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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Just a quick pint, then I'm off
Submitted on Saturday, 31st December 2022
With picture contributions to 10780 other pubs
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Detail Pages
The Famous Cock, N1
N1
N1 1RU
Served areas
Reviews of The Famous Cock (Average Rating: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Famous Cock
Reviewed 19th March 2014:
This was once a grand Victorian junction pub called the Old Cock Tavern which was rebuilt in the 1950s.
I've passed this place countless times since the mid-1980s and finally went in about ten years ago because I needed the loo. Needless to say, the depressing exterior gives way to an overall depressing pub inside. Upper Street famously has more pubs and bars along its length than any other street in Britain, so anything and everything is better (except possibly the White Swan next door).
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Dating from at least the mid-19th century, this was the Cock, later the Old Cock Tavern & Railway Hotel, on account of it being part of the rather grand hotel at Highbury and Islington. This and much of the surrounding area was destroyed by a V1 rocket on 27th June 1944 at 12.46 pm, killing 26; all that remains today is a fillet of stonework to the north-west corner of the pub as a memorial, the current building dating from the late ‘50s but quite why it's considered 'famous' is anyone's guess.
The interior is essentially a rectangle with the bar to the mid-left. It’s had the hipster treatment, with white tiles behind the bar, trendy light fittings, wood or carpeted floor, with eclectic framed prints, some of the area from yesteryear and photographic depictions of the area from yesteryear applied to the wall, along with some gold and black floral wallpaper with a white ceiling. Of interest, there’s a potted history of local boy Joe Meek applied to part of a rear wall. There’s also much awful Six Nations’ bunting and one of those horrible inflatable Guinness rugby goalposts flanking the entrance. Furniture is mixed, with some booths to the right, each with a TV and speaking of TVs, there were nine spotted, broadcasting silent punditry so as not to interfere with the soundtrack. Customers were mixed, with one woman spotted.
Ales offered came to Doom (x2), Pride, then Hophead, with local hero Hammerton’s N7 and N1, £5.50 a pint and good.
The choice of Dark Star and Hammerton beers is a better choice than most available round here, but drinking in this type of surroundings isn’t my thing.
On 23rd February 2022
- rating: 3
[User has posted 2207 recommendations about 2164 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Famous Cock
Large sports-oriented pub with a slightly dark interior, being one long room with no daylight in the middle. Numerous Sports TV screens are spread about, including in a row of booths opposite the bar. There is a small patio garden at the rear. Ales on were Hammerton N1 and N7, Truman's Lazurus, London Pride and Doom Bar.The pub was built to replace one demolished by a V2 in WW2, although not sure when the 'Famous' bit was added to the name or why it is justified.
On 4th December 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3641 recommendations about 3576 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Famous Cock
Refurbished since my last visit with fairly standard furniture / decor and several sports TVs, but certainly more appealing than it was previously. Better still, there is now a much improved selection of real ales from the six handpumps: N1 and N17 from Hammerton, Truman's Lazarus (£4.60), Diamond Geezer from By the Horns, Wandle and... Doom Bar on this visit. Also now has six craft keg taps on the bar-back, in addition to the usual suspects on the counter founts. Standard Stonegate menu. Remains as handy for the tube station as it ever was, but certainly worth considering if passing (which you couldn't say before).
On 8th September 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8679 recommendations about 8678 pubs]
View more reviews of The Famous Cock (10)
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- Official site of The Famous Cock - www.craft-pubs.co.uk
- Facebook - The Famous Cock
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Famous Cock - whatpub.com
Highbury & Islington, 0.06 miles, 1 min walk (show)
Drayton Park, 0.64 miles, 12 min walk (show)
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 22 April 2018 by Komakino .
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 22 April 2018 by Komakino .
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 22 April 2018 by Komakino .
- Beer Garden : No last updated 22 April 2018 by Komakino .
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 22 April 2018 by Komakino .
- Car Park : No last updated 22 April 2018 by Komakino .
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 22 April 2018 by Komakino .
- Darts : No last updated 22 April 2018 by Komakino .
- Dog Friendly : No last updated 22 April 2018 by Komakino .
- Function Room : Yes last updated 22 April 2018 by Komakino .
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 22 April 2018 by Komakino .
- Jukebox : No last updated 22 April 2018 by Komakino .
- Karaoke : No last updated 22 April 2018 by Komakino .
- Live Music : Yes last updated 22 April 2018 by Komakino .
- Live TV Sports : Yes - Sky and BT Sport - last updated 18 August 2018 by Bucking Fastard
- Micropub : No last updated 22 April 2018 by Komakino .
- Pinball : No last updated 22 April 2018 by Komakino .
- Pool Table : No last updated 22 April 2018 by Komakino .
- Quiz Night : Yes - Mondays 20.00. - last updated 07 August 2024 by Tris C
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 22 April 2018 by Komakino .
- Real Cider : No last updated 22 April 2018 by Komakino .
- Wheelchair Access : No last updated 22 April 2018 by Komakino .
- WiFi : Yes last updated 22 April 2018 by Komakino .
