Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Random news of the day with Real Ale Ray
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Victoria, Highgate, N6
N6
N6 4QA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Victoria
Looks promising from the outside - an interesting and pretty exterior with green tiling and recessed upper balcony but sadly the interior is a long dull, dark and narrow affair with little life pertaining on a late Saturday afternoon. I suspect that this was quite a grand place once, and am basing that assumption on the bar area and back which is rather splendid and appears to have escaped terminal molestation. Just Doom Bar on at a smidgen under 4 quid but was at least in pretty good nick. Could be so much more and I felt sad that it wasn’t. 5.5
On 24th October 2016
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5089 recommendations about 5072 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Victoria
I was here recently on a Saturday night when the snow was starting to settle, having left The Bull across the road when the music became too loud to manage a conversation (qv). Here there were two ales available between the three hand pumps, Landlord and Doom Bar. There was a smell of roast meat from the kitchen just behind the bar, although I think there was no cooking going on as the place was devoid of customers at the time.
The wood panelled walls are painted a sort of mushroom colour, and a nice assortment of tables and chairs is set out in a rather regimented fashion. To the rear is an exposed brick fireplace, with a large mirror set eccentrically above it.
Above review posted 17th February 2012.
I was here on a recent Wednesday when there was an excellent performance by a band called The Swinging Garçons, who play jazz in the style of Django Rheinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. I understand this is a regular thing, but neither the band nor the pub seem to have a website, so I can't be certain of that. I was drinking Woodforde's Wherry, which was in good condition and reasonably priced for London at £3.20 a pint. I've upped the rating from 6 to 7 on the strength of an excellent night out, though to be fair it can be pretty quiet in here on non-jazz nights.
On 12th April 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3745 recommendations about 3482 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Victoria
This pub originated as a grocers and beer shop in 1836. Looks quite small from the outside, but goes back. The staff are friendly and chatty, on handpump TT, Adams Broadside, and Youngs. If am on a tour of Highgate, I'll always pop in here - preferably midweek.
On 30th July 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Victoria
A bland interior with interesting glazed tilework to the exterior.
Inoffensive enough, but I just can't see a valid reason to return. If you live very locally, go; if not don't.
On 26th May 2011
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Victoria
This is an extremely attractive pub from the outside, with its floral displays and what looks like original tiling still in place. It looks very bijou in fact. Inside it’s very much larger than it looks from the outside. It’s bare-boarded of course, as is just about every pub in this part of the world, with normal tables and chairs, but I did spot a couple of sofas with a low table at the back by the lavatories. The appearance of a lounge bar is reinforced by the hexagonal pedestal table as the centrepiece of the room, with a large floral display in its centre. The walls are all painted the obligatory dull grey. There’s no pub grub to be had here either – a typical main course is “chicken roulade with mushroom duxelle mash, spinach and red wine jus” – at £12.50. Any pub that has a menu item containing the word “jus” must be a gastropub in my opinion. Fair enough if you want a gastropub, and this one is as good as, and probably better, then many I’ve been in. There was no loud music – just some soft blues, which seems to be a Highgate trait, and I didn’t spot any fruit machines or any of their mechanical compatriots either.
There were three ales on – Timothy Taylor Landlord, Doom Bar, and Woodforde’s Norfolk Wherry. The latter came in at a reasonably wallet-friendly price of £2.80 a pint, which is good going for a gastropub. I don’t normally like gastropubs, but for some reason I quite liked this one (decent ale at decent prices might be a factor!) and would be happy to pay a return visit.
On 12th November 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Victoria
The first thing that caught my eye when approaching this pleasant looking pub was the sign on the board outside advertising the ‘Credit Brunch', which consists of breakfast and a pint for £7.95, and I though here we go it's another pub that‘s up its own backside. Upon entering I was presented with the gastro pub that I was expecting, except for the fact that I found it very inviting and I'm averse to the general gastro genre.
The barman/manager was very affable and the choice of Ordinary, Landlord and Harvey's Best had me licking my lips as the couple of pubs I had been in previously had no ale. I tried the Harveys and the Landlord and thought that they were on good form. There were no standard lagers, but the choice of premium was good enough.
I spotted a projector screen discreetly rolled up above the front windows and the Arsenal v ManUre game was being advertised on a chalk board by the entrance, but this was only being shown as it was on ITV as the pub has no Sky. There is a dartboard in the corner of the pub, but the bar seems to interfere with the oche and if someone was sitting there you'd have no chance in getting a game. There is a small beer garden out the front of the pub, but it was closed off during my visit as some carpenters were doing some work to it.
If I could change a couple of things it would be to get rid of the lounge music and the overpowering smell of food, but other than these things I really liked it in here and I would go back again.
On 15th May 2009
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5249 recommendations about 5217 pubs]