The Green Man, NW9

Visited 18/08/25 No cask - the single hand pump looks like not been used in years. Keg offering of Sharps Atlantic Pale Ale, Guinness, Carlsberg, Coors, Moretti, Madri, Fosters, Stella and SB original. Approached this venue assuming it would be closed again but was pleasantly surprised to see it open on my early Monday evening visit. It is certainly an imposing building and is pretty ramshackle on the outside. Inside it is bare boarded with plenty of attractive leaded glass windows which mean it can be difficult to see from outside whether it is open. The bar counter is a traditional dark wood affair with some tall, backed stools around its curved frontage. An area to the right of the entrance was shuttered off on my visit. To the left of the entrance there was a slightly raised area with some half height wood panelling and a mixture of tall and regular tables plus a pool table and dart board that would require some rearrangement of the tables to be in play. A TV on the wall was showing Sky sports news with commentary and there was another at the other side of the bar counter. The other room (lounge bar maybe in old days with the other obvious entrance padlocked shut from the inside) was similarly bare boarded and had a few benches / banquettes around the perimeter plus a leather sofa serving regular tables. There was a pool table in the middle of the floor area. Felt down at heel, but fundamentally an attractive interior that feels unloved these days. It felt a bit gloomy inside, but it certainly contributed (positively) to the atmosphere of the venue. With some decent cask beer (zero likelihood of that) and a bit of sprucing up inside and outside it would have potential.

This pub dates from at least the mid-19th century – though I suspect given the name and location – may be a far, far older coaching inn; it was rebuilt in 1937 to the designs of Truman’s inhouse architect, A. E. Sewell, complete with trademark ‘Eagle’ motifs. The first thing you notice is the former freestanding off-licence, with ‘Eagle’ motif; to the right is the pub, a rather grand affair, externally needing some TLC. Pushing aside the main door with cracked Barclays Premiership leaded window, to enter a pub which is a complete mess. Much of the interior remains, leaded lights, natural wood wainscoting with raised area to the left-hand side – complete with pool table and King Harold dartboard – and a room beyond which hints at much finery, but I didn’t dare venture in. Ultimately this is a really rather scruffy, rundown, downmarket pub, with tat, knickknacks down, with many a sports flyer. The floor is modern pine, walls and ceiling cream, mismatched furniture and what on approach I had taken for disco lighting in the form of the red interior lambency, was in fact the omnipresent glow from infrared portable heaters. Sports commentary competed with piped music and multiple games machines flashed away; a horrible XL Bully (or similar) roamed free. Customers looked like wannabees from the nearby Moon Under Water, one a small child playing on a games machine at gone 9.25pm at the time of my Friday visit. There’s no cask, just Eurofizz, a half of Moretti at a cheap £2.30, served by a young barman with EarPods in his lug’oles. It may only have been the last day of February, but I doubt I’ll visit a worse pub this year.