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The New Crown (JD Wetherspoon), Southgate, N14
N14
N14 5PH
Pub Type
J D WetherspoonReviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The New Crown (JD Wetherspoon)
Just to the west of Charles Holden's iconic Southgate tube station, this is a fairly typical 1996 shop conversion which was previously a Sainsbury's, the name taken from the former Crown, situated roughly opposite and demolished in the 1960s. There's a smoking area out front, though drinks can't be taken outside.
As mentioned, it's a deep room and with the small windows, suffers dearly from lack of light. Despite my visit on a very gloomy afternoon, I had to shield my eyes on leaving, such was the comparative glare of the grey sky.
Inside, and it's predictable with all dark wood, brass light fittings, high and low furniture, carpets, games' machines and snooker on multiple TVs. The clients were quite mixed in age and gender, weren't as pickled as in some branches, but it was only lunchtime - not sure I'd want to be in here late on a Friday or Saturday. The smell emanating from the lavs could have been addressed too.
Service was surprisingly enthusiastic with the barman even offering tasters, though Saturday lunchtime didn't prove to be that busy. There were ten pumps on offer delivering up amongst others Gloom, Abbot, the rather dreary Burton Bridge Brewery's Burton Ale, something from Wimbledon and seasonal Truman's Knees Up at a very decent £2.25 a pint and though not bad, I would probably get bored of it after a couple of pints.
Overall, this is what you'd expect: cheap decent beer in an enviroment where empty tables are cluttered with empty glasses and plates, though there are though now only five pubs in the whole of N14.
On 27th April 2019
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The New Crown (JD Wetherspoon)
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.
On 11th January 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alesonly . left this review about The New Crown (JD Wetherspoon)
This pub has not really improved on the Ale front since last review. We used to hold our regular staff drink ups in here but now most staff prefer the Tollgate at Turnpike Lane. Sometimes there is a reasonable selection of Ales on tap but I've found most are never in top condition very hit & miss its OK for a quick pint. That is If you can manage to get served as the service is dire the staff never know who is waiting next and even if they do they seem to prefer to serve or chat up the nice looking birds or regulars first also the lack of manners never a please or thank you. Not one of the better spoons in my opinion. What makes it worse is lack of light as its too dark and dull.
On 28th March 2015
- rating: 2
[User has posted 132 recommendations about 105 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alesonly . left this review about The New Crown (JD Wetherspoon)
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.
On 16th November 2013
- rating: 3
[User has posted 132 recommendations about 105 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The New Crown (JD Wetherspoon)
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.
On 17th May 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alesonly . left this review about The New Crown (JD Wetherspoon)
I ofter pop in here for a few Pints of Ale and its a good Wetherspoons During the day time and weekday evenings. Its also in this years Good Beer Guide And I must say on my last few visits the Ale quality has been very good. Me and several CAMRA members were in here just a few days ago on a Tuesday night and we spent most the evening sampling all the Guest Beers as well as most the regular Beers and every Pint was in good condition normally at least five Guest Beers on Tap. Just try too avoid Friday & Saturday Evenings if your over 25 as it usually gets rammed with Students & the younger crowed after around 20:00 hrs on Fri & Sat nights.
On 18th February 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 132 recommendations about 105 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about The New Crown (JD Wetherspoon)
This Wetherspoon's seems to buck the trend of the usual JD pub as the management seems to be very keen on real ales. There was an Oakham Beer festival on my visit and all of the beers were served in excellent condition. (That is what I can remember after several pints of the award winning "Attila")The pub itself is a large and spacious single bar. Lets hope the manager's good work continues and spreads to all other "Spoon's".
On 20th March 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The New Crown (JD Wetherspoon)
It's a Wetherspoons pub so the usual old men are dotted about this huge open plan pub staring into space with their cheap pint of bitter. There is a plasma screen in a little alcove which was showing sky news, but I don't think that they have sky sports. It is not the greatest place to position a TV for lots of people to watch so I'd imagine it is there for people who like to watch the news whilst they get drunk.
The barman was very friendly, but had to be encouraged by his co-worker to stop counting stock and serve one of the four people waiting. When he did serve me he was very polite and friendly. The usual lagers that you would find in a Spoons pub were on offer with Bombardier, Roaring Meg, Titanic Nautical Mild, Exmoor Gold and Mordue Workie Ticket. Loads of old clips were pinned up on the walls so you could see that they usually have a varied range of bitters.
This isn't that bad a pub except for the fact that it has absolutely no atmosphere, like most wetherspoon pubs.
On 9th May 2008
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5249 recommendations about 5217 pubs]