The Harringay Arms, Crouch End

I love this pub! I don't live local so don't come often but it reminds me of when I started drinking. I'm not a die-hard spit-and-sawdust-gastropubs-are-killing-the-working-man's-boozer person, my local's the Ranelagh in Bounds Green and it's a lot better since the pool tables got replaced by sofas, but there are, thank goodness, many ways for a pub to be good and this is one of them. Unpretentious, unrepentant, and well-kept beer. If it had some cheap bar food - and I mean like ham rolls in cling film for a quid would be perfect - this would be perfection.

14 Sep 2009 14:32

The Ranelagh, Bounds Green

I've lived in the area 19 years, back in 1990 the Ranelagh was a dullish pub with an Irish feel, not unlike some places down Holloway Road. Separate lounge and bar, darts. Sort of pub my mum & dad used to go to.

The years in between were a bit awful - in particular the era when it had only about 30 seats in the whole place, going for the Male Vertical Volume Drinker, I think. So its current refurb has been a blessing. Garden's now pleasant instead of fag-ash and old crisp packets; verandah perfect. I was initially a bit miffed about the no-kids-after-7 policy but I've come round to it - kids in pubs are a bit of a pain (I've got 3), if you can't let your hair down a bit and swear a bit, what's a pub for?

Yes, the service could be quicker at the bar, there sometimes seem to be too few staff, at other times there are plenty but half of them appear to be doing anything but serve. Some also do that most annoying thing, asking the customers "Who's next?" I think if you work behind a bar you should have a good idea who's next, doesn't have to be perfect but asking the punters means putting the onus on them to fight it out, you get elbowed aside by some rude bugger & then you have to decide whether you're going to make anything of it. Not relaxing, not what I come to a pub for. But the staff seem nice people and the beer is well kept.

Thursday nights are really good. It's not quite open mic, is it? - but then who wants a bunch of half-cut X-Factor rejects giving everyone an earache? The regular crowd who play and sing certainly know their stuff, so top marks for that.

Nice looking place, good garden, good music night, pleasant staff, get the drinks across the bar a bit quicker and it's a winner.

14 Sep 2009 14:18