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Image posted by Alan Winfield
Submitted on Sunday, 6th August 2017
With picture contributions to 6053 other pubs
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Detail Pages
Boston Arms, Tufnell Park, N19
N19
N19 5QQ
Boston Arms
Hungry for the pub but back in the gym? Remember all things in moderation so better get that burger in ya! Peloton… https://t.co/puIXlYQLYO
2:14 PM Dec 4th from Twitter for iPhone
Reviews of Boston Arms (Average Rating: 4½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about Boston Arms
Though having passed this pub all my life, last night was my first-ever visit to this former Whitbread house which dates from the mid-19th century but was rebuilt in 1899 as this very commanding junction landmark with distinctive clock tower and cupola, visible far and wide.
This place never had an appealing-looking clientele, seemingly old men in varying states of pickledness; and whereas Jesus could walk on water, these men seemed to run on lager. It was also a rather scruffy place and the name in Gaelic script along with the festoons of painted shamrocks made the place even less inviting.
Due to the pestilence lockdown, the owners have decided to give it a makeover to bring it in line with the expectations of those who live in this increasingly gentrified area and are more likely to frequent the Lord Palmerston and Junction Tavern which bookend this pub, around 150 yards each side to the north and south.
The interior is substantial and it’s obvious on entering, that ‘makeover’ is an understatement. There’s a modern wood laminate floor with a slightly raised area to the curved front. The furniture is dark wood modern traditional and there’s a peripheral banquette to the eastern periphery, upholstered in pale grey and blue tartan cloth. Walls and ceiling are white, the latter covered in Anaglypta; downlighting seems to rule the roost here. There’s a modern traditional bar with enclosed pot shelf above. What really strikes the drinker though, is the incredibly low ceiling. This must once have been something of a gin palace so I simply don’t believe that the ceiling is as low as you’d expect to find in a village pub; it may be to house the ducting for the flush fitting aircon vents, which aren’t attractive. There’s a fair amount of bare brick to the rear along with some dark wood wainscoting. The four or more TVs (and projector zone) indicate that the pub will doubtless become a sports bar, especially when the team playing is from the Emirates, just up the road; on our visit they were showing the news with the sound off, to what purpose (other than look unattractive) is not certain, but at least they didn’t compete with the subdued music wafting out of the stereo. There’s little in the way of décor here, apart from some period prints of the area to the wall at the rear; there are also a fair number of potted palms dotted about. There’s still darts though, contained in a recess to the rear. Oddly, the windows are double glazed and are shaded with dark wood louvre blinds, which are a bit incongruous in a Victorian pub, not that anything Victorian remains, sadly. The lavs are modern and swanky with two cubicles no less, but have to have male and female genders applied to the doors in Gaelic, for some reason.
Customers were few, but they certainly weren’t the old geezers of yore, most being rather young and fashionable. Indeed, I overheard a couple sitting near me commenting on the change in the pub’s calibre of customer, for the better.
Staff were friendly and efficient, bringing drinks to table as is now the custom. Unfortunately, there’s still no real ale here, the mainstay being Beavertown’s Neck Oil or Gamma Ray, thereafter Eurofizz, Strongbow, Guinness (of course, good but at a staggering £5.40 per pint) and then John Smith’s Extra Smooth Crap.
It’s good to see a rather moribund pub reinventing itself, but the overall result is a bit like drinking in a soulless airport departure lounge, without the benefit of real ale. I don’t see how the Boston Arms can compete with the Junction or Palmerston and the retention of the name in Gaelic script flanked by shamrocks will be off-putting to some.
On 22nd October 2020
- rating: 3
[User has posted 1159 recommendations about 1138 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about Boston Arms
A nice looking exterior to this large pub opposite Tufnell Park tube station, inside I found it rammed to the rafters with Irishmen and no real ale that I could see,not really my kind of place.
On 3rd September 2017
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1430 recommendations about 1415 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about Boston Arms
The Boston arms is a large and grand looking pub which is on a very busy road junction and faces Tufnell Park tube station.
Once inside there is a large single L shaped room with a very long bar facing on entry,there is bench seating and chairs to the front and normal tables and chairs elsewhere,there was a pool table to the rear right.
There was one real ale on the bar which was Doom Bar,this was a decent drink and very cheap at £2.40 a pint,i only had a half though.
Background music was playing and the pub was fairly busy with drinkers on my Friday dinner visit.
I thought this was a decent enough pub to have a drink in.
Pub visited 2/6/2017
On 6th August 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
View more reviews of Boston Arms (6)
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- Boston Arms official site - www.bostonarms.co.uk
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- CAMRA WhatPub :: Boston Arms - whatpub.com
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Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 16 October 2020 by Tris C
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 16 October 2020 by Tris C
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 16 October 2020 by Tris C
- Beer Garden : No - Rear patio. - last updated 16 October 2020 by Tris C
- Car Park : No last updated 16 October 2020 by Tris C
- Darts : Yes last updated 16 October 2020 by Tris C
- Function Room : No last updated 16 October 2020 by Tris C
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 16 October 2020 by Tris C
- Jukebox : No last updated 16 October 2020 by Tris C
- Karaoke : No last updated 16 October 2020 by Tris C
- Live Music : Yes - Dome music venue. - last updated 16 October 2020 by Tris C
- Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 16 October 2020 by Tris C
- Micropub : No last updated 16 October 2020 by Tris C
- Pinball : No last updated 16 October 2020 by Tris C
- Pool Table : No last updated 16 October 2020 by Tris C
- Quiz Night : Yes - Mondays 7.30pm. - last updated 16 October 2020 by Tris C
- Real Ale : No last updated 16 October 2020 by Tris C
- WiFi : Yes last updated 16 October 2020 by Tris C
