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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Alfred Herring, Palmers Green, N13
N13
N13 5TT
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Steve of N21 left this review about The Alfred Herring
This is one of Mullet Mans Empire that was sold off last year. After a period of closure it has reopened under a new unspecified ownership, although the rumour is the snooker club that operates above the pub have bought it.
Its virtually unchanged from the previous Spoons, both inside and outside, although there are a few more tele's from my rmemberances as it now goes under the sports bar mantel.
Plenty of fizz stuff but fortunately still a bank of ale pumps in operation and althouth these were mainly from National breers (London Pride, IPA Doombar e.t.c.) there was a passable Dark Star Hop Head on.
On 13th February 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2236 recommendations about 2098 pubs]
Quinno _ left this review about The Alfred Herring (JD Wetherspoon)
A 2006 opener, this is a mildly confusing suburban Spoons. It might well be three properties whacked into one as there's three ‘tube’ rooms going into the bowels of the building, as it were. My notes stop abruptly for some reason, Untappd says of my pint of Vale Black Beauty was “In good nick here; lovely interplay of molasses, roast coffee and a bit of sweetness.” So let’s call that an NBSS 4. Overall, not bad at all for a Spoons. However, everything written here is moot as Timbo wielded the axe a couple of weeks after I was in and it’s now closed.
On 11th June 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5552 recommendations about 5533 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Alfred Herring (JD Wetherspoon)
A large shop conversion Spoons in an under-pubbed area. Not the most enticing frontage but inside is ok, typically furnished with traces of the 'library' style. The large main room is broken up by pillars, while there is a connected side area which presumably was the shop next door. It would have been relaxing, with noise generally muffled rather than echoing which can sometimes be the case, however the gym upstairs produced some annoying thumping sounds at intervals. Three guests beers were on from the autumn festival, no unable to tell what might be available normally.
On 21st October 2021
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3641 recommendations about 3576 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Alfred Herring (JD Wetherspoon)
Not sure you could get any more identikit Spoons.
A shop conversion - so its lacking the sometimes architectural joy that JDW can provide.
Large open plan room. Long bar. You know the menu. You know the core range of beers.
Look a little closer here and there were two unexpected Dorset Brewing Company gems on offer. The durdle door was absolutely perfect and at £1.99 - a bargain of epic proportions in London. Justifies its inclusion in the 2021 GBG.
I took it my filthy table, hoping the glass wouldn't get stuck.
On 27th July 2021
- rating: 3
[User has posted 1563 recommendations about 1543 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Alfred Herring (JD Wetherspoon)
This is a modern looking shop converted Wetherspoons located just a short walk from Palmers Green station on the main road through the area. A large porch leads you into the sizable main room with the servery down the right hand wall. The bar has a regular counter and impressive double-height mirrored bar back but still has that recognisable Wetherspoons look to it. Two rows of pillars run through the centre of the room, hinting at some form of previous division, presumably into a number of separate retail units. The main area i carpeted and has high tables and stools through the centre and regular tables and chairs elsewhere, with some comfy looking banquettes around part of the perimeter including in a cosy dark wood panelled area to the rear which looked like one of the better spots to bag a seat in the pub, albeit in quite a dark corner. To the left there is a long, narrow side room, probably another former shop unit in the past. This room is also carpeted and has some nice half panelled walls, windows looking through to the main bar area and some plain mirrors and 'Spoons info boards on the walls. There is also a large, abstract sculpture in this room, set into a wall recess, which has no interpretive board to explain its significance, yet still remains arguably the most interesting feature of the pub. Lots of TV screens throughout the pub were showing a subtitled news channel.
The guest ale to regular ales ratio seemed a bit off here, with no less than six of the ten handpulls given over to regular 'Spoons options like Abbot Ale and Doom Bar, whilst he remaining four offered guest beers, although even then, one of these turned out to not actually be available, not that this was enough to encourage the staff to turn the clip around. I ended up with a pint of Trumans Attaboy, which seemed like very good value at just £2.15. It was in good shape too and served to me by a fairly friendly barmaid on this moderately busy weekend afternoon.
Whilst this 'Spoons seemed to have a few nice spots in which to settle down over a pint or two, there wasn't really a great deal here to get excited about. The cheap, well kept beer was a plus and there aren't too many other serious contenders in the immediate area, but I have the feeling this is the sort of place that I will have forgotten about in a few months time.
On 13th January 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3350 recommendations about 3350 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Alfred Herring (JD Wetherspoon)
This is a typical shop conversion 'spoons. It has the usual furnishings crammed in; the usual cheap pub grub and beer; and the usual all day drinkers.
But it did provide us with a hot meal at a very reasonable price when we were in need of sustenance. Perhaps the most interesting thing (as in many 'spoons) was the stuff on the walls about the local area, from which we learn that Alfred Herring was a local man who won a VC towards the end of WWI and, unlike so many other VC winners in that war, survived to live a long life.
It's a standard 'spoons; and they're usually jolly useful when you need them.
On 9th January 2017
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Alfred Herring (JD Wetherspoon)
A very standard 'spoons exterior confusingly with signs to the gym which occupies the space above and not something you associate with a typical 'spoons customer.However the interior is split into sections with the bar to the right,a raised side room with dining tables,seating booths opposite the bar and a collection of comfy chairs at the front giving a good view of the street scene.The interior is clean and tidy with none of the all day drinker issues that can bedevil the chain on my afternoon visit.
The 10 handpumps included just four regular ales on my trip (London Pride,Doom Bar,Ruddles Bitter and GK Abbott) while all the others were offering a good line up of guests and no "coming soon"clips ! This meant By the Horns Stiff Upper Lip,Celt Experience Cardiff Resin,Sambrooks Four Chimneys,Twickenham Black Eel,Hop Stuff Oatmeal Stout (decent nick) and an International festival ale I failed to note.Good to see some dark ales and a mix of styles and strengths so I would judge that given it's 2016 GBG listing this is a 'spoons that cares about the real ale it sells.Well done to the local team,I'm sure this must be the default place to drink in the shopping area of Palmers Green.
On 1st March 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2936 recommendations about 2936 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alesonly . left this review about The Alfred Herring (JD Wetherspoon)
Well this spoons has Improved big time since my last visit they must of swapped staff with southgate branch Ha Ha. I Tried three different Ales All were in good condition including Abbot. Service was quick had no problem with staff knowing who was next waiting like in a lot of spoons.
On 27th March 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 132 recommendations about 105 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Alfred Herring (JD Wetherspoon)
This is another pretty dismal shop conversion, at least in this case the above picture shows that fact!
There is a bank of 10 pumps, three of which were stocking the ubiquitous "Available Soon". I had a pint of Abbot at £2.49 which was in good nick. Also on offer were two relatively expensive Fuller's ales (ESB and Pride).
The service was efficient on this occasion.
On 17th May 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
BobOs . left this review about The Alfred Herring (JD Wetherspoon)
One of the better 'spoons if you pick your time right otherwise you'll wait an age to be served. On the downside - dippy staff and uncontrolled kids. Usual large range of well-kept ales and pre-packed frozen microwaved nosh of the chain. Used to come here often because it was smoke free long before the ban, like its counterpart at Weymouth.
On 11th July 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 370 recommendations about 355 pubs]