The Victory, Walton on the Naze

Lovely cosy and friendly pub with an agreeable background of amiable chatter. Well served and delicious pints of Beavertown's ever enjoyable Neck Oil poured by attentive and hospitable bar staff for a very reasonable price. Looks like a traditional corner pub from outside and then doubles down on being a timeless mind's eye vision of a relaxed convivial neighborhood pub inside. Might be a bit tranquil for younger drinkers, but for those of us slightly more *ahem* experienced patrons this is ideal. One word of warning, when they say mind the step by the centre door leading down to the bar, pay attention! My fiancee made quite the dramatic entrance stumbling in spectacularly and narrowly avoiding braining herself on the fireplace. That safety note aside, very heartily recommended!

15 Sep 2022 13:31

Vine Inn, Waltham Cross

Extensively refitted about 4 years ago and whilst the interior looks much nicer and more is being made of the outside space, it has definitely turned into something more akin to a restaurant that happens to have a small pub inside it with the majority of floorspace given over to tables for eating and those just here for a drink confined to a small strip of the pub to the left of the bar. The food is in fairness good, but in an area not overstocked with decent pubs to begin with, it feels almost like we've lost 60% of another one. That said, service is quick and polite, the McMullen's beers are still well kept and they have an extensive range of Gins , the odd cocktail and various other drinks available. Price is on the steep side. Occasional quiz nights can be good fun here too and it is a nice place for a meal on birthdays, Christmas, leaving dos and so on. Just not a place you would pop in for a night of regular drinking with your mates.

16 Dec 2021 11:38

The Sporting Green, Enfield

A proper local pub in an area now sadly bereft of much of that sort of thing. It has outlived (in no particular order) The Plough, The Rose & Crown, The White Horse, The Black Horse, The Golden Hive and The Isaak Walton to be the last man standing in this particular corner of the Enfield Highway/Brimsdown area and deservedly so as it continues to be excellent year on year. I'm afraid real ale is still not available here, but there is a fair range of drinks at a very reasonable price. Atmosphere is friendly and tends towards the loud without being too boisterous. Probably the best place in the whole of Enfield for watching sport ( as the name might suggest) with multiple screens throughout often showing a mixture of football, GAA, darts, horse racing, rugby and pretty much anything else that's on. DJs and live music are pretty much regular features most weekends and it can be good for a lively night out, but it's just as good for a quiet beer or two after work on a midweek day. Jukebox with a zillion tunes available. Pizzas available now (special deal on Sunday means you can have one with roast potatoes as a side for a good price - I kid you not). Bar staff and landlord all very friendly and keep the drinks coming at a decent speed even when packed. Lucky to have it as my local, long may it stay the same! Still known to many locals by the nickname The Top House (a nickname that predates its current name and was used to refer to The King's Arms which used to be here due to its location at the top of Green Street) so if you can't find it or nobody seems to know where you are talking about, try that name and see the penny drop on them.

16 Dec 2021 11:27