Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Disappointment of the week with Mobyduck
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Birdcage, N16
N16
N16 6XS
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Birdcage
On a street corner in a downmarket part of N16,the vast plate glass windows give lots of natural light into quite a large interior.There is an island bar surrounded by many banquettes in light brown leather with around the left side a long padded bench seat in dark velour.To the left of the interior is a seperate section of many metal type chairs and tables.There is a wooden floor throughout ,modest muzak on my afternnon visit and all flatscreens turned off.
There are some craft keg options,while the two handpumps are somewhat hidden down the right side but only offered Harvey's Sussex Best (£2.54 the half,NBSS 2.5) .
There are few noteable features,it's functional but there was a friendly welcome which helped when the pub was quiet.Not really enough to justify a revisit,a better ale line up could have helped.
On 10th March 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Birdcage
Another first on our N16 crawl to this commanding corner pub, established in 1732 but rebuilt in 1892 for Truman’s.
You can tell that this is in the less fashionable end of N16, a bit of a trudge from Stoke Newington Church Street in an area which is home to Britain’s largest Hassidim community, identifiable by their extraordinary garb.
This pub closed in late 2014 and underwent what must have been an incredibly expensive refit, opening in mid-2016 so I expect that, ale aside, the existing reviews no longer apply as the interior is very modern indeed and brightly lit due to the large picture windows and three TVs showing sport. The sound was turned down so as not to interfere with the fairly loud music which sounded like something from Stock, Aitken and Waterman. There are four slender structural columns with ornate gold painted capitals which remain from 1892 but that’s it. The floor is pale modern boarded and the central bar is slab sided pale wood, bookended with white marble sides, the one to the rear containing a chiller cabinet. It has a modern apron of large, pale grey hexagonal tiles. Modern minimalist spun metal shades hang from the black ceiling, suspended from a matrix of exposed industrial metal trunking. Alternatively, clear spherical glass shades hang from chains and some are clustered in strange rectangular metal box frames. There are also some smaller lamps with large glowing filaments. What little unexposed wall there is, is painted pale grey. Thereafter the wall is clad in mirrors or exposed brick and an enormous clock. Seating is either modern ply and tubular steel chairs, upholstered with brown vinyl and solid modern tables with a single tubular central support. There’s a U-shaped booth of sorts with fawn coloured studded vinyl upholstery and much studded indigo vinyl banquettes to part of the periphery. Customers seem to be a local bunch, mainly young, male and wearing T-shirts.
Ales: as mentioned, just Timothy Taylor’s Landlord at a painful £2.70 a half, though in good nick.
This isn’t really what I’d call a pub – wine bar is a better description and given the distance from Stoke Newington ‘village’, I don’t envisage a return.
Features a seven-day midnight licence.
On 7th May 2018
- rating: 3
[User has posted 1983 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Birdcage
Island bar in the centre of the pub had 2 real ale taps both serving Timothy Taylor Landlord. Food served. Quite a quirky interior.
On 23rd March 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Birdcage
This is a big corner pub with central bar that stocks standard and premium draught products along with Landlord and there was another unused pump. Up on the wall there are a couple of chalk boards that have extensive lists of cocktails available from £6.50 and shots of differing types. There is also a healthy amount of red and white wines available and a coffee machine sits at the end of the bar. Food is served from 14:00 until 22:00 everyday except Sundays when Roasts are available from midday until 20:00. There are extended opening hours every night and regular DJ nights are advertised around the pub. There is a plasma screen on the back bar and the football on Sky Sports is shown.
Here is a function room upstairs that is available for hire.
I thought it was pleasant enough in here and the welcome was friendly and Guinness well poured, I’d return.
On 3rd October 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5233 recommendations about 5201 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about The Birdcage
Large corner Pub with a central bar, Landlord and Old Speckled Hen on tap
On 3rd February 2007
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]