The St Johns Tavern, Archway

I had the best meal I think I've ever had in this pub last night. Wine was great too. Highly recommended.

4 Oct 2005 11:22

The Pineapple, Kentish Town

I first went to this pub about 3 years ago (soon after the current management saved it from demolition) and I loved it as I felt like I'd gone back in time to a traditional London boozer. The decor appeared unchanged since it was built and it's such a cosy place to visit, with open fires on cold nights.

I feel that the bar could do with a permanent, maybe older, bar manager to suit the style of the pub itself, as I feel the bar staff are often left to their own devices resulting in the majority of customers being sidelined in favour of the handful of regulars. It's not ideal to feel like you're crashing a private party in your local. Otherwise, definitely worth a visit.

16 Sep 2005 16:00

The Junction Tavern, Kentish Town

This is my favourite pub in London due to the consistently good food, friendly bar staff and a European-quality, professional Maitre D', rather than the disinterested person that you usually get in pub restaurants.

I'm a bit sad that my favourite place for the last 3 years is becoming so massively popular as it's now almost impossible to get enough elbow space on a Friday and Saturday night, but then again the management deserve this success. I will admit to finding the ever increasing throngs of crowing city types annoying though.

16 Sep 2005 15:25

The Lord Palmerston, Dartmouth Park

This pub is great in the summer as the main bar is light and airy and there are benches by the roadside out the front and a secluded small garden out the back. It's totally freezing in the winter in my experience, so it would be nice if that was sorted out for 2005. The food is excellent and I recently had the best mussels and chips this side of Belgium, and for only �8.75 which was amazing considering the size and quality of the meal. The new Aspall cider on tap is another rare treat.

The bar manager is ever present but the rest of the staff seem to stay for very short amounts of time, which is a shame as without regular faces the pub loses a bit of 'local' appeal. In general, well worth a visit.

16 Sep 2005 15:08