The Crown, Barnsbury, N1

This island bar in this pub is very big so it can be a bit of a squeeze in the narrow surrounding seating areas that are separated by partitioning screens. There is some more seating in the form of sofas to the left of the pub, but this is by the open kitchen and was empty when the rest of the pub was heaving on Saturday evening. I thought that the food prepared in this kitchen was very expensive with the cheapest meals coming in at £10 for bangers and mash or burger and chips. This is a Fullers house so I don’t doubt the quality, but there surely has to be a point where a ceiling price is reached for some potato and sausage. Being a Fullers pub Pride, Discovery and ESB were available and HSB was the guest ale. There is also a standard and premium draught selection and the Guinness was on good form. There are eight picnic tables surrounded by waist high railings outside the front of the pub and the A-board advertises a mother and baby club every Tuesday from midday until 15:00 so probably best to avoid this place then. It’s not cheap here, but I still liked it and would return with no argument.

Randomness Guide to London - Crown entry

Randomness Guide to London - Crown entry

This very much a gastropub, with prices to match (£12.50 for fish and chips), but the Chiswick Bitter at £2.70 a pint was pretty good. This is another pub with many original Victorian features – original tiling, panelling, etched and cut glass windows, snob screens, and what looked like original floorboards. As is typical with a pub of this era, it has a central island bar in order to service the several separate drinking areas that would have been the norm when it was built. Definitely worth dropping in for a pint if you are anywhere in the vicinity.