Minstrel Boy, Muswell Hill, N10

I’ve been in the Minstrel Boy a few times due to its proximity to my house, but if it was any further away I probably wouldn’t bother as it certainly isn’t a pub worth going out of the way for. I’ve always found the staff and the manager to be friendly enough, but the local estate clientele leave a lot to be desired. It is a Greene King pub with one hand pump which was off on my last visit and I remember reading somewhere recently that they were not selling ale anymore which doesn’t surprise me. The culling of the ale leaves a standard draught selection along with Ruddles Best on draught for those who can stomach it. The large pub is split into three sections with the main bar area being to the right of the entrance and I’d imagine it was quite small before the extension was added. There is seating in here, but it doesn’t really feel that comfortable as the tables are bunched up together. To the right of the bar area there is a small raised room that has some sofas and low tables for chilling out although I don’t ever recall anyone sitting in there. To the left of the bar area the largest room is found and this houses a pool table and dartboard and it has also been extended with the addition of a lean-to at the side. The pub shows Sky Sports and there are TV screens throughout the entire building which never seem to be turned off. They are sometimes muted to allow for some background music and in the evening the volume can be very excessive. There are some picnic tables located outside the front of the pub and there is also a small smoking shelter for wet days, but these overlook a very busy main road so it can get a bit noisy meaning that I wouldn’t choose to drink there. I sure that I’ll end up in here again at some point, but it won’t be planned.