please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Have not visited this pub in over a year, purely down to the previous ownerships lack of interest, but decided to give it another go......and
WOW WHAT A TRANSFORMATION!!
It really has changed for the better. Excellent beers and price (bass £2.60)A complete tastful refurbishment and great food.
All the staff were friendly and welcoming, glad to see the same manager too-very friendly polite and He went out of his way to find us a table!
Will certainly visit again
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Went to this pub for the first time about a week ago. The real ale is limited, (only three on offer) but of an excellent standard. The young bar staff were charming and helpful and the locals were freindly and inclusive. Was made to feel very welcome and I will definately be revisiting the Pineapple. Great place.
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Tried this pub yesterday for the first time, on the recommendation of a neighbour. First impression was a bit cliquey because of the large group of obvious regulars sitting all around the bar, however the place was friendly enough with plenty of choice of seating.
Can echo previous comments about the rather disinterested service, and one of our group was blatantly ignored for several minutes whilst other customers who arrived later were served.
Very surprised that a pub that serves food doesn't also serve coffee. Never mind, mother-in-law went on the Pernod instead!
On balance will definitely revisit.
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Very nicely decorated. Beer was good. Shame that they insist on piped music here, too loud, totally detracts from the surroundings. Get rid of that noise and it's a great pub, nobody will ask for music.
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great little back street pub, recently under new management and seems to be back on form. thai food is reasonably priced and very authentic. always had great service from bar staff, they make a real effort to make everyone welcome.... oh, and good background music too. A big thumbs up!
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First visit last week for an away fixture in our quiz league. Nice pub, great decor, really nice job done on the decor. Understand the point about the bar staff, they weren't friendly or unfriendly, just a little uninterested.
A minor point though when the Adnam's was in such great condition and a reasonable price (for London)
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A local's pub in some very pleasant back streets near Kentish Town station. It's been very well restored/conserved/renovated inside and looks lovely. Three real ales including some decent Adnam's Explorer. Somewhat disappointingly the only food in evidence was bog-standard Thai food: I'd have thought they could aim a bit higher than that. The trendy clientele that AleRider alludes to was in evidence on quiz night, it must be said, and I could see that it might grate on established locals. But generally, an above-average place.
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I understand there is a new management at The Pineapple again. Hopefully this means they will clean up, get rid of the surly teenage bar staff and get the place back on track again.
anonymous - 27 Aug 2007 20:30 |
Quiet little local with Thai food. I had Phat King (sounds like it ought to be deep fried peanut butter sandwich but wasn't) and some Shep Neame beer to go with it. I am no 'would be media kid'either.
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Couldn't really agree more with AleRider. The bar staff are wannabe Big Brother contestants and generally inept, the old atmosphere of the pub has been lost, the smug regulars think that hanging round a pub all day long is a badge of honour of some kind, the food is shite and overpriced and the beer isn't up to much. Local pubs like The Oxford or The Junction Tavern have better food and beer and a better atmosphere.
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This once was a really nice little local boozer that i used to frequent on a regular basis. Nowadays, however, i avoid it like the plague.
Since a highly-publicised campaign a couple of years back to stop the pub being turned into flats, the place has been taken over by a bunch of trendy would-be media kids who stand around braying at each other while paying customers are waiting to be served, or simply serve their mates as soon as they walk through the door while the rest of us stand at the bar growing increasingly irate.
The interior is more or less the same as it always was (nicely eccentric) but the students' union atmosphere just leaves me cold.
A terrible shame.
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Excellent pub. Good quiz on a Monday night. Definitely an odd mix of people but it works well. Food not so great but it is more of a drinking pub.
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Everyone raves about this pub but I thought it was arrogant and over rated.
anonymous - 22 Apr 2007 19:16 |
A smallish side street pub that retains a bit of a community feel to it - an increasing rarity in London. Has a very impressive bar back and 2 large Bass mirrors. Worth visiting, just don't let the external colour scheme put you off.
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The bar area is full of media types talking very loudly to each other about how important they are.
The bar staff need to realise they are there to serve - they are not customers.
Pretty arrogant approach I thought - can be a good pub but I can't be arsed with it anymore. Much better pubs in the area.
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We hired the conservatory the other night and the service was superb. Great bar snacks especially the chilli dip. Beer range is average but for an area where the nearest pubs serve bass and greene king the selection is perfect. Sandwiched between the junction and the oxford on a not easy to find back st it is good enough.
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went in friday afternoon on one of its good days seemed ok, like the little corridors and back room.
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so i thought I'd give this place one more try - and what greets me when I rock-up at the bar? A blatantly stoned barman wearing massive sunglasses who proceeded to get my (2 drink) order completely wrong & clearly didn't know what planet he was currently on. This was all highly amusing to the "regulars" who sit at the bar & act like they own the place (though to be fair, they probably do). If it wasn't for the "regulars" and the muppet bar-staff this place would be lovely.
anonymous - 18 Aug 2006 10:31 |
This is one of the most Jekyll and Hyde pubs you will ever visit. Go one time, and you will be greeted by warm and chatty bar staff, sit down in the old front bar and enjoy a leisurely pint in a quaint and characterful little pub. Go another time, and you'll be greeted by sullen staff, a crazy seating plan and bad beer. There is a touch of arrogance about the Pineapple - it is (fortunately or unfortunately depending on your point of view) starting to attract actors / comedians etc, and the ethos of the place is somewhat "in your face" but it is redeemed by bbeing such an unusual and generally well kept pub in an interesting little corner of London.
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Great little place, but the beer is crap.
Really really crap... If only they had heard of cellermanship then it might be OK.
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I visited this pub for a quiet pint Sunday afternoon ago, and the staff couldn't have been friendlier. We felt welcomed, people squashed up so we could sit down, and happily chatted with us. As a man in his 20's this doesn't often happen when one enters a proper olde style pub. Will definitely be returning.
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Wow. A pub which really polarises opinion. People either hate it (for arrogant bar staff, slow service, or scruffiness) or love it (for its "local" feel, its appealing looks and its traditional decor). I would have to say that on my brief visit, I observed few of the bad traits and all of the good ones. Really good looking little corner boozer, deceptively spacious at back, with a very traditional (though small) bar area and a collection of local characters hanging around. The one negative I did observe was a slightly cliquey attitude on the part of some of the clientele. But that was a small niggle. All in all, this is great if you want a local boozer. If you want fast "professional" service and strict observance of health and safety standards, go to All Bar One.
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Great pub but why oh why is the barstaff always pissed? Its amusing at first but gets increasingly annoying as the evening goes on.
anonymous - 6 Dec 2005 10:58 |
best (and probably most popular) quiz night going on a monday night. noticed that it had been copied by the Torriano up the road! Food OK (not amazing) downstairs, haven't tried upstairs. One particularly mardy bar maid but atmosphere generally good.
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This pub is one for the books! We went there at 6.30pm on a Saturday night and there were drunk patrons (probably off duty staff) behind the bar. That’s OK, but the thing that got me was the guy sorting out the cutlery for the restaurant whilst indulging his ciggy habit. I doubt I’ll become a regular.
anonymous - 22 Oct 2005 20:07 |
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.
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A very good little pub, food excellent (especially the summertime barbeque). Some members of staff quicker than others but that's to be expected I guess. All in all a good place to waste an evening.
anonymous - 15 Sep 2005 08:26 |
I have lived in Kentish Town for the last 30 years and have drunk in the Pineapple on and off for 25.
I have seen 4 lots of licencee's come and go and changes to the pub for better and worse.
The latest changes to the bar have (in my opinion) made a vast improvement to what was a dark pub in need of an uplift. I agree with previous postings that the service is slow but this is a "real" pub where the barstaff are not only interested in taking your money but talk to you as well, they also have the added task of having to leave the bar to colect food from the upstairs kitchen to serve in the Garden and conservetory. Overall this is a very nice local pub with pleasant bar staff and a very varied cliental who are friendly and willing to talk to whoever walks through the door.
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This pub has gone seriously down hill over the last few years. It's still a pretty little place with a cool atsmosphere but the service and the general running of the place is abysmal.
anonymous - 4 Sep 2005 16:58 |
Lovely-looking pub, both inside and out, but arrogant aloof staff and regulars who sit at the bar making it impossible for you to get served, and the staff don't help things by taking their bloody time.
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Lovely little hangout, but fuck me it can take a long time to get a pint.
joe_G - 15 Jul 2005 20:08 |
The pub is not too bad. The food menu looks good but I havent eaten there. I have nevertheless drunk Adnams and Pedigree in the pub, which aren't bad but the glasses could be a lot cleaner than they are.
I am giving 4/10, but if they clean the glasses I'll change it to 7 - watch this space.
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I found staff ok but pub has turned a little cliquey. A word of warning, be very careful about leaving your bike outside the pub. The problem lies with the area, not the pub, but my cycle was knocked over during an attempt to pinch someone else's.
Also, ice is handled into drinks sometimes, but the beer (London Pride) remains good.
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My girlfriend and I lived opposite this place for over a year and never got the feeling that we were particularly welcome. The staff are arrogant, not at all friendly and wouldn't even say hello if they passed you in the street. They really don't seem to be running it for the right reasons and don't seem to derive any pleasure from it. I'm glad to hear that it's not just us and that other people have had similar experiences.
A waste of a potentially good pub.
dearl - 26 May 2005 13:23 |
Bar staff bit arrogant and some customers far too self-aware
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I have lived in Kentish Town for almost two years now and pop into the Pineapple several times a year. On the surface it seems to have a lot going for it: Great interior, cosy and so on, but there's something about it that rubs me up the wrong way. The bar staff rate themselves too highly in the attitude stakes and it doesn't truly feel like 'my' neighbourhood boozer but I'll try to make more appearances this year and perhaps try the pub quiz and see if I warm to the place. I definitely recommend it to people to pop in for a quick 'arf if they're in the area.
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Visited the establishment with mr kelly on the eve of the 27th (?) December last year and found this to be one of the most enjoyable public house experiences of recent years. Having finally bitten the bullet and moved from my home of 6 years in east London to an N7 postcode, I was terrified of not finding a decent 'tidy', respectable boozer, and I am glad Greg recommended this one! I'll be back, again and again and again....!
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Visited this pub on the 28th Dec 04 on the recommendation of a friend of a friend. Fantastic. Super cosy, great interior, great beer (Adnams, Pedigree, Pride) and nice loos (don't get that over in Hackney). I would be a regular if I lived locally but I don't so...bugger.
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Very nice corner pub,but run in a very amateur fashion. Used to be permanently in "The Good Beer Guide" -not any more. Mankie (is that "manque"?) beer, slow staff, long waits to be served, but still a good place, with the best Quiz in London on Mondays.
anonymous - 19 Dec 2004 13:11 |
Nice pub, hidden away from the masses, even on busy nights with gigs at the Forum. Friendly staff, good 'old-fashioned' atmosphere, and the food was great
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The folks at The Pineapple were nice enough to give me a job while I was finishing university in London. I found out about the place through BITE and went there my 2nd night in England. I fell in love with the place and spent more time there (both working and drinking) than I did studying. The people who work and drink there are some of the finest in all of London once you get to know them.
The clientele ranges from fairly young to extremely old (notice Pete drinking his Guinness every afternoon like clockwork,) wealthy to poor, straight and gay. All packed together to take a great quiz. The bar staff is not at all snotty, they became like family to me and can usually be found smiling.
The Pub itself is fantastic. Very old building in very good shape. The beer was kept a bit too warm for my tastes, but I am an American. The food was so good that I must've gained a stone during my tenure there. Oh yeah, and the flower arrangements were always lovely (wink, wink simon)
This place made me feel at home in Kentish Town. Screw downtown...this is London! The Pineapple's only competition is the Boogaloo in Highgate (and that's based solely on the McGowan sightings). If any Pineapple-ers want to email me to keep in touch or to tell me that I was a complete twat, colonfoul@hotmail.com
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I'm glad that The Pineapple was saved, especially in its original form but the expensive and not always quality Real Ales and the somewhat snotty bar staff don't provide the same welcome as you usually used to get pre-change of ownership. Great garden, somewhat soulless conservatory, but still the best place in Kentish Town for a quiet winter's afternoon.
Mark - 5 Nov 2004 09:53 |
As much as I love this pub, it's only recently that i've noticed just how long an average wait time at the bar can be. Expect to wait 5 to 10 mins. Be it a fairly quiet sunday afternoon or a busy Saturday night. The main problem is that the place has been expanded but there is only one small bar and one till.
Great pub, though.
Hyper D - 15 Sep 2004 12:16 |
This is a great little boozer hidden in the street of kentish town. Good crowd, pints, tunes & food. Got a garden and conservatory. Top Pub
Rubber - 2 Sep 2004 15:20 |
It is my local too, it is a fine pub, welcoming to all which is one of its strengths.
Given the efforts local people made to keep it open a couple of years back, it deserves all the publicity and good custom it can get; long may it prosper, as it is probably better than any of the other pubs in the immediate vicinity.
The food is recommended as well as the beer.
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It's my local and so would prefer it remain a well-kept secret, especially as the beer patio gets v crowded in the summer!
Simon - 6 Jul 2004 17:52 |
Lovely pub, they've recently added a large conservatory which has solved some of the space problems. The staff are real bartenders who know what they're doing. Some of the wealthy middle aged customers can be a little snobbish but they're the people who apparently saved it from redevelopment a few years ago so fair enough. Certainly the best pub in the Kentish Town area, and by a long way.
Rob - 3 Jun 2004 10:47 |
What can you say about a pub thats every piece of paraphernalia is a pineapple? Top place. Look out for the Pineapple made out of Lottery ticket forms. Genius.
James - 27 Feb 2004 09:53 |
I love the pineapple, i only went in there once before it was re opened but now you can't get me out of the place! Great mix of new regulars and people who have been drinking there forever. Staff are super friendly, atmosphere's great and it's been done up beautifully, keeping all the best features and getting rid of all the horrible 70's additions! long live the pineapple.
matilda - 7 Feb 2004 17:15 |
a hidden gem off the beaten track. has always had character but used to be a dodgily-carpeted old bloke's pub without much light and a haze of rothmans, embassy's and regals. it was taken over in 2002 by a mid-twenties landlady and is now staffed by a bevy of beautiful barmaids. now there's light, good music, a lively atmosphere and a great quiz night on mondays.
Ollie - 3 Feb 2004 18:03 |
A huge, modern conservatory has been built behind the pub. However the front area is thankfully unchanged. One big improvement is the new toilets.
I visited the pub with a friend last night and enjoyed the Adnams, the best of the three ales on handpump. The other two were Pride and Pedigree. Good food advertised, but my friend and I were alas too late in the evening to order any.
The pub remains well worth a visit.
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Friendly patrons and convivial atmosphere. May have lost a bit of the cozy atmosphere after refurbishment but still miles better than any other pub in Kentish Town (though competition isn't too stiff).
Anonymous Steve - 20 Jan 2004 11:34 |
I only ventured in there relatively recently and was presently surprised. It's got soul.
Joe - 2 Oct 2003 15:31 |
Wonderful sense of character, lovely to see such a strong local community in this very anonymous city. Love the monday night quiz and wednesday live music..always welcoming, friendly and has a fun atmosphere...its my second living room!!!
B.W. - 19 Aug 2003 13:50 |
very jolly pub. nicely chilled out till 10pm when everyone comes in from outside - then you get this wonderful melee of people all together for an hour of final drinking. lovely
william - 13 Aug 2003 16:05 |
Well, it is still a nice pub, I agree it would be desirable if ALL pubs offered disabled access, but sometimes there's difficulties with structurally altering the building/planning etc. Secondly you cannot always blame a pub for the dirt outside in the street which is often beyond the control of the pub itself.
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Noisy, dirty outside, and not interested in access for disabled people. Give this a miss.
Andrew - 8 Jul 2003 12:23 |
An excellent place. Friendly and laid back with a nice garden out back.
bob hope - 2 Jul 2003 17:13 |
Nice place. Wold hav been a scandal of Profumo proportions to have let it go.
noel - 22 Jun 2003 23:07 |
Yes the Pineapple is lucky not to be turned into flats and is an ok pub but was nicer before.
All the locals that used to go there dont anymore as its turned into a more modern pub, its bright (halogen spotlights)the bar is a flat modern one not the decorative ornate one they used to have, and the oldies and boys that like to watch the football dont go there. I never go there anymore, its had the heart stripped out of it.
Heather - 28 May 2003 18:00 |
I just read recently about this pub's close call. I learned about it from something written about Rufus Sewell and wondered if it had in fact been saved. Glad to hear that it has! Congrats to all. I would love to visit it someday! It sounds like an extremely friendly place.
Karen - 28 May 2003 05:37 |
An absolute Gem! The regulars are so friendly that after a second visit your almost considered one yourself!...A rarity in this city..or any other for that matter.
anonymous - 14 May 2003 15:56 |
One of very few pubs in London that keep a GOOD pint of Marstons Pedigree. It's worth a visit even if just on that count. Friendly staff and a convivial atmosphere. Medium level background music allows conversation at a comfortable pitch. A great example of a pub being rescued from oblivion - everyone's efforts in doing so were worth it.
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Top pub.
Good beers, great chilled out atmosphere with a slightly bohemian feel.
anonymous - 7 Nov 2002 15:21 |
Small local pub recently re-opened after being saved from closure by a local family. John Snow, Trigger and Ken Livingston all joined the 'Save the Pineapple' campaign.
ri - 28 May 2002 15:46 |
