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Detail Pages
The Catcher in the Rye, Finchley Central, N3
N3
N3 1DP
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
David Walton left this review about The Catcher in the Rye
Visited 22/05/25
Cask offering of TT LL, Doom Bar and Tribute. Keg range comprised Moretti, Peroni, Guinness, Amstel, Aspall, Neck Oil, Staro, Asahi.
Two entrance door venue on main road not far from Finchley Central station. The right-side front entrance takes you into the bare boarded area with the main bar counter which is on back wall facing entrance with a few tall tables in the bay window frontage opposite the bar counter. To the right of the entrance there are a couple of large booth tables on the right-hand wall. There are a couple of steps down into a small, tiled floor area with a few regular tables and chairs. A couple of TV's in this main bar area were showing the cricket absent commentary instead there was a quite high tempo pop soundtrack being banged out on Heart Radio. The left-side front entrance takes you into an area seemingly more geared to diners set on three levels (modest no of steps between each). The back area is carpeted with regular tables and chairs with a sofa either side of a large fire grate with a TV above again showing the cricket. The middle area is a mixture of bare boards and ceramic tiles with a mixture of seating options and providing access to the main bar, good if you know what you want as no taps or pumps on this side. The front part is bare boarded with some ledges and the best seating being tall tables in the windows. There is a small amount of seating at the front, protected from the pavement and road by a small wall. Pleasant enough pub not one for a session, saying that there is a regular Thursday evening quiz!
On 4th March 2026
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1349 recommendations about 1332 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Catcher in the Rye
The ale choice in here was quite good. There was six on, but included the usual suspects of Doom Bar and London Pride. The other four were Jaipur; Redemption Rock the Kasbek; and the By the Horns pair of Stiff Upper Lip and Hopadelic. The Hopadelic was £2.80 a half!! They do food - the fish & chips is £12.
On the left is bar cum restaurant area, containing a small bar counter but with no handpumps. I entered into this room, but moved swiftly up a couple of steps on the right to a small room which contained the bit of bar counter that housed the handpumps. There were a couple of tall tables/tall stools in the window bay. Further to the right is an area with large booths with fixed bench seating. I sat in the small room in the middle, which had on the walls some pretentious looking small photographs in large frames leaving too much white space. Personally I don't see why the photos shouldn't be large enough to be able to see properly, but that's just my opinion. There's a bit of seating outside at the front.
The beer's good here, with three ales from London microbreweries, but it's mightily expensive. I doubt whether I'll be in here again.
On 7th April 2019
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2617 recommendations about 2531 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about Catcher In The Rye
Dark grey painted interior with little rooms off the main bar.Quiet pub on my visit.Three cask beers inc Old Speckled Hen and Ohanlons -yellowhammer which was ok.Not for me.
On 20th December 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Strongers . left this review about Catcher In The Rye
This place is a gastro pub with the usual dark gastro décor and absence of electric lighting as apparently a candle on each table will suffice. This isn't 1974 and I'm not on a three day week, so stop being so tight and switch on the lights.
The pub has lots of small little sections making it a good place to go on a first date or if you don't want to look at the misses all night! The bar is at the front of the pub and I found the barman to be friendly enough. The Lancaster Bomber that I had was very good and Adnams was also available alongside some premium lagers.
If I was a woman or a fan of gastro pubs I'd have probably loved it in here, but I'm neither and I found this place to be lacking any atmosphere during my weekend visit, so I cannot see myself returning.
On 21st April 2009
- rating: 6
[User has posted 6560 recommendations about 6522 pubs]