The Thornhill Arms, Kings Cross, N1

Randomness Guide to London - Thornhill Arms entry

Randomness Guide to London - Thornhill Arms entry

I recently revisited this pub after a gap of a few years to find it almost unrecognizable from the old fashioned traditional boozer it once was. These days it has been given a more modern makeover that gives the pub a more up market appearance although to be fair it does not seem to have lost its community roots. The wooden floor is well trodden and the dartboard, 2 plasma screens and several fruit machines seem at odds with the settees, leather sofas, potted plants, fireplace and candlelit tables. It feels more like a lounge bar than a local community pub. The island bar itself in particular looks very open and bare with very few taps to be found given the expanse of bar surface. Disappointingly they have no Real ales, just the usual mass production lagers and kegs. Some things have not changed in that it is still a Gooner stronghold and there are lots of Arsenal pictures, signed shorts, banners etc on show. I am not sure whether the makeover is really to my taste and there are sadly very few pubs in the area that have escaped either transition to Irish theme pubs or trendy refurbishments. I would have thought that this place would have been one of the few pubs that resisted the temptation.