The Wonder, Enfield

Hidden away in the backstreets near Gordon Hill station, this is a smart, two bar McMullens pub. The large public bar at the front of the building has linoleum flooring and tongue and groove wood panelled walls with the lower sections painted in a green/blue shade and the uppers either left plain or painted in garish bright colours. Pews, banquettes and chairs line the front walls with a few low stools in support and one high table with bar stools next to the servery. The bar counter has the same panelling as the rest of room, with a tidy canopy entwined with plastic leaves and fairy lights, whilst the bar back is a simple mirrored unit with a neon sign reading 'Where the magic happens'. A couple of nice McMullens etched glass windows can be seen to the front and right, with each pane bearing a different beer's name. A few promotional blackboards dot the walls along with some old photos, an ancient typewriter nailed to the end wall, an unused TV screen and a lovely old pub sign. A corridor leads through an orange passageway lined with local photos and McMullens adverts, into a much smaller lounge bar at the rear. This space has parquet flooring, comfy seating around the perimeter and its own servery. It has been decorated in a similar fashion to the front room, but maybe to a slightly higher spec, as befitting a proper lounge bar. There's a decent sized garden space with plenty of seating and cover out the back and for some reason, party tunes were playing quite loudly to one lone customer when I arrived at 1pm on a Saturday afternoon. Just the two McMullens brews on the bar - AK and Country - with the latter in pretty good condition. A modest craft keg selection included two from Rivertown, which I believe is McMullens' offshoot craft brewery, and one from Beavertown. The barmaid was polite enough but customer numbers never made it above two for the duration of my stay. This is a nice enough pub with a well-kept interior that was reflected in the care taken with their beer. I liked the two bar layout, smart furnishings and community feel of the place, but the beer isn't the most exciting and it was a solitary experience drinking here on a Saturday afternoon, which didn't strike me as a good sign. A solid option in this part of town, but not one to make a specific trip out for. Date of visit - 5th October 2024

This is a charming pub that doesn't seem to have changed at all since the previous reviewer's visit over four years ago. The public bar on the left still has lino on the floor, the old joanna, the dartboard, as well as the photographs of people enjoying themselves - could be the 50th anniversary of VE mentioned below, but I didn't realise that. The smaller saloon bar on the right, which is connected to the public bar via a corrider by the gents, is still carpeted and seems more cosy than the other bar. It's in the 2016 Good Beer Guide, although not now on CAMRA's Regional of pubs with historic interiors. It doesn't look as if they've done anything to the place that would result in its removal; a re-assessment perhaps? Smooth Radio was being played during our midweek late afternoon visit, but not too loudly I'm pleased to say. There were four McMullen's ales on - Country, AK, IPA, and something called Cask Ale (£3.45 a pint). We had the latter ale, which tasted fine, even if it had a somewhat unimaginative name. There was no sign of food. A top up was given to one of our pints without request, even if the barman (guv'nor I think) had to walk back to the pump in the saloon bar to effect the top up. That's good service I say. This is a charming, largely unspoilt, and apparently well managed pub. I would be delighted to visit again if I find myself in this part of Enfield again.