The Robin, N4

I can see the three reviews here are all for different businesses in the same venue over time. I wouldn't be surprised if it was trading as something else, this time next year. This, despite its inclusion in the 2022 GBG. Its a crafty with a distressed look and hard bench seating. Nothing of interest in the decor, unless you like bare walls. Beer wise - a single cask stout and lots of interesting Keg. Usually, this lack of cask would get it marked down in the GBG - but it must be liked. Food - a kitchen outsourced for artisan burgers. Ambience - no other punters on a Saturday lunch time. Staff outnumbering me 3-1 and this excludes the burger men. Still employing covid rules - with waiting to be seated and ordering from a QR code. In a place with no punters. Wish them every success but you'd have to get me out of the faltering fullback at gunpoint if I was ever in the area again.

The interior of this "craftily" refurbished pub affects a distressed look with the wallpaper appearing to have been ripped off this morning. The exterior has a black base for artwork focussing on the pouring of a craft-keg ale. The bar, likewise, is predominantly craft offering a dozen or so well-chosen offerings from the likes of Buxton, Kernel & Deya. A 2/3 option contains the costs of these a little. It was good to not only see a cask ale but also that it was proving popular on a recent Friday afternoon. This was Buxton Porter with Turners Pear Cider also on the pumps. A simple food offering of the burger and fries variety is available too. For some reason, they were asking customers to wait to be seated, although it wasn't overly busy and I was hardly delayed on the way in. Table service was reasonable enough though, despite it being my first visit, I was already "mate". I'd rate the Brave Sir Robin pleasant enough for a brief pit-stop if you're in the vicinity.

The Hopsmiths is situated on the main road from Crouch Hill to Finsbury Park. Once inside there is a single oblong shaped room with the bar facing,the floor is bare boarded and the seating is tall tables and stools to the front and normal tables and chairs to the rear. This is Late Knights brewery tap,so there was a good choice of their real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Late Knights Crack of Dawn which went down well,the other beers noted Penge Porter/ Worm Catcher/ Morning Glory/ Summer Knights/ Fog Cutter all from Late Knights brewery,there were two guest beers on,Windsor & Eton Republica and a beer called Thames H20 which i did now what brewery i came from. There was some decent background music playing. This is not really my sort of pub. Pub visited 4/8/2016