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The Vine, NW5

86 Highgate Road
NW5
NW5 1PB
Phone: 02072090038

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Pub Type

Metropolitan Pub Co (Greene King)
Page: 1 2

Reviews (Current Rating Average: of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Bucking Fastard left this review about The Vine

Oh dear,another Greene King horror show.The tied house has an attractive front patio garden ,part covered in vines but the interior is large and lifeless.A few tables in the tap room which has a long bar sporting a large array of national brand kegs and a single operating handpump offering a house Vine Climber (3.8% no doubt GK brew,malty and hop lite,NBSS 2 and so unappealing I couldn't finish my half.) There is a side seating area and a large back lounge and dining area but being virtually empty it had no atmosphere.The muzak was a dirge,at least the flatscreens were off.
Just dont bother ,there are great pubs a mere stones throw away.

On 15th January 2022 - rating: 3
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Moby Duck left this review about The Vine

Very much a gastro pub and all the seating was set out as such, the beers on offer were half decent, Wimbledon Copper Leaf,Sharps Dawn Patrol and Sambrooks Pumphouse Pale, I did eat here and the food was ok, not a pub I would come to for a drinking session though.

On 3rd September 2017 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1868 recommendations about 1841 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Alan Winfield left this review about The Vine

The Vine is a nice looking pub that is set back from the busy Highgate Road.
Once inside there is an L shaped room with the bar facing,the floor is bare boarded,the right side is up one step and has settees and normal tables and chairs for seating,the left side has some tall tables and chairs and extends quite away to the rear.
There were five real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Southwark LPA,which went down well,the other real ales noted were Trumans Two Halfs,GK IPA and two others i failed to read my notes of.
There were menus on the tables,but you could sit anywhere,the background music was decent.
I thought this was a decent pub to have a drink in,just a shame it was almost empty on my Friday afternoon visit.

Pub visited 2/6/207

On 6th August 2017 - rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


john gray left this review about The Vine

Thought this was a chavy locals pub but found it very nice.Large front bar and rear dining area.Rugby just finished.Good music and beer choice.Triple fff-forward pass,Trumans -attaboy and Wimbledon -windmill pale.

On 11th March 2017 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Will Larter left this review about The Vine

I didn't have any trouble with "seating police" when I was here, and in fact the place felt more like a down-market boozer than the gastro-pub described below. Maybe this was the time of day, or week, or just because there was a slightly boozy crowd in, consisting of noisily drunken young locals drinking lager, wine and shots. Drinkers were spilling out onto the sunbrella-covered patio at the front, although there was still plenty of room inside. In fact, I had a large table to myself at which to sit back and make some notes while drinking my half of Cottage Tornado, a pretty poor beer whose fault may well have lain with the brewer rather than the cellarman. The other beers were East London Brewing Cowcatcher APA and Greene King IPA. With beer at £4 a pint and only these on offer, they are clearly not trying to compete with the Southampton Arms just along the road.

Date of visit: 20th May 2015

On 21st July 2015 - rating: 5
[User has posted 3699 recommendations about 3440 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Malden man left this review about The Vine

A large pub with high ceilings, the bar and drinking area are to the front with a large dining room to the rear being accessed via a large exposed brick arch to the side of the bar. A smaller side room is adjacent. The entrance to the dining area sports a rather demanding and off-putting "Please wait to be seated" sign, hmm, I'll sit where I choose if you don't mind. I wasn't about to trouble the seating police however having entered with the intention of having a swift pint, Sambrooks Junction, Twickenham Hornet (£3.70) and branded Vine Best Bitter on offer. There were keg offerings from Camden amongst more regular suspects. The bar area is slightly split level, bare boarded and with mostly regular type seating at recycled domestic dining tables. Curved bay windows with stripped wood surrounds. Large white candles occupy the window cills. A large Dunvilles Old Irish Whiskey mirror takes pride of place behind the bar surrounded by chalkboards listing a daunting selection of wines and fizz.
The busiest part of the pub was the extensive front decking and terrace, a popular spot on a warm afternoon.
The menu is upmarket, mains £12.50 to £17 with the rib eye rocking up at £18.50. Unusually for a pub, a service charge of 12.5% is stated as being added to all food orders.
This is a trendy vaguely pretentious place keen to appear upmarket and generally populated by 20/30 somethings (the soundtrack was some form of Latin American/Cuban stuff). It certainly isn't going to give the nearby Southampton a run for its money in my book although my pint of Hornet was fine.

On 4th August 2013 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Vine

Partly opened out, with a 'L'shaped layout leading past a side room to reach a rear dining area. Also has the Highgate Room (open) and Camden Room (closed) upstairs. High ceilings in the main bar area. All refurbished with a gastro-pub look. Large front patio, half under large umbrellas. Three handpumps, offering St Austell Trelawny, 6X and Vine Best Bitter (brewed by Greene King apparently, £3.70). Overall, not bad.

On 17th March 2013 - rating: 7
[User has posted 8066 recommendations about 8066 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Quinno _ left this review about The Vine

Popped in for a lucky dip after the Southampton Arms en route to the Ultrasound gig at the Bull & Gate. The apparent refit has been well done and the place was packed, with many taking advantage of the sunshine for a few beers on the terrace. Inside, it's a pretty cavernous affair - high ceilings and light colour scheme giving it an airy if echoey feel. The bar is the front area, selling three fairly interesting ales - Nethergate, Trumans and one other blander choice which I forget (too much barley wine at the Soton...!) along with a turned Camden brewery clip. There's some interesting keg stuff and the inevitably large wine list. The condition of my pint was quite acceptable and whilst not cheap, it wasn't quite the gigantic mark-up I might have expected. As Tris speculates below, they are indeed big on their food here, with a parade of suits and local sloany mummies tucking in - the rear room caters for diner overspill. I didn't feel too put out as a drinker though. Overall, I'd say it's worth popping and take a punt if the beer remains like this. Time will tell.

On 19th July 2011 - rating: 6
[User has posted 5050 recommendations about 5033 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Tris C left this review about The Vine

Re-opened in July 2011 after a £500,000+ refit and is now much improved. It's also now more gastro.

This large pub is now more airy with a very contemporary interior and spacious beer patio and garden to the rear. Furniture is simple and there are alcoves. Upstairs there are two more large rooms: the Camden Room and Highgate Room. The loos are also very posh with the latest designer cloakroom fixtures and fittings. So posh is this pub that there are wine lists on the inside of the lavatory cubicle doors, meaning that you can peruse and poo at the same time!

Beer includes Nethergate's Three Point Nine, Truman's Summer Runner, Sun Dance and two more from the Camden Town Brewery; Aspall's and Symond's ciders are also available along with premium lagers.

This is a nice pub (I would come again) though sadly the staff were a little aloof.

On 19th July 2011 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Roger Button left this review about The Vine

Set back away from the main bustle of Kentish Town, the Vine is very much for diners rather than drinkers. The interior has been given a modern makeover with the entire front section arranged for diners on my visit. The bar is to the rear and opposite is a partly separated lounge room with TV, chandeliers, large plain angled mirrors and a brace of cream corner sofas (but no tables to put your drinks).

No sooner had I found somewhere to sit, the staff began preparing the table for yet more diners (orv possibly a private function) and whilst they didn’t exactly move me on, I didn’t really feel at home and it would seem that the only safe place to have a pint is on a stool at the bar.

Just the 2 ales on hand pump, Youngs London Gold and Bombardier and at £3.40 for the former it was quite pricey although the quality was decent enough.

I have been to Kentish town on numerous occasuions, mainly for gigs at the Forum a few hundred yards down the road but never felt the urge pay the Vine a visit until recently but with the newly resurrected Southampton Arms a stone’s throw away, I can’t really see myself needing its services again.

On 22nd December 2010 - rating: 4
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]

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