please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
The Assembly House near Kentish Town tube station has a 300 year old history as a coaching inn. The quite grand exterior dates from the late 19th/early 20th century and its majestic spires (not captured in the photo above) make an unmissable landmark. The interior still retains traces of its original opulence even though it is certainly not as grand as it would have been in its heyday. The front bar is a bit dim despite the almost floor to ceiling windows and was originally several smaller rooms if the old wall lines in the ceiling are anything to go by. Many of the old etched windows have sadly been replaced with plain glass which rather spoils the symmetry. The more lavish bar at the rear contains a wonderful ceiling and some spectacular glass work and mirrors that provide a glimpse of its original opulence. Beyond is an old ballroom with portraits, bookshelves and a skylight. It is not hard to conjure up images of many an elegant ball or celebration that may have taken place here. Whilst the pub certainly has more character that many other pubs in the area, the beers are a bit of a let down with the ubiquitous Green King dominating albeit the prices are reasonable for the area. The pub generally attracts a good mix of people and I have never encountered any hassle in the 20 odd years I have been using the place. Service has always been good even though it can get busy when there is anything on at the Forum 200 yards down the road. Whilst it may not be anything near its original grandeur, it has served me well as a meeting place (after all, that is what the name implies) over the years and will hopefully continue to do so.
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I went in here on Saturday and have to say the bar staff were polite & friendly. Maybe I got them on a good day judging by some of the comments on here but no complaints about them. The food was good too (if a bit on the expensive side.) Spacious with good decor.
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This pub has gone completely downhill in recent months. I work locally and have eaten in this pub about once a week for the last 2 years. In the last couple of months, the food has become gradually worse, but this pales into insignificance against the unbelievably rude staff (in particular the 2 ‘ladies’ who work here in the daytime).
Cold, burnt food, which takes an age to arrive, served with an absence of cutlery and a crappy attitude.
Eat here at your peril.
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Was supposed to be watching The Cult at the cinema (sorry Forum) up the road but the comapny (Chaz ...mmm) and ambience was too much !
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Beautiful interior and excellent (though a touch pricey) food should add up to one of the best pubs in the area. Unfortunately, the service is often terrible and any complaints, however mild, seem to be met with a great deal of aggression and defensiveness by a young man called Jamie who seems to hate all customers. Otherwise, a very good pub. (The burgers, incidentally, are among the best I have ever tasted, and I have tasted quite a few!)
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Paid a lunchtime visit last week.
Although food quality was very good, a lunch comprising a burger, served with chips and coleslaw, plus a half-pint of Greene King IPA came to over £10.
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Really like this place. Beautiful inside and when the sun is shining its bright and airy. Food was a little pricey for what you get but friendly barstaff and good beer.
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Large pub close to Kentish Town station. Has that bare boarded modernised look that so many pubs have nowadays, but there are still some interesting features retained - note particularly the wrought iron work by the entrance and the impressive mirrors. For the real ale buffs, the selection is limited to Greene King IPA and Abbott, but this is not really a drinkers pub. Worth popping in if passing by, but not worth a detour
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A large pub, with a very interesting interior. The kind of place where you could spend a relaxing afternoon reading the paper, or one of the books they have, over a few pints. Unfortunately there was not a particularly good choice of beer when we visited.
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Detoured here on our Northern Line pub crawl as the Oxford was closed. It had just opened so we were almost the only ones there. OK kind of place, tho the pumps were a disapointment - a very bland Greene King IPA. Staff friendly however.
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big sprawling place, handy for the station and with all the requirements for a good jolly up.
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Ate there the other day and was expecting general blah pub food. This place does the quite the reverse, my meal was wonderful and I look forward to going back.
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Best meal I've had in ages, certainly from a pub. Love it in here, great place to meet mates for a chat.
anonymous - 15 Jul 2006 11:19 |
Used to be a dodgy boozing dive which I avoided if I could but now its been given some TLC and is actually quite nice. You can actually notice the lovely interior now whereas before you drank yr dish-water and looked at your feet. Plus, a great poster of Richard Burton in "Villan" on the wall. "By the time he gets round to killing you, its an act of mercy......" I want it!
anonymous - 11 Jul 2006 11:16 |
Quite like it in here, can get busy prior to a gig at the Forum, but not bad and more space than the Oxford down the road.Not one for connisseurs of great draught ale though.
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I've lived in Kentish Town for many years and used to avoid this place like the plague, but I popped in recently and was pleasantly surprised. The beer selection is great, decent pint of Leffe!
Staff are friendly and the whole place has a great atsmosphere now. Tried the food recently too and thats top notch, may have found a new local cos the Pineapple is not what it used to be
anonymous - 5 Jun 2006 14:25 |
Refurb is ok but it's blanded out a bit. Shows some football despite an initial ban. Was the best place to watch Sky but they have this frustrating policy of showing the game but turning off the commentary. Beer good too.
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Pub has just been done up inside, and doesnt look too bad. Green King I.P.A. still on hand pull, still OK. The female bar staff are friendly, and the whole pub seems to have "cleaned its act up" generally - also cheaper than the Oxford or the Pineapple.
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The food is fantastic and the prices look high until you see the portions - they are large and worth the money. It is a wonderful place!
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I have lived in London for a long time and I agree with some of the previous comments that this pub is over priced. Me thinks that the previous post may have something to do with the pub hence the lavish praise!
anonymous - 26 Sep 2005 15:46 |
Obviously people complaining about prices haven't been in London very long. Any decent pub that is inviting, looks good with decent staff, has to charge. I reviewed this pub last week and found it quite delightful, and I'm sorry the prices reflect every other decent pub I visit. Area means absolutely nothing in regards to what a pub has to charge, the company that owns the Assembly House have a 15 year lease and have to purchase their beer from, in this case Greene King, if you want to complain, complain to them. This penny pinching attitude where people feel hard done by if a pint is £3.10 instead of £3.00 is a waste of space, go drink out of a can if you want cheap beer. By the way, the food was absolutely wonderful when I ate there, and yes it was priced high for a pub but I got what I paid for - a delicious meal. Will be recommending it!
anonymous - 26 Sep 2005 15:33 |
Likeable but expensive pub in a prime location for Kentish Town tube and The Forum. Nice building with a good high ceiling and plenty of very elegant looking old fashioned windows. Nice place for a quiet pint most of the time but can be very crowded if there is a big gig on down the road. Bar staff are reasonably friendly and have at least some idea of how to do their job and there is a fair amount of choice in the drinks department. The major downside is the price, which even for this area is more than a touch steep.
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This a very expensive pub for what you get. The new management are obviously tyring to atract a new type of customer. I found this place soulless and cold and I dont mean heat wise. I shall be only popping in if it happens to be raining and I have forgotten my umbrella. As for the previous posting saying it's "a 100 times better", perhaps the person should have let their guide dog do the posting.
anonymous - 13 Sep 2005 10:04 |
Wow! This place looks great, 100 times better than the dingy place it was before, never went in before because it just always looked so depressing and filthy. I'll definetly be returning.
anonymous - 8 Sep 2005 11:49 |
£2.90 for a pint for ordinary Fosters, god knows what the super chilled stuff costs, very expensive for what it is. No expence spared on the refurb then(surly some mistake)!!!
anonymous - 7 Sep 2005 15:16 |
The Assembly House re-opens to the public on Tuesday the 6th of September, under new management.
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This pub is currently undergoing a refurb and is closed.
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This place is distinctly ok. You'll probably get a seat most weeknights. Nothing to write home about.
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I ordered 3 pints of Hen and one IPA. The Hen was not at its best and exhibited a 'cheesy' characteristic normally associated with poor hygiene. I politely asked for the Hen to be exchanged for the decent IPA and was told "No". I won't bore you with excessive detail but no amount of discussion could move the frankly arrogant manager. It was Sunday evening and the pub was relatively full, so not in going there again will mean little or nothing to the manager. Do yourself a favour and don't go in there as well.
P.S. We are not 'beer bores' but do drink a lot of good, well served, real beer.
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After 8pm, probably the only pub in the area you're guarenteed to get a seat (unless Arsenal are playing away). Watch out for added fun of riot vans on Saturdays - if you're lucky :)
It's also v handy to find from the station which makes it ideal for meeting people in.
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this pub is quite rough.
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A gin palace, now listed. Has had many incarnations, presently a better one.At least no more stripping on the bar (inc. the fat manager)!
Best real ale in Kentish Town. Can't keep staff and a tendency to bar people on
very thin grounds. Very good for football-2 big screens + 4 regular TVs.
anonymous - 18 Dec 2004 20:39 |
Large pub, so handy for meeting mates before gigs at the Forum. This has a flip side of course - prepare yourself with a hefty wait at the bar up to about 8pm...
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Amazing building. Apart from that there's nothing they could do worse. Absolutely awful place.
Rob - 3 Jun 2004 10:49 |
not bad, greenhouse-esque heat in the daytime though.
anonymous - 2 Jun 2004 16:15 |
Devoid of atmosphere partly because it's a bit large and has a high, but nice, ceiling. Nothing hugely wrong with the place apart from that.
Have never had a problem with the staff. They didn't have a problem with me and some mates bringing in cans of lager (which we explained were for a party we were on our way to). Some pubs might not be so accomodating.
A good post-funeral pub.
Steve - 17 Mar 2004 14:27 |
Bit boring. Few good beers, but with no real atmosphere. Try Auntie Annies or even Jorene Celeste instead.
James - 27 Feb 2004 09:50 |
Quite possibly the worst pub in Kentish Town. The staff are extremely unfriendly. My friend actually got barred from this pub on St. George's Day last year for singing the National Anthem!!
Chris - 26 Feb 2004 14:57 |
Not impressed really, the place feels far too empty even when it's full. Prices are steep and the food is standard chain-pub fare. I only visited the place a handful of times even though I lived on Leighton road for two years! Visit the Bull & Gate across the road.
Brendan - 15 Feb 2004 14:48 |
has been done up so prices have followed suit.if you fancy a quiet beer this is the place as no one else goes here since house of fun(the forum finished sat nights)
robert - 6 Aug 2003 00:28 |
Nice ceiling.
Joe - 3 Apr 2003 17:25 |
The Assembly house is not Kentish Town's best pub. Try the Admiral Mann, (McMullen's)Hargrave Place (walk up Leighton Road and turn right when you hit Brecknock Road), or alternatively try the Dartmouth Arms (Free House with good and adventurous food) York Rise (walk up Highgate Road past the Forum) until you come to the lights at Gordon House Road. Turn right into Chetwynd Road then turn left when you get to the bottom). You'll be glad you found both pubs!
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Just seen 'Villain' on TCM and, yes, the pub is featured in a couple of scenes and seems much larger on screen. The decor seems to have changed little although the layout of the bar seems slightly different. It would be interesting to know if any of the regulars can remember the filming, or were extras.
Paul Curran - 22 Aug 2002 20:00 |
Unfortunately, in the late 1980s, panes of the fantastic window glass carved with flowers and birds was knocked out of the windows at the front and side. A couple of token pieces were left. This glorious old pub was so stunning, I still find it incredible that some stupid brewing company should think knocking out pane after pane of Victorian glass was a good idea.
Recently, it has been taken over by new management (Weatherspoon's I think) and they have made a nice job of restoring what is left of this pub's former glory, but they cannot restore the glass.
I've also heard that Camden Council have insisted that a couple of the beautiful carved mirrors inside must come down because they're cracked, yet another nail in the coffin of this Victorian wonder. Of course, Camden Council hates anything Victorian and has long waged a campaign to rid Kentish Town of anything old or beautiful in the area. This is why the council did not stop the corporate vandalism in the 1980s and, of course, will not restore the mirrors.
The Assembly House was built on the site of a much older pub. In the 18th century, Kentish Town was a rural retreat. The pub used to have a marbel table which sat outside given to it by a grateful visitor who had recovered from an illness by taking the waters at Kentish Town. The table was inscribed with his name and thanks. This table survived in Victorian Assembly House until the early 1980s when it disappeared. No doubt the greasy landlord who ran the pub at that time made a fat profit from it. I wrote to the brewery which owned the pub then, but, of course, they weren't interested. I'm pleased I've come across this site and I've been able to say my bit about the pub, and I'll be looking out for 'Villain' having read the other comments.
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I've also seen the film 'Villain' that the pub features in. They should try to get hold of some stills or other memorobilia. There are certainly 'Villain' posters on the web.
anonymous - 18 Jul 2002 14:28 |
Also strongly rumoured (mainly by the regulars) that Karl Marx wrote part of Das Capital there.
anonymous - 2 Jun 2002 14:51 |
Nice pub, but they don't seem to realise that Richard Burton used it as a location for his 1971 film 'Villain' Great interior shots (the place has not changed much !)and Liz Taylor apparently pulled pints in the breaks between shooting.
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