please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Has been closed and borded up for a few months now.
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The horror .... must admit it's been a couple of years since I've been in here and the bland magnolia sparse refurb / paint job has done nothing to endear it any passing drinker.
On a quiet Saturday night as Arsenal were playing away next day, there were all of 6 people in there, doubled by me and my mates turning up to watch evening game and pre Garage gig beers.... Footie , no commentary from the one screen and bland as the paintwork bland music blaring out around the pub and the Doombar was tooooooooo cold... at least there was no trouble getting served !
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Reasonable pub on matchdays but nothing special. Itcan take an age getting served at the bar, the beer is often served in a plastic cup (not their fault, I know), takes watered down and isn't exactly cheap. For some unknown reason I still keep going back though.
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just found this lovely little pub near highbury corner staff really pleasant and not to mention not bad looking i had a san miguel my friend had a london pride which was fine . nice pinball machine and snug area at the rear.good studenty atmoshere i was speaking to a teacher from local comp who is a regular here who said avoid matchdays as its totally jam packed
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Sad to see what was once a decent local boozer turn into somewhere you walk past. Ok during the daytime, avoid at night.
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The Bailey used to be a great pub, but poor management regularly changing hands over the last 2/3 years has seen it deteriorate to a mediocre boozer. Busy on Fridays with office workers and the only other times are during Arsenal matches.
I would recommend a walk to Highbury Corner and visit the Hen & Chickens or Alwynne as a much better alternative.
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This decent sized Victorian corner pub has probably seen better days and certainly feels a bit rough around the edges but it is still preferable to some of the other posey pubs and bars in the area. The interior is a bit tired and can feel rather empty and cavernous when there are only a handful of people inside with lots of bare floor and unused space. The interior wraps itself around a large island bar with half paneled walls and dim lighting, scarcely enhanced by candles on the tables that are now almost a standard pub feature. Just 2 rather mundane ales, London Pride & Greene King IPA, with the former being a fairly reasonably priced (for the area) �3 and surprisingly decent quality for a pub that doesn�t initilally promise much. At the rear is a table football game as well as a Big Screen Projecter that projects the image direct onto the bare wall rather than having anything of novelty value like a screen. The food looked quite good although I didn�t try any but it is worth noting for future visits and now that the Garage music venue opposite has reopened, I dare say I will be back in the area more than I have for some time. Other than that, there isn�t really much else to make a visit essential.
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The only other clientele on my recent week night visit were a couple of groups of students. The barmaid was friendly enough and they had Pride and Greene King IPA alongside some standard draught products, although my Pride wasn�t the best.
There were a few small plasma screens dotted about and there was a table football located in the sparsely decorated rear of the pub. I got the feeling by the lack of much seating that they are mainly interested in taking the money of football fans passing through to the Emirates.
I wasn�t that impressed and I doubt that I�ll return.
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Rough and tumble place on the way to the Emirates from H & I station. The decorating always seems half done and the back of the pub looks like it's a storage area for crap furniture that they don't want near the front of the pub.
Probably does no business most of the time but always full whenever I've had the dubious pleasure of attending midweek games at the Emirates.
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it used to be one of the best pubs on holloway, however over resent years its changed hands a few times and has lost the feel it once had, it has alot going for it however it also has some downsides, beer prices for a start the last time i went in it cost me �3.60 for a carling! but it still has agood feel on match days with a hugh screen at the back and wonderfull tie-food during the week.
good for a few pints but it has alot to do to get me back as a local again.
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this is under new management and seems to have been really turned around. Light and airy - lovely selection of drinks as well! Would recommend!
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Terrible little pub, trying to cater for everyone. Choose a scene and stick with it. Are you a football pub, college pub, white collar pub, blue collar pub. Really confused with this venue. Do yourself a favour and take the 5 minute walk down upper street to a real venue.
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Best pub on Holloway Road, great Thai food and a good selection of lagers. I work just down the road from it and often pop in for lunch or after work.
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This place clearly has an idendity crisis.
I was gobsmacked when the bargirl charged me �2.50 for a pint of tap water and cordial recently. Perhaps they've forgotten they're on the holloway road and think they're in monte carlo.
p.s. i am not the kind of scabby git who sits around drinking fruit drinks in pubs. i was in the middle of a few pints and fancied getting some water into the system.
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True widescreen viewing is available here, if you fancy popping in for some footie.
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Only a quick visit here, sadly the only ale (London Pride) was off but the Guinness was fine. Fairly quiet on a Thursday at 4pm so hard to judge but the place feels relaxed and lived in. The large screen at the back is pretty big....
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barstool, you've obviously got nothing better to do than give your words of wisdom. You have showed you know nothing about The Bailey, or the industry for that matter....have you been there??? i think not. And as for the havinalaugh/anonymous, which is obviously the same person, the phrase sour grapes springs to mind...
I think its quite a nice thing to do let people know there has been a change in management, and a bit of self publicity never harmed anyone. Take a walk down holloway rd and then tell me the Bailey is rubbish. I drink there, i like it, its busy, vibrant and has a nice eclectic mix of people 10/10
anonymous - 6 Dec 2006 21:25 |
Another of those pubs where something just doesn't quite click and a potentially good boozer drops into mediocrity. The building's fine and the pale wood flooring and tables make it seem light and airy. The music is inoffensive and some of the couches are very comfortable, but the beer is non-descript and slightly over-priced. Service isn't terrible but could most definitely be better. There's a huge screen for showing sports but the seating is arranged in such a way that very few people will get a good view. Overall this place feels soulless and more like a pub simulator than a real pub.
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This place is an alright pub but a bit boring. There is a big screen for football though.
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Generally a decent pub - pleasant bar staff, wooden interior. Music was a bit too loud for a Thursday, and the screen a bit too big and dominant when nothing worth showing (MTV). Table was slightly cramped, but overall, not an unpleasant evening. In a locality of sinister looking venues, this is probably the best.
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Bit of an old man's pub but the food looked really good.
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The refurbishment under new owners started promisingly but now the place seems to be trying to appeal to all markets while actually annoying everyone. The music is just at that volume where you can�t ignore it or quite hear it. The TVs are distractingly on all the time, but muted and usually showing nothing worth seeing. They have Thai food *and* a hot pie cabinet. There are romantic lights but big communal tables. However, all this is academic because the previously friendly staff have all been replaced by the kind who pointedly walk off to a distant corner when a new customer enters. Should you manage to tempt one away from their private conversations, the drinks are pretty average. And, just to show who really matters, they start piling chairs on tables at exactly 11, turning the lights full on and opening the doors to let the cold air in. Predictably, this approach has resulted in all the previous regulars drifting away without attracting anyone new.
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BORING
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Not a bad place , me and mates use it before heading down to Highbury for the football.
Exactly the same round always comes to different prices for some strange reason , I guess it depends of the Maths of the bar staff !
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A good pub with first-class thai food, friendly staff, and an excellent choice of ale in 6X.
One thing I don't understand though is why it has sofas all around the place which are a right pain to eat from. Sofas in a pub are a nonsense anyway, but it's the thin end of the wedge having to eat off them...
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It's just had a refurb
New pool table, got rid of those gremlins from the old disgusting toilets - all new tiled floor and walls - long overdue make over!
Big projector screen TV for the essential Arsenal games and luckily for me, it's not just 100% Arsenal fans that drink in there!
Good vibes, Sunday Roast soon - good Laos/Thai kitchen during the week for lunch and dinner, quiz night on Monday nights - good prizes.
I'm now a local and glad to be next to a pub where you can call people your mates!
Long may it last and onwards and upwards!
Matthew Lightbourn - 16 Apr 2004 14:13 |
The name is just "The Bailey." Yes it is a good pub.
Patrick - 12 Mar 2003 10:58 |
great atmosphere ... art on the walls furnished by nearby university of north london students (also a big lou reed poster). the patrons are very diverse. everybody seems to come here and i like that. last but not least is the wonderful thai and malaysian food they serve for lunchs and dinners. quite reasonable, very delicious and in great contrast to normal pub fare. it's a great place to hang out before going to a show at the garage or union chapel!
rob wood - 17 May 2002 18:44 |
