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Detail Pages
The Jolly Sisters, Lower Holloway, N7
N7
N7 8AX
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Jolly Sisters
Indeed, a pub has probably always been this building’s current use, rather than being a conversion as it’s listed as existing here by at least 1850 when the street was probably built. It was a Whitbread’s house, originally known as the New Queen’s Head until acquiring its current name in 1999.
A first in here the other day, to a pub that is only a few hundred yards east of where my grandparents and ten children lived in the 1930s and ’40; I suppose this would have been one of the locals where my grandad drowned his sorrows.
There’s a bit of brewers’ Tudor to the exterior and this theme continues inside with white paint punctuated by rough beams, painted black. The interior is quite small though there’s a larger room to the rear away from the main bar. Furniture is very simple, with claret-coloured swag curtains and a rather dilapidated pale plastic laminate floor. One item of note is an integrated panel of harlequinesque leaded and stained glass, bearing the Whitbread deer’s head trademark. There’s a hurling stick above the bar along with some shamrockery which hints at an Irish flavour; the friendly landlord is indeed Irish. There were a few maudlin locals in on our lunchtime visit – this is very much a locals’ pub, none of whom seemed remotely interested in immersing themselves in the exhilaration taking place on the TV in the form of golf. No ales, of course, so plumped for a Foster’s at £1.85 a half.
This is an interesting little community hub, a throwback to at least the 1950s. I wish it and its customers well, but can’t envisage a return visit, not least because I’m far too young for this type of place.
On 25th May 2018
- 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 Jolly Sisters
In some ways this is a charming little pub, little being the operative word. When I dropped in here on Sunday I was informed that Spurs had gone 3-0 up, and conscious of my proximity to the Emirates staidum I tentatively enquired whether that was a good thing or not. There was a jovial bunch of well oiled regulars in here watching the football who didn’t take my uncertainty amiss, and one even offered me one of his crab sticks.
This looks like a house conversion that’s been given the brewer’s Tudor look on the exterior, and the so-called brewer’s rustic inside with black beams on the walls and ceilings interspersed with white-painted false rough walls. There are a few tables and chairs, but no room for much more. On the back wall there’s a dartboard, with a shelf near it bearing sporting – darts presumably – trophies.
Unfortunately there’s no real ale – just keg John Smith’s and keg smoothflow GK IPA. There was no sign of any food on Sunday afternoon. This is a friendly backstreet locals’ boozer, but the lack of any real ale would deter me from making a return visit.
On 25th August 2014
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
J R left this review about The Jolly Sisters
The information we were given about this pub is that it was built pre - 1850 originally as a Whitbreads' ale house. It was extended upon over the years and became a pub known as the 'New Queen's Head' in reference to Queen Victoria. It was closed around 1995 and reopened in 1999 as a freehold called the 'Jolly Sisters'. It is run as a traditional friendly family run local (interest declared) off the beaten track and almost hidden away. The pub is not far from the Emirates Stadium. In a bid to keep old pub traditions going it has 3 darts teams that play weeknights (ladies, mixed, men) and dominoes played Friday and Saturday nights.
On 10th May 2012
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1 recommendations about 1 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Jolly Sisters
This is a bit of a strange place as I would say that it has been converted into a pub from an end of terrace house, which makes a change as it is usually the other way around. There are a couple of picnic tables on the path outside and ‘FREEHOUSE’ is written in big letters above the front entrance, but there are no real ales here. There is a standard draught selection though and the well kept Guinness was served by the very friendly governor. It’s not very big, but it is still split in two with the main bar area being at the front and a room at the rear with some larger tables and a dartboard. There is a plasma screen in the front bar that was showing a championship football match on Sky Sports, but this was muted to give way to some random 80s and 90s hits playing in the background.
Although probably not worth going out of the way for this is a pleasant enough local backstreet pub and I would have no problem returning if in the area.
On 17th August 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5251 recommendations about 5219 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Kris Murray left this review about The Jolly Sisters
Very Warm Atmosphere typical of a local pub.
Friendly bar staff and music to suit all tastes.
On 25th July 2010
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1 recommendations about 1 pubs]