The New Crown (JD Wetherspoon), Southgate, N14

Just down the road from Southgate tube, and just about visible as you exit the station thanks to its impressive floral displays, this is a typical, mid-sized, open plan Wetherspoons on a busy retail street. Large folding doors along the front wall take you into a spacious carpeted room with the servery set along the right hand wall. The bar has a long, slightly off-straight counter and dark wood bar back with a row of high tables and stools directly opposite. Plenty more tables and chairs can be found to the front and further through the centre of the room, including a few positioned between some dark wood clad pillars with plain mirrors on them. Around much of the perimeter there are some unspeakably ugly upholstered banquettes, many of which have been formed into small booths, split by plain dark wood and glass partitioning screens. The walls throughout have been decorated with old portraits, local history boards and plain mirrors, so nothing much to get excited about. A few pavement seats might be nice for people watching and catching some rays, but who really wants to sit outside a Wetherspoons on a busy shopping street? There are a total of ten handpulls on the bar, which had a good mix of ales, with four ‘Spoons regulars offset by no less than six guest ales. I tried a pint of the Goffs White Knight, served up by a really gruff barman who clearly didn’t want to be there. Fortunately the beer was in good shape and whilst I experienced the opposite with the food I ordered, which was subpar, yet served by a much friendlier waiter. This place is another high street ‘Spoons without a great deal to make it stand out from the massed ranks of shop converted ‘Spoons across the country. Mixed experiences with the service and food were a little disappointing, but I left feeling that there was nothing inherently wrong with this place, which is a bit of an ale oasis in this part of London.

Sad to say since my last review this place has gone down hill again terribly its worse that it was a few years ago. All the good staff have left only to be replaced by mainly unskilled Kids of around 18-19 Most seem to have little or no experience in keeping or serving a good Ales often giving you pint of ice cream like froth. Also the cellar man must have gone to another Pub as the quality of Ales is nowhere as good now I've taken back more pints in the last week than I did in the whole of last year. Also why in the last few times I've been in here is there a overpowering stench of bleach emanating from behind the bar so badly its even tainting the beer. Definitely cant recommend this place any more until there's a change of management and staff.

Having arrived here after visiting two Spoons that were origina; pubs, this place was a good reminder as to why shop conversions can be such awful buildings. The only natural light is from the glass door frontage making it quite a dark place. However, you don't generally go to a Spoons to admire the decor, but to get a well kept beer at a reasonable price and possibly some cheap grub. The Mauldon's Blackadder was if fine form and was priced at £2.59. Also on offer were London Pride (2.79) and ESB (£2.99), neither of which are on the current guest list. Things are getting really bad when a Spoons is charging three quid a pint, only 50p a pint less than a Fullers tied house in E5. I recently saw 4 bottles of ESB or 1845 in Tesco for six quid, albeit 500ml bottles but these amount to a typical pub "short measure". Despite the dark building and the Fuller's beers the Blackadder was the best pint of the day.

Randomness Guide to London - New Crown entry