The Queens, Crouch End, N8

Tris C left this review about The Queens

Visited a few times over a decade ago, I was looking forward to my visit to this place, an absolutely fantastic National Inventory pub and listed nationally as Grade II*, though it’s positively modest compared to the Salisbury, its sister pub about a mile due east of here. I read below, that the pub may have been visited by Laurel & Hardie. I can’t verify this, but in the film Stan & Ollie, the duo is seen visiting the even more extravagant Warrington.
Well-described below and on CAMRA’s site, though as usual, their pictures look washed out, failing to capture the richness, colour and texture of the interior; other interior pics are on this website. There are photos on the pub’s website, but as usual, they fixate on showing unnaturally attractive apparent customers and burgers, which rather misses the point. A slight oddity is that some of the furniture comprises modern stools clad in vinyl of contemporary colours which jar with the period interior; I’m also sure that when I last came here there were banquettes upholstered with genuine black leather? There's little decor here - it hardly needs it - other than dried flowers in bottles to tables along with candles.
There were just three pumps available with only one on, dispensing Ghost Ship, served by a very friendly barman, hankering after a Yorkie Bar. It was in good shape and at a very reasonable £4.60.
From an architectural perspective, this is an absolutely must-visit London pub, but an increase in ale range would make for a more immersive pub experience. It also makes for a great triple with the Great Northern and Railway Tavern. An added bonus is that pickled onion flavour Monster Munch is available as a bar snack.

On 15^th September 2021 - rating: 9
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