The Three Horseshoes, N20

This is a pub originally built roughly at the transition from George IV’s reign to that of Victoria, at the junction of the High Road and Friern Barnet Lane, where you can find some beautiful early 17th century alms houses; I suspect it has been rebuilt and although now run by Craft Union, it still retains a metal ellipse atop each sign frame, an indication that this was once a Whitbread’s house. The interior looks to have been redecorated fairly recently: a modern white tiled bar back, new boarded floor, low white screed ceiling – which is a bit odd – mixed conventional furniture, décor taking the form of drinks’ deals, still very loud background music taking precedence over France’s misguided attempt at an Olympic ceremony, ignored by a mixed age local crowd at the time of my Friday 9.30pm visit. Like Strongers, I too found it difficult to get to the bar and payment was a pain, as the card reader is fixed, meaning I had to navigate the throng to reach it. There was an unused pump then solitary Hobgoblin Ruby at just £2.05 a half, served by a flighty barmaid and tasting as expected. This is better than most Craft Union pubs and is positively like the Audley compared to the nearby Cavalier, but Friday (and probably Saturday) mayhem aside, the place to be in N20 is the Griffin.

Official site of The Three Horseshoes - www.craftunionpubs.com

Official site of The Three Horseshoes - www.craftunionpubs.com

There were a couple of ales on - Doom Bar and Purity UBU (£1.80 a half). I didn't see any sign of food at midday on a Monday. This pub has some nice fielded paneling on the walls to two-thirds height. The bar counter front is also inter-war, and also with fielded panelling, but unfortunately now painted a dark purple. The central island bar has the main drinking area at the front; a smallish room through a doorway on the left; leading to a further room at the back where the panelling has been painted a bright aquamarine colour. I chose to sit at the front, preferring the purple bar counter to aquamarine walls. There is some further booth seating behind the servery. This is a decent pub without being anything special. I could have done without the thumping pop music, and I prefer a more traditional colour scheme, but my UBU was in fine shape and it's certainly worth dropping in for a swift one if you're in Whetstone.