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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 4½ of 10) see review guidelines
hondo . left this review about The Old Oak
Across from Gospel Oak station. Bit rough around the edges but nothing wrong with that. 1 real ale.
On 5th October 2023
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Steve of N21 left this review about The Old Oak
When alighting early at Gospel Oak Overground station for a meet up at the nearby Southampton Arms I thought I’d squeeze in a couple of ticks before hand.
This was an easy one being right opposite the station, but if I had researched that this one is run by the Craft Union arm of the Stonegate Co I would have probably given it a swerve.
Still a very basic sports oriented pub with plenty of large flat screens and Union Jack flags abound. No real ales, not even clips on the two forlorn hand pumps and a very standard keg offering so I went for a softie, so as to not eat into my beer capacity for the day.
This is a rough and ready pub that attracts a rough and ready clientele if my short experience was anything to go by.
But with all the pubs north of here towards the Heath largely gentrified and more resembling restaurants this one clearly serves a purpose for this more densely populated area of NW3. It just wasn’t for me.
On 7th May 2023
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Old Oak
A very basic locals pub that has probably seen very little change since the 1980s, two handpumps both with turned clips of London Pride and Doom Bar, so I defaulted to a Guinness, the remaining keg offerings were standard/premium lagers. On the plus side, the only one really, the landlady was very chirpy and welcoming, that aside this is a pub I will leave to the locals.
On 22nd May 2021
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Old Oak
I’ve passed this pub all my life – I almost ended up at the primary school, opposite. This may inexplicably have an NW3 postcode, but this isn’t the part of NW3 where houses have been sold for £46.5 million.
This is another pub dating back to at least the mid-19th century, to be rebuilt around the 1930s in an area that was once terraced houses to the south when I was a boy, but is now home to a large, sprawling estate…and Michael Palin. It’s an avowedly locals’ corner pub opposite Gospel Oak overground and a few hundred yards to the south of Hampstead Heath. It’s also a pub with a reputation that precedes it; I typically walk past on the other side of the road at night. Closed on passing, we went in mid-week, early evening and it was absolutely heaving with a mainly young crowd and some older clients; how high is the unemployment rate round here? The young bar staff seemed to eye us with a soupçon of suspicion – perhaps they thought we was plod.
There’s a pool table to the rear and several TVs of course, showing sport with the sound off so as not to interfere with the muted Supertramp.
Ales: amazingly, there was one ale on (and an unused pump), but of course it would have to be Sharp’s Doom Bar, which should be renamed Hobson’s Choice. Quite cheap at £1.90 a half and as good as it’s ever going to get.
The Old Oak clearly has a loyal local following, but this isn’t my kind of format. I’m glad that I’ve visited after so many decades, but no, I won’t be returning.
On 2nd March 2018
- rating: 2
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about The Old Oak
The Old Oak is a decent looking pub that is very handy for Gospel Oak train station,i was on a pub crawl so did not use the the station.
Once inside there is an L shaped room with the bar on the right side,there is a darts board to the front right and a pool table to the rear left,there were two TVs showing the Cricket.
For seating there are tall tables and chairs to the front and normal tables and chairs elsewhere.
There were two unclipped hand pumps,so this left me having a drink of John Smiths Extra Cold Carp,which was on top form in being extra cold and extra crap.
Quiet background music was playing and the pub was fairly busy with locals on my Friday afternoon visit.
I do not mind going in pubs like this,just a shame about the Extra cold crap.
Pub visited 2/6/2017
On 7th August 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Old Oak
This is a basic street corner local with two hand pumps serving London Pride and a guest, priced at £3 a pint, only 5p more than the Southampton Arms just around the corner in Highgate Road. The juke box was playing some of my favourites from the Sixties, such as the Who and the Kinks, really quite loudly. When the barman went to put some more songs on, someone called out, "Turn it up a bit - I don't want to be listening to no background music!" Some of the customers were singing along and dancing. This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I actually found it quite pleasant after the aural assault I had just experienced at the Southampton.
On 25th August 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3746 recommendations about 3483 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
I L left this review about The Old Oak
Handy for Gospel Oak station directly opposite. We visited by chance after our connecting train at Gospel Oak was cancelled due to a train failure in front.
Pub was busy and seemed pleasant enough mid afternoon. They did have Fullers London Pride on handpump.
On 19th August 2010
- rating: 5
[User has posted 287 recommendations about 284 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Old Oak
There is a dart board by the door as you walk in and I have reason to believe there are a few professionals that play for their super league team on a Thursday night. The lager has always been very good and there is plenty of seating inside and out.
I've found the people here to be a little insular, but then I have not made much effort to speak to them as a few seem like old gangsters and a few of the people off the estate think that anybody they don't know are old bill. The Old Oak is not a pub I would take the other half again after the fight between a heavily pregnant young woman and a 15 year old feral girl from the big estate behind the pub.
It's a good place for a pint if you need the bog after a long train journey or you are going to watch a match, but other than that I'd keep walking.
On 22nd March 2007
- rating: 4
[User has posted 5254 recommendations about 5222 pubs]