Malt & Hops, North Finchley, N12

Clearly a pub building from the outside but such a disappointment once inside,it has had a very modern refurb as decribed below which has destroyed any pub vibe.A very large flatscreen was showing Six Nations rugby to hardly any punters at all and the bar has a vast modern mirror set above it,but no real ale and just some standard multinational kegs.Shipyard APA seemed the best option,£6.50 and I sank it before sloping off never to return.How can pubs this bad survive,maybe the food is decent but I wasn't going to chance it.

This pub was a coaching inn, in existence by at least the mid-19th century but may have been rebuilt at a later date, possibly in the ‘20s. Given the last review, I was looking forward to visiting this place, but oh dear. It had been closed for a few years and has now undergone a rather awful makeover, with a modern slatted wood floor, black field panelling to the dado then either pale grey paint, but in the main, black Baroque wallpaper with a metallic graphite Edwardian pattern then a white ceiling, with weird Tom Dixon-style light fittings; the bar is new, the bar back being black with a large plate glass mirror. There’s an isolated World of Pine table to the front, but then furniture is modern restaurant-style with tubular chrome legs; the structural columns have been wrapped with black rope. Décor takes the form of a few prints of the area from yesteryear – when it was less depressing – some potted flowers and Guinness bunting. There were few customers, an older bunch at the time of my Wednesday 9.00pm visit. There are now no pumps, a half of Neck Oil at £3.20, served by a mildly suspicious young barmaid. This place is a waste of space, but having visited Finchley before, I know that the only place worth visiting preceded by the F-word is the Windsor Castle.

Facebook page of Malt & Hops - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of Malt & Hops - www.facebook.com

Official site of Malt & Hops - maltandhopslondon.co.uk

Official site of Malt & Hops - maltandhopslondon.co.uk