The Five Bells, East Finchley - pub details
Address: 165-167, East End Rd, East Finchley, London, N2 0LZ [map] [gmap]
Tel: 0871 951 1000 (ref 4126) - calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras
New Southgate (2.3 miles), Alexandra Palace (2.5 miles), Hampstead Heath (2.6 miles)
Pub facilities/features:
- Quiz night
- Food served
- Outside seating, Car park
Pub suggested by Corin on 28 Aug 2003
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> Current user rating: 5.2/10 (rated by 24 users)
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> Local guide: London pub guide
other pubs nearby:
Windsor Castle, East Finchley (0.2 miles), Alexandra, East Finchley (0.3 miles), Gertie Brownes, East Finchley (0.3 miles), Madden's, East Finchley (0.3 miles), Bald Faced Stag, East Finchley (0.3 miles) - see more nearby pubs
user reviews of the Five Bells, East Finchley
please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
5 most recent reviews of 39 shown - see all reviews
| Indeed it has been refurbished and has reopened as a "Flaming Grill" steak-house pub. It's still a Punch Tavern, just switched from a John Barras to their new Flaming Grill brand. One assumes the new brand is a post-smoking-ban response, designed to bring customers in for the food. Indeed, their strapline is "flaming good food". So they do good food, right? Let me start by saying I've lived around the corner from the Five Bells for nearly five years. It's my local and I've spent a fortune in their over the years. Previously their food was average, to be generous. If was dirt cheap and filled a hole. Otherwise, you go there for the booze, the quiz night and maybe the karaoke. Now where does it stand, this new steak-house pub? The food is neither flaming, nor good. And, to run salt in the wound, it's more expensive. Yep, they charge more, for worse food. Questions should be asked about whether their branding is applicable. "Flaming" good food; images of flames rising up through a grill; the black and orange brand colours... how does this relate to the piece of microwaved/oven-baked chicken I was served? My piece of meet was cooked and THEN placed onto a hot skillet. Hardly flame-grilled. What about my partner's beef? She ordered a medium rare steak. She's have been better off eating her shoe. This is, supposedly, a steak house pub... and they can't cook a steak?! My partner said "this is the worst piece of meat I've ever been served"... and it cost more than the old John Barras steak. God knows how much the refurbishment cost, but it was most certainly not a wise decision. I hear Punch are struggling with lower profits and increasing debt... I suppose this "give 'em shit and charge 'em double" strategy is a response to that. The old place was cheap and tacky, but met (low) expectations. The new place sells itself on "flaming good food" but delivers outrageously poor dishes for higher prices. Maybe stop in for a drink... but eat at KFC for a tastier meal. In other worse, Punch should have left alone. ljb123 - 25 Apr 2011 19:05 |
| Closes on the 28th. of March. It will be refurbished, and will open as a steak-house pub. suggestion_tryAnewBEER - 2 Mar 2011 21:56 |
| A big house with a conservatory 'restaurant' tacked on to the side of it set off the road from East Finchley to Finchley. It's a Barras house you can be sure... as the signs and etched glass windows attest to. Pretty much your bog standard open plan pub though they did have three ales on (Abbot, Young's and Hydes Splash & Dash). Plumped for the Hyde's brew which weren't up to a lot but more than one would expect in the vicinity. Snarling_Mallard - 12 Feb 2011 00:00 |
| Visited here yesterday afternoon. This very much has the feel of a chain pub. There are plenty of tables and seating, with menus on many tables. The bar was bedecked in different flags in preparation for the World Cup. Sure enough, the music playing when I entered was switched off as the Eng-er-land fans arrived to watch a friendly on several screens. The arriving fans switched the TVs to full volume and started shouting 'Who are yer' to the screens. So this is probably a pub to avoid when the World Cup is on. Beer served were Greene King Abbot Ale, Wells Bombardier, Thwaites Nutty Slack and Adnams Broadside. A large tree-lined beer garden at the front is surrounded by an equally large car park. Service was fine. I don't think I'll particularly want to return here. Although it could be fairly pleasant during the week. blue_scrumpy - 31 May 2010 13:37 |
| Have not been in this Pub for over a year after the bad service last time so I thought I would give it another try too see If its Improved that was a bad mistake. This used too be a very good Pub just a few years Ago but the current Management seem too be running it into the ground. Staffing levels always seems too be very bad with arrogant staff that just don't seem too care and have no manners what so ever not even a Please or Thank you and they often just serve their own east European Friends first whilst other customers are left waiting. But I suppose thats what you get using cheap labour. Went in on Saturday Evening recently with the wife for a Meal both lots of food was under cooked & stone cold The Beer quality is not as good as it used to be either. I would not return till things Improve a lot it Needs a complete new lot of more experienced staff IMHO. Alesonly - 27 Feb 2010 17:11 |
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