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Beer of the Week (w/e 15th March 2026) with Wittenden
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Steve of N21
Submitted on Thursday, 10th August 2023
With picture contributions to 259 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (14 more images)
Detail Pages
McCafferty's Bar, N8
N8
N8 7EL
Served areas
Reviews of McCafferty's Bar (Average Rating: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
David Walton left this review about McCafferty's Bar
Visited 07/01/26. Previously visited 21/03/22.
No cask. Keg offering of Guinness, Moretti, Heineken, Neck Oil, Inch’s, Madri, Carling, Fosters, a rare pub sighting of Cobra, Brixton Reliance Pale Ale, Sharp’s Atlantic Pale Ale and their Cold River cider.
Bare boarded Irish venue not too far from Hornsey station. Sort of L shaped with the dark wood bar counter following the inside shape of the venue and with tall, backed stools along both sides of the counter. A good helping of the wall attached tables with tall stools along the front window side of the venue. There are some tall tables along the left-hand side facing the bar counter with screens separating the tables. The area behind that is slightly raised and has regular tables and chairs. There is a small room with a dart board at the rear beyond the end of the bar counter and an outside seating area at the rear. Plenty of screens showing music and sports on my visit, the actual music soundtrack, an enjoyable and eclectic mix of Irish music. As expected, shed loads of Irish sporting and other memorabilia on the walls. The industrious landlord was cleaning surfaces, windows etc on my visit and the venue is indeed spotless. A decent place for Guinness, sports, and music in this neck of the woods.
On 9th February 2026
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1340 recommendations about 1323 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about McCafferty's Bar
This place dates from the mid-19th century, but I suspect was rebuilt at the turn of the century; around 2019 it was turned into the eponymous incarnation, being painted a hideous shade of green in the process, for this is now an Irish-themed pub, a trend – if ever there was one – that died with the ‘90s.
The interior has some vestigial heritage, in the form of some occluded stained leaded lights as well as similar above the entrance vestibule, along with a little original woodwork. The floor is dark lacquered, a colour scheme of burgundy walls and dark brown Anaglypta ceiling. The bar back is modern and wainscoted with orange backlighting. Décor comprises much bric-à-brac in the form of earthenware thingies, hurling sticks, along with a quintessentially Irish Honda Cub mounted above the entrance lobby, illumination from some crystal chandeliers or Tiffany lamps. There were a multitude of dazzling TV screens showing silent unwatched sport, games machines and a chanteuse crooning away loudly with the aid of an Autocue; furniture is conventional and customers were young, local and about as Irish as Joe Biden.
No cask unsurprisingly, so it was more Neck Oil at £3.30 a half, served by a friendly barman.
Reminding me of a resurrected Scruffy Murphy’s, this is one cat that’s not the worst format for a place like this that I’ve visited, but the Queen’s is just down the road.
On 29th August 2024
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2307 recommendations about 2251 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about McCafferty's Bar
Well, a pint of Guinness is definitely the best option now as the Hope and Anchor has been transformed into a McCafferty‘s bar. It was the eighth member of this Irish themed chain when it opened its doors a couple of years ago.
Now a fetching green colour externally, as shown in recent photographs, internally it’s largely one open space wrapping around the central L shaped serving area. But there are raised areas to the corners and booth seating to the long edge to give the inside space some definition. Then when you move beyond the bar towards the garden there is a separate room to the right equipped with a dart board. When you move through the door into the outside space the first two sections are actually under a roof giving you the impression that you’re still actually inside the pub and then from here you enter out into a nice square courtyard garden area set to tables all aligned to give a view of a large external screen at the end of the courtyard.
in fact, in keeping with most Irish bars, this one is also festooned with TV screens in every section of the pub. But although the inside ones were all on but muted for my visit, somehow they were not intrusive, as they blended in with all the rest of the Irish theme branding, pub and brewery memorabilia, and general bric a brac that adorns all the walls and most of the ceiling area towards the back. For example the kettle collection hanging from the ceiling on the bar section is quite impressive if you’re into that type of thing
On the bar, multiple Guinness fonts as you would expect and all the usual keg suspects. However there was Beavertown neck oil, which was probably the most interesting ale option.
This was my first visit to one of the McCafferty bars, so I don’t know if they are all like this, but I have to say I was impressed with this one and thought it was quite an accurate representation of the genre. Yes I know it’s all fake, with the exception of the Irish barmaid, who was authentic, but I can still imagine this is a cracking pub to watch the sport in, especially if there is an Irish team playing.
On 10th August 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2320 recommendations about 2168 pubs]
View more reviews of McCafferty's Bar (7)
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- Official site of McCafferty's Bar - crouchend.mccaffertysbars.com
- Facebook page of McCafferty's Bar - www.facebook.com
- CAMRA WhatPub :: McCafferty's Bar - whatpub.com
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 19 July 2024 by Tris C
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 19 July 2024 by Tris C
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 19 July 2024 by Tris C
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 19 July 2024 by Tris C
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 19 July 2024 by Tris C
- Car Park : No last updated 19 July 2024 by Tris C
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 19 July 2024 by Tris C
- Darts : No last updated 23 August 2024 by Tris C
- Function Room : No last updated 23 August 2024 by Tris C
- Hot Food : No last updated 19 July 2024 by Tris C
- Jukebox : No last updated 23 August 2024 by Tris C
- Karaoke : Yes - Someone singing along to an Autocue. - last updated 23 August 2024 by Tris C
- Live Music : Yes - Weekends. - last updated 19 July 2024 by Tris C
- Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 19 July 2024 by Tris C
- Micropub : No last updated 19 July 2024 by Tris C
- Pinball : No last updated 23 August 2024 by Tris C
- Pool Table : No last updated 23 August 2024 by Tris C
- Quiz Night : No last updated 19 July 2024 by Tris C
- Real Ale : No last updated 19 July 2024 by Tris C
- Real Cider : No last updated 19 July 2024 by Tris C
- Wheelchair Access : No last updated 23 August 2024 by Tris C
- WiFi : Yes last updated 23 August 2024 by Tris C
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