Builders Arms, Barnet

Forty years ago I wrote a letter to Greene King brewery asking them where their nearest pub to London was. They came back to me with this place so I visited it. Younger readers will find this hard to believe, but this WAS the only Greene King pub in Greater London. Greene King beers (especially Abbot) were sought after and along with Ruddles had started to get into the limited free trade. It struck me at the time that the pub was a conversion of a pair of semi-detached houses and today's visit confirmed that fact. There is a small saloon bar at the front left and a larger proper public bar to the right with Pool and darts. Visible from the saloon bar where I sat was a small kitchen producing Thai food lunches which were advertised at £5.00 a go. This seemed to be doing a brisk trade on my Friday lunchtime visit. On the bar there were six pumps that included three GK beers, Abbot, IPA and London Glory. The three guests were Robinson's Trooper, St Austell Proper Job and Wolf Golden Jackal. I had heard good reports about the Proper Job beer so went for it at £3.45 a pint. I don't know if my expectations were too high, but this seemed to be a straightforward hoppy pale beer rather than the hop bomb I was hoping for. To be fair to the pub I believe it was in good condition. It's nice to see a London pub with a proper publc bar even if it is converted houses rather than an original pub, but to me the Spoons round the corner had a more interesting beer selection and obviously was cheaper. If you don't like Spoons this is the one to go for. I was more disappointed with the St Austell beer than the pub.

I only Nipped in here after walking out the spoons which had no Decent Ale on. Glad I did what a surprise to find a nice traditional old style Pub just around the corner looks nice even from outside. Inside its just as good tried several Ales which were on tap all were in excellent condition. I Found staff welcoming and other customers friendly service was good and quick. Will definitely come back when I've more time to enjoy it for a few pints.

When you walk towards the door of a Greene King pub one's expectations aren't high, but I was wrong about this one. Being GBG listed is perhaps an unusal achievement for a GK pub, but this one had on Hyde's Finest, Everard's Tiger and Hopback Crop Circle, as well as the GK trio of GKIPA, London Glory and Abbot. This is a decent selection and certainly merits GBG inclusion, as the Tiger I had was in excellent condition. I didn't see a menu, but they do Thai food, and the smell of ginger and garlic was very present in the bar. This is a strange little pub. It looks like a house (or perhaps two houses) conversion. The main door is below street level, with a nicely tended front garden sloping down towards the building. The main room is quite small and is simply furnished with banquettes and standard issue tables and chairs. There’s a back room that I could see across the servery that contains a pool table and dartboard. I could hear music being played in the back room, but thankfully it wasn’t being playing in the front room where I was sitting. The front room has no TV either, although there may have been one in the back room. I reckon this is a pub of two halves, with the back room for those interested in playing pool or darts, and the front room for those just wanting a quiet drink. I like that idea a lot. This is a rather nice little pub with a decent ale selection, and is definitely worth a visit if you’re anywhere nearby.

Tried this Pub on a Saturday and there was someone's 70th Birthday in one bar and a very loud and rather awful band in the other. Tried again on the Sunday couldn't play Darts as the board is next to the TV and got a couple of grunts from the locals. Old Golden Hen and Abbot Ale on the pumps. Wouldn't go out of my way to visit this pub again.

This is a smallish two bar Greene King pub in a quiet side street in New Barnet. Older drinkers may well remember this pub as a rare Greene King outpost in the 1970’s before Greene King started to vigorously expand their trading area and acquiring ( and closing down ) other breweries. It was often said, semi – seriously, that Greene King would close down The Builders Arms if only they could find it. As it did in those early days, it still very much resembles a private house with the entrance down a few steps below street level. My memory of the pub in the 1970’s is now rather hazy, but it does seem to have expanded now in to the building next door. It’s now a comfortable two bar pub with a cosy wood panelled lounge and a more basic public bar which is sports and TV orientated. The second half of Man City v Notts County was under way when I called in recently. As well as the Greene King beers, the enterprising and enthusiastic management offer guest beers – those available on my recent visit being York Brewery Terrier and Kelham Island Easy Rider. A blackboard indicated that Coach House Dick Turpin and Holden Golden Glow were coming soon. Greene King beers on were Abbott, Olde Trip and IPA. Both the Abbott and the Olde Trip at £ 2.95p and £ 2.90p respectively – were in good form. You should call in here if you get the opportunity.

Randomness Guide to London - Builders Arms entry

Randomness Guide to London - Builders Arms entry

Unfortunately there was a leaving do going on in the back bar when I visited so I ended up in the public bar with a really drunk bloke and a handful of miserable pensioners, one of which closed the door in my face as I walked in – Cheers. Thankfully the barmaids were very friendly and the ale offering was Greene King IPA and Abbot alongside some standard lagers. I've been here before and enjoyed my stay more then, so I think I just picked a bad time to visit.