Landseer Arms, Upper Holloway, N19

Street corner pub in a residential side street off the Holloway Road. Arriving shortly after opening at midday today, there were already a few around. Although, it wasn't clear how many were staff and how many were customers. The indoor area appears to be split into two parts. Outside, there were a number of tables set up on the pavement underneath an awning. Just the single real ale was on and in keeping with the previous review, it was Lavender Hill. I opted to swerve this and instead try the local Umbrella Cider, which was on tap. A disappointing start to my trip into London.

This pub hasn't changed since Tris's visit a year or so ago. It's still the stripped out place it was then, with tables that look liked well scrubbed recycled dining room tables and modern arty stuff on the walls. There are no remaining heritage features, alas. There's a fair bit of outside picnic bench seating at the front, where we sat as it was a nice day. But the ales were in good nick. It seemed to be Sambrook's day as they had on Wandle, Battersea Rye and Junction, and with a Hamerton N1 clip on a fourth pump, but with also a "coming soon" label. One of our group, who is a massive Wandle fan, was in his element here, as the Wandle was in superb condition. All but me and another of our group had swerved the Crown (where there was no real ale) in order to go straight here for a couple of pints. They were well pleased with their decision. With the 50p a pint CAMRA discount the price of a pint came down to £3.90 as I recall. I didn't see a menu. As Tris says, this pub and the Crown down the road are as chalk and cheese - the Crown with its traditional and warm pub interior and no beer; the Landseer with its stripped out modern interior and great beer. You pays yer money.........

Recently refurbished - again - this is now the Landseer Arms where previously it had been known as the Landseer since 2002, before that some sort of Wetherspoon's outlet called J. J. Moon's and earlier still, traded under its original name of the Stanley Arms. The current name is taken from its address, presumably named after Edwin Landseer, designer of Trafalgar Square's lions and painter of the Monarch of the Glen. Compared to the Crown up the road, the two are like chalk and cheese. This is a completely stripped out pub with a few columns, modern bare boarding, modern bar, old school furniture, Chesterfields, some bare brick, large picture windows, spot lamps fixed to the textured ceiling and an open kitchen. To the side is an expansive conservatory, though there's no designated eating area. You won't see any TVs in here as the pub has a no music or TV policy - result! Food is probably the most gastro of all pubs in Holloway, but this isn't a gastropub and as Steve C points out below, this is very much the pub for locals who live in gentrified townhouses. Ales: two not clocked, Kew Brewery's Botanic and Twickenham's Naked Ladies which was fine but not at its very best. This is a decent place to go for a drink and is worth checking out if in the area, but I would love to have seen it when all its original décor was in situ.

Official site of Landseer Arms - www.landseerarms.com

Official site of Landseer Arms - www.landseerarms.com

There are twelve picnic tables on the extended path outside the front of this large gastro pub and a rarely used gated emergency access side road separates the pub from Landseer Gardens opposite that has a well kept children’s play area. This and the fact that this pub is very food orientated means that it can become overrun with buggies and children at the weekends. The clientele are mainly thirty somethings that are more likely to live in a town house than a council flat and the prices at the bar reflect this. The staff seemed to be on the ball as I was asked if I was being served by three different people whilst my Guinness settled. In fact I was made to feel a little uncomfortable as I stood at the bar as I don’t think that it is the done thing in here. Alongside the Guinness were a host of premium draught products and three hand pumps that were drawing Adnams Explorer, Broadside and Old Hooky. As I mentioned, this pub is very food orientated and the rear half of the pub was being used as a restaurant with table service during my visit on Sunday afternoon. The front of this large windowed and high ceilinged pub has a mix of normal tables, armchair sofas and long tables, the biggest of which was seating a group of sixteen. The roast dinners are not cheap at £11 a pop, but they looked fantastic heaped upon the oversized plates with big Yorkshires sitting on top of them. I didn’t spot any TV screens, but some music of the likes of Jack Johnson was playing in the background and some Sunday papers were available to read from the bar. I also spotted a sign advertising the weekly quiz which takes place from 20:00 every Monday. This place was a good find as it’s always handy finding a pub that does decent food and is child friendly with some distractions to keep them busy, but I don’t plan to return here on my own just for a drink again – Especially not on a Sunday afternoon.