Big Red, Holloway

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user reviews of Big Red, Holloway

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THEEE greatest pub!!!!!! End of
conflictuk - 9 Sep 2008 13:52
Unreal....... in a chav-tastic holloway rd you can actually go into a bar where the staff know what they are doing!!It plays decent music and the food.... 10/10!! spot on!!
An 'americana' kitch feel and real life rock and rollers this bar isnt for a wine drinking prada wearing type....thank god....!!
With wine bar-esk mania of late.....im so relieved to see a londoner, stripping all that back and staying true to what he believes in... old fashioned rock n' roll! The gov looks like he dabled in some heavy stuff in his time but has lots of trust in the most varied crew of female staff i have ever clapped eyes on!! there really is something for everyone...

This bar has really knocked me for six....not far from everywhere!! a real touch of class, in a place they've tried ta spit and sawdust up.... they've polished a diamond.....

see you there soon for a well earned pear-cider n a chilli burger!!!!!

and all this from one very fussy whore 8-) xx
fussywhore - 27 Mar 2008 15:50
The only pub worth visiting in the Holloway area.
Bar staff are heavily tattooed and that's just the women. Atmosphere is hedonistic and friendly. Music is loud and mostly metal but a fantastic jukebox with a range of country to rock.
Home to the excellent garage punk band The Priscillas, you will usually find them lurking around the bar, and every other punter also looks like they are in a band or a wannabe.
The nachos are a generous portion to share among 3 or more, tasty and the chilli is to die for.
Don't come in here in your business suit. You will feel like a right twat.
x

hammerbird - 27 Jan 2008 14:53
Great boozer,started my crawl at old street right through to highgate village.This place is banging.
super - 13 Nov 2007 12:06
Great place - one of the best I've been to in London. Not expensive by London standards, food looks amazing, although I've never eaten there, quick service, lots of pool tables, good music, late licence, really good atmosphere, slightly tacky but quirky decor (like some sort of mainstream Americana festival) and no hassle. Even the door staff are nice (what?!), especially not batting an eyelid when a mate and I arrived here quite clearly stoned off our faces one night. Didn't think places like this actually existed in London...
petewithers - 6 Nov 2007 22:35
BEST BURGER IN THE WORLD!!! In fact anything they put their chilli on rocks!
dr_von_skrotum - 3 Aug 2007 15:32
BEST BURGER IN THE WORLD!!! In fact anything they put their chilli on rocks!
dr_von_skrotum - 3 Aug 2007 15:32
This pub is the DON LICK ME THERE IT TICKLES,
I have always had a laugh in this gaffe the regulars crack me the Nuts up.The beer is the nuts and the food the dogs.
If your in there keep an eye out for 2 fellas who always sit at the bar one of them is the funniest fella you will ever meet i cant remember there names but there 2 big lads
sliplegger - 29 Jul 2007 17:21
An excellent pub, relaxed and open during the day, buzzing and a bit rougher round the dges in the evening. Prices are slightly higher than for the rest of the lower Holloway area, but you're paying 30p more for the atmosphere and Jack Daniels candles on your tables, the barstaff with tattoos and Guns n Roses rocking the speakers.
zzniperr - 24 Jun 2007 20:48
An excellent pub for lazy Sundays. The burgers are delicious and great value. There's nearly always available pool tables and seats. It's comfy and unpretentious. The prices are okay. There are a couple of lovely barstaff, the rest are sulky and slow. The jukebox rock music is great, but repetitive.
It does get incredibly busy in the evenings, at which point it loses its charm.
bbx1138 - 21 Jun 2007 10:12
An excellent pub for lazy Sundays. The burgers are delicious and great value. There's nearly always available pool tables and seats. It's comfy and unpretentious. The prices are okay. There are a couple of lovely barstaff, the rest are sulky and slow. The jukebox rock music is great, but repetitive.
It does get incredibly busy in the evenings, at which point it loses its charm.
bbx1138 - 21 Jun 2007 10:12
It's like sitting in a theme pub at Alton Towers, in appearance and atmosphere. I keep expecting a ghost train car to come smashing through the door at any moment, complete with screaming witch and siren. And when the pinball machine is twanging away it just feels anything other than a pub.

Amazed there's no toffee apples on the menu.
cardamom - 17 May 2007 13:23
BIG RED BURGERS ARE THE BEST! And yes i agree Ben should run for president!
anonymous - 22 Apr 2007 15:25
The Big Red is by far one of the best pubs iv been in. I love the atmosphere, the bar staff are lovely and the food has always been 5 stars every time iv eaten there.
I would recomend everyone whos in the area to visit.
I cant stress enough how good this place is, so visit it!

loz12 - 14 Apr 2007 18:09
Quite likely the best establishment on Holloway Road so long as one does not seek a particularly traditional pub atmosphere. Then again if you are looking for a traditional pub atmosphere you're in the wrong damn place. As an American I find a certain charm in the constant G&R on the jukebox and the extensive array of bourbons and tennessee whiskeys, okay so it's beam and jd but that's one of each so it counts. Not a 'real pub' and they do not serve ales so it's a loss for CAMRA but a dream come true for, well, if it's your dream come true raise your hand. At least it's fifteen billion times better than the Holloway.
PAFLeflar - 6 Apr 2007 00:49
Good pub, good crowd, mixed ages and a few pwople i knew.Guinness was ok,and prices not too steep (for London)
i definatly would go back
tottenhamsean - 5 Apr 2007 18:18
Beer, music and overall scene is ok, but the food is dreadful, our burgers were literally red, uncooked and raw beyond anything I have ever seen or eaten.
The manager on duty with just a touch too much attitude said that it states on the menue that the burgers are very rare and unless told otherwise that is how they are served.
So it goes without saying that we have been on the pot all day and have had quite a windy day and I am not talking about the weather.
Thing is with these bar guys with the baseball caps and the tattoo sleeved left over from the days of Soundgarden is they really think they are the shit, in fact they are shit and this attitude thing just compensates for theyre lack of integrity and a better job.
Drink all day, but DO NOT EAT THE BURGERS!
brett666 - 17 Mar 2007 16:20
nothin' like a good old fashioned, "you starin' at my pint?", saturday night punch up, Met truncheon in the groin, then gettin' banged up by some over zealous pimply faced betwetting old bill and...oh, no.. hang on, that was my OLD pub, The Dockers Fist..I digress.

So, Big Reds..far and away theee best pub in this manor, being a local chap I've visited a few..none of your camden dandy fop shoegazers, and not tooo many crouch hill channel 4 types, just a good honest friendly down to earth boozer, perfect for locals and not so locals alike.

Great selection of beers, tattoos, piercings, pool tables, tv's, music, license plates, posters and the odd martian or two. Nice smiley bar staff, and the friendly security geezers at the weekend wear shiney ties...grand food for pub grub as well...Ben should run for president and the staff could be like...his senators..we could all ..like...vote for him, and...uh-oh, thorazine is kicking in..la-la-la..one thing not so great about this gaff though. It needs to be closer to my house..now where's my cup of tea gone??..ramming speed Mr Sulu
living_dead - 26 Jan 2007 02:32
A friend visited here by chance a few months a go and loved it. I joined him there the other week and enjoyed it also. It was a quiet night but had a great feel to it. It's compared to the Intrepid Fox, a place that I never experienced but if it's like this it's a shame I never made the effort. I don't have any piercings or tattoos but I really like this place. Good bar staff, good value (except the food menu that although I didn't try looked a pretty damned expensive for what it was)and a great juke box. It won't be everybodies cup of tea and I won't be there every night but it's on my local list.
f90x - 4 Jan 2007 20:00
Great pub. Rock music meets the Wild West, in North London.

No ales though, only lagers.

Certainly a lot better than the new Intrepid Fox, though shame it's a bit of a trek to get there from the West End.
edrok666 - 10 Dec 2006 10:45
Finally got round to visiting this place.

Friendly-ish atmosphere, not a bad pint, and at £2.30 for a pint of Carling not a bad price! (although for some reason I think this might have been wrong.)

A real 'alternative' bar, rock and roll on the jukebox and piercings and tattoos serving the drinks.

Didn't try the food but seemed fairly expensive for general pub grub.


Oldsod - 6 Nov 2006 18:25
This is a great pub, not the biggest range of alcohol I have experienced but enough to satisfy most tastes.

The only thing I feel lets this place down is the fact that everytime I've visited they seem to have AC/DC playing, which isn't a bad thing but a better range of music would be good.

Average prices, four pool tables, pinball machines and a jukebox by far the best pub I have visited in Holloway.

Highly recommended 8/10
reelforjake - 1 Oct 2006 19:18
Bring back the first band that ever played the Big Red back in mid June 2004. That covers band was the best that I have seen in my entire life!!! I've never seen that band play the Big Red again and I really want to see them play again (and again and again). Ben and Ashley, are you listening?
anonymous - 6 Sep 2006 21:41
Good atmosphere and a friendly crowd.
anonymous - 14 Apr 2006 15:34
A superb pub in Holloway with a great "pub" lager selection and a cheap but good food menu.

The jukebox is pretty unique as it is stocked with some really old sh1t!! 4 pool tables to play on and the onlyt hing missing is a dart board or 2.

The bar staff are friendly and it's ideal for a hard nights partying at the weekend or a quiet pint during the day. One of the few places that has a decent big screen in the area for the footy.

The only problem with it is that it doesn't serve real ale, so if that's your tipple then not the best place to come for a pint.

Definitely a gold mine of a pub in the Holloway area!!
Devilfish2006 - 11 Apr 2006 12:17
Fab atmosphere, well stocked juke box, firendly staff and good prices... a refreshing change for those that like the atmosphere of Camden but are bored of drinking with poncey muso's in bad hats and leggings.

Perfect for all your needs.. good music, good menu and late openings every night also bands on thurs, frids and sats... good for a party or a quiet drink.
legs11 - 20 Mar 2006 17:21
Worth braving the bizarre clientele and grim house wine for one of the best jukeboxes in London
anonymous - 11 Mar 2006 23:09
If the roasts are always like the one i had on sunday all the time just dont bother with them. £7 for a plate of microwaved pork, mash potato and mashed carrots. It was truly the worst plate of food ive ever been served in a pub and for that price. It actually ruined my life for about half an hour then i got over it.
meady - 24 Nov 2005 10:56
much to my dismay the burgers are now back to full price!!!

Still a good un though

DKavanagh - 24 Nov 2005 10:23
I really like this pub, theres nothing worse than being a pool player and not being able to get on the one table in your local, the Big Red has four so your always guaranteed a game, good value food too, you can get big burgers for under a fiver in the week. And yes the playboy posters are a nice touch
DKavanagh - 18 Nov 2005 12:29
i don't like this pub at all i feel very un comfortable in there, like everyone is watching me.
drumandmonkeyfan - 17 Nov 2005 14:34
I really like this place but I cant go in there without spending billions of pounds what with the day drinking sessions playing pool and keeping the blinding jukebox ticking along and succoming the stench of meat that makes you want to eat a wild boare. Ooh, and playing choose your favourite playboy girl from the 50's playboy bunnies poster is fun too.
meady - 14 Nov 2005 17:41
nice lil pub...my uncle den goes here all the time... being a geordie...hes naturally a joker...so u'll proberlly bump into him..

its a sorta rock/sporty pub... about 4 pool tables at the back... quite big pub overall...

wehad to share the loo with the ladies...which was kinda weird..but must only be for short term..

all the staff were female..which i found pleasing (not being sexist) they seemed like a nice bunch of girls..

ordered a spagetti bolognese with meat balls... that went down well with my 6 stella's and 6 JD n orange...

mmmm

only bad point was that the music was repetative...no modern stuff...

but hey...i went on a sunday night...so...ill have to get down there on Fri/Sat...apparantly its lively...

7/10
TyGa - 26 Oct 2005 14:16
I FELT INSTANTLY AT HOME IN THIS PUB, GREAT STAFF, THE GOVORNOR BEN IS TOP (ALTHOUGH HE HAS ILLUSIONS OF BEING A COWBOY!!!) AND A GREAT SELECTION OF BEERS! NOT BAD PRICES! IT A FAVOURITE OF MINE! 10/10
big_johnny_jumbo - 24 Oct 2005 20:47
Fairly lively pool-hall type 1950's Americana bar but with a poor beer/lager selection. Good juke-box though.
anonymous - 31 Aug 2005 14:31
very good juke box in there with decent sized pool tables out the back a nice pub
Hamhead - 12 Jun 2005 11:49
Wicked Bands Thurs Fri Sat
Great Atmosphere definatly one of the better bars on Holloway Def check out the menu!
Roxy - 12 Apr 2005 18:11

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