The North London Tavern, Kilburn, NW6

This has been very much opened out since my last visit some years ago and is far less gloomy. Well described below, minus the trugs and metal buckets on tables. Ales on offer were Sambrook's Scrumdown (£1.95 a half and a rather dull, lifeless brew), Hogsback's TEA and Greene King IPA. This is an undemanding pub which is clearly aimed at more affluent residents but does now resemble something of a hotel bar. Real ale aside, I still prefer The Black Lion down the road.

The ales on here were Twickenham Four Grains; Itchen Valley Belgarium; and Windsor & Eton Boatman (£1.90 a half). Food is a big player here, and there were single sheet menus on all the tables, offering main course around £9 - £11, with "Cumberland sausage and mash, red onion gravy" at £9.50. Burgers are £10.50 and sarnies £5.50. They’ve made a real dog’s dinner of the exterior of the pub, with adverts for the New NLT" plastered across the front of the pub, including on the windows. But inside it’s much nicer. It’s been opened up now of course, although there’s a separate room at the back with all tables laid for diners. But you can eat in the main bar area, and some punters were doing that. I didn’t eat here, but what I saw others eating looked OK, although of course they were having to eat off blocks of wood rather than plates. I wonder if anyone eats off blocks of wood in their homes? When I’ve eaten at friends’ houses it’s always been off a plate – just shows what reactionary friends I have I suppose! Anyway, on the tables are wooden trugs containing a sprig of flowers, salt and pepper pots, and a little metal bucket containing the cutlery. It’s that sort of place – on the one hand a potential gastropub, and on the other still a local pub doing decent ale. There are still one or two clearly Victorian features remaining in here, including the Lincrusta style ceiling, a few bits of etched/cut glass, and some glazed screening behind the bar. This screening is unusual in that it encompasses several snob screens, at least one of which is still functional, there probably to give the publican the option of looking out into the pub, or retaining his privacy. Furnishings are mainly normal tables and chairs and distressed sofas/banquettes. This isn’t usually the type of pub that I like, but I quite enjoyed my visit to this one. The service was friendly and efficient – tasters were offered – and the barman was keen to talk about the beers. Being a high-ceilinged, bare-boarded old Victorian pub it will probably be very noisy when it gets busy, but on a Friday lunchtime it was a nice enough place for a quiet drink.

The North London Tavern is a decent looking corner pub that is close to Kilburn Jubilee line tube and Brondesbury overground. Once inside the main drinking room was L shaped,the bar faced,there was bench seating to the front right,the front left had a mix of tall tables and stools and small tables and stools,the room was bare boarded. There was a smart looking dining room to the rear which was partitioned off by old looking glass windows,there was a large chandilier in the middle of this room. There were four real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Windsor & Eton Parklife which went down very well,the other beers were Portobello VPA,NLT Jubilee Line bitter and GK IPA. There was some decent background music playing during my visit,but the pub was empty apart from myself. I was happy enough drinking in this pub. Pub visited 1/5/2014