Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Yet another list with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by David Walton
Submitted on Friday, 16th May 2025
With picture contributions to 2090 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (11 more images)
Detail Pages
The Griffin, N20
N20
N20 9HH
Served areas
The Griffin
What a great day we have for football starting from 12. On all screens LIVE at the #bestpubinwhetstone… https://t.co/vjT3vzWptA
11:16 AM Nov 10th 2019 from MatchPint Pub Platform
Reviews of The Griffin (Average Rating: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
David Walton left this review about The Griffin
Visited 13/05/25
Three hand pumps, one unused, the other two dispensing Oakham Citra and the St Austell Tribute. Keg offering was Heineken, Amstel, Guinness, Neck Oil, Gamma Ray, Inch's cider, Moretti and the unfiltered variant, Brixton Coldharbour lager, Cruz.
The front of the pub, which oozes age, is U-shaped with the bar counter following the shape. Regular tables and chairs follow the perimeter including one by the door in front of what must be an original fireplace. Some stools at a ledge to the side of the left most end of the bar counter provided my seating. There is a small seating area on ancient stone flooring to the left of the bar area and beyond it with a large skylight providing some daytime illumination to this part. Regular tables and chairs and another fire grate at the rear of the room. There is a door that leads to the rear garden, which is a rather extensive affair. Initially just a couple of tables on stone in a covered area but which leads to a rear bar providing a subset of the front bar quaffs before it opens out into a large rear beer garden, grassed and with picnic benches. This area was hugely popular on my visit, but it looked a little unkempt to my eye.
On 23rd May 2026
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1770 recommendations about 1743 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Griffin
Dating from around the mid-17th century as a coaching inn, it was rebuilt in 1928 in a restrained brewers’ Tudor style and formerly a Meux’s house; it’s also on CAMRA’s list of pubs with historic interiors, this garnering *; the place is more attractive than the photos suggest.
I came here the previous Friday and the place was absolutely heaving with the area’s youth, the door guarded by two bouncers, deafening music leaking out from within; I made no attempt to enter and doubt there would have been any room for me if I had. A return the following Tuesday at just gone 9.30pm, to find a far more restrained affair. The floor is bare boarded and to the rear, is a fantastic multifaceted lantern, probably once above a billiard table; there’s also a beautiful festoon cornice, Tudor-style doors to the lavs and garden. The front is also of note, with two substantial Tudor-style fireplaces, surmounted with herringbone nogging; there’s a field panelled ceiling (pale grey) with matchboard infill and natural wood field panelling to the dado. Otherwise, there’s a shades of grey colour scheme with charming window reveals that double as banquettes. Furniture is modern mixed to the rear, more traditional up front; décor takes the form of some mirrors, books and ferns. Customers were a bit of a mix, with only about four older blokes indoors, but more far younger – some unappealing – types out in the – apparently – impressive garden.
A credible cask selection amounted to Landlord, Tribute and Hophead at a very reasonable £5.10 a pint, in decent nick, but a short measure served by a couldn’t-care-less barmaid, though she was friendly enough to the regulars.
On balance, I thought this was a very decent pub, easily the best of just the four in N20.
On 31st July 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2337 recommendations about 2279 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Griffin
This is now a Laine's pub, so we can now expect a decent choice of real ales here, but those on offer during my midweek late morning visit weren't very exciting - no Laine's beers yet; London Pride; a house ale called Griffin Ale (Caledonian Edinburgh Castle 80/- according to WhatPub), and Adnam's Ghost Ship (£2.20 a half). The landlady wasn't sure of the provenance of the Griffin Ale, but kindly gave me a taster which tasted fine. I was in too early to see whether food was available.
This is an interesting pub. According to the landlady a pub on this site was a coaching inn for those heading north from London. Inside there are several (inter-war probably) heritage features. The fielded wood panelling on the walls is old, as is the bar counter front, and the oddly Tudor arch topped doors at the back are an interesting feature. There are brick built fireplaces on both sides of the main bar area which are clearly original, as is the rare diagonal (grey-painted) matchboard panelling on the ceiling. This room would once have been divided into three - what was probably the public bar on the right; a jug and bottle bar leading from the now unused door in the centre; and a saloon bar on the left. There is a fairly large room at the back which has a large skylight which suggests that it may have been a billiards room.
But the pub doesn't end there. On the right, behind the large double doors leading from the street is a "function room", which is effectively a small outside conservatory. Past that is an outside area with an outside toilet and storage buildings that may have been stables; then a large covered seating area with its own bar counter; then a large garden at the back. It's much larger than it looks from the outside.
I was the only customer in there so can't judge the atmosphere of the place from my short visit. But it struck me as a comfortable and friendly pub - the landlady was certainly friendly enough as seemingly having nothing better to do she gave me a grand tour of the estate. The furnishings were all of the traditional sort that I appreciate. I was expecting better in the way of ale choice, but nonetheless I really liked this pub.
On 9th September 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2621 recommendations about 2536 pubs]
View more reviews of The Griffin (5)
Pubs Galore is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
- Official site of The Griffin - www.griffinwhetstone.pub
- Facebook - The Griffin Whetstone
- Twitter - The Griffin
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Griffin - whatpub.com
- Historic Pub Interiors - pubheritage.camra.org.uk
New Barnet, 1.74 miles, 33 min walk (show)
New Southgate, 1.96 miles, 37 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 24 October 2016 by Quinno _
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 24 October 2016 by Quinno _
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 24 October 2016 by Quinno _
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 24 October 2016 by Quinno _
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 24 October 2016 by Quinno _
- Car Park : No last updated 24 October 2016 by Quinno _
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 24 October 2016 by Quinno _
- Darts : No last updated 24 October 2016 by Quinno _
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 27 July 2024 by Tris C
- Function Room : Yes - Conservatory on one side. - last updated 09 September 2017 by Rex Rattus
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 24 October 2016 by Quinno _
- Jukebox : No last updated 31 July 2024 by Tris C
- Karaoke : No last updated 31 July 2024 by Tris C
- Live Music : No last updated 31 July 2024 by Tris C
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 31 July 2024 by Tris C
- Micropub : No last updated 24 October 2016 by Quinno _
- Pinball : No last updated 24 October 2016 by Quinno _
- Pool Table : No last updated 24 October 2016 by Quinno _
- Quiz Night : Yes - Wednesdays 19.00. - last updated 31 July 2024 by Tris C
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 31 July 2024 by Tris C
- Real Cider : No last updated 24 October 2016 by Quinno _
- WiFi : Yes last updated 31 July 2024 by Tris C
Recently Viewed:
