Bald Faced Stag, Burnt Oak, Edgware

At last! this pub has had an awful reputation in the past but now it is totally different. New guvnor, Paul & Lesley, are real people not just looking for a quick buck. They have a chef who makes his own pies, desserts in fact nearly all of the food is homemade!!! and reasonable on the wallet. Tuesday 14th September 2010 is their second tasting evening where the chef provides food to accompany his relishes, chutneys and pickles. I attended the first one and i was astounded at what was on offer. The pub has been awarded 4 stars with the scores on the doors scheme with the local council. It is getting better.

The Bald Faced Stag has had it’s problems and bad press in the past but it was good to see it not only surviving but flourishing. Large two bar pub that has been knocked into one large room. The décor is a bit sparse but there remains some nice tiling below the bar and around the fireplaces if you look. A bit of a rough and ready clientele and a few too many kids running around for my liking. No real ale unfortunately. Two pool tables and a nice outside decking area.

This place has no real ale, but it does have its fair share of bog standard lager. The locals were either drunk or very drunk and they all had an air of ‘dodgy' about them. There are a couple of pool tables and plenty of plasma screens for watching Sky and Setanta and there is a decked area out the back covered by two huge brollies for the smokers. This is not a great pub and I would rather watch the match at the Lansdowne up the road.