The Junction Tavern, NW5

Tris C left this review about The Junction Tavern

Date of Visit: 7th July 2018.

At first glance this former Courage pub does indeed look like a restaurant, particularly when viewed from Fortess Road. Not only were all tables laid for dining, but they were all reserved. Viewed from Lady Margaret Road however, and it does look a lot more like a drinkery and an inviting one at that. I can't add much to that below, but this type of well-preserved richly ornate interior is very much up my street. However, what is essentially a side bar has only six tables with an average of four spaces at each and two of these tables were reserved for dining, meaning that the pub isn't averse to depriving drinkers of their tables if demanded by diners. This rather begs the question: would the pub reserve all six of these tables, and if so, where do the drinkers go, having made the effort to get here? One point deducted...On the plus side, the landlord offered a woman who wished to change her baby the use of his office in the absence of such facilities.
Beers? Wye Valley Bitter, St. Austell’s Tribute, Twickenham’s Naked Ladies and TT Landlord at £4.30 a pint which isn’t bad for the area; it was in good nick too.
I'd happily come here again in theory, but the pub's seating policy rather gives the impression that being able to drink here is a question of pot luck. Perhaps it might be an idea to play them at their own game and book a table but not eat.

A return visit a few days later and my pint of Twickenham's Naked Ladies (£4.30) was seriously off. This is my third visit and on my first, the beer was off too. A pub which gets its ale wrong 66% of the time has lost my vote of confidence.

Rated: 4.

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A return of a recent Wednesday mid-evening and what a shocker. The lovely wood panels have now been ruined, with dark paint an indeterminate shade; one of the reasons for coming here now vandalised. Unwatched TVs showed the football, one in the dining room with unwarranted loud commentary, though the room was empty like the formerly pretty room with around four other drinkers, when the Tapping, Pineapple and Southampton were heaving; an ugly dog slept by the fireplace.
There was just one cask on which I can’t recall, but it was lifeless and underconditioned.
As mentioned: there’s now no reason to visit, so save your shoe leather for the pubs mentioned earlier; the score wasn’t high before, it just got lower.

Rated: 3.5.

On 6^th February 2025 - rating: 3
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