The Gatehouse, Highgate, N6

David Walton left this review about The Gatehouse

Visited 22/12/25. Visited previously 05/10/20.

Three handpumps, one unused the other two dispensing the staples from Twickenham, Grandstand and Naked Ladies. The keg offering was Guinness, Neck Oil, Backstage IPA from Signature Brew, Asahi, Brixton Reliance IPA, Hepcat session IPA from Gipsy Hill, Estrella Damm, Jubel Peach lager, Amstel, Moretti and Inch's cider.

This used to be another frequently visited venue by me in the early to mid-90's when it was a JDW, not too far from the Big Bang singularity of Tim's empire on Archway Rd. Inside it is L shaped with the bar counter following the internal shape of the venue, with a small chessboard pattered tiled skirt around the bar counter, which provides a handful of tall stool seating around the right angle. Elsewhere bare boarded plenty of regular tables and chairs and some tall tables with the same stools as at the bar counter and a leather banquette along the right-hand wall opposite the bar counter. There is a dining room at the rear of the right-hand side of the venue, and which leads out into a garden area at the rear. The lighting in here is particularly pleasant, the background music just that and no screens spotted by me other than a couple of discrete ones that were switched off on my visit. Quite different to the JDW days but I think this is a decent reincarnation, would be even better with a slightly expanded real ale range.

On 8^th February 2026 - rating: 6
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