Victoria Stakes, N10

First post covid visit back to the Victoria Stakes when I popped in before making the climb up to Ally Pally, in the knowledge that no real ale awaited me when I got to the Palace. I had utilised this independently owned, and family run free house a few times before the pandemic, but also did not visit before it suffered a massive fire in 2016 (not really what I would call recent), so have only seen the remodelled version as it is today. That is basically a small one bar pub with a dining room upstairs. However, this time I made it out into their external covered courtyard area to the back of the pub past the toilets, referred to as their Yard, that doubles the available downstairs undercover seating space. I never made it out here before, so cannot comment if it has always been like this, or was revamped and improved due to the Pandemic restrictions, but its certainly a pleasant spot now. And if you do prefer real alfresco drinking then there are always the bench seats to the front of the pub, although these do overlook the busy road junction on which this pub sits. Real Ale is taken seriously here in my experience and it’s unfair to review places negatively during the pandemic as none were functioning normally during this period. Three of the four hand pumps were in operation for my latest visit with TT Landlord, Oakham OPA and a very decent Anarchy Brew Co Blonde Star. Then there was Magic Rock High Wire Grapefruit Pale Ale alongside Beavertown and Signature Brew offerings on the keg taps. Buzzing with a good mix of drinkers and diners on this early evening this remains the closest pub to Alexandra Palace with a decent ale range, especially as the Starting Gate at the other end of Alexandra Palace South Terrace continues to misfire post covid.

A good looking gastro pub in Muswell Hill just opposite the road entrance to Alexander Palace, which actually suffered a fairly damaging fire just after the last review and was repaired and redecorated and reopened in late 2017. The pub has three main areas, primarily the main bar area downstairs, the restaurant upstairs and an outside courtyard area under a glass cover roof which is imaginatively branded as The Yard. The two inside areas are still wooden floored with mainly wooden table and chair seating and the usual pastel shades gastro colour scheme. The bar has a bank of six hand pump and there are usually four ales provided on these and for my recent visit these included Dark Star Hop Head, Hammerton N1 Pale Ale and a very passable Tiny Rebel Stay Puft Porter. For some reason I inexplicably failed to note down the fourth one. It was fairly quiet for my recent late Friday afternoon visit but had the advantage that most others in were drinking and not dining. I find this a comfortable pub in which to grab a beer, but concur with the previous reviewer it’s probably better suited for taking your better half to for a bite to eat.

Victoria Stakes is a smart looking pub that is situated at the bottom of Muswell Hill and faces a very busy road junction. Once inside there is a squarish shaped room with the bar facing,the room is bare boarded,the seating normal tables and chairs,the front left area is down two steps. There were three real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Purity UBU which was a very nice drink,the other beer noted was Hopback Summer Lightening. I presume there was a dining area upstairs,the main bar area was empty apart from me. The background music was crap. I thought this was a pleasant pub,the sort to take your wife to. Pub visited 4/8/2016