The Tally Ho, North Finchley, N12

They had five real ales on in here - Black Sheep Baa Baa Ale; Hobgoblin; Old Golden Hen; GK Abbot; and Purity Mad Goose (£1.65 a half). There were also three Lilley ciders on - Tropical; Strawberry; and Rhubarb. Assuming they were all really on - WhatPub casts doubt on this. I stuck with the beer of course and the Mad goose was definitely available. The usual Stonegate pubco menu, with all manner of byzantine meal deals was available. I kept it simple and went for the all day breakfast at £6.29. This is a massive landmark pub in the centre of town. Even the bus stop is named after the pub. Inside it's still split into four distinct drinking and eating areas - there were probably even more in years past judging by the unused doors. I sat in the room on the corner, which is carpeted and furnished entirely with normal tables and chairs, and which also has the access to the garden. The main bar is up a couple of steps, is bare-boarded with loads of tall tables/tall stools - but is where the handpumps can be found. There are two further rooms back down a couple of steps on the High Road side of the pub. When I was in the drinkers were congregating in the main bar area, with anyone eating sitting in one of the other three rooms. It's a Stonegate pub so the ale choice is never going to be exceptional, but the selection in here is better that any other Stonegate pub I've been in. The all day breakfast at £6.29 looks to be the same as the traditional breakfast available bedfore noon at £4.99. I reckon it's a bit better than the the 'spoons version, although theirs is a bit cheaper. For a Stonegate pub it's good. As you might expect it was doing a good trade at lunchtime on Wednesday, being the nearest thing to a 'spoons around here. It used to be a 'spoons of course.

Official site of The Tally Ho - www.greatukpubs.co.uk

Official site of The Tally Ho - www.greatukpubs.co.uk

A Spoons located in a lovely old building abutting a junction, though sadly the interior is grubby and battered which lets it down – though on hearing that the place is on the JDW disposal list perhaps that explains why. It’s less open-plan than the average Wetherspoons and there’s a lot of traditional pub touches that gives it a bit of character (wood panelling, red Victroriana wallpaper, latticed windows etc). Also, there’s an unusual and pleasant enclosed garden area at the apex of the building’s footprint. Our visit was a sad comedy – the place was incredibly badly run, staff with little-to-no skills and only three ales on with just one genuine guest, an appalling Nethergate Growler which went back, to be replaced with Abbot which tasted suspiciously like GK IPA to me. In short, this was dire and one can only hope that its new owners get it back up to muster – there’s the fabric of a very good pub here.