Old Ale Emporium, Harringay, N4

David Walton left this review about Old Ale Emporium

Echo the comments below from a good while back and it appears to retain all of the strong features highlighted. The little outside patio was popular on my mid evening visit and the inside was nicely busy and where I was about the average of the ages of the others here! Very much feels like an Irish sport orientated venue but one with decent cask choices (more below) so what’s not to like. Wood is the common material here, old floorboards, heavily varnished wood panelling on the walls and dark wood beams. Serving counter along the left-hand wall, very welcoming lady behind the bar, plasma screens showing the build up to the foots and, as noted below a library style area showing the evening racing. There was a really nice vibe in the venue, decent music at a decent level.

Three beers on hand pump on my visit so one not dispensing. Choices were HSB, Olde Trip and a mango infused ale from Laine Brewing Co called King Mango! Keg choices a plenty, namely Amstel, Guinness, John Smiths, Stella, Heineken, Beck’s (OK another sighting for me), Fosters, Cruz, Inch’s cider. Might have missed one through the crowds at the bar but easy to see the slant and not really my interest with some decent cask choices.

I thought this is a cracking venue. Won’t appeal to everyone at the stratified area of rating given the sport leaning nature of the venue but would be hard for almost anyone to argue that this is way above average. Personally a lot of what I look for in a pub apart from a more extensive and exotic cask ale range.

On 14^th August 2024 - rating: 7
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