Browns Brasserie @ Ye Olde Cherry Tree, Southgate, N14

Facebook page of Browns Brasserie @ Ye Olde Cherry Tree - www.facebook.com

Official site of Browns Brasserie @ Ye Olde Cherry Tree - www.browns-restaurants.co.uk

Facebook page of Browns Brasserie @ Ye Olde Cherry Tree - www.facebook.com

Official site of Browns Brasserie @ Ye Olde Cherry Tree - www.browns-restaurants.co.uk

Originally the Cherry Tree and grade II-listed, this place dates from the late 17th century and certainly looks suitably old; further information can be found on Historic England’s website. Of course, the ‘Ye Olde’ affectation is complete twaddle as this place was known simply as the Cherry Tree by at least 1926 when it was a Taylor Walker house. The interior matches previous reviews, with exposed sagging bare members (see photo), exposed rafters to a low white ceiling, bare brick, a floor of either carpet, quarry tiles or flagstones with some kilims, comfy furniture, trendy semi-industrial spun copper lampshades with filament bulbs, some shiny white tiles to the bar back, eclectic framed prints and the Cure and T. Rex on the stereo; the ugly games machine looked horribly incongruous. At the time of my Friday 9.40pm visit, the cask selection was a joke, with four unused pumps then Doom, swerved in favour of a pint of Neck Oil (£6.70), delivered by clueless staff, presided over by an old-school landlord. Customers were mixed locals, some probably coming from the grand houses nearby, some very obviously not and plenty of transients (one partnered with a wheelie suitcase) as the pub essentially acts as the bar/restaurant for the Travelodge next door, the two sharing the car park. This pub scores well for the history and atmosphere and is probably the best option in N14 though not worth a special visit if outside the postcode, but at least there’s no Doom in the Fishmongers.

This oozes with character with its sagging original beams with iron supports and semi-sub-divisions within, but in essence, it's a Vintage Inn charge which, although you can grab a beer in (Sharp's Doom Bar and Atlantic, St Austell Proper Job and Brain's Rev James) it's clear from the rolled-eye response to my answer from the obligatory "is there anything else" that the noble art is a secondary and necessary evil. Charming in places and you can get a good feed here, but nothing to make this a 'must visit' if in the area.