please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I have been going to this bar since Dick The Mad Irishman opened it. He made every day party dauy but I guess that was in the flush of opening. Other reviewers are right - it always had a friendly atmosphere up until about two years ago.
There are have been some incredibly lovely bar staff (male & female!) and you were encouraged to come back.
The Hungarian trained doctor turned radio jock Mike was a highlight. The Dutch standup comedienne/singer also. Joke.
Since Dick handed over to Jerry things got more economical minded but cocktails were introduced.
An amazing Basque chefette started tapas, and then the Mexicans came and it became the best place to get a margarita in London.
I agree that the refurb is just for the sake of it.
Women tend to feel safe in this place alone/in groups and it is fairly chilled, but the female barstaff now seem to treat the clientelle in a rather chilly way and flirt in a very professional way.
The end of live music is v sad (still got a licence?) and the Dairy, Larrick and now finally back is The Worlds End. This place might be slowly dying anyway. Skeleton staffing is a definite sign.
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Trying to be trendy and young, it just about gets away with it, but still has no warmth for late night drinking compared to a real pub.
It's bearable, but a bit sterile. The first time I went there the dufus student barman complained to me 'everyone who has been in tonight has been weirdoes', then said 'don't read the paper' when I glanced at a copy of the Standard sitting on the bar. I almost never went back.
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great staff, great management and late drinks.
What more could you ask for?
It is Stroud green/finsbury park so you get the odd idiot but that comes with the territory i suppose!
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looks alot better after the refurb, prices are a bit steep, full of a gimpy crowd on a weekend but ok 4 a late drink weekdays
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Oh dear. Following a recent refurb (completely unnecessary in my view), everything that was good about this place is gone. Rather than the atmospheric, chilled out and comfy bar it once was it now feels like a warm up bar for the Ministry of Sound, complete with enormous gaudy neon light fittings on the walls that make you feel you should be wearing a radiation suit. I feel the soul has been ripped out of this place but hey, judge for yourself.
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Enjoyed toto Djing and the beer! Had a great night here a few weeks back.
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Only ever been to Chapter One in its quieter moments, but it generally has a chilled out atmosphere, and usually feels like a nice place to be.
The selection of tables and chairs here is best described as eclectic - it looks like the owners cleared out a local nearby 2nd hand furniture shop - so choose your seat carefully if you want to avoid bum numbness. I'm pretty sure the CDs behind the bar came from the furniture shop too, so if you're not a fan of bland Europop, beware!
Despite that, I quite like it here.
anonymous - 18 Jun 2007 20:07 |
This and the Faltering Fullback are the two best places to go out in Finsbury Park (both for different kinds of evenings). This one is more of a bar than a pub. Lovely exposed brick interior with a red glow. Good DJs and live music, and good food too. Had many great nights in here.
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Please please please get rid of the DJ that was on last Friday night - he is truly the worst I have heard anywhere ever! After he came on the place definitely lost customers... beware! The music itself was almost forgiveable but the way it was constantly cut across mid-track to the next to galloping beats made my and a number of others' ears bleed. Its a damn shame and it saddens me to say that because I love this little bar but if you want to keep custom, especially at weekends, you really should either get a music person in who at least slightly knows what they're doing or just put on a CD. Seriously.
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I dont know why, but I love this place and always have. The occassional crap DJ's and Eastern European bar staff just seem to make it funnier.
It's not quite as fun as the old days when we'd go for a "quick pint before closing" on a Thurs eve and end up staggering home about 4am (fascist govt put a stop to everything), but still a good laugh. Esp good for staggering into off the last tube back from town.
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After a period of uncertainty, this welcoming bar on Stroud Green Road is rapidly getting good again. The late licence is back, the bar staff are more professional, and the regulars are genuinely nice people. There has been a repaint and some changes to the decor, but it essentially retains its ambience, which was always its biggest advantage over other bars. The range of drinks is good, although an extra choice of lager would be nice - currently the selection is dominated by those awful gaseous "cold" lagers which taste like windscreen washer fluid, and a few bitters wouldn't go amiss either. The "World Tapas" menu is tasty and imaginative, but this does come at the expense of bar snacks. That said, ask nicely, and the bar staff will probably do you a bowl of olives or pistachios. Weekends can be heaving, even though the DJ's hired to play here are quite often embarrassingly bad. A good natured, pleasant bar in an increasingly vibrant area.
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Gone through more hands than a five pound note.
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A nice little bar with a chilled out and cosy atmosphere. Nicely decked out without being pretentious and I think is highly underated. A great place to wind up or wind down the weekend, although on occassion the dj's are...well...rubbish.
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Beautifully decked out, quite a romantic place to take your partner/date. But get there early if you wanna sit down. The bands are OK but tend to attract a folk, hand-clapping audience dribbling in their pants.
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What happened to this place?
The beautiful east european bar staff?
The late licence that never was?
Lock ins until seven in the morning?
The managerial history as colourful as the Queen Vic?
Cocaine in the disabled toilets?
I'll tell you what's happened. iT's been cleaned up. And whilst for many people- myself included- this has proven a crushing blow, for the vast majority it has led to great improvements in this quirky bar.
Nice place. Just isn't as fun as it used to be.
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Having used bar fo some time I m glad to say it is very friendly both staff and customers all seem to have respect for each other and would strongly recommend anyone to take a visit
gary - 13 Jul 2004 16:18 |
Used to frequent of a Friday night for three compelling reasons, in decreasing order of precedence:
1. The lurvely often East European totty behind the bar.
2. Lockins until small hours.
3. Some great Celtic live bands.
On the down side: not much seating and what there is swallows you whole. Nice crowd though.
Rup Rahman - 15 Jan 2004 18:28 |
your gonna either love it or hate it depending on whether you get a seat and like loud(ish) music. Hot, trendy and overpriced but, open late and no entry fee - got to be experienced once kicked out the fallback round the corner!
amy - 10 Sep 2003 16:19 |
Went last night, couldn't get a seat, didn't get served for 15 minutes, beer was on the warm side and the music was hideous, left after only half a pint.
anonymous - 15 Aug 2003 11:22 |
This bar changed management in June and staff in July. The crowd in this bar has also changed. The thug element of before has disappeared - now it's a cosy place with a friendly crowd, friendly staff, and live music or DJs most nights. We went on a Monday when we heard a nice nice nice DJ from South America playing salsa and other stuff.
Fridays the place is rammed - and with Ministry of Sound doing a regular Express session there from August 22nd this bar is definitely on the up and up.
If you went before and didn't like it, go back and give it another shot.
Mark - 12 Aug 2003 13:44 |
Gone down hill recently, has a homely atmosphere, but the staff don't seem to care as much any more
anonymous - 24 Jul 2003 16:29 |
Bit dissapointed really, we have been going in off and on for a couple of years and we reserved some tables for my birthday last month. Firstly we were asked for a deposit when I phoned up to pay they had lost the booking. Then when they re-booked us they didn't want a deposit but when we got there the table they had reserved for us was underneath the big screen with everybody trying to watch the Champions League final so we obviously could not sit there. All in all the place has gone down hill and the food has got worse, shame really I always used to recommend it.
Dave - 19 Jun 2003 15:31 |
Pretty cool little place if you get a seat. In fact, the leather chairs near the front of the bar are so comfortable I didn't want to leave. Ever.
Good music and decent beer. For me, better on a week day night when it's a bit quieter and the music isn't as loud. Being able to have a conversation is high on my list of criteria.
G - 16 Jun 2003 15:47 |
Classy fry ups, Big TV and stays open until the last person leaves!!!
anonymous - 14 Apr 2003 17:38 |
