The Alfred Herring, Palmers Green, N13

Not sure you could get any more identikit Spoons. A shop conversion - so its lacking the sometimes architectural joy that JDW can provide. Large open plan room. Long bar. You know the menu. You know the core range of beers. Look a little closer here and there were two unexpected Dorset Brewing Company gems on offer. The durdle door was absolutely perfect and at £1.99 - a bargain of epic proportions in London. Justifies its inclusion in the 2021 GBG. I took it my filthy table, hoping the glass wouldn't get stuck.

This is a modern looking shop converted Wetherspoons located just a short walk from Palmers Green station on the main road through the area. A large porch leads you into the sizable main room with the servery down the right hand wall. The bar has a regular counter and impressive double-height mirrored bar back but still has that recognisable Wetherspoons look to it. Two rows of pillars run through the centre of the room, hinting at some form of previous division, presumably into a number of separate retail units. The main area i carpeted and has high tables and stools through the centre and regular tables and chairs elsewhere, with some comfy looking banquettes around part of the perimeter including in a cosy dark wood panelled area to the rear which looked like one of the better spots to bag a seat in the pub, albeit in quite a dark corner. To the left there is a long, narrow side room, probably another former shop unit in the past. This room is also carpeted and has some nice half panelled walls, windows looking through to the main bar area and some plain mirrors and 'Spoons info boards on the walls. There is also a large, abstract sculpture in this room, set into a wall recess, which has no interpretive board to explain its significance, yet still remains arguably the most interesting feature of the pub. Lots of TV screens throughout the pub were showing a subtitled news channel. The guest ale to regular ales ratio seemed a bit off here, with no less than six of the ten handpulls given over to regular 'Spoons options like Abbot Ale and Doom Bar, whilst he remaining four offered guest beers, although even then, one of these turned out to not actually be available, not that this was enough to encourage the staff to turn the clip around. I ended up with a pint of Trumans Attaboy, which seemed like very good value at just £2.15. It was in good shape too and served to me by a fairly friendly barmaid on this moderately busy weekend afternoon. Whilst this 'Spoons seemed to have a few nice spots in which to settle down over a pint or two, there wasn't really a great deal here to get excited about. The cheap, well kept beer was a plus and there aren't too many other serious contenders in the immediate area, but I have the feeling this is the sort of place that I will have forgotten about in a few months time.

This is a typical shop conversion 'spoons. It has the usual furnishings crammed in; the usual cheap pub grub and beer; and the usual all day drinkers. But it did provide us with a hot meal at a very reasonable price when we were in need of sustenance. Perhaps the most interesting thing (as in many 'spoons) was the stuff on the walls about the local area, from which we learn that Alfred Herring was a local man who won a VC towards the end of WWI and, unlike so many other VC winners in that war, survived to live a long life. It's a standard 'spoons; and they're usually jolly useful when you need them.

Well this spoons has Improved big time since my last visit they must of swapped staff with southgate branch Ha Ha. I Tried three different Ales All were in good condition including Abbot. Service was quick had no problem with staff knowing who was next waiting like in a lot of spoons.

This is another pretty dismal shop conversion, at least in this case the above picture shows that fact! There is a bank of 10 pumps, three of which were stocking the ubiquitous "Available Soon". I had a pint of Abbot at £2.49 which was in good nick. Also on offer were two relatively expensive Fuller's ales (ESB and Pride). The service was efficient on this occasion.

One of the better 'spoons if you pick your time right otherwise you'll wait an age to be served. On the downside - dippy staff and uncontrolled kids. Usual large range of well-kept ales and pre-packed frozen microwaved nosh of the chain. Used to come here often because it was smoke free long before the ban, like its counterpart at Weymouth.