North Nineteen, N19

Originally the Enterprise, this pub dates from at least the mid-19th century, but was rebuilt possibly around the early ‘60s, 70 metres to the south-east of the original site; it was renamed the Pink Flamingo in 2006, the current name arriving around 2008. Nothing of the original interior seems to have survived what is a modern aesthetic, with a black and white colour scheme and little décor; there’s a pool room to the rear, which seems to be accessed by going out the front then in the side. Mention is made earlier of this being a gastropub, but I didn’t get the impression that there was any food here; there’s no mention of a menu on their website, despite pictures of food on their gallery. There was a TV showing sport with the sound off, so as not to compete with a decent reggae soundtrack. Customers were few in number despite my Saturday evening visit, but were youngish and undoubtedly local, given the remote backstreet location. There were two unused pumps then – surprisingly – a real ale in the form of Hophead, served by a friendly barman but at an insulting £3.00 a half, though quite drinkable. This is quite a dreary pub, but an absolute riot compared to the nearby and deathly Sussex Arms; though far from perfect, the Landseer is the preferred option in this area. Having read the previous reviews, I may be missing something, or perhaps the place has changed dramatically in the last 10-odd years?

North Nineteen is a corner pub that is set in the back streets between Holloway Road and Hornsey Road. Once inside there is an oblong shaped room to the front which is bare boarded,there are normal tables and chairs for seating and a real fire was on the go to the front right,there is a separate room to the rear. There were two real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Skinners Cornish Knocker,which was a decent drink,the other real ale was put on while i was there,this was Butcombe Bitter. The youngish couple running the pub seemed very friendly and told me directions to a recently reopened pub. A decent pub that some might find hard to find,a shame it was almost empty on my Saturday afternoon visit. Pub visited 25/2/2017

This pub isn't all that close to any tube or train station, so a bit of effort is required to find it, but having marched through seemingly endless rows of housing on my admittedly convoluted way from Finsbury Park, I was very glad that I persisted. The interior is divided in two with separate entrances and a gender equality defying connecting route through the gent’s toilets. The smart lounge bar is to the right and has two distinct areas. The front section has a bit of a gastro feel to it thanks to plush leather seats around standard pub tables, bare wooden flooring and a nice corner fireplace. A TV screen was on showing the early Premier League football match (a 4-3 defeat for local favourites Arsenal) and I spotted a musical theme with an upright piano next to the fireplace and a guitar hung over the archway to the rear section. This area has less natural light than the front part, so it's a cosier, darker space filled with plush sofas and another fireplace, this time with a large mirror hung above it. The second room, on the left hand side of the pub, was empty on my visit, so I only had a quick peek inside, which was enough to reveal a smaller space with additional seating and a dartboard. The pub sells itself as a steak and ale house, so given the hour of the day, I decided to try a bit of both. The menu focuses heavily on steaks and burgers, although there were some very tempting specials on a chalkboard behind the bar. The steaks were quite pricey, with the cheapest coming in at £16, so I went for something called the N19 burger, which apparently is made from a mixture of three types of beef. I thought it was one of the best burgers I've ever tried, which pleased the very friendly barman who was keen to get feedback on his food. As for the ale, there are pumps on both bars, but there was a list on a blackboard in the right hand room from which I made my choice. On offer were Skinners Cornish Knocker and Betty Stogs (£3.30), Timothy Taylor Landlord, Fullers ESB and Ringwood Fortyniner. The board also detailed beers that were on their way or recently gone and these included Hop Back Summer Lightning, Sharp's Doom Bar, St Austell Tribute, Butcombe Bitter, Sambrooks Wandle and Brakspear Oxford Gold. Symonds Founders Reserve Cider was also available as well as the usual keg range. I tried both Skinners beers and found them to be in good shape. I thought that this place had found a good balance between friendly local and upmarket gastro which should appeal to a wide range of people. As I left, the barman said that I shouldn't be a stranger and if I lived nearer I would certainly make the point of using this place regularly as it seems to be a bit of an undiscovered gem.

This is a good looking backstreet pub with plenty of picnic tables located at the front exterior that is dotted with plants and pretty blooming flowers. There is also a large drum BBQ that wasn’t being used during my visit last Sunday, but it the management here have created a nice little area in not such a great location to have a beer and some food alfresco. The pub is split into two separate bars and the first one that I entered had some relaxed music playing in the background whilst Formula 1 was being aired on the muted flat screen TV. To the right hand side of the bar was a smaller room that had some comfortable seating along with some board games and a dartboard hidden away in its case. There was a limited selection of draught products available along with three hand pumps that were drawing Skinners Betty Stoggs, Cornish Knocker and Youngs Ordinary. I opted for my usual tipple of Guinness which was perfectly served by the affable guy behind the bar. After having a quick flick through one of the Sunday papers that was laying on the bar I decided to pop into the other bar where access is granted through the toilets or by walking down the outside of the pub. This bar is a little smaller and had six more hand pumps. Three of these were unused, but ESB, Landlord and Directors were available from the others. A few old beer clips were up on the wall behind the bar which shows signs of a rolling selection of beers. There was another dartboard in here along with some books and a big old drawing board in the corner. There was no music or distraction and the wind could be heard blowing through the bushes in the small enclosed area out the back that houses some more picnic tables to go with the ones out the front. Food is served from 17:00 until 22:00 during the week, midday until 22:00 on Saturday and midday until 19:00 on Sundays when there is a roast menu, but the barman did make it known to some people that entered the pub after me that the entire menu is still available on Sunday, but there will be a longer wait as it isn’t prepped. Along with the entertainment of “The Full Pint” magazine on the window ledge there is a quiz on Mondays, open mic on Tuesdays and ante up for the poker on Wednesdays which all start at 20:00. My visit wasn’t long enough, but from what I saw over my two pints I was very impressed and I gladly report this pub as a hidden gem – well worth seeking out for the beer and welcome.

Official site of North Nineteen, includes menu, wine list and events guide - www.northnineteen.co.uk

A very tastefully refurbished 2 bar corner local,with a seperate dining area. 3 real ales on tap and freshly cooked food.check it out