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Detail Pages
Dog & Duck, N21
Winchmore Hill
N21
N21 3LH
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Dog & Duck
This is a compact, traditional local's boozer down a side street around five or so minutes walk from Palmers Green station. You enter via a fine porch that has retained a lot of excellent etched glasswork, including an impressive 'Public Bar' pane. You emerge into a smart, carpeted room with a fresh feel to it thanks to some nicely painted walls which suggest a tasteful recent refurbishment that has avoided tarnishing the pub's character. The servery is along the left hand wall and has a simple dark wood counter, tidy wood panelled canopy and a very impressive etched glass bar back which is arguably the pub's stand out feature. Chairs and low stools serve small round tables under some modern etched glass front windows, whilst down the right hand wall, some sturdy deep benches with more low stools extend almost to the rear, supplanted by some regular tables and chairs to the back of the room, around a pleasant fireplace. The decor is marred a little by some of that dreadful bookcase-effect wallpaper, but this has thankfully been used sparingly, as it threatens to spoil what is otherwise a well presented room, enhanced by nice old black and white photos and portraits of various famous Irish playwrights and poets. Some visitors may be put off by three large TV screens which were showing a mixture of rugby and golf on my visit, with the commentary on, but this was clearly well suited to the almost entirely male clientele, whose general chatter easily drowned out the audio. To the rear, there is a very colourful rear garden, which i can imagine would be a nice place to relax in the summer months and there were plenty of fresh flowers dotted around the pub too, adding a dash of colour and fragrance.
The bar was manned by a very friendly barmaid and a proper old-school landlord in shirt and tie, who popped over to say hello to me and seemed to have a great rapport with his locals. He had three ales available from four handpulls - Youngs Ordinary, Greene King IPA and Taylor Landlord. My pint of Landlord was spot-on and although the majority of punters seemed to be on the lager, there was still a fair bit of throughput on the handpulls, which is always an encouraging sign.
I really liked this place, which felt like the sort of proper pub it's increasing hard to find these days. The pub clearly won't suit everyone - it's a very male-led environment with an emphasis on sports, but as a male who enjoys sports, this wasn't an issue for me and I felt very comfortable here, chatting to the locals and enjoying some well kept beer.
On 13th January 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Dog & Duck
This is a good traditional boozer that hasn't lost any of it's charm. The layout consisted of the bar over on the left hand side, with a row of green velour bench seating with low tables and chairs along the opposite wall. There was also a snug like seating area at the rear of the pub, just enough room for about four people, to have a drink and a chat. The local after work drinkers tended to congregate around the top of the bar in front of the wall mounted TV. Four pumps with three on, TT Landlord, Youngs Bitter and GK IPA. We all went for the Youngs, which was decent enough. The local drinkers were all friendly and welcoming. This was mostly a blokes pub in my opinion.
On 7th November 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Dog & Duck
This is a fairly simple single-room pub, but at some stage it must have had two rooms. The only doorway in use now is on the right, unusually with two doors, both with what looks like original Victorian glazing - one to the Saloon Bar and the other to the Saloon. Possibly one had been re-sited from the unused doorway on the left? There's little inside of any heritage value, but I did spot a couple of glazed panels in the bar back that looked to be of Victorian vintage.
This is another comfortable carpeted pub with no tall tables/tall stools - just a bit banquette seating plus normal tables and chairs. There was a gas (imitation coal) fire alight, which was welcome on a cold day. We could see a garden at the back but the weather wasn't really appropriate for sitting outside (unless you're a smoker, when I guess the need for nicotine trumps a bit of personal discomfort).
There were four ales on in here - GK IPA; Timothy Taylor Landlord; Young's Bitter; and Wells' A Good Stuffing. Three pint of landlord, and one of the Wells came to £16, so average £4 a pint. They didn't do food on the Wednesday lunchtime we were in.
This is another decent little pub in this area. I preferred the Orange Tree, but this one is in the same general area of ranking.
On 8th January 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Dog & Duck
Old school locals boozer with an exclusively male clientele of tradesmen and oldsters at half four on a Tuesday afternoon. Interior is J shaped with dark blue carpet and trim. Furniture is traditional and the stool and bench fabrics are also…blue. In fact, I was one of the few things that wasn’t. On one wall are some interesting old pictures of the bar from the sepia tinged era. To the rear is a small but perfectly formed rear patio with plenty of flora and fauna plus tree, all very nice. The inside was also noticeably spick and span. A TV was mutely showing retro football to an audience of nobody, which seemed out of place. The impressive dark wood varnished bar holds four pumps, all operational on my visit from National and Regional breweries: GK IPA, Youngs Ordinary, Tim Taylor Landlord and Adnams Ghost Ship. After rousing the barmaid from her texting via a passive aggressive rattling of my change, I ended up with an enjoyable half of Ghost Ship at a couple of quid which I guess is the going rate in such high-end area. Plenty of mention elsewhere of a friendly welcome but I have to say that I didn’t get that impression. However if you like well-maintained and traditional boozers with well-kept ale, this one is worth bothering an All Zones Travelcard for. 7.5
On 25th October 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Dog & Duck
An unpretentious locals boozer,the interior is quite small with the bar to the left,a long bench in dark blue velour opposite and a collection of round tables and stools.Carpeted throughout ,with a coal effect gas fire towards the rear ,it's all very tidy and clean.There is a Sky Sports screen ,thankfully on mute during my afternoon visit ,and gentle background muzak.There is a charming beer garden at the rear.There was a very friendly welcome from the barmaid,who chatted aimiably to the regulars as they turned up,there was a steady steam of customers.At the bar there are 4 handpumps offering on my visit TT Landlord (£4,in good shape but served without a tight sparkler)Youngs Bitter,GK IPA and Wadsworth Dirty Rucker.Maybe not the most exciting ale line up ,but it's a GBG regular and if I lived locally and wanted a quiet pint and a chat,this is the pub to head for.
On 1st March 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Dog & Duck
If what you are after is a traditional, no frills, friendly back street pub with a Landlord that really knows how to keep his beer, then you can do no wrong by coming to the Dog and Duck.
Tucked away on Hoppers road in N21 this is an excellent back street local that has managed to avoid the modern makeovers that the nearby three pubs on Winchmore Hill Green have gone through over recent years.
It's a small , one bar set up, in two distinct sections. And the only acceptance to modernisation is a flat screen tele in either section. But these are usually muted so as not to disturn the drink and conversation.
Then out back there is a very pleasant square walled courtyard for an outside pint in the summer months.
Usually four ales on which include three house beers, GK IPA, TT Landlord and Wadsworth 6X and then a guest.
Visited again yesterday lunchtime with no1 Son who was treating me to a fathers day pint.
The guest was Hopback Summer lightning which was top notch and a good job they do not do food on Sundays or that would have been me in for the rest of the day.
On 22nd June 2009
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about Dog & Duck
This is a great pub with friendly clientele and even friendlier staff. The Landlord was very good and Summer Lightening and Greene King IPA were also available although the 6X was off.
There are a couple of plasma screens for the Sky and Setanta and there is also a projector screen over the front window that was rolled up during my visit.
Out the back is located a very nice beer garden that will be great during the summer months.
This place is exactly how a back street boozer should be and long may it remain so.
On 27th May 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5251 recommendations about 5219 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
david hill left this review about Dog & Duck
This a delighful, unpretentious one- bar pub tucked away in a sidestreet. there is very good condition Greene King IPA, Abbott, 6X, Guinness and the usua lagers reasonable prices - but no food. There's also a delighful garden with a few benches - which is lovely in the summer. There are 3 TV's(!), and it can get crowded (and smoky) when there's a rugby international featuring England or Ireland - and for Spurs against Arsenal. (Customers split about 50/50 in their allegience). There are someinteresting old pictures of Winchmore Hill on the walls. The publican (Don) and bar staff are very friendly. Well worth a visit. (In the GBG 2006)
On 30th November 2005
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2 recommendations about 2 pubs]