Ye Olde Mitre Inne, Barnet

Official site of Ye Olde Mitre Inne - www.greeneking.co.uk

Official site of Ye Olde Mitre Inne - www.greeneking.co.uk

A great,authentic interior awaits any visitor. The exterior etched glass is matched by internal wood panelling,low ceilings and a multi section internal space leading to a stables lounge and the beer garden.The best bit are to the front,most handpumps serve a front section,while opposite the side servery are some rich red button backed bench seats.A lower rear lounge has comfy chairs and an attractive fireplace.It all felt very cosy.The photos on the walls of Barnet past are most interesting. There is some modernity if you look for it,the two coal effect fires are gas,while there is a middle of the road muzak soundtrack,not really needed when there is a good hubub inside. You need to inspect both sets of handpumps to see the full range which on my trip was two real ciders,Black Sheep Bitter,GK Abbott and Abbott Reserve,TT Landlord and Tring Sidepocket for a Toad (NBSS 3).Maybe not the most exciting range ,with lots of national brands and this may reflect on the Pubco.ownership. However it deserves it's GBG entry and is probably the best place to sup ale in Barnet.It's worth a visit for the interior alone.

A wonderful old pub with a number of inter-connecting areas gently descending through several levels until you reach the small garden to the rear. There is a nice mix of wood,stone,brick and plaster throughout.The beer selection was good on my visit,T.T Landlord and Boltmaker, Deuchars IPA, Moor Raw,Adnams Southwold,Dark Star Hophead,Greene King Abbot and Burning Sky Aurora which was in top condition. There was also a nod to the future with a couple of craft taps as well as bottles and cans. A great pub.

This pub is thankfully unchanged since the previous reviewer's visit a couple of years ago. It's a veritable TARDIS of a pub, which stretches back from the old bar area at the front, back through rooms and corridors to the old stables from its coaching inn days which have been brought into pub use. There's a garden at the back, which can be something of a sun trap when the weather's right. The front bar's the most interesting spot in my view, with the leaded glass panel above the servery; wood panelled walls, and even a 40-year old fruit machine of the one-armed bandit variety. There were seven ales one, with a couple of handpumps unused. I didn't make a complete note of the beers, but I had something light and hoppy from Bedlam Brewery, and I also recall seeing Spitfire, Landlord, Deuchars and beers from Adnam's and Jaipur breweries. This pub has good beer, is very comfortable with plenty of historic pub atmosphere. That works for me. A winner in my book.

Certainly lives up to the ‘Olde’ part of its name, this is a very aged former coaching inn with oodles of character. Two rooms back-to-back, slowly descending through to a pretty enclosed rear garden with plenty of flora and fauna. The main front bar is quite light, and the centrepiece here is the magnificent stained and leaded glass bar upper containing the pub’s name. The rear is darker (and deliberately dimly-lit), with low beamed ceilings, wooden posts, wonky walls, exposed brick and a nice fireplace. Perhaps one downside here was the sheer amount of chairs and tables being crammed into the space, ease of access not good. Plenty of ales on; Brass Castle Northern (diacetyl tasting, brewer not publican I suspect), Left Hand Giant (good), Anarchy Blonde Star (good) Tim Taylor Landlord and Adnams Bitter. Downsides were a grumpy barmaid and grubby glasses, which makes me think that there’s an element of coasting going on and actually gave me an acute sense of disappointment – why mess up two basic things in a such a rich and magnificent setting? There was no sign of the guv’nor, which perhaps explains things a bit. Either way, this one demands a visit for the interior on its own but the service we received suppresses the mark from me by at least a point.