The Ranelagh, Bounds Green

When this place was first refurbished it was superb for the area, and it remains a really nicely fitted out gastro pub with a beautiful big garden. However it has slipped in the last 12 months in terms of service. The last few times we have been there and wanted some food half the menu was unavailable. It has great continental beers but the Maid of Muswell a bit further away is far better run pub.

25 Apr 2008 16:20

The Maid of Muswell, Muswell Hill

Don't get all the criticism of this place, which is a nice little gastropub with some very decent beers and a pleasant atmosphere whenever I have been there. Not the cheapest but you won't generally find the burberry chavs in here - from what I have seen you will find a pretty mixed crowd of all ages and no aggro.

6 Aug 2007 17:18

The Sports Cafe, Haymarket

Having heard some good things about this place from other sources I went there last night for the first time to see the Lions game. It was truly dreadful, and all of us who went left vowing never to go back.

Try to get a pre-match drink? Well, you have to queue for hours because the staff would only serve from one out of the two bars on the first floor.

Try to order food? Oh, no - no orders taken because there was a "backlog". Some people around us had got orders in well before the game and did not get served until the 2nd half.

Want to get pre-match atmosphere? No way - instead of putting the sound on for the coverage they insisted on playing their dreadful looped chart music at earsplitting volume until just before kick-off.

To add insult to injury they even cocked up our bar tab royally, and the bar manager was surly and totally unco-operative. If you want to see a sports event in central London my advice is DON'T come here. Sports bar essentials are hardly rocket science. If they were this bad for a Monday night rugby game god knows what they would be like for a major event.

24 May 2005 10:36