The Orange Tree, Winchmore Hill, N21

This is a large traditional side street pub, with a broad U-shaped interior layout, opened up from what would once have been a multiple room set-up. Corner doors at either end of the now, main bar area, lead into a spacious carpeted room with a nice tongue and groove panelled counter with pleasing curved ends and a high mirrored bar back. Each end of the bar retains a section of the original gantry, now liberally decorated with pump clips, whilst the bar back is topped with a great Toby jug collection, horse brasses, an old Littlewoods FA Cup champagne bottle and various bits of Arsenal memorabilia. Long banquettes span the length of the front wall, under net curtained windows with dusty old ornaments and lamp's on their sills. Tables and low stools stand over to the right, under a huge pull-down screen showing live football with the sound on, whilst a smaller screen next to it showed coverage of the Ryder Cup. The room runs back a fair way on this side, into a compact seating area with comfy options in a partly wood panelled space decorated with brewery and distillery mirrors, traditional paintings and various porcelain items. Meanwhile, over to the left, high tables and stools encircle a brick fireplace with nice wood surround packed with a mix of vases and clocks. There is a dartboard to one side and also another TV screen showing the same football match. Through to the rear on this side is a separate games room, dominated by a centrally positioned pool table, with chairs stacked up in one corner. There is a lot more porcelain in this room, plus cigarette card collections and various mirrors. The door to the Gents doubles up as access to a pleasant, tree-lined beer garden. There was a choice of three ales here - St Austell Proper Job, Greene King IPA and an Orange Tree house beer of unknown provenance - with the fourth pump unused. The Proper Job set me back £4.20 and was very tasty, served to me by a friendly barmaid. Despite the attraction of one of the biggest fixtures of the season, the pub was almost empty, which was a real shame, as I can imagine a good, lively evening in here with a decent crowd. This is another excellent, relatively unspoiled local's boozer in this neighbourhood. I though the interior, with its somewhat unfashionable decor and traditional furnishings created an evocative, nostalgic environment which was easy to settle down into and enjoy some of the well kept beer. The ale range may put some off enjoying an extended visit, but the quality was high enough to warrant more than the quick pint I was able to afford it. A good bet in this part of town if you're after a proper old fashioned boozer.

They had four ales on in here - Old Spooky Hen (really Old Speckled Hen with a jokey pump clip), GK IPA; Jenning's Red Breast; and Orange Tree Landlord's Choice (£3.70 a pint), a 3.9% beer brewed by Hook Norton. When we visited last Wednesday lunchtime the only food available was sandwiches. My three companions and I all agreed that this was something of a hidden gem. It's an old school pub. Both the landlord and the landlady seemed enthusiastic about the pub, and they took the trouble to show us around, including the large garden at the back, and showed us the old photographs of the pub, as well as the bric a brac thay had accumulated over the 24 years they have had the pub, and which adorned all the walls. The pub dates from 1912, and the bar counter and wall panelling on the walls both appear to date from that time. There are doors at either end of the pub - the one the right used to lead to the Saloon Bar, while the one on the left obviously to the Public Bar. There's both a dartboard and pool table in the old Public Bar area. An unused door in the centre would have led into the jug and bottle bar. It's all completely opened up now of course. There are attractive fireplaces in both ends of the pub, both with fires on the go when we visited on a very cold day. It's carpeted throughout, with just one tall table with tall stools, and with the rest of the furnishings being normal tables and chairs. There was a pull down screen on the right, but there was thankfully not in use when we visited. This is a cracking little pub, and one to which I would dearly love to pay a return visit.

Fairly traditional locals pub just off the main road. Interior has been opened up a bit and now wraps a good way round the long bar. Décor-wise it’s pretty much as I imagine it has been for 30+ years - traditional furniture, pub carpet, three quarter length dark varnish tongue and groove wood panelling. There is plenty of bric-a-brac to see, from a collection of Toby Jugs above the bar to vases, brasses and general granny ornaments on the fireplace and windowsills. Lighting came predominantly from standalone lamps. To the rear left is a discrete games area with a covered pool table and darts board. Bit of a let-down was the commercial radio being played, always a pet hate of mine. Four ales on, all GK brews: IPA, Abbot, Old Nutty Hen and a rebadge house brew. Went for the Nutty Hen which was pump tired. It's a bit of a throwback but none the worse for it. A double header of here and the Dog and Duck makes Winchmore Hill a worthwhile stop off on a Z1-6 Travelcard.