please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Feeling thirsty after a walk from Brent Cross shopping centre, up through Hendon, Mill Hill, and Totteridge, I visited the Railway Bell for the first time on Friday 10th June. With it being a Friday night, and Euro 2016 starting that evening, I was concerned that there might be nowhere to sit, but I found that the pub, which looks small from the street, extends quite a long way back, with a pleasant conservatory-type area and beyond that a beer garden with tables. As expected the pub was certainly crowded, but I secured a table by the back window and found the atmosphere to be quite pleasant, although a little on the noisy side. The ales I had (Courage Directors and Sambrook Junction) were both very good, and I'll certainly be coming back when I'm next in the Barnet area.
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The Railway Bell is a bright and airy Wetherspoons, which was quite refreshing. It was also very busy. The furniture layout can appear a bit cluttered in places. The ale range was Wickwar Cotswold Way, Shepherd Neame Low Blow, Three Castles Corn Dolly, Titanic 7C's, JW Lees Drayman's Reward, Liberation Sin Bin, Greene King Abbot, Sharps Doom Bar & Ruddles Best. Considering this was a beer festival, I was a bit disappointed that there were no darker beers on. The one cider was Old Rosie. Very handy for the station.
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Very smart refurbished Wetherspoons. 10 real ales were on offer when we visited - all competitively priced in the £1.99 to £2.75 price bracket. Comfortable seating, nice conservatory, and boasting the usual Wetherspoons price offer on food. Something to suit everyone, albeit lacking slightly in tradition. Not to be sniffed at by any means and a cut above the usual Wetherspoons. You can do a lot worse than this if you're waiting for a train.
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Totally transformed and unrecognisable inside since it's recent transformation. It's now much bigger at the back and extended into the former car park. It seems more aimed at people who want to eat now instead of drinkers - it's not like being in a pub any more - more like a very modern trendy bar with NO character at all. The quality of the ale is much better than it used to be a few years ago though, and being a Wetherspoons there is a good and frequently changing variety of ales at good prices as well as the usual pints of mass produced slop for the less discerning drinker. If you want a more traditional pub with character as well as fine ales then nip round the corner to the Builders Arms instead - but be prepared to pay more...
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The Railway Tavern, New Barnet
Go here at your peril. The new guvnor is a nutter. A face as long as a fiddle. She barrs people at the drop of a hat. Shes been heard to tell customers off for laughing too loud . I was in there Friday just gone and it was a nightmare, only 2 or 3 ales on out of the 8 pumps. Most of them seem to be brewed by the famous brewery' available soon,! It obvious since the refurb all they are interested in is folk sitting eating their microwave meals. Drinkers are definately second class citizens here. Why the guvnor works in the hospitality industry beggars belief. She obviously hates having to desl with the general public. Maybe she should reconsider her career options. Maybe mortuary attendant or tax inspector would be more fun for her!
29 Sep 2013 12:48
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First off this pub has been totally refurbish and extended since my last visit. It now resembles an Ikea canteen complete with stainless steel food serving counter at rear. This Spoons seems too be deliberately set up to be food led judging by the number of people just eating its working. Gone are the dart board TVs and every other traditional pub feature. Now onto the Ale only two Ales on tap Ruddles and Abbots all other pumps had no labels on. Not bad for a quick pint but there are much better drinking Pubs near by such as The Builders Arms just around corner or the Lord Kitchener
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Visited for the first time on Saturday before heading over to see Plymouth Argyle win at Underhill.
Ten handpumps, although several advertised beers that were 'coming soon'. Of the rest, if it wasn't the usual fare - Ruddles, Abbot etc - there was an inordinately large amount of Adnams ales.
Tried several, all of which tasted okay, and being a 'Spoons, were very reasonably priced at �1.99 or a little more, depending on beer.
Staff polite and efficient for the most part.
Large boozer and but despite plenty of football - and other - traffic, didn't feel too busy with plenty of seating in various areas.
TV screen silently showing BBC News 24 on the wall opposite the front door.
Nothing stunningly out of the ordinary, but equally, when you can get a round of five beers and still have change from a tenner, you can't complain too much.
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fed up of reading wetherspoons reviews now that start with "typical wetherspoons"although i myself am prob guilty of this by now,ten handpumps feat the usual Greene king blandness however the others were from adnams and oakham,i opted for the adnams explorer(�2.35)although it was end of barrel and pretty cloudy it tasted fine,the pub itself looks more like a normal freehouse and not part of a chain,the enclosed beer garden at the rear provided a welcome sun trap,7/10
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Typical Wetherspoons.
Looks like a nice area out the back to sit in the summer but not this time of year.
Cheap Beer and good selection of Real Ales.
I went on Steak night (Tuesday).
Food was actually not bad and very good value for money.
Staff not overly friendly.
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A typical Wetherspoons with lowest common denominator in most aspects - although the beer was slightly better than average. Could do with better supervision by the bar staff: the pair who were out of sight from the bar looked as though they were spoiling for trouble; either that or auditioning for East Barnet's amateur dramatic reconstruction of the League of Gentlemen. Suffice it to say that it is not a place to linger - and heaven knows who would come out here for a destination Wetherspoons...
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Not too bad for a Wetherspoons had some good Real Ales on Tap when I went in and the Staff were polite and helpful. I went out to the back part as there was too many kids running around in front part it was like a nursery. I Sat out at the back in conservatory That was Big mistake it was bloody freezing and not helped by nicotine addicts going In & Out the back door every 5 minuets mind kept beer cold. It could be Improved easy by just installing better heating at back & discouraging people from using the back doors.
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Typical Spoons pub, nothing much else to say, except that they have had a Christmas tree and decorations up for a week already.
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awful place, made even worse when they fed us fish cakes instead of veggie burgers. Turns out the 'chef' hoped we wouldnt notice as he couldnt be bothered to change them.
bee26 - 12 May 2007 11:55 |
Still getting over the fact that I could buy a pint and a glass of wine for about �4!
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Cheap but not necessarily cheerful. Clientele can be a bit rough and children, on occasions, appear to have the run of the place. Fun game can be to try to identify which brat (sorry child) belongs to which parent. Staff usually appear more interested with who/what their getting up to at weekend/evening rather than serving those nuisance customers. Not always there fault as can not count how many times one of the poor sods has been left on there own whilst the bar is crowded. Doesn't help when they also have to take meal orders and make coffee's etc. Why is it I always seem to get behind the punter who has forgotten there table number etc. Anyway, if money is tight, this pub is not a bad option.
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Basic Wetherspoon's in an area where despite there being many better pubs, it still serves a purpose as a place to have a couple of quick cheap drinks and maybe a good value for money bite to eat.
The conservatory area is the nicest part of the pub but can get distinctly chilly unless you sit at one of the tables right next to a radiator. Had a good meal here that was a lot of grub for not many pennies and the drinks were cold and as ever much cheaper than anywhere else nearby. Service was very good on my most recent visit but like any chain pub in general and Wetherspoon's in particular, it can be vary variable.
Sensibly there is a large bush/fence to the rear of this pub that stops anyone from seeing The Builder's Arms from the rear window and running off in that direction for a superior pub environment.
Good at what it does and worth considering for a brief stop but under no circumstances would it be advisable to set up camp here for the evening.
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Not much atmophere with frequent changes of 'rent-a-manager'. The watery beer is cheap, but when you taste it you know why. Stopped going there when they slapped that gareish paint on the walls...
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Have to agree with all the other reviews. Almost comically cheap beer and food but this is reflected in occasionally erratic service and tables sometimes overflowing with empty glasses.
Staff friendly and food served quick which is a plus, as is the beer garden.
Can attract a very random crowd on Fridays and Saturdays.
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This pub is a wetherspoons so you should knowwhat to expect, almost out of date beer and cheap food. The pub attracts the young and those having just a couple of drinks. It is just a meeting place for most clientele.
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Large JD Witherspoons pub, cheap beer, cheap food - and i certainly would not recommend eating here - the food is dire. Fills up with kids on friday and saturday nights....
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Great prices, good beer and good sized outdoor drinking area/ garden. Food service a little slow but the food is OK priced and OK to eat.
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Nice pub, good food, good deals on drinks and nice size garden for the summer.
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