The Famous Royal Oak, Muswell Hill, N10

There was only one ale on in here - predictably Doom Bar, with a further three handpumps unclipped. I saw no sign of food on a Monday evening, but there again I wasn't looking for any. This is a relatively new build pub (by pub standards anyway) built in 1965 to replace a really old wooden pub on the site. It does have some character about it. You enter into a fairly low-ceilinged area facing the servery; on the left is a fairly small area with a high vaulted ceiling and a green marble fireplace; on the right it opens out into a much larger room also with a vaulted and wood-panelled ceiling complete with beams, and clerestory windows below ceiling level. There's maritime themed decor all over the place, including many model ships, and a pool table in the centre of the room. The windows to the outside world are also attractive features in their own right, with oak tree designs etched into them. I found this to be a comfortable community based pub, away from the main thoroughfares of Muswell Hill. It's certainly not worth the effort of travelling a great distance to Muswell Hill just to visit this pub, but worth a punt if you're in the area. A better real ale would be a big plus in my opinion, but I realise that not everybody cares about that sort of thing.

The exterior appearance is unpromising,but internally it's much better and has the vibe of an authentic suburban boozer.The bar runs along a rear wall,with a seating area in front with some red leather bench seating.To the right side is a comfortable banquette also in red leather and then a dedicated area for a pool table.What marks out the interior is the vast amount of ephemera which these days has disappeared from the pub scene;model ships,small library of books,a vast collection of minatures,photos of the area from ages past .It's all very old school as are the bar stools with wooden backs which prove popular with the more elderly regulars.If the juke box isn't fed a random song will play,and there are 4 flatscreen dotted about sensibly on mute awaiting World Cup soccer. There are 3 handpumps offering just two ales on my trip in Doom Bar and Adnams Ghost Ship (£4,beyond it's best).Comfortable and one of only three proper pubs in central Muswell Hill so it does serve a purpose.

Lovely family run pub, friendly Irish Landlord and a proper pub! I moved into the area recently and stumbled across this pub, and had a thoroughly great afternoon. Great beer and best pint of Guiness I've had in years. Kids and dogs welcome. Lovely atmosphere and great patio area with outside screens. Highly recommended!

A recent return found a lively crowd watching Arsenal's annual departure from the Champions League, interspersed with loud interruptions from the jukebox, which had evidently been primed to play a random track if not fed pennies for ten minutes. All the eccentric models and pictures are still very much in evidence, but I suspect there may have been a change of management here, or the beer quality has declined for other reasons. The cask beer offering still consisted of London Pride and Bombardier, as on my previous visits, but the latter had clearly been on the bar for a long time and was well past its best.