Railway Tavern, Crouch End, N8

This is a very pleasant pub of attractive outward appearance and retaining enough internal features to justify a listing on Camra's heritage pubs website, where a detailed description can be found. I assume that the three model aeroplanes suspended from the ceiling are not part of the architect's plans from 1936. Another unusual feature is the table skittles board, prominently sited not far inside the front door. The bar is on the right and serves both rooms, the rear lounge area with its copper hooded fireplace being separated by only half screens from the front part (which used to be two rooms). There were three real ales on at the time of my visit: Timothy Taylor Landlord, Sharps Doom Bar and Marstons Pedigree. The Landlord was in good condition. Worth a look in when in this part of town.

A classic 1930's mock tudor exterior and worth a look around the interior for good features.The open plan set up is on three levels,and by the front door there was a table skittles board.Furniture is traditional with long bench seating on the middle level,while at the back is a most attractive fireplace with a beaten copper flue,and room in the inglenook for two small tables.Everywhere there is good wood panelling ,so pleasing that so much has survived. The bar is at two levels and has three handpumps offering Doom Bar and Purity UBU (passable but £2.20 the half) on my trip.There is a pub grub menu ,although I did see one punter send food back to the kitchen,and there are some tapas options.The rear section is used for Irish music nights on Wednesdays and the two flatscreen were playing music channel output,so music is a theme here. Nothing to get excited about on the ale front,but a decent interior to have a squint at.

The Railway Tavern is a really nice looking pub with a mock Tudor frontage and a large floral display which i like to see. Once inside there is a single oblong shaped room ,the front area has normal tables and chairs and tall tables and chairs,there is an an unusable table skittle table which must be for show,the bar is up one step on the right side,there is comfy bench seating and chairs opposite the bar,the rear area is up one more step,where there is more bench seating and chairs,there is lots of wood panelling which gives the pub a cosy feel. There were three real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Taylor Landlord which was a nice drink,the other beers were Purity UBU and Doom Bar. I quite liked this pub. Pub visited 4/8/2016

This pub boasts a classic brewer’s Tudor exterior, with as many black painted wooden beams set in the facade as it could possibly want. Apparently it started life as a Charrington’s pub judging by the trademark Toby jug featured in the external signage, although somewhat surprisingly the green banded glazing in the windows is absent. Inside much of the original design remains. The bar counter is clearly an original piece of work, as evidenced by the keyhole in the facing at the far end which also denotes that this is where the handpumps would originally have been sited. The half height wooden paneling, as well as the bar back with the Toby insignia still present, are also original. But of course it’s been largely opened up, although a bit of screening still remain separating to some extent what was the snug bar from the lounge at the back. There’s also a large fireplace at the back, with a copper hood to the chimney, and with a couple of small tables ensconced in the surrounds. There are model planes hanging from the ceiling, a model LNER train above the fireplace, and a boar’s head above the servery providing non-technological balance. Other items of note were the pair of gilded figurine plant holders, complete with aspidistras, doing sentinel duty by the fireplace. There are a few tables outside. The ale range is not extensive, but they did have on Doom Bar and Purity UBU (£2 a half). Sandwiches are around £6 -£7, and pub grub main courses are around £8 - £9. This pub could do with a little TLC – the banquettes were some of the grubbiest I have seen – but it remains a proper pub with plenty of interest in there for those of us who appreciate pub architecture. I liked it and would happily return.