The Tav, Hornsey, N8

Visited 18/11/24 No cask obviously. Keg range was Guinness, Blue Moon, Franciscan Well Chieftain, Old Rosie cider, and then lagers Coors, Staropramen, Carling, Pravha and Mahou. Feels like a shop conversion as a long rectangular venue with bar servery on right hand side about mid venue. Bare boarded and had the lights turned up on my visit. Regular tables and chairs in the front part of the venue with a ledge and stools opposite the bar and around the bar counter. Felt a bit disorientated with all the mirrors in the rear part of the venue . A dart board beyond the bar was the most in demand part of this venue, even beyond the fruit machines in the mid part of the venue. Makes the North Eight a couple of doors away seem like an attractive proposition.

This bar was opened in 2018 by the previous management of the Hornsey Tavern up the road when it closed. From the outside it looks to be a shop conversion but apparently it was a bar and a night club before becoming the Tav. It’s long and thin with a modern brick walled, wooden floor decor and the bar half way up on the right hand side. Seating to the wall opposite the bar and then a more open space at the end with TV screens throughout and sky sport being advertised. Then there are a couple of metal tables and chairs to the front of the pub that catch the afternoon sun. No ale here, just the usual fizz taps with the usual suspects. As a bar it was comfortable and pleasant enough but it’s difficult to get away from the fact that it is more nightclub bar than comfortable pub.