BITE user comments - brianbrain
Comments by brianbrain
An ok pub now the football is back being shown. Food average at best. No trouble but little atmosphere. Alright for a quick one before heading to Muswell hill or over the road. Some bright spark decided way back not to screen any live sport hence driving 80% of the drinkers across the road to Keenans (a good pub). so a lot of good spending customers haven't returned Also employing bar staff who are unable to understand english is not very intelligent. Who don't understand what 'a large one' is etc etc. Bizarre. Its as if whoever is now in charge wants to have no customers.
15 Mar 2013 15:20
Winchester Pub Hotel, Highgate
The grey haired wig wearing ferret seems to have accumulated a lot of eastern european friends since i last commented. He seems to spend his time squinting around, licking his lips and handing small lottery tickets to associates who are busy running to the toilet or into cars outside. Nursing a pint of fosters this poor squinting creature is most annoying when drunk.
17 Nov 2012 21:53
The Slug and Lettuce, Muswell Hill
Wrong again statusbaby. Theres a lack of DECENT pubs in muswell hill. The well was good, the john baird used to be good but is very posh and unwelcoming for those coming after work who arent snobby muswell hill ites. The slug was not marketed well and badly laid out but good value food, friendly, no music and pool tables and decent beer with a 12 o'clock licence. The Oak is ok if you get on with the locals and dont mind the walk downhill (and uphill after a skinful). The minstrel boy colney hatch and keenans over the road are cheap, friendly and lively with a good roast sundays in keenans
25 Oct 2012 17:13
Good news. New management -very friendly and helpful manager and bar staff unlike the fat loser who worked there before. Recommended. They wil get the custom back. Food good and beers good. Worth a visit although not been at weekend yet.
18 Mar 2012 11:27
Best avoided at weekends especially if over 30. Cheap beer but clientele best described as vermin. Cheap food and lethargic bar staff. Too many wannabee kids in the evening and TOWIE types with smeared fake tan, corn beef legs and pelmet skirts. Hoop earings optional.. I keep waiting for ray winstone to smack someone with a pool ball in a sock like in 'scum'
2 Mar 2012 05:26
The Bald Faced Stag, East Finchley
Quality place..a bit empty day times. Expensive but polite staff and nice beers. Can be a bit crowded after work at the bar as space is limited unless weather is nice. Worth a visit and then go up the road to Maddens -100 yards on the left up the high road
2 Mar 2012 05:09
Nice pub, good staff, friendly, shows sport and has thai food on tap. Good and well worth a visit -one of the best in E Finchley
2 Mar 2012 05:05
The Clissold Arms, East Finchley
No idea who has posted some of the comments below. Amazing place -nice range of beer, friendly staff and lovely beer garden. The food isnt cheap but high quality and its apcked in nice weather outside. Great place and welll worth a visit for sunday roasts
2 Mar 2012 05:04
I have to agree with jackbar. Some comments to Tom. Fair play you are trying hard you say to turn the place around but here are some points:
Its all very well having 'roast pigeons' on the menu but I would be more concerned with the urine soaked toilets -last time i was in (2 months ago) the hand drier didnt work and no paper towels so I dried my hands on my trousers!. No one cares about fancy food if you cant wash your hands. The toilet wouldnt pass a heath inspection. It doesnt need 80K, mop the floor, toilet paper, a drier that works and decent lightbulb!
The bar staff (not everyone) are surly and rude. The girl with a nose stud and mixed race guy took the biscuit - utterly pig ignorant fools and never smiled. So much so I dont bother going there unless a last resort. I know lots of people who feel the same. I live locally and have been a resident for 40 years.
Table service outside - isnt needed -just have enough bar staff at the BAR! To serve the patrons...the table service is just to get 'tips'.
You have a great location and will be busy reagrdless due to location next to highgate tube (the prime location and a nice beer garden)
I will try the place again in a few weeks and see if anything has changed.
2 Mar 2012 04:51
Hopefully the poster below is right about it being under new management. Awful place -trouble at weekends. Fat rude ignorant manager who weighs about 20 stone and reluctantly pours you a drink and slams it down before waddling off. Very expensive -15 quid for 2 large JD and cokes in tiny glasses (ie a mouthful of coke). Used to be a cracking place and hopefully will be again
26 Feb 2012 09:03
Winchester Pub Hotel, Highgate
Some new faces recently, including a small grey haired ferret faced old man who acts supiciously and stares at any female under 40 with his thick pebble glasses.
26 Feb 2012 08:53
Nice garden. Young crowd and service slow. Food in parts is awful...got potato wedges for 1.50 and got 2 bits of potato worth about 2pence. Joke. Beer ok but try cricketers next door, smaller garden but more adult pub.
26 Feb 2012 08:39
An odd collection of riff raff. A huggy bear look alike, various pimps, a russian mafia don, some greek bloke eating a fag butt and a tramp swooping around taking drinks half finished from tables when no one looks. Food cheap. beer cheap. Just full of trashy people. I tend to avoid places that have door staff on a Saturday afternoon.
26 Feb 2012 08:33
Odd place. Last time I went there someone was outside in the back urinating on the caged canaries and caged birds in the garden. Crummy area and drugs about. Also as one person mentioned the gents is a sea of urine.
26 Feb 2012 08:28
The Slug and Lettuce, Muswell Hill
Closed unfortunately to be turned into a Waitrose as of next month. Squatters have broken in so who knows. Lack of decent pubs in muswell hill. A real Shame. O'Neils is worth a try, minstrel boy on colney hatch is rough and ready..or highgate inn in highate is friendly and open late
26 Feb 2012 08:00
Hes a bit odd to you HenryHooHa or should I say Henry Durham becuase you sir are a TWAT. A good pub, friendly, nice guvnor, open late, good food, sport and beers.
19 Feb 2012 03:37
Now the Green Man, Village, Well and slug are closed its one of the few remaining pubs. Aside from the poncy John Baird which is very unfriendly. A good pub, with friendly staff now that Karen the attitude woman has left. Who used to treat the place like her private fiefdom. Recommended -food good value and wide range of beers although awful for Sky sports -seem to resent showing sport and often upstairs only and low volume.
19 Feb 2012 03:23
Very expensive souless place with moody staff. Revolting urine soaked toilets-an utter disgrace. Food is expensive and beer very expensive. Nice beer garden in the summer although close to the main archway road so you can smell the traffic. The ultra moody bairmaid with a nose ring seems to have left but the bar service is very slow and understaffed as they try and encourage you to get 'table' service and give them a tip! Could be such a great pub location wise if cleaned up and run well.
4 Mar 2011 07:46
In response to DunL let me answer your questions. Will the pub be open -yes- from about 4pm weekdays or earlier at weekends when live sport or racing is on show on the big screens. Will there be someone behind the bar -yes, always if the door is open. Don't stand there like a lemon -just shout out in case someone is re-stocking the shelves or cleaning. The place has a great selection of beers and spirits and nice indian food in the evening. Will the jukebox be on -yes, unless it is packed with people watching loads of great sport or a busy football night. The quiz machine has been replaced by a fruit machine as too many saddos liked buying a half a coke and spending 3 hours getting in everyones way playing the quiz machine.
Brilliant friendly pub -locals and strangers welcome -never any trouble and amazing range of beers. Great atmosphere for all football matches/racing/cricket/rugby. Best pub in North London
5 Nov 2010 08:27
must agree with half_tuppence. Glad to see i'm not the only one being served expensive pints half an inch short -the most grumpiest rude stroppy barmaids I have ever seen. One particular barmaid with a nose stud looks in utter misery, never says please or thank you and the most sneering miserable face I have ever seen. Why on earth work in a service industry and not even smile or say hello. Avoid this place - much better pubs about like the Highgate Inn or Royal Oak or even Archway...
5 Nov 2010 08:17
All I can say is I hope the utter morons who closed down a great local pub to turn it into a pricy, poncy veggie lentil restaurant lost a load of money!!!. I know all the regulars (40 plus people) boycotted the awful place which hopefully helped it close. Disgrace. Its been empty best part of a year and was a community pub. Unfortuntely its guts have been ripped out and its unlikely (being opposite the slug) ever to open up as a proper pub again. .....someone didn't do their market research.
27 Jan 2010 14:31
Margot_and_Gerry. I am still about. I wonder if you knew the place many years ago. It was full of locals all day. Friendly people.some lonely. It was a meeting point for those who wanted companionship or somewhere warm for a quiet pint a chat or to keep warm. I know pubs aren't charities but it was a focal point of the community- a place where you could find work, find out local newsetc etc. A lot of money was spent their. All those people -maybe about 30-40 are either berred or not welcome in the new place/. No disrespect to the governer- he wanted a 'differnet' type of client and it looks like a very well furnished gastro-pub out of a catelogue. But a good local where you could always see friends and come in dirty after work was RUINED.
20 Jan 2010 13:48
fantastic warm and welcoming place. Dennis the landlord accomodates most TV sports -open late. Good range of beer and amazing selection of whiskey/shots/spirits. Great Indian food take-away in house and served at tables. Good friendly crowd. Well worth a visit
27 Dec 2009 14:13
this is an awful souless place which has no character and whilst very well decorated and run is not a 'local' anymore and you'll find more atmosphere on the moon. Looks like every other 'gastro-pub' with wood flooring and mood lighting and over-priced drinks.....the working class not required! Hardly any decent pubs in the area now as they all have been destroyed -try the royal oak or even the 'o'neills' for a 'real' local pub.
31 Jan 2009 21:36
they have really turned this place around. Amazing decor and a really comfortable place for a hassle free drink pre-cinema. The food is great and highly recommended. No more kids with attitude and an over 21 policy is fantastic! Well done to Keith and his staff.
28 Jun 2007 10:29
I've no idea who put on the quote below me a few days ago. The place is a dump..overpriced...food menu limited and seems to be on the whim of staff and such a bad atmosphere. Been in twice and there have been quite serious fights both times, lots of young kids with attitude. Avoid!!!!
17 Jan 2007 17:57
What a great pub..best boozer in muswell hill. Friendly staff and great meal deals (2 for 1) on Monday and Thursday. All the football shown inclusing PPV. Pretty basic beer garden in the summer. Seating is a bit old and toilets are often flooded but it has a good lay-out. Pool table and several new fruities if thats your thing. Juke box is brand new. Perfect for a pre or post cinema drink. Can get a bit busy Friday and Saturday nights.
5 Nov 2005 23:16
Decent beers and deals on spirits and ales although some unruly and dodgy looking characters hanging around by the pool table. A surly looking american guy with blonde hair seems to run the place although you'd never know he was the landlord as he seems to spend all his time either playing the one arm bandits or going back and forth to the till to get more change. Ok big screen at back for sporting events.
Nice beer garden if you can avoid the dog dirt.
17 Mar 2005 16:32
The Highgate Inn, Highgate
Nice range of beers always kept rotated and some good guest ales. Limited menu depending on who is around. Sky sports shown and open late Friday and Saturday. Great for a pint after work or on a cold evening as its not a summer place as has no garden.
15 Sep 2015 17:41