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Detail Pages
The Old Dairy, Crouch Hill, N4
N4
N4 4AP
Reviews of The Old Dairy (Average Rating: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Steve of N21 left this review about The Old Dairy
This was one of the 79 Greene King pubs that did not reopen after the Pandemic shutdowns, and it was feared that we had lost this on for good. Fortunately, it reopened in April last year after a bit of an internal makeover. The large multi space internal layout is unchanged but there are a few cosmetic changes and there seems to be a lot more exposed brick from my remembrances and some impressive chandeliers in the main bar area. The TV in the spacious corner section room with its large windows out onto Stroud Green Road and Hanley Road has now been removed, which is a good thing as it provides a decent sized area of the pub away from the TV screens. The other three in the main bar, side room and dining area remain, but are now enclosed in wooden cabinets, which is something else I don’t remember from previous post pandemic visits. Perhaps they were previously but were always open, so I didn’t notice. They were all closed for my early Saturday evening visit but the staff kindly opened one so that we could watch the Saracens v Exeter rugby match. TV’s open on request now seems to be the order of the day which is another good thing in my book.
Another change is the bar top that has been remodelled and the number of ale pumps had been reduced from five to four and only three were operational for my recent visit, with GK IPA, TT Landlord and a very pleasant Deuchars IPA. So sadly not the ale focus or choice that the Old Dairy was worth visiting for pre covid , but you can say that about a lot of pubs nowadays, and at least there was a well kept alternative to the insipid Greene King brews. This continued on the three banks of keg taps where, alongside some from the GK stable there was a decent range of craft options from both the usual suspects (Beavertown and Camden) and Northern monk and the Wolfpack Lager, which was appreciated by a Saracens supporter.
The food menu seemed to be more aligned to standard pub fayre than gastro dishes and the Steak and Ale pie I went for was the absolute classic pub food accompaniment to go with a decent pint.
Very glad to have this one back and on my list of goto pubs for a pie, pint and a game of rugby. No need to alter my previous rating, despite the slightly reduced focus on ale. Its still a very comfortable pub.
On 1st February 2024
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2109 recommendations about 1991 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Old Dairy
A very good review from Steve of N21 says it all,this is certainly a large pub with several different sections,and the wait to be seated dining area,although initially infront of the open kitchen,opens out into a formal dining room with it's own street frontage.The section at the apex of the building looks a good place to sup,but it had been hired for a function on my Saturday afternoon visit,and several alcove tables also had reserved signs.The clientele is mainly young professionals and many babies and toddlers were present inside.The high ceilings cause noise to reverberate off the wooden floor,so I wouldn't say that my visit was relaxing,but the pub is functional.You can eat food anywhere (Starters around £5-7,mains £13-18) ,but the lack of demarcation detracts from the pub atmosphere,while surprisingly the restaurant was hardly used.
The bar has 5 handpumps with GK IPA and an Old Dairy (Up & Under) as regulars with guests on my trip Signature Brew Wild Winter,Dorset Brewing Keep Calm and Swing Low and Mad Squirrel Hop Fest .It's listed in the GBG ,and that seemed fair enough.It serves it's market well but I found it a bit too hectic for my purposes.
On 18th February 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Old Dairy
A short walk from Crouch Hill overground station this large gastro style pub housed in the former Friern Manor Dairy Company has a commanding position on the corner of Stroud Green Road and Hanley Road in Crouch Hill. We actually entered through the dining room door in the original red brick part of the building that stretches up the road towards Crouch Hill station, which brings you into the large restaurant area. But this is such a large pub internally that the non-restaurant bar area section has several distinct areas with comfortable seating and provides several screens for the sport which was actually the underlying reason we were here.
The conversion is well done and it’s a bright and airy pub, primarily due to the massive skylight in the main internal section , then the massive floor to ceiling windows in the large street facing room to the front which also floods this section of the pub with light.
To give you the feel of the place if I say the wife was prepared to go out to watch the Aviva rugby Semi-finals, however was not prepared to go to our usual spit and sawdust Sky showing blokes Boozer, but demanded to go somewhere without yobs, that did good food and had comfortable civilised (her words) surroundings and atmosphere, there you have the Old Dairy.
This is a place for the young career types of Crouch End and surrounds to come and meet friends and socialise. And even at 3.00PM on a Saturday with both the Aviva Rugby and the Millwall Bradford playoff being shown on the screens you would be forgiven for thinking that the parent and baby club mentioned by Steve C below had been moved to a Saturday afternoon. Suffice to say no braying club supporters here, just those that want a bit of sport with their drinks and up market nosh. On the food front its well described by previous reviewers and although the home made Scotch Eggs and Pork pies behind the bar did look very good we went for the Curried Cod from the main menu which despite being a wallet hurting £16 by pub standards was very good and wouldn’t have disgraced a reputable restaurant.
On the beer front there was GK IPA , Twickenham Redhead and Old Dairy Red Top and Uber Brew ( no connection between pub and Brewery that I could see ) .
As we stayed for both Rugby Semi’s was able to try the three outside the IPA and they were all well-kept and the Uber Brew was a decent hoppy pale ale. And the missus was enamoured with her dinner, so with the exception of the Saracens result everything else met the good ladies wishes.
On 23rd May 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2109 recommendations about 1991 pubs]
View more reviews of The Old Dairy (7)
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- Official site of The Old Dairy - www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk
- Randomness Guide to London - Old Dairy entry
- Facebook - The Old Dairy
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Old Dairy - whatpub.com
Finsbury Park, 0.65 miles, 12 min walk (show)
Harringay, 0.72 miles, 13 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 09 September 2015 by ROB Camra
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 09 September 2015 by ROB Camra
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 09 September 2015 by ROB Camra
- Beer Garden : No last updated 09 September 2015 by ROB Camra
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 09 September 2015 by ROB Camra
- Car Park : No last updated 09 September 2015 by ROB Camra
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 18 February 2018 by Bucking Fastard
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 09 September 2015 by ROB Camra
- Function Room : Yes last updated 09 September 2015 by ROB Camra
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 09 September 2015 by ROB Camra
- Live Music : No last updated 09 September 2015 by ROB Camra
- Live TV Sports : Yes - Sky/BT Sports. - last updated 30 April 2018 by Tris C
- Micropub : No last updated 09 September 2015 by ROB Camra
- Pinball : No last updated 09 September 2015 by ROB Camra
- Pool Table : No last updated 09 September 2015 by ROB Camra
- Real Ale : Yes - Greene King. - last updated 13 June 2023 by Tris C
- Real Cider : No last updated 09 September 2015 by ROB Camra
- Wheelchair Access : Yes last updated 09 September 2015 by ROB Camra
