The Robin Hood, Botany Bay, Enfield

Robin Hood pages at the McMullens site - www.mcmullens.co.uk

Robin Hood pages at the McMullens site - www.mcmullens.co.uk

This place is pretty much in the middle of nowhere so they obviously rely heavily on food to make their profits, but I still had a very nice afternoon, with the family, supping on the well kept Country Bitter. Mcmullen Cask ale and Sweet Chariot were also available alongside Peroni and some standard lagers. The pub itself is a little sterile and uniform, but it is a perfect stop off for a bite to eat if passing. I'd imagine that it is heaving in the summer as there is some decking out the back that leads onto a very large big beer garden. There is also a climbing tree smack bang in the middle of it that my little one enjoyed falling off several times. This is a decent family pub and I would return.

The Robin Hood was historically a multi bar country pub with a bit of personality. Yes it was dark and shabby but it had some character for those days when it wasn't good enough to drink in the garden. But that was back then and now is after the McMullen Gastro pub designers and architects moved in and ripped all that out. But for some this will not be a bad thing. The Robin Hood is now a large one bar pub focussed on food service, with three large areas around a central bar area with virtually all of it set for dining. The décor is clean, bright and modern but largely sterile and void of any character. The food menu is reasonable and borders on being a bit pricey but is not outrageous, and has been decent quantity and quality on the couple of times I have tried it A key positive remains the outside drinking area, with the old concrete terrace now replaced by a decking area underneath two large Jumbrellas, and beyond this the very large garden remains unchanged and unspoilt. It is a McMullen's house and as such usually has well kept McMullen Cask ale and Country Bitters on hand pump. But I imagine they shift more white wine now than they do cask ale. So if you're after eating and want somewhere decent to take your mum, wife, girlfriend partner where they won't find much to bemoan, then the Robin Hood fits this bill. But if your after a cosy country pub with a bit of character in which to have an evening beer, then probably best to drive a bit further out into Herts, to the pubs in Northaw for example.