandy levine' which it is ok to annoy other people with, but popular music is unnacceptable
8. Silly moniker that is supposed to indicate someone 'in the know' on the subject of beer, and not to be trifled with. Like all camra members, however, he is a malodorous bore to be avoided at all costs. which is why i have not renewed my membership.
9. er.....
10. Thats it
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The Jolly Butchers, occupies a prominent street corner position on the main A10 road in the centre of Stoke Newington.
As previous posters indicate ( amongst the usual silly squabbling and bickering comments ), it's recently reinvented itself from an earlier incarnation as Father Ted's. Never having visited the establishment in those days - well with a name like Father Ted's, you wouldn't would you ? - my recent evening visit was my first to the premises. It's now back to what was apparently its original 16th century name
Externally, it markets itself as an Ale and Cider House, which, given the range of drinks on offer, is fair enough, but, as you go in, the overwhelming initial impression is of a gastropub, mainly due to the prominently visible open kitchen in one corner, paper menus, small candles etc. There are some attractive original features - the small semi circular arched stained glass windows high up, pillars and tiling - but the often used phrase "stripped out" seems appropriate here. The establishment is clearly aiming at the local urban professional crowd of 30-40 somethings and they seemed out in force on my visit. Predictably perhaps, TV's and fruit machines are notable by their absence. There's no pub garden, but there are some outside tables on the side road pavement.
On the drinks front, there's 7 real ales which, on my recent visit included beers from Thornbridge, Redemption, Dark Star and Crouch Vale. All beers sampled by me - Dark Star Hophead, Redemption Urban Dusk and Crouch Vale - were in good condition and perhaps not as expensive as might have been expected ( eg - Dark Star Hophead - � 2.90p ). 2 pumps were serving cider. Somewhat annoyingly, and similar to The Southampton Arms in Gospel Oak, it appears that you automatically get served in a jug unless you specify to the contrary. Staff appeared enthusiastic and there were no short measure issues.
Food is categorised into "Small Plates - Big Flavours" and "Big Ones". The former includes for example, Chorizo Salad - � 5.50p - and the latter includes Erdinger beer battered cod fillet with triple blanched chips cooked in duck fat - � 10.50p. Food that I saw looked appetising and seemed to arrive promptly. Perhaps unusually, the pub doesn't open for lunch midweek and food starts at 5pm on those days, with, according to the website, a 4pm opening.
My main criticism - and it's a fairly major negative as far as I'm concerned - is the total absence of any comfort, soft furnishings or degree of intimacy / privacy whatsoever. The floor is bare boarded, the chairs and tables are wooden and uncomfortable and there are no screens / partitions etc to break up the interior into more personal spaces. The end result of all this is a rather noisy, echoey environment where the ability to conduct meaningful conversations diminished as the evening wore on and as it filled up. A few rugs and the creation of some seating booths would make the place much more attractive and welcoming.
The beers were in fine form and it was nice to meet up and sink a few beers with several other BITE contributors, but this isn't really my kind of place and, taking the experience as a whole, I'm not noting this one down for a revisit.
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Once again the personal insults are bizarre and off-topic. I refuse to be drawn into it. Instead, a proper response.
If you want to argue that the comment was not a plant, fair enough, but the accusation was not "mindless" or "unfounded" at all. It's not "merely because [you] have locality in [your] user name".
Indicators of a plant:
1. Reviewer has only made one review on one pub.
2. That review was very or overly positive.
3. That review was made on the same day that the reviewer joined the site, and there has been no activity since.
4. Review written in an overly formal or overly informal tone, laden with cliche or improbably anecdotal. Superlatives that seem out of place. Sweeping statements with regard to area and success. We could go on.
5. Hidden profile.
6. Instead of 1, 2, 3, reviews only on the pubs in one area, possibly name-checking the plant pub in broadly negative or less positive reviews of competitors.
7. Insider knowledge present.
8. Locality in the name - I never doubted you lived in N16, but the plant will often put the locality in his name to suggest authenticity and local knowledge to the unaware readers.
9. Review includes direct rebuttals to specific negative comments by others one by one, albeit inserted in to general review sentences to not look out of place.
11. Much longer, more detailed reviews for the plant pub(s) than the competitors.
10. Pub has the same ownership/management as another pub on BITE which has employed the plant method previously. Since there's a clear plant on the Rose & Crown page recently (and this month's London Drinker confirms the same ownership), this is perhaps the most damaging evidence in this case.
If a review hits most of those and doesn't feel right, I feel justified in questioning it publically. Your first review ticks the vast majority of those boxes. It's also interesting that you unhid your profile only after I mentioned it, and the reviews of other pubs have appeared only after this issue took flight, and after your replies here. At first I thought it only might be a plant given the measures controversy. After your first denial I re-read and actually became more convinced because of the tone. Given your subsequent review of the Rose & Crown, I think it's less likely, unless the operation is very sophisticated. If it's not a plant, fair enough, but bearing in mind the reasonable criteria for what a plant is, I feel calling my suggestion "mindless" or "unfounded" overlooks the facts of BITE reviews. If one doesn't want to be considered a plant, one writes multiple reviews in the same style, negative and positive.
You may note that I have in all this refrained from personal attacks. That's what someone who is interested in genunine reviews on pubs and beer does.
As it happens, I was in the Jolly Butcher's the other day and enjoyed a few good beers and conversation with the staff. And got full measures! Be keeping tabs on it to see if this direction is maintained.
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Perhaps the defence stemmed from the fact the mindless accusation at 'the plant' was unnecessary and unfounded - perhaps strengthened by the fact that 'simple mug' seems intent on continuing discussing an irrelevant notion. I noted the apostrophe marks around the word work on the previous post....sadly that appears to be true, certainly far too much free time on your hands.
Merely because I have 'locality' in my user name does not mean my views are any less worthy than yours or anyone elses. I do actually live within spitting distance of Church Street, and have done so for years. Seeing as your review is so scathing of the Jolly Butcher, hopefully I will not have to spend time within your presence there
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That's a shame there camrawoman...giving the organisation a rather bad name.
Since my comment was about the probability that another comment was a plant, your opinions on the contents of my reviews or how I bahave in pubs (which you wouldn't have a clue about anyway) are irrelevant. You're the "simple mug" if you can't see why I would suspect "N16" of being a plant. Think about it.
Your whole comment is littered with bizarre ramblings. No idea what being employed by the public sector would have to do with anything at all. Of course, the reviewer after yourself, whom you probably like for his "middle-class" tastes, is publically employed in an activity tories would doubtless see as a waste of time.
"Working" in the private sector doesn't make your opinions worth more. Most of my comments have been echoed by others, and why the desire to defend the plant?
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Based on my visit of Wednesday 19th May I shall certainly be going back. Had no problems re short measures, and enjoyed all the beers I tasted (Thornbridge Jaipur, unfortunately wasn't quite up to par) but the others were. The pub is quite relaxed at closing time, or at least seemed so, and the staff were quite friendly and chatty.
Also the pub was busier than on my previous visit and I had to wait for a seat.
But I agree with robots1 the pub is making strides in the right direction, and I look forward to my next time there.
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hmm. not sure how believable that is.
Dimple_mug - 19 May 2010 11:47
are you an interweb policeman simple mug? it is miserablist professional malcontents like you that make too many pubs an unattractive propositon. stay in the wenlock with all your 'working class' drinkers. i can just imagine your purple-faced rage if someone on here wrote that they preferred 'middle class' drinkers. i'll bet you 'work' for the council , or some such similar refuge for inadequates.
carry on nursing your resentment along with your pint of old barmans underpants.
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Paid my second visit yesterday . The message about short measures seems
to have hit home . My pints were topped up without prompting. However ,
the beer quality was still inconsistent with a couple of the beers being
served a little ` fresh '.
Having said that the intentions are good and the
management enthusiastic and seemingly capable of listening and
learning . With a couple of tweaks this could be one of London 's top
ale houses.
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hmm. not sure how believable that is.
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I'm afraid I'm not as exciting as a plant - recently set up account and been rather busy. Merely thought I would give a balanced review of the pub as I enjoyed my experience there. Of course, everyone is entitled to their personal opinion.
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pub trying bit too hard, way too many cask pumps on. 7 ales, no way they shifting that! dark star american pale tasted super stale. .......seems like it's catering to the foodie as opposed to the ale lover.
prob wont be going back.
not a revelation.
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what a revelation. hard to imagine what a dump this place was. so bad, in fact, that i had difficulty persuading my friends to accompany me to the new version.
as a female beer-lover i have been frustrated at the lack of suitable pubs that cater for the for real-ale loving members of the fairer sex (of whom there are many more than you might imagine). good food as well as real beer, a non-threatening atmosphere, and clean trendyish decor.
this will do nicely for me. even the taps in the ladies toilet are so cute!
i have even converted some pino grigio devotees to the delights of jaipur, de konnink, and morte subite. the landlords not bad either, and im not talking about timothy taylor!
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This pub has finally been rescued from its descent into hell! The interior is a bit gastro but reveals the original tiles. Tried the food and the burger is good (if a bit over elaborate) and the duck fat chips excellent. Sunday roasts are ok as far as they go, although late in the afternoon the meat was well cooked with a disappointing gravy.
But it's the beer that wins the plaudits here. A fast changing choice has included excellent pints from Brodies, Crouch Vale, Dark Star, Redemption, Thornbridge and more in the space of a week. All this plus a proper cider, a perry and 9 lager taps (Belgian, etc � not a Fosters in sight).
Add in knowledgeable, friendly staff and this is a pub worth seeking out. Just be prepared to stay a while while you sample the breadth and quality of their beer!
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I gather this is run by the same people as the wrestler in highgate and the rose and crown allong the road.
I really like it, good variety of beers (though i'm not a massive fan of dark star brewery, even if it is locale, would be nice to see a harveys bitter or a tribute or ringwood) and no mainstreem lager / megacorp beer.
staff were good, tried to find us a charger for our phone, and generally seemed nice enough. Will be going back for sure.
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Glasses for the Belgian beers "on tap" are lined. Ale glasses are dimple mugs.
I think the pub is suffering from the food, surprisingly. It actually feels uncomfortable casually drinking when you see the staff scurrying around trying to make room for "party of 4 for dinner".
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N16 and robot1...
The glasses for the beer are certainly not lined.
The ones for the lager might be I couldn't comment.
N16 might actually be a plant - hidden profile, one post, claims to locality in the name, etc.
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Visited on 5th May 2010 on a friend�s recommendation.
Fairly large corner pub at top of high street. Reopened April 2010. Exterior red, interior maroon walls and green ceiling. Bare floorboards; bar and kitchen at rear maximising space. Tables seat up to four with one or two for larger groups. A few stools around the bar.
Exciting and well-kept ale range. Seven ales, one perry and one cider dispensed by handpump; nine European beers also on tap including, quite adventurously, a rauchbier. On my visit there were two Thornbridge, two Brodies and 3 other micros. Cask beers at �3.20 a pint; imports rather more than this although I did not see any actual prices. I also had to ask for my pint to be topped up, although I add it was done without quibble. Pint of Caledonian Mayhem was fine and if the experience of my frend and I were anything to go by, the temperature issue appears to have been put right.
A fair-priced, no-nonsense food menu is offered with mains ranging from �8.50 to �10.50 apart from a �14.50 rib eye steak. My friend and I enjoyed the German variant of bangers & mash served with sauerkraut and German mustard.
Pub is very airy and spacious, and some interesting features have survived its refurbishment � look for the arched, stain-glassed windows and the original if rather battered tiled wall behind the bar. Only minus for me was a building this size doesn't offer much in the way of intimacy, and the feel is rather like a gastro, however quality of food and beer put this into perspective.
Music either off or turned very low, keen attentive staff as well - the manager visited our table and a few others to see how people were enjoying their beer and food.
For a pub that has only been reopened barely a fortnight, their efforts deserve to succeed, and hopefully the teething troubles mentioned in reviews below (every pub has them) should soon be a thing of the past. I will return soon.
7/10
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When I visited the pub the pint glasses certainly were not lined .
Virtually every pint they pulled was a short measure . Some of them
not even close.
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Considering the Jolly Butcher has only been open for a couple of weeks officially, I would say that it is doing really rather well. The revamp has been clearly thought out and is a great asset to the area. The Burger was very tasty and the cassoulet not bad either. The staff are exceptionally friendly - clearly learning on their feet - especially with the more trying customers.... I saw one poor member having to explain to each individual in a group twice in one serving that they were in fact oversized glasses and the half pint line was clearly marked! For a brand new pub with a brand new look, I personally think it's doing rather well. Understandably, I think it has a way to go, but the selection of ales and beers is great and it won't be long before it's one of the most popular pubs in Stokie
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I was of course very eager when I heard a new free house was opening relatively near my own abode...we are thin on the ground for real ale round this way.
Unfortunately, after such a build up, my disappointment can hardly be measured. Bit gastro for starters. Windows are massive and free of curtains. I'm not into people watching. Crowd a bit young for my liking of course.
One gets the impression the handpumps have been whacked on as a "hope this works" effort aimed at introducing people to beer rather than at those already in the know. Been there twice now, have not seen a single proper measure, we're talking quite far off as the usual, which for a pint in a dimple mug (very broad), is a serious matter. The staff are completely clueless with regard to the ale, which is a major disappointment and contrasts poorly with the enthusiatic Southampton Arms. Ordered half each of the Thornbridge bitter and stout first time round, had to ask for a top-up. Our man topped up the stout with the bitter, I informed him before he could ruin the bitter too. Easy mistake to make, of course, but he twice challenged my assertion before realising his mistake. That pissed me off quite a bit. Next day, another member of staff was serving a punter a pint of said bitter, short measure mainly as a result of the cask being at the end, tried topping it up when asked to no avail because that's what happens when it's at the end, said to the punter ""I think the barrel (sic) is finishing", still gave him the sediment laden 2/3rds of a pint, thought that was fine. There were by this time 2 beers gone that they had not turned the pumpclips round on (the bitter and the Jaipur IPA). The McConnel's stout was decent enough, but the other drops were in poor condition to be fair. Comments have be made about the warmth...lack of cooling on the lines? Essentially, if you want me to come run your cellar for you and teach your staff, I'm available.
9 handpumps dispensing popular micros does not a good beer pub make....remember that kids!
I'm sure we'll all be keeping an eye on this one, waiting for them to up their game beer wise.
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Visited this pub for the first time on Monday, enticed here by the mention of Thornbridge and Dark Star beers.
There are nine pumps, beers available on my visit included Dark Star American Pale Ale, Crouch Vale Amarillo, two from Thornbridge, a cider and a perry. There is a selection of foreign beers on tap including the splendid Schlenkerler Rauchbier. I started on the American Pale Ale which was a couple of degrees too warm, probably because it was served in a warm glass. I had to ask for the beer to be topped up. The second pint was better , though still not cold enough for my taste. I switched to the Crouch Vale Amarillo, which was again served in a WARM GLASS. I also sampled the Thornbridge Lord Marples, which was good, but again not cold enough.
This pub has the potential to be very good but the beer could be kept a little better and the issue of serving it in a warm glass needs to be addressed.
A disappointing visit but I will give it another try sometime.
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Called in for the first time on Bank Holiday Monday having heard some
very good reports . My review is more mixed .
Clearly somebody involved
in the running of the pub knows what they 're doing as evidenced by
the gastro format layout and firniture . The beer range was excellent
with beers from Thornbrige , Dark Star , Redemption and Brodies. Plus
Meantime Helles and foreign beers on draught and in bottle .
Food was fresh and tasty served from the open kitchen
by a friendly and very attractive waitress.
However on the down side the beer quality was
inconsistent and short measures were common . The bar staff didn 't
have much knowledge of the beers and only topped up the pints with
bad grace . One customer also returned one beer which he felt was
substandard and was faced with a wall of reluctance in getting it
exchanged .
All in all a pub to watch . Much potential but not there yet.
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Decent pub - gastro though? Not sure. They do a short menu - had the steak and chips which was perfectly respectable. Good atmosphere and a good choice of beers on handpump which included Thornbridge Jaipur and Dark Star American IPA as well as a few local beers.
chick - 30 Apr 2010 21:20 |
Just popped in here the other day. Good selection of cask ales (including, at the moment, locals from Tottenham and Leyton), ciders, and some other things too (no big "brands", and a 'free house' sign proudly displayed behind the bar!) It's bound to be a hit down there in N16.
Food is fine (though not an imaginative choice if you're vegetarian - my partner is fed up of being offered risottos and goats cheese. But - to follow up on another review - a bowl of chips/fries is available that isn't cooked in duck fat, only it's not the big chunky chips that come with the other food.) Could have done without the background music playing.
Having never been in before this last refit, all I can say compared to previous incarnations is that it's certainly more welcoming looking and inviting now!
jrguk - 29 Apr 2010 17:29 |
I have been here three times in three days, and a sun-soaked afternoon leads me to the conclusion that this is a marvel of a pub.
Seven english beers and two apple/pear things on draft. Five belgian taps. Three lagers and some wheaty nonsense.
This is the way to drink.
Food menu probably great for carnivores-non veggie chips??-but the cheese plate was excellent.
I think I may be here tomorrow...
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great refurb...not a poncy gastro but a proper ale house. 9 hand pumps with ales from micro breweries and some real ciders. food hadnt started when i went but its the beer most people will go for. like the southampton in kentish town this is the way forward. well done !
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I hear it has been bought by the people who run the Rose and Crown at the end of church st and the wrestlers... so should be worth looking at when it opens
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I've been using Ted's for the last five years, when in N16, and many of the comments below are accurate - it's advantages are that it has always served after other pubs close, the beer (lager/cider/Guinness/smooth only) is unremarkable but not expensive, it shows football and the atmosphere is generally pretty lively. However, this liveliness can be interpreted as scariness by some, which must have led to the negative reviews and, in fairness, there have been one or two fights there over relatively trivial matters.
All in all I like Ted's and would drink here over places like the Three Crowns any day of the week.
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They've got wifi now. Why? If you take a laptop in there you'll get it nicked!
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Not a pub where you would start your night, but a good one to finish it in. Have had some dodgy and some great nights out in this pub. It seems to be a melting pot of Stokey society. Straight, gay, lesbian, and all that's in between, gravitate here after all the other bars in the area have called time. The bar staff are really friendly (especially Stella) and attentive. You don't have to wait too long to get served AND they remember your round. On the downside, the DJ is a bit crap - fills the floor one minute and empties it the next. That aside, it might be rough around the edges, but it's got a lively and lovely crowd of regulars, and the landlord John does a good job to ensure that everyone has a great time.
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nice pub i thought, a proper party place
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nice bar, not too busy, average danceable party pop tunes. but not very interesting clientele. i'd advise going there if you're with a large group of friends wanting to party in N16 after all the better places (e.g. the white hart) have closed.
loola - 27 Aug 2007 17:11 |
Doorstaff are still rude in my opinion, the music is still awful and the blokes that go there are still sleazy. There's much classier places in and around N16 for a girl to party on a friday/saturday night.
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The door staff have got better, judging by my last (infrequent) trip there
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Good for a late drink. Doorstaff are useless. Bar staff friendly. Customers a bit on the rough side
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Ah the good old flying bottle. A must when you have consumed double your body weight in Vodka
anonymous - 5 Nov 2006 13:39 |
seems ok in there lately, its got a refurb and looks so much better for it. staff are great and they have sorted some great new big screens for the footy.
anonymous - 21 Jun 2006 04:54 |
hahahaha! its been granted a 24 hour license! like it ever shut at normal hours anyway!
anonymous - 14 Dec 2005 08:29 |
Good for the end of a bleary one.
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never shuts! THE place to go. guiness in there is great
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sure we all know the jolly butchers has a really bad name,and rightly so,but things have changed in there a great deal.it seems the people running it have taken a no-nonsense stance and it is working. its now safe and comfortable to drink and relax in there. they seem to be making a real effort,and rumor has it the pub will be getting a makeover.
anonymous - 16 Jul 2005 18:29 |
good pub, lively and cute manager
anonymous - 7 Apr 2005 11:41 |
this pub is really livley. the karaoke host is a nutter.
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Dodgy place but better than what used to be Bar Lorca or Efes, agree. Late license is really the only reason to go since they removed the table football. Karaoke on Wednesdays.
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"Better than Bar Lorca" is the only good thing you can say about this pub!
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Also known as 'the flying bottle', still it is open until 2am and shows football weekly. The frosting on the glass did cover the whole window to start with but it was picked off and then cut across the bottom of it!
Jaysun - 8 Sep 2004 23:14 |
the windows aren't proper frosted glass, its stuck onto the old windows, so I very much doubt shakespiers tale!
jamie - 21 Jun 2004 17:13 |
Sells booze late. Put up with the dodginess (or get into it) if you want a normal-priced pint after 11.
See you all there!
Adam - 13 May 2004 12:09 |
The pub has not changed it's name. It's windows are from a pub in Stoke Newington Road which never opened which was to be called Father Ted's. It became a Nando's instead. The owner obviously didn't want to waste the windows which is why they're now in the Jolly Butchers.
anonymous - 25 Apr 2004 11:21 |
yeah i agree, the d.j's in particular the dread on friday nights, its wicked...
michelle - 29 Jan 2004 14:32 |
WICKED D.J'S ON FRIDAY NIGHTS
TONY - 28 Jan 2004 17:10 |
the jolly butchers, has now changed its name to father ted's and has installed extensive air-conditioning, its open late every night and is a great place to soak up the local atmosphere from live football to late night fun, the best in toen.
andrew - 2 Jan 2004 16:11 |
If you want to have a late drink with possibly dodgy girls and geezers who migh lead you into all sorts of adventures you wouldn't want to tell your mother or your kids about then try the Butchers. Better than Bar Lorca and it's free to get in.
Mark B - 3 Nov 2003 13:50 |
Full of old men on bar stools with dried Guinness moustaches, bag ladies tottering around singing karaoke and... alcoholics.
Comes with a guarantee of amusement every time. Never shuts.
Beautiful.
Liz - 3 Oct 2003 15:16 |
It does seem fairly dodgy! Bouncers on the door, dark corners... But it's not as bad as it seems. And it does have a LATE license. In fact, I'm not sure if I've ever seen it closed come to think of it...
Brad - 3 Oct 2003 10:36 |
Not a nice place, looks dangerous. Maybe it's the real atmosphere of old stokey, but most people would expect something different now. Has a couple of big screens though.
Pauly - 20 Sep 2003 12:14 |
its great. for the real atmosphere of stokey it is the only pub to go to. do it!!!
jeff - 5 Aug 2003 03:35 |
