BITE user comments - DarkLordOfBarnet
Comments by DarkLordOfBarnet
Recently paid my first visit to this pub in several years - purely because there was a band playing. It's a tiny old fashioned pub that's off the beaten track, and to be honest I'm surprised it has managed to remain open. It's a McMullens pub so I walked in with low expectations of the quality of ale on draught. However, on visits to another local McMullens pub the Queens Arms I have found their bottled 'Strongheart' and 'Hertford Castle' ales very acceptable and great value for money. So as it was a McMullens pub I asked if they had either of those bottled ales from this brewery - only to be met with a blank look and told they don't stock them! One pint of the mediocre at best McMullens cask ale on offer was enough and I headed off elsewhere in search of a decent pint.
6 Oct 2019 13:33
The Cock and Dragon, Cockfosters
Went in there today for the first time in a while. 4 real ale pumps on the bar. They were ALL 'off''. I walked out in disgust. How on earth has this place got a CAMRA approved rating on it's CaskFinder app?
3 Aug 2019 00:13
Made my first visit in about ten years and I believe there have been countless staff and management changes since then. It's only the live music which has ever tempted me to make the trip over from Barnet, but I found quite a few other faces familiar from the Barnet scene who had also ventured to Enfield for the same reason as me - a good live band. I think the Hop Poles has only recently started putting bands on again - filling the gap left by the nearby Old Bell which now appears to have closed for good. Like the Old Bell, there doesn't seem to be much to attract the ale drinker here - I searched the long bar and it's many pumps for the real ale pumps - there were none at all in use! In desperation I had a pint of Wrongbow at £3.50. I spent the rest of the night drinking bottled Newcastle Brown - at least it didn't run out like it often did at the Old Bell - if they had any at all. At £3.80 I have no complaints about the price - happy to stay there all night. Newcastle Brown isn't the tasty and distinctive drink it used to be though - it's never been as good as when it was still brewed there. As for the pub itself: It's large and makes an excellent venue for live music with the band in a large function room with a stage at one end of the pub, and another room with two pool tables at the other end of the pub. A spacious bar area in between so there is somewhere for everyone. The usual TV screens are in place to keep the footy fans happy when there is a match on. The bar staff seemed efficient and I always got served quickly, although the place wasn't exactly full even though it was a Friday night and there was a band playing. Apart from the lack of any real ale I thought it was a good and fairly traditional pub and if I lived locally I would probably be a regular customer. It's a good place to see bands and could be a successful music venue with better promotion.
10 Jun 2017 14:46
A shop conversion Irish boozer, but not exclusive at all. Live bands sometimes on Saturdays - sometimes with Irish connections sometimes not. Only one ale pump: Doombar - not very strong but very reasonably priced. It's a bit like an Irish version of the old Cat & Lantern in East Barnet village, but larger. Apart from the poor ale selection I like it. Good staff - I always got served quickly. The place could be much better at using Twitter and Facebook to let people know what bands are playing though.
10 Apr 2017 01:35
If you are into real ales then don't bother visiting this place. They only had two ale pumps and only one of those appeared to be in use - it was labelled as London Pride. Not one of my ales of choice, but any port in a storm... When I asked for a pint of said beverage I was told it was 'off' although the pump label hadn't been turned round. I asked the barmaid if they had any other ales but she seemed confused and didn't seem to have any idea what I was asking for. The bottled selection in the chiller cabinet didn't look promising either. I decided to settle for a frothy pint of Theakstons keg IPA - and was stung for £4 - FAR too much for the area.
Although I have lived most my life with 3 or 4 miles of this pub I had never set foot in it until last night. Now I know why. I only went there to see the band as I know them. The music was good, and the building was OK as were the staff, but I could see why the place was nearly empty on a Friday night apart from a handful of locals and some familiar faces from Barnet who had come to see the band.
As an ale drinker it's not a pub I would ever choose to drink in even if I lived just round the corner. No problem with the regulars or staff, but there is no reason for me to ever set foot in there again unless they start to take the ales seriously - I don't they they get it at all.
24 Jan 2016 01:41
I visited the place for the first time last night - the live music was the reason I was there. I thought it was a nice old fashioned boozer - I like like pubs to be like PUBS not some trendy bar. This place is a bit shabby but has plenty of character - like pubs used to be. So many pubs at the moment are being ruined by bland refurbs which remove their old charm and character so it's nice to find one that hasn't been ruined yet.
The locals and regulars seemed OK and the bar staff were well on the ball - I always got served quickly and they remembered what I was drinking. It was disappointing on the real ale front though: Two of the four pumps weren't in use - including the Bass which this pub seems best known for. No IPA either, so I was left with a choice of Spitfire or Doombar. I went for the Spitfire as the least worst option - I would have preferred something stronger. The Spitfire wasn't up to much but was OK - I have never been impressed with this ale anyway - rather over-rated in my opinion. It was a very reasonable £3.60 a pint so no complaints about the prices. The Spitfire ran out towards the end of the evening leaving only the Doombar on tap from the four real ale pumps - not impressive or likely to encourage me to go back although the live music might tempt me.
Overall I quite liked the character of the pub, but the ales were a let-down and a lot more effort could have been made in that department.
6 Dec 2015 15:20
This place has improved quite a bit. It's still a McMullens pub though, so you are never going to get a pint that's more than average at best - not the fault of the people running the place. That said, the ales are very reasonably priced if not very strong. It's good value for money and a large roomy pub with occasional live music - pool tables as well to cater for the nearby Dollis Valley estate crowd. The place used to have a bit of a reputation as a punch-up-parlour, but I've been there a few times over the last year or so and never seen any hint of trouble, although there are some characters in there who look like they'd sell their granny for 50p!
I would imagine the pub's trade has been hit hard now the nearby Barnet Football Club have moved out of the area - the Old Red Lion a few yards away has already closed. Still, it's in a good location on the Great North Road by the cinema, well served by buses and the nearby tube station so if it's well run I don't see why it can't have a decent future - especially if they got serious about putting live bands on regularly and built up it's reputation for music - it could be a good music venue as it's got plenty of room for bands in one half of the pub while the regulars can play pool, etc in the quieter other half.
29 Nov 2015 22:52
The Cock and Dragon, Cockfosters
Now under new ownership as The Cock Inn, although the new/old name only hints at the past. The Thai food is gone and the kitchen staff that provided it can now be found providing same one stop away on the Piccadilly at the Oakwood Tavern. There is still a restaurant on the premises, but now providing more traditional British fare.
A recent refurb has swept away all the old Eastern character of the place (which I rather liked) and replaced it with a very bland generic and characterless modern look not unlike the Prince Of Wales in East Barnet and the Monken Holt in High Barnet - are ALL pubs refurbished by the same decorators these days? That said, there is plenty of space and lots of comfy chairs which makes it a pleasant enough place to spend some time - even if you don't feel much like you are in a pub. If their new website is anything to go by this place is heading down the horribly common 'Gastro-pub' route - it's all about overpriced food, and beer hardly warrant's a mention. A shame as it's only beer which would ever tempt me in there. However, there is a selection of real ales on offer and I was pleasantly surprised to Adnams Broadside on tap at a very reasonable price - a bit of a shock as ales had been very pricey in the pub's days as the Cock & Dragon.
29 Nov 2015 22:35
A very nice old fashioned proper pub - comparatively unspoiled but smaller on the inside than it appears from the outside. Often live music on Saturday nights. The staff seemed nice enough and the regulars a decent bunch too. A nice selection of real ales on tap, but very overpriced for the area! This would put me off going back as my wages have risen over the last few years at a MUCH slower rate than the beer prices in some pubs. I was in The Griffin last night and couldn't see any justifiable reason why I was being charged nearly a pound a pint more than I was paying in the Queen's Arms only a mile up the road - the ale in The Griffin was OK but nothing special and the cheapest ale was £4.10 a pint - too much for the area.
29 Nov 2015 22:07
The Malt and Hops, North Finchley
A bit of a dive - not in a shabby way as it's clean and in a good state of repair. An old boozer that's had the guts ripped out of it to make one large room instead of two or three smaller bars (like 95% of pubs these days) and had all the charm and character knocked out of it. NO real ales at all - not even any pumps for it. However, there was a selection of bottled ales hidden away in the chiller cabinets at a very reasonable £3 a bottle. There used to be regular live music before the pub's closure and refurb, but live bands only seem to play occasionally now. A new jam/open mic night has started so maybe that will liven the place up a bit. Free Wi-Fi and cheap bottled ales seem to be the only thing it has going for it at the moment, although the undiscriminating drinker will probably find pints of the usual generic yellow fizzy pisswater to their liking.
4 Apr 2015 13:19
One of my very favourite pubs anywhere - a trip to York is not complete without a visit to The Blue Bell.
24 May 2014 13:01
Things are starting to look up a bit after this former Wetherspoons pub being in the doldrums for a while. There are usually four real ales on tap - frequently changing. Quite decent quality ale at reasonable prices. There is a jam night for musos on Sundays at the back, leaving the front part of the place quiet for those who want to chat while enjoying a drink. Apparently live bands could be a regular thing on Saturday nights soon.
28 Apr 2014 21:44
I visited this place for the first time on it's monthly 'Open Mic' night and found it surprisingly busy for a Thursday - most present were locals by the look of it, although I know many of the performers weren't. Four real ales on tap - three from McMullens and guest ale Flying Frog - which wasn't very nice. I've yet to enjoy a pint of McMullens anywhere and the IPA I tried here wasn't up to much either. Not a pub I'd go to for it's beer....
28 Mar 2014 16:33
It's unrecognisable from my last visit there - it's not much like a pub any more. It seems smaller inside since it's rebuild as the kitchen now takes up a lot of space - the place is now more like a restaurant with bar. Only one real ale available - a choice of London Pride or London Pride, and at £4 a pint well overpriced. Bottled ale like Old Speckled Hen was the same price so I certainly wouldn't go there for a drink. There were very few locals or regulars in the place, and I'm not surprised - this 'pub' just doesn't cater for them any more.
28 Mar 2014 16:28
Free Wi-Fi too - which is something which always encourages me to stay in a pub.
26 Mar 2014 19:54
I popped in there for the open mic night and had a decent pint of Piledriver. A nice intimate and genuinely old pub.
26 Mar 2014 17:20
The Cock and Dragon, Cockfosters
Re comment below by 'Number11' "we should be grateful that there is a pub in Cockfosters selling real ale"
We are lucky there is still a pub in Cockfosters at all - I still miss the Trent Tavern - used to have a nice pint of Directors in there. Last year we lost The Jester too, although they didn't stock real ales and so didn't get my custom.
I think I'd go to the Cock & Dragon more if it wasn't so much for a pint of not that great ale.
14 Mar 2014 15:54
The Strafford Arms, Potters Bar
The real ale pumps on the bar never seem to be in use, although they do stock some decent bottled ales. Nice fairly traditional decor - it's like being in a Wetherspoons, but without the ales. Football obscenities are left scrawled on the toilet wall for months - which makes you wonder how much the management actually care about the place....
3 Mar 2014 22:58
I tried the food from Thai kitchen recently - very nice and excellent value for £5! Highly recommended food, and always fine ales on tap to wash it down. Nice friendly atmosphere in the small and intimate front bar - an excellent place if you want a quiet beer and a chat. Pool and footy on the telly for the rabble in the back bar if that's your thing. Covered smoking area out the back with heaters - something for everyone. A friendly pub with character - and characters!
1 Jan 2014 14:52
East Barnet Valley United Services Club, Barnet
Also known a 'New Barnet Fight Club' - ambulances and police cars frequently seen outside...
1 Jan 2014 14:31
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...
1 Jan 2014 14:29
Wow - what a transformation! The pub is completely unrecognisable inside and now much larger, although you wouldn't know from the outside. The toilets have been moved and are now bigger and better. There is a micro-brewery onsite providing some of the ales on tap - they ones I tried were very nice. Plenty of other guest ales too, you are spoiled for choice! It seems to be more of a gastro-pub now and they seem to be aiming more for the young and wealthy clientele - I haven't tried the food, but the beer is rather expensive for the area!
There is live music sometimes, but it's more 'background music' than an attraction in it's own right - usually a bit jazzy or 'middle of the road' for my tastes. The bands seem to be bland and largely ignored by the pub's clientele - this isn't the place to go if you are looking for a rockin' night out, but maybe it is if you have money to burn and want to try a few unusual ales...
1 Jan 2014 14:16
The changes have been ringing here recently. An ill-advised change of name to 'The Monk' - if it ain't broke.... It has lost some of it's 'olde' character with the recent refurbishment, although the gents toilet is much improved. An ever changing range of quality ales at reasonable (for the area) prices - the beer has always been very good here.
There is often a live band playing on Saturday nights, although they are usually told to turn down the volume due to noise complaints - which tends to spoil what would be a lively atmosphere. The bands used to play in an area near the back of the pub with people constantly walking between the musicians while they were playing - highly unsuitable. Since the refurb the bands are setting up on the raised area right at the back again which is far better.
There was an enjoyable 'Jam night' on Sundays until recently, but the management has stopped it - stating that it is 'not an asset' to the pub. The Sunday night jam will be popping up again at another local pub very soon so we will take our custom there instead....
1 Jan 2014 13:54
A small Fullers pub mainly used by locals. Fullers ESB very good but a bit pricey for the area at nearly £4. Usually a couple of other quality ales on the pumps too. The manager is very welcoming and helps create a good atmosphere.
1 Jan 2014 13:30
Now with free Wi-Fi as well as an excellent range of often changing ales - always something new to try! Friendly atmosphere, but unfortunately live music seems to have become something of a rarity this year.... The front bar is small and intimate - a very nice place for a quiet drink with friends.
16 Jun 2013 13:10
The Warrant Officer, Walthamstow
I visited this pub for the first time yesterday as I was in the area for a festival in the nearby park. I was pleased to discover there was a beer festival taking place in the pub and particularly enjoyed the Oatmeal Porter! I found it a pleasant and comfortable pub with a nice atmosphere, decent ale, and live music in the form of an 'Open mic' evening. It is now run by the Wild Card Brewery who seem determined to make something of the place - I enjoyed my visit and would certainly go back again.
16 Jun 2013 13:05
2 real ale pumps - neither of them in use. This seems the normal state of affairs here. They didn't even have any Newcastle Brown or similar. They seem to have some decent bands and a bit of a music theme going on, but as far as the bar is concerned there is absolutely nothing to make me want to set foot in the place.
3 Feb 2013 20:20
I visited this place for the first time last week and thought it was quite decent. I only went there because a couple of bands who are friends of mine were playing over the weekend. The venue has a new manager and the pub certainly didn't seem like the same place mentioned in many of the earlier reviews here. Nice looking girls behind the bar and I always got served quickly, although to be fair it wasn't busy. Real ale for under �3 a pint was a bonus - particularly for somewhere with live music. The new manager has plans to turn the pub into a more serious live music venue - particularly with the forthcoming closure of the legendary Royal Standard later this year. There was a wide mixture of clientelle on the couple of nights I visited, but I didn't notice anyone particularly dodgy so hopefully this place is putting it's dubious past behind it. The gents toilet was a bit small and cramped for a pub of this size, but apart from that no complaints and will be happy to go there again.
1 Oct 2011 14:46
The Rose and Crown, Walthamstow
A much better range of real ales on tap than on my previous visit, and reasonable prices too, but the gents toilet was well stinky!
3 May 2010 16:42
Now boarded up. I hear on the grapvine that it's going to be converted into a hotel. A great shame as the place had great potential as a music venue - if only the people in charge knew how to run a live music pub. Such a waste...
2 May 2010 11:59
Forget it if you like your real ales. They actually had their own real ale festival here several years ago, but now the single hand pump on the bar is unused and gathering dust. A shame 'cos this place has a lot of potential as a live music venue as well. They've just moved the pool table round to the other side, which is a long overdue step in the right direction though...
29 Nov 2009 19:39
Oops - I was getting it mixed up with the Green Man along the road!
27 Nov 2009 19:55
It's rather odd to suddenly see 'reviews' appearing for this pub as it's been shut for about three years now...
27 Nov 2009 19:53
The Cat and Lantern, East Barnet
The Cat & Lantern is still much missed, but I doubt anyone will miss the ill conceived 'Village Bar'.
22 Nov 2009 20:42
Although I'm Barnet born & bred I'd never actually set foot in this pub until last night. I knew of it's existance but never had reason to go until a mate was playing in a band there - I didn't even know they had live music. It's quite a nice little unspoilt (how often can you say that these days?) backstreet boozer. Maybe a little 'local pub for local people' as these little known tucked away pubs tend to be. I wasn't too keen when I realised it was a McMullens pub as I've yet to have a pint from that brewer that I liked, but that had some stuff called Rocket (guest beer?) that I thought was rather spendid so I had several pints of that. Unfortunately it shut a bit early (by current standards) at 11.00 so we headed off to the Monk for some more quality beverages.
22 Nov 2009 15:42
Unlike most, my visit had nothing to do with football at Wembley - instead it was because I was going to see ZZ Top at Wembley Arena. The place was recommended by a football loving friend who had been there on match days. Quite a large pub with a big car park - which was virtually full in spite of there only being a handful of people in the pub - go figure! I was obvious that most of the people in the pub had just come from the gig I had been to. Can't comment on the quality of the ales as I was driving, but the staff seemed a bit disinterested and a Red Bull and a packet of crisps was quite expensive. Otherwise, not a bad place to drop in for a bit of refreshment while winding down before the drive home.
21 Nov 2009 17:16
Still bloody expensive for the area, although the beer is good. Front bar is nice and intimate but back bar tends to have out of control pissed up footy types - I saw a fight break out in the beer garden earlier this year.
16 Sep 2009 23:59
Sometimes worth a look for the live bands, although it's a bit cramped and there is no stage. If you're looking for real ales, don't bother! They have the pumps but they can't be arsed to use them. So I can't be arsed to go there unless they have a good band.
16 Sep 2009 23:55
The Cock and Dragon, Cockfosters
Much improved from how it was in the 1980's - plastic/spit & sawdust city! It has an interesting Egyption/Eastern (can't make it's mind up) them these days. Been in there several times this year, but the quality of the beer (esp Bombardier) has been disappointing. It's also bloody expensive! I don't expect to pay West End prices in a quiet North London boozer - especially if the beer isn't very good.
16 Sep 2009 23:50
Nice ales and intimate atmosphere. The sausage baguettes are wonderful if you are feeling a bit peckish!
16 Sep 2009 23:41
Plenty of character in this old 'luvvies' pub and it looks like it hasn't changed much over the years. I picked what looked like the strongest Harvey's brew (can't remember the name) but it was a bit cloudy and not very nice. A bit of a disappointment as we went there as we thought it had a reputation for fine ales.
16 Sep 2009 23:36
Not such a blatent tourist rip-off joint as many pubs in the area. Nice range of Neame ales on tap. Quite quiet on a Saturday lunchtime. I'll drop in again if I'm in the area at a loose end.
16 Sep 2009 23:21
Didn't eat there, but the beer was quite nice and not too outrageously priced. Nice 'traditional' decor.
2 Jul 2009 23:26
It gets quite lively when they have a band on, although the ones I've seen there so far have been very average - although the easily pleased regulars may disagree. The beer is nothing to write home about, but at least the place seems to be shaking off it's dodgy past reputation for trouble.
24 Jun 2009 23:28
Certainly one of the best places for real ale in the area - had a few very nice pints of Broadside on Saturday night! Friday nights is normally a disco, with a bias towards rock, but pop and indie requests get played too. There seem to be bands playing most Saturday nights, although last weeks 'rock & roll' band (keyboards, bass & drums but no guitar?!!) were a bit dull. The place the put the bands isn't very good though, and it was much better when they used to play at the raised area at the back.
24 Jun 2009 23:21
Had an enjoyable New Year's Eve here! Nice friendly 'small village pub' atmophere in the front bar and an excellent live band playing in the back bar. The Abbot Ale is lovely - if expensive!
11 Jan 2009 22:42
The Duke of York, Ganwick Corner
Had a meal in there a while back - it's not really a pub anymore. Decor was bad fake 'olde' and the meal was average at best.
29 Dec 2008 17:27
The After Office Hours, Barnet
"Is this what was once called "The Bat & Goldfish" ? (and then "The Jug & Trumpet") ?"
Yes Bodger - that's the one.
29 Dec 2008 17:16
It's now re-opened as the 'Real Music Club' and a lot of money has obviously been spent on the refurb. It's unrecognisable as the old Bull & Butcher from the inside. The front bar is bright and modern. The large room at the back has been turned into a live music venue that puts most in Camden to shame - it has a big stage and a new PA and lighting rig. Very good sound, and they are now getting some well known cover and tribute bands in, as well as new up and coming bands.
It's piss poor for the real ale fan though. A single hand pump has recently been installed for Green King IPA. I thought things were looking up when I noticed this a few weeks ago, but it's never been working since it was installed and when I asked a barmaid she said they were still waiting for some beer to be delivered for it....
29 Dec 2008 16:23
Well that didn't last long!
'The West End in The Village' (and West End Prices and bouncers on the door - no thanks!)
Everyone I know voted with their feet...
29 Dec 2008 16:09
The Rose and Crown, Walthamstow
I was looking forward to sampling the real ales as advertised, but arrived to find they had none left. Not impressed. So I asked for a bottle of the old standby Newcastle Brown - they didn't have any of that either. I was reduced to having a couple of pints of keg John Smiths. It wasn't very nice and two pints was more than enough - it left a nasty taste in my mouth all the way home. It's a nice fairly traditional looking pub, but they didn't have any beer that I actually enjoyed drinking. I'm in no hurry to go back.
12 Oct 2008 19:13
I had a very nice couple of pints of Broadside in there the other day - got my evening off to a fine start!
11 Oct 2008 22:15
The Prince of Wales, East Barnet
I always used to think of this as an 'old man's pub' and the only real ale they served was Bass - which always smelled of eggs. However, these days it has a varied and much improved selection of real ales. They look after the beer better now and the quality is very good. The only decent pint you can get in the village these days, and cheaper than the Builders Arms.
3 Aug 2008 15:57
The Bull and Gate, Kentish Town
Apart from the lack of real ales, it a nice comparatively unspoiled old pub. Prices aren't too bad for London.
The music venue part is a typical Camden style dive though, but I guess many people wouldn't want it any other way. Some proper air conditioning would be nice though (most other Camden dives have it now) as it can get very hot and sticky in there is it's crowded. And also, since the smoking ban came in IT SMELLS! As a non smoker the smoking ban is good from my point of view, but the old stink of stale tobacco did at least tend to cover up many other unpleasant smells in music venues. At least the toilets don't reek like the Water Rats or Underworld though.
There were worries about the pub's future as it has been for sale, but it's now a listed building and whoever buys it has to keep the pub and music venue downstairs going so it's future seems assured.
3 Aug 2008 15:42
I've had loads of great nights there - good mix of people, good music, very reasonably priced beer for a music venue, and also usually some good bands - although I did have the misfortune to see Keane play in there once...
8 Jul 2007 12:16
The Cat and Lantern, East Barnet
Still seems to be 'Under new (mis)management' every six months...
24 Jun 2007 02:01
Had a good night in there on Christmas Eve. They had a band playing and the place seemed livelier than most the other pubs in Barnet that night.
23 Jan 2007 19:47
It seems the �5 cover charge on the door for live bands on Friday and Saturday nights that was keeping people away has been abolished - making it much more of a venue where you can just drop in to see what's going on without wasting your money if you don't like the band. This is a very good thing.
3 Dec 2006 16:50
The Cock and Dragon, Cockfosters
Not a bad place for a relaxing drink. A well known page 3 model used to be a regular.
17 Aug 2006 17:42
It's shut now - nothing ever seems to last long at that venue.
It's now an upmarket trendy burger joint.
17 Aug 2006 17:39
The Chicken Shed Theatre Bar, Southgate
Not really a pub, but a place with some potential as a live music venue. Took the staff about 15 minutes to produce a pint of Guinness last time I was there - I thought they were brewing it!
17 Aug 2006 17:34
The Cat and Lantern, East Barnet
Used to be a great pub with a terrific atmosphere and great live bands. The beer went slowly downhill over the years, as if they weren't really bothered anymore. If there was a popular band playing it was so packed in there you couldn't move! Then the live music was stopped after noise complaints from just one person and the atmosphere was killed stone dead. Now under new management. The beer is average at best and the place is nearly empty even on a Friday or Saturday night. It seems dead in the water now - a shadow of it's former self....
17 Aug 2006 17:31
The quality of the beer has improved greatly since the new management took over. The dodgy atmosphere went at the same time as the pool tables and the kids who play them. A few other improvements have been made since this pub was called 'The Bailey' as well - all good. Great live bands on some nights, very average pub rock some other nights. The �5 door charge to see the live bands drives a lot of people away - it's far more than people are used to paying to see a band in a local pub. Get there before 8.00 and you get in free though... ;-)
17 Aug 2006 17:24
Sainbury's social club! Or chav central (not refering to Sainbury's staff) poor atmosphere unless you're the type who 'want's some!" or wants to buy some dodgy gear. It's a McMullen's pub so obviously don't go there if you like your real ale.
17 Aug 2006 17:15
The Railway Tavern, New Barnet
Can get rammed at the weekends. 'Live' music on last time I was there - but demonstrating everything that can be wrong with live music in pubs. Good if your gran wants a little dance though...
17 Aug 2006 17:11
Very nice traditional atmosphere and the Abbott Ale is superb - in a different class altogether from the watery 'Abbot' they serve next door in the Railway Bell. Easily the most expensive pint I've ever had in Barnet though...
17 Aug 2006 17:08
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...
17 Aug 2006 17:02
Got a reputation as a 'punch-up parlour' with a Wild West atmosphere - but with the infamous Dollis Valley estate just round the corner what do you expect?
17 Aug 2006 16:58
A popular haunt for my friends and myself over the years. Comparatively unspoilt pub with excellent real ales and good atmosphere. Gets way overcrowded at the weekends though.
17 Aug 2006 16:54
Had many good nights in there in the past - excellent real ales and nice atmosphere. Bill is quite a character too!
17 Aug 2006 16:45
Not really worthy of the name 'pub' since re-opening as 'The Square'. Now more of a trendy wine bar type place an no real ales last time I was there. They had a so called 'Rock Night' - with 'dress restictions' like 'no hats' - which showed how little the management understand of their potential clientelle... The 'Rock Night' was a one off experiment and died a death - not the right venue at all.
17 Aug 2006 16:43
Shame it's shut. I used to go up there to see the bands and had some excellent nights. Nice if overpriced real ales. Shortly to be another block of flats I guess...
17 Aug 2006 16:36
Nice genuine old pub - not a plastic fake 'old' pub. Decent beer and a nice atmosphere too.
17 Aug 2006 16:32
I used to go up there when they had bands on - used to be a good night out. It was a meat market even then though - just a large roon designed for the simple purpose of seperating teenagers from their money. I and my friends have boycotted it since it became The Avenue - it's seems the binge drinking kid centre of Barnet acording to the local papers...
17 Aug 2006 16:30
It didn't particularly 'reek of old depressed' people when I was last there. They sometimes have live bands as well, which has to be better for livening the place up than pool and darts. I saw a band called Binge Drinking there who were quite decent.
17 Aug 2006 16:23
Back to DarkLordOfBarnet's profile
The Gunners, Highbury
I'm not into football and haven't been on a match day, but as you can guess from it's name the pub IS a shrine to Arsenal and well worth a look if you are a fan but not concerned about the ale.
I've only been there for the live music, and the times I've been it has been a good little music venue. It's shite for real ale though - several pumps on the bar but only one in use, and sometimes not even that! They only had London Pride last time I was there, although a decent selection of bottled beers in the chiller cabinet. £5 for a bottle of Bishops Finger that I can get from Aldi for £1.20 is seriously taking the piss though! Talking of piss - the toilets are fucking freezing and the hot taps don't work. Nor does the hot air hand drier - disgraceful for a pub that charges rip-off prices for it's ale. Got to say the bloke behind the bar in sports attire and a baseball cap was really good at his job though - very keen to serve you drinks.
16 Dec 2019 23:35