Wig and Gown, Highburyback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Well, barstool chummy obviously hasn't bothered to return to see if anything has changed, Lil' Red (ha ha!) has gone back to the old fave Wig and Gown, Football is again King and the place has had refit!!! Food on the bar on match days et al, no complaints except they have no real ale on draft.
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This dark, dank hell-hole is only worth visiting in order to admire the ‘up-yours pal’ attitude of the two female bar-staff, who seem to think they are serving in some upmarket members-only club in the West End instead of a gloomy, empty, lager-joint on the Holloway Road. The comments of “Mr Monkfish”, who is clearly the owner, are just laughable. Yes, some American bars are great, but you have to do something a little better than sticking some pictures of the Mid West on the wall, kicking out the real ales (why, when all the best US bars pride themselves on their range of microbrews?), and upping the prices in order to reproduce that kind of atmosphere. When a place is completely empty every night of the week, with the exception of the barmaids’ boyfriends, and a few overpaid footy fans when Arsenal are playing at home, there is a possibility that it is a “hidden gem”. Or there is a possibility that everyone has tried the place once, been outraged by the attitude of the staff, the dullness of the drinks (if you aspire to be a US bar then why is the range of beers the usual Eurofizz?) and the lack of any decent food (again how unlike a good US bar) that they have vowed never to return. I could add a mark for the pinball machine and the rootsy music, but really you wouldn’t want to stay here long enough to play on one or listen to the other.
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Went here tonight to watch the match. It's a little pub with big tv screens. It's not smokey and the crowd is mixed - both ould fellas and a younger crew. It was very relaxed. I'll definitely go back here again.
anonymous - 12 Apr 2006 22:41 |
THIS PUB IS NOW A BAR CALLED "LIL' RED"
Did you know that when you come out of Highbury & Islington tube station you can also turn left? Who'd have thought it! Should you take this option you can avoid the familiar parade of Upper Street boozers and find "hidden" gems like this little beauty. A quick note to those who are strict traditionalists or footsoldiers in the CAMRA army however; this place won't be to your tastes.
This is essentially an American style local neighbourhood bar transplanted onto the Holloway Road and yes, there is Americana on the walls. For some of you this may instantly set you against it and you'll start mumbling something about cultural imperialism and all that. I take the view however, that if we have no choice but to tolerate the presence of unwelcome facets of American culture such as McDonalds and Starbucks on every high street; we might as well enjoy some of the things that they actaully do very well and that includes this type of bar. That said this American style and not actually American as nobody working there had an American accent.
The bar is basically one long but fairly narrow room, with folding windows/doors at the front and benches around tables or chrome stools lined up at the bar for seating. It also has one worn-in but not yet worn-out set of leather armchairs and a couch set around a low table at the rear, which are without doubt: The most comfortable seats in any pub or bar in the world.
The selection of lagers is good (both draft and bottled) and there are ciders and Guiness to be had as well but nothing in the way of real ale. Barstaff are faultless and as for the price it's safe to say that you can, have and will pay more for your drinks in the locale but that it's not remarkably cheap.
There are a couple of huge flat-screen TVs which were tuned to the Scuzz channel all night but the sound was down which meant that you could enjoy the benefits of the cheap and unusually ecclectic jukebox.
Never got too crowded even on a Saturday night, but always had just enough people in to give it a bit of a buzz. Apparently they also have a live band on once a week and a DJ on one of the other nights.
Ultimately a very mellow, chilled-out place to spend the evening whilst enjoying a few beers, some good company and varied but quality background music. I've been searching for a bar like this for most of my adult life and now I've found it I'll be back as often as possible.
Absolutely lovely.
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To much football on the TV's ? Look at the pub's location to Highbury ? Of course its going to be a football pub you muppets !
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This pub has an unmitigated love of televised football and nothing else!
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It's a place which shows a lot of live football. How can you have "too many tellys"?
Chris - 30 Dec 2003 13:28 |
disgusting hole yobs galore. too many tellys
dave - 7 Sep 2003 19:35 |
Has hoegaarden and leffe blonde on tap. Says it all really. Good pub.
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