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Submitted on Monday, 9th November 2009
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Detail Pages
The Railway Bell (JD Wetherspoon), Barnet
Barnet
EN4 8RR
Reviews of The Railway Bell (JD Wetherspoon) (Average Rating: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Railway Bell (JD Wetherspoon)
The exterior is not heavily branded but the turquoise paintwork grates.Inside it's a typical spoons with lots of pine high tables,widening out to a rear conservatory with dining type table.All day drinkers abound,it's a melting pot for the elderly and the derilict.
On my visit the ale options were unremittingly dreadful.The regular ales to Doom Bar,GK Abbott and Ruddles Best were supplemented by guests of Marston's brewed Directors,Hobgoblin,Brains SA alongside Sambrooks Wandle and Lees Plum Pudding (a malty mess NBSS 1.5).That line up would give most real ale fans nightmares ,and just how the local CAMRA branch can feature this place in the 2022 GBG is beyond me.But then again ,it's been a regular choice of theirs for years.Maybe it's time to admit there are not that many good ale houses in Barnet and give up most of their GBG allocated slots.
I would just keep walking past.
On 4th December 2021
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Railway Bell (JD Wetherspoon)
Just over the road form New Barnet station, this is a Wetherspoons pub that makes good use of an existing pub premises, giving it more of a 'pubby' feel than many of their outlets. It's quite a novelty to walk straight into a 'Spoons and be immediately confronted by the servery, as is the case here, where the bar runs along the right hand wall almost from the point you enter the room. Just before the bar, there is a slightly raised lounge where a few sofas and padded chairs are squeezed in beneath the front windows. The servery is predominantly a modern pine affair, split halfway along by a large pillar and with a pub mirror as the centrepiece of the bar back. The usual high tables and stools fill the limited space opposite the bar, whilst tub chairs appear further to the left, screened behind several sections of wall that suggest a probable two bar layout prior to Wetherspoons arrival. A TV on the side wall was showing muted rolling news coverage and there were some fancy light fittings made from twined pieces of wood, which looked pretty good. Beyond the bar, you emerge into a large, bright conservatory-style area which is rammed full with standard tables and chairs, reminiscent of the way some 'Spoons airport bars are furnished. Big windows run in a semi-circle around the back of the room, providing plenty of natural light and looking out to the garden area beyond, whilst an open kitchen can be viewed to the rear right. The usual 'Spoons info boards were present, but in general I felt there was a lot less on show around the pub compared to the average Wetherspoons.
The ten handpulls were clipped with four 'Spoons regulars and six guest ales - five of which were from London-based micro breweries. Several boxes of cider, as part of the ongoing Cider Festival, were available in the fridges. I had a pint of Redemption Urban Dusk (£2.60) which poured very flat and lifeless but retained a good deal of flavour until about two-thirds of the way down. Staff were very efficient and pleasant - not always a given in this particular chain.
I wasn't really expecting anything special from this place but I warmed to it pretty quickly, thanks in part to the friendly staff, good local beer range and comparatively comfortable, pub-like surroundings (something that admittedly wears off the further back into the pub you go). A shame that my pint wasn't in the bet of shape, but overall this left a positive impression and has to be considered a good bet for this part of town.
On 24th July 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Railway Bell (JD Wetherspoon)
Update 07/03/2014
I have to say that the refurbishment here has removed any sort of pub atmosphere. It's now more like a restaurant or a travel lounge. Having said that, it does look different to most Spoons. The furniture is a mix of the usual sort of tables and chairs but with a pine finish, and more informal armchairs surrounding non-dining tables. The large conservatory at the back brings in lots of natural light. The customer base varied from small groups of women drinking coffee, a few older couples in for food, a pair of builders, a few daytime Spoons types and a shambolic PUG correspondent.
As far as the beer goes all ten handpumps were going with no duplicates and no Available Soon. There were the two GK beers, London Pride, Doom Bore, Conwy Infusion, Quantock Will's Neck, Adnam's / Sixpoint Make It Rain, Loddon Hullabaloo, Adnam's Lighthouse and Tring Colley Dog.
I went for the Will's Neck (£2.25) plus the Make It Rain and Colley Dog (£2.40). All three were in superb condition. I have to say that I enjoyed the three pints tried here more than the following three in other Barnet pubs, all of which cost over £1 a pint more.
The beer quality has improved since my visit as the old Railway Bell and it is actually slightly cheaper.
Unfortunately Wetherspoons currently have a promotion on for Doom Bore, London Pride and Adnam's Broadside where they guarantee that at least one of these boring beers will always be available. Sadly in this case there were two both being sold at 30p a pint more than the standard guest ales. There were no Locale beers on offer. My rating remains at 8 based on the excellent beer quality.
Visit 17th May 2012
This is an original pub as opposed to a shop/office/bank/dairy/cinema conversion and is all the better for it. There is plenty of daylight and it actually feels like a pub. The service was quick and the Old Growler (£2.59) was in reasonably good condition. As it was before 11:00am I suspect it may have been sitting in the pipes, but it was perfectly drinkable.
The prices are dearer than I am generally used to, but each Spoons seems to have its own pricing policy nowadays.
This is the only Spoons I have visited that has an almost functional dart board, I say almost because there is no mat or metal bar showing where to stand.
I would quite like to visit tbis area again as there is a GBG listed Greene King pub within a very short walk and tied McMullens and Charles Wells houses only a few minutes walk away.
On 9th March 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
View more reviews of The Railway Bell (JD Wetherspoon) (8)
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- Official page of The Railway Bell - www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk
- Facebook - Railway Bell
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Railway Bell (JD Wetherspoon) - whatpub.com
Oakleigh Park, 1.13 miles, 21 min walk (show)
Hadley Wood, 1.49 miles, 28 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 08 March 2014 by Aqualung .
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 08 March 2014 by Aqualung .
- Beer Festivals : Yes last updated 08 March 2014 by Aqualung .
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 08 March 2014 by Aqualung .
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 08 March 2014 by Aqualung .
- Car Park : No last updated 08 March 2014 by Aqualung .
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 08 March 2014 by Aqualung .
- Darts : No last updated 08 March 2014 by Aqualung .
- Dog Friendly : No last updated 08 March 2014 by Aqualung .
- Function Room : No last updated 24 July 2016 by Pub SignMan
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 16 July 2013 by Dave McNally
- Jukebox : No last updated 08 March 2014 by Aqualung .
- Karaoke : No last updated 08 March 2014 by Aqualung .
- Live Music : No last updated 08 March 2014 by Aqualung .
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 08 March 2014 by Aqualung .
- Micropub : No last updated 24 July 2016 by Pub SignMan
- Pinball : No last updated 08 March 2014 by Aqualung .
- Pool Table : No last updated 08 March 2014 by Aqualung .
- Quiz Night : No last updated 08 March 2014 by Aqualung .
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 16 July 2013 by Dave McNally
- Real Cider : No last updated 24 July 2016 by Pub SignMan
- Wheelchair Access : Yes last updated 08 March 2014 by Aqualung .
- WiFi : Yes last updated 16 July 2013 by Dave McNally
