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Detail Pages
The Wonder, Enfield
Enfield
EN2 0JG
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Wonder
Blessed with a fine sunny Easter Sunday what better way to spend it than a walk along the New River Navigation, taking in some fine hostelries with outside drinking areas. Starting at our home base of N21 the plan was to follow the river course north with a first stop at the Little Green Dragon and it’s pavement benches ( still Enfield and Barnets only micropub), then on, circumventing Enfield Town Park to the Old Wheatsheaf ( to see what Big Smoke are up to ), and then carry on north, swerving the Crown and Horseshoes ( no point giving Green King the opportunity to ruin your day, irrespective of what a great beer garden this pub may have), to finish for our first post Covid Pandemic visit to The Wonder.
A couple of changes at the Wonder. Firstly externally the former concrete car park at the back of the pub is now a pleasant fenced outside drinking area which was originally done I guess as a result of the outside only Covid drinking rules. Plenty of multicoloured bench seating and one third of the space is covered with a large white marquee to provide undercover seating. And then internally, although still the two bar public and saloon bar set up connected by the internal corridor via the toilets, the whole place has had a makeover and it is now much smarter inside. And without wanting to incur anyones wrath, with the subtle light blue and grey tones used in the pub and the more shocking pink and mauve colours for the outside benches, I think there’s a woman’s touch at work here. But it’s obviously working because there were customers who clearly had not reached retirement age.
On the ale front two of the ale pumps were in operation with McMullens AK and Country in the smaller saloon bar section and then it was IPA and AK again in the larger former Public bar.
So it may not be the time warp pub it was pre covid, but at least it has avoided the footballers wives makeover that the McMullens interior design team has inflicted on others of their estate in Enfield. And as mentioned, given the evidence that there were customers, both inside and out, that clearly had not yet reached pensionable status, it seems to be appealing to a wider demographic. And why not, this is very much still a well run back street community local pub.
On 13th April 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Wonder
This McMullens tied house in a charming local with quite seperate public and lounge bars and a good,street corner exterior.The public bar is very traditional,red lino,an upright piano ,brick fireplace and table tops with draught and backgammon designs.There is some McMullens memorbilia dotted about as well as an advert for Honky Tonk Dave appearing on Saturday evenings.
The locals are a friendly bunch and there was lots of banter over the background muzak,and their focus on real ale means a good rate of turnover over the 4 pumps.The choice on my visit was Macs Country,AK,Cask and seasonal Rivertown Brewing Hades in good nick.
Although Macs beer can be traditional and dull,this pub will showcase it as well as anyway ,it's a very solid boozer and well worth a visit if you are in the area.
On 19th October 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Wonder
This is a charming pub that doesn't seem to have changed at all since the previous reviewer's visit over four years ago. The public bar on the left still has lino on the floor, the old joanna, the dartboard, as well as the photographs of people enjoying themselves - could be the 50th anniversary of VE mentioned below, but I didn't realise that. The smaller saloon bar on the right, which is connected to the public bar via a corrider by the gents, is still carpeted and seems more cosy than the other bar. It's in the 2016 Good Beer Guide, although not now on CAMRA's Regional of pubs with historic interiors. It doesn't look as if they've done anything to the place that would result in its removal; a re-assessment perhaps? Smooth Radio was being played during our midweek late afternoon visit, but not too loudly I'm pleased to say.
There were four McMullen's ales on - Country, AK, IPA, and something called Cask Ale (£3.45 a pint). We had the latter ale, which tasted fine, even if it had a somewhat unimaginative name. There was no sign of food. A top up was given to one of our pints without request, even if the barman (guv'nor I think) had to walk back to the pump in the saloon bar to effect the top up. That's good service I say.
This is a charming, largely unspoilt, and apparently well managed pub. I would be delighted to visit again if I find myself in this part of Enfield again.
On 31st October 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Wonder
This is an attractive looking, prominent street corner community local in a residential area north of Enfield and a 20 minute or so walk from Enfield Chase Station ( Zone 5 ).
An exterior that features Tudor gables and glazed brickwork leads into a two bar pub with much of a feel of a pub from yesteryear that has remained unspoiled by modern trends. Posters on the windows advertise the fact that the pub is a football free zone.
The large basic public bar features lino flooring, basic fixed seating, wooden tables and padded seats and a fine fireplace with a brick surround. This bar contains a piano and a dartboard and the walls are decorated with framed photographs, many showing the pub’s mainly elderly customers and singers who have performed on the piano over the years. Several small posters advertise the fact that Honky Tonk Dave features on the piano on Saturday evening. There’s also a Sunday afternoon session. Also of interest is a set of photographs featuring a street party in May 1995 – V E Day – to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the end of World War 2. Above the bar are a series of CAMRA award certificates – I gather the pub was local CAMRA Branch Winner for 3 consecutive years. Around the bar area and on the ceiling is a series of blue flashing mini fairy lights, a minor blot on the landscape in my view.
The pub was listed in the original CAMRA Regional Inventory for London book published in 2004, but, notably, it does not appear in the much more recent book - “London Heritage Pubs – an Inside Story”.
The external pub sign depicts a horse and cart although I didn’t see anything in either bar to tell me if this bore any connection to the pub name.
A smaller lounge with a separate entrance is cosy, carpeted and has some McMullens memorabilia.
It’s a McMullens pub which, on my recent Saturday lunchtime visit was offering 4 of their beers – AK, Country, Cask and ( not seen before ) Chancellors Revenge. The latter – at an ABV of only 3% - is probably the weakest beer that I can recollect ever seeing. The independent breweries section of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide shows most ordinary /session bitters / milds at being between 3.6 and 3.9%. The AK - £ 2.58p – was in good form and came accompanied with a 20p voucher off a subsequent pint in this pub only valid throughout March 2011.
I really took to this pub and I’m sorely tempted to make the trek up here again in March.
On 14th February 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Wonder
This pub is tucked away to the north of Enfield in a side street just off Lancaster Road and Chase side and is aptly named. In that it is a wonder how it has managed to avoid change and gentrification and is today as it probably was 50 years ago.
It’s a place where time has stood still, and will not be to everyone’s taste, as it is old school pub decor with no teles, no juke box, a plain and simple drinks choice, and the majority of the locals are of pensionable age (although they are friendly and always happy to see someone new). And the height of liveliness usually comes when someone decides to have a go on the resident piano in the public for a Chaz and Dave style session.
It is still a two bar pub set up with separate Public and Saloon bars. The public bar is traditionally plain no frills drinking area, with a lino floor and vinyl bench seating. The saloon is much more comfortable but still traditional with carpeted floor and padded seating.
The beer choice is limited as it is McMullen house and has three hand pumps dispensing McMullen Ales and only one Lager tap if I remember correctly. But this is made up for by the quality of the beer and I defy you to find a better tasting pint of Country.
So, in conclusion, an old school boozer which will not be to everyone’s taste, but if you are in the area, pop in to have a look at a piece of history before it falls foul to a makeover and is lost for good.
On 4th April 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]