please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I love this pub. Such a relaxed atmosphere. Full of local characters. Bar staff are friendly and drinks are at a decent price. Never had a bad night at The Winchester, but do prefer it during the summer when you can sit in the Garden area. What a great place.
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Nice elegant Victorian pub on Archway Road with very good food.
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Excellent pub with many original features, including an very beautiful bar, plus lots of fancy glass everywhere. Nice high ceilings - real Victorian style. Had a recent refit and thankfully hasn't been ripped/stripped. Added many new screens which is ok - they seem to be HD - + gets busy when football is on. Real ale is well kept. My only criticism would be the music - gets v. loud sometimes and now the screens behind the bar are on all the time, with little speakers either side pumping out MTV dross. Have a look at how many speakers there are in this place. They're even in the beer garden! Does not need shite music to make this place special - loads of warmth and atmosphere. 10/10 minus 2/10 for noise = 8/10
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This is a big pub with high ceilings and a huge bar. The barmaid seemed nice enough when I was in there watching some cricket on the small screen Friday afternoon.
The lager was good and I think I’ll probably go back again.
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I am a little biased about this place as I remember staring into it as a seven year old so it gives me childhood nostalgia. It does not seemed to have changed much and I go back a long way!.Still, this is quite a nice drinking pub though one feels that if they made a greater effort, It wouuld not be a bad place.
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Kind of strange. Often quiet - although that doesn't necessarily mean quick service. Could be much improved but perhaps that is something to love - its done pretty well holding out against a gastropub make over - although I imagine its takings would go through the roof were it to submit to such a thing.
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If I worked in a pub, I would aim to treat all customers like they were regulars - that is how you ultimately earn true regulars. When paying for a round of drinks, I asked if they offer a cash-back service, I was told "You can have £10, unless you're a regular, in which case you can have up to £20". I lied and said I was a regular - she disappeared to check with the 'manageress', then returned to say, "sorry, it's £10 for you". The money was intended to be spent over their bar!
Petty I know, but I won't be returning here because they openly discriminated me, which was embarrassing and incredibly rude. Needless to say, I finished my pint and left with my measly tenner firmly grasped in hand.
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Decent pub, with a lot of drinkers, and nice decor.
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location of the real pub:
http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/s/shaunofdead.html
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This pub is nothing more than an average - if not slightly below average - local. It has the space and architecture of a victorian london pub, but that's to be expected. Nothing wrong, but nothing at all special.
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My girlfriend took a whole football match to finish her lamb shanks yesterday. I hink it was a whole sheep.
meady - 13 Feb 2006 11:45 |
It isn't the pub used in the film, that pub is in south london - se14 somewhere.
The story behind Shaun of the Dead is that Simon Pegg use to drink the Shepards Arms just up the road (now the Boogaloo) where they would discuss how to survive a zombie uprising. Pegg said he would hole up in the Shepards because he knew its layout, and because there is a gun shop nearby (a few doors down from the Wincester).
When it came to the film, the called it the Wincester because that is the type of rifle used in Night of the Living Dead, and also just happens to be the name of a pub near his beloved Shepards Arms. Pegg still lives firly close by in Crouch End.
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DOES anyone know if this IS the pub from shaun of the Dead?? As i've got a friend who is a zombie enthusiast who would love to go on a night out in the winchester pub! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE get in touch if you know for sure!
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Well i may sound bias...due to the Winchester sponsoring our football club ( Highgate Albion FC / www.highgatealbionfc.com )
but this pub is the best...(werent this filmed in the movie SHAUN OF THE DEAD...) i think it was...someone in there told me...dunnoif thats true.
Val n Pat are friendly and funny... the scottish chef downstairs makes lovely food...try finishing the house BURGER!! its massif! the spicy curry with rice n chips is tastey too...
u may find it a bit pricy...but the pub is quality..audience is mixed...young and old...on sundays you will see a huge crowd of young lads.. that will be us boys back from the footy matches we play in the mornings...1st, 2nd and 3rd teams.
theres a cute Husky dog that Val has... its gorjus fur and big blue eyes...
pretty young barmaids serve..as the eye candy..
and there is several TV screens round the place which has sport on...football matches, cricket, rugby..
some celebs are known to pop in on occasions to do comedy nights and stuff... e.g. Jimmy Greaves...
i rate the Winchester 10/10....
i spend atleast 1 day a week in there so i might as well call it my 2nd home...
keep up the good work Val & Pat!!
Hakan
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I heartily agree with the comments below. Stumbled in to get out of the rain - stayed for three hours! Lovely high ceilings, interesting decor and friendly staff. Well worth a visit.
anonymous - 15 Sep 2005 08:30 |
i used to live in archway about 5 years back and this pub was literally a stones throw from my rented flat... i drank in this pub for 2 years solid virtually every night.. i cannot fault it in any way... from watching football, to eating, to even winning money on the fruit machines..!!! I remember one st patricks night, they even served us all free irish stew and free guinness.... the perfect pub in my view... still drink in their occasionally if in the area....
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I have lived in north London all life,and have eaten Sunday lunch in many different places. But The Winchester stands head and shoulders above all others.The food there is outstanding, and very reasonably priced. The portions are very generous as well. And the welcome you get from Pat and Val is always warm and genuine,no matter how busy they are. I would recommend the lamb shanks to anyone. The beer is good,its comfortable and welcoming.I like the fact that is usually full of locals.In fact,why should I be telling so many people about it?
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My local and marvellous it is.
The landlord Pat runs it like a proper London pub - which it is. Large, central bar in the Victorian gin palace style.
Big projection screen for the evening live footy, but it doesn't overpower the pub.
Food's top notch and the Carlsberg is all I ever need - although the Guinness is rather good to agree with the earlier posting.
And it's not exclusively a gooner pub as I'm a Spurs ST holder and meet up there with Spurs mates to watch TV away games. The banter's good in there but everyone's friendly and there's always a lovely atmos whether you're a regular local or a newbie.
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A first rate pub for the boys. Big Arsenal supporter pub. Safe, though. A cozy treat. Lots of locals who are always friendly to non-locals.
Bill - 29 Sep 2004 17:51 |
The Winchester is a very well run establishment which extends a warm welcome to both locals and visitors alike. The cellar is well kept - Guiness here is particularly good. Food is well prepared (fresh ingredients) and generously portioned rather than ground breaking cuisine. A reasonable range of wines is available. This is one of the few "proper" London pubs still in existence. Whether you want to meet someone to build you a house or a Q.C. to get you out of trouble, try this Victorian masterpiece.
Gee - 6 Jul 2004 14:43 |
This is a fantastic pub that does what all pubs should do - (1) impress as a proper old-fashioned smokescreened pub full of locals that keeps its doors open to newcomers and (2) serves traditional lovely food with no gastropub tartiness (3) is big, pretty, beautifully decorated and always has a comfy seat.
A winner.
Pearly - 18 Dec 2003 17:30 |
