The Shaftesbury

One of the friendliest pubs I’ve been to. Great selection of beers (the best of which are their own Dragonfly brand), good food, cool staff, cool patrons (both human and canine), a free jukebox with a great selection of albums… So lucky to live at walking distance to the Shaftesbury.

Having lived round the corner from this place for a few years, this was kind of my local. I know some of the reviews are a bit harsh, but the pub was recently refurbished and I *think* a change of ownership.
The pub itself is large, the staff are always friendly and they play football on big screens.
They have a performing area in the back for bands and groups to rent out, which sometimes can be fun.
The pub quiz was stupidly hard last time I went, so if you are a pro, then you might do well here, for anyone else… it could be fun.
I couldn’t find any other pubs in the area as nice and relaxed as this place, would take friends and family here for a roast on a Sunday too as the food was pretty good. When the kitchen was shut, they allowed people to bring a pizza in from across the road and eat it which I thought was a nice touch.

They have outdoor space which is always a win in London, downside is it overlooks Hornsey Road, which isn’t the most scenic.
In the winter they have a back section that has an open fire, but be prepared to come early and stake it out if you want to get a spot in front of it. The inside is deceptively large, the bar is good, excellent selection of draft beer and cider and good wine. The menu looks good although we didn’t eat properly we just had some chips between us.

Though their outdoor space is somewhat ruined by the busy Hornsey Road right outside this is still a pub that manages to be a notch above the normal boozer.
Surprisingly large inside, there is a nice atmosphere in the Shaftesbury coupled with a good selection behind the bar and what looked like a really nice menu (the bbq sticks in particular looked intriguing).
It’s dog friendly as well, which is great for those of us who don’t have pets and just want to coo at an adorable dachsund the table over to get their cute animal fix of the day.
I’ll definitely head back to the Shaftesbury — it looks like it will be worth it in the winter with the prospect of a cosy open fire.

Note: I’ve only been here on Wednesdays and specifically for the pub quiz they do.
It’s definitely one up on your average ‘local’
Atmosphere:
Really large pub. Decent looking outdoor area though I haven’t sat there. There are 2 rooms inside. The main room with the bar feels like a fairly standard pub. There’s also a parlour room at the back (not even sure if I’m using the word correctly but it seems to fit). A large room that feels like it doesn’t belong in this day and age, it’s spacious, the seating is a mix of wooden chairs and tables adn comfy sofas and the look is completed with a large fireplace (not sure if they actually light it during winter)
Food/​drink:
Fairly standard selection of beers. I had high hopes they’d have a decent craft beer selection when I saw the meantime pale ale on tap. Sadly that seems to be the only one.
Surprisingly good alcohol selection with a fair amount of premium spirits (e.g. laphroaig and yamazaki in the single malt departments, and sipsmith gin for instance).
Food wise they have a decent burger selection. Burgers are around £9, and it’s half price during the quiz. I’ve tried the beef burger and the portabello and halloumi burger. The beef burger was average, the mushroom one slightly more enjoyable. Definitely not worth the full price, but good value at half price. They come with a side of chips. The chips here are particularly chunky and really enjoyable.
Quiz:
Quiz itself deserves a mention imo. Starts at 8pm, £1 entry/​round. There are 2 rounds and you can just do either/​both. The quizmaster is particularly cool. Looks to be in his late 20s/​early 30s and apparently a phd student doing an arts subject though I’m not sure which. He’s a bit at odds with a lot of the patrons there (in a cool way) and clearly takes great care and joy in crafting the questions. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it both times I’ve been.
sidenote: We’ve won a round of pub quiz both times I’ve been. My general knowledge isn’t great so I’ve decided I’m just a lucky charm.

I wanted to give 5 stars, because it is a big, quiet place, with a good beer selection and usually nice music. The people there are kind and the food is not bad.
I give 4 stars because one of our meals (that was supposed to be grilled) was completely raw, and we were alone and they had 30 min to prepare it. And it is not the first time it happens there…
All the rest was pretty good. Give a try to the starters, some of them are really lovable!

This place is SO underated! Great venue, proper preserved pub, lots of great board games, food is lovely, good outdoor seating out front. Out back, a lovely range of seating areas, lots of booths (i do love a booth) an awesome jukebox which is often on freeplay.
Great range of beers, you can pay by card, and it’s very reasonably priced, open fire, blah, yeah
Now that’s out of the way ‚
i’d like to talk about the most awesome pub quiz i have ever attended.
I don’t want to spoil it for you.
These are three things that happened in front of my eyes.
–There was one round which was entirely about honey bees
–For one round a woman was brought it, who, placing headphones in, hummed the theme tune to 1980’s sitcoms
–There was a drawing round, including best outline of the british isles, and a celebrity in a situation portrait
Now i can’t go on Monday, but if you can, really, what excuse do you have?

Recently reopened pub that looks fantastic. Serves a handful of ales, but my decision to go for a pint of the Hydes bitter was not the best… a fairly bland pint. I guess it might have been on the turn. The other beer I had herethe Butcombe bitter, was much better though.
Taking a look at some of the pictures or playing some board games in the back room or sitting outside on the roadside terrace… this pub has enough to offer for me to give them the benefit of the doubt over 1 poor pint.

Popped in here on Bank Holiday Monday because it’s my new local. It was pretty quiet but there were a few groups of people dotted about. The best thing was the big selection of board games. A couple of pints and winning an epic scrabble battle was a great way to top off a long weekend. This place could actually be really good with a bit more atmosphere, it’s got nothing on The Fullback or The Old dairy but it’s definitely not a bad place to have on my doorstep.

If the seating in this recently revamped local was more comfortable, this pub could be one of the best in the area. The food is well priced and wholesome, the Juke box is free with some great classic and favorite tunes, there is a good selection of beers on tap and the staff are friendly. There is also plenty of space and an outide terrace area which is a real sun-​trap in summer.
But the one thing that stops me spending each and every Sunday afternoon holed up in this north London gem (and my nearest drinking spot) is the savagely torturous seating that is worse than any church pew I was made to sit on at school.
But still it’s worth a look, this place, if you’re quick you can grab one of the bar stools or the sofa at the back.

Reopened a few months back after a refurb and possible change of owner. Would be a really nice local pub if it just had a better beer selection — at the moment there’s just a small selection of overpriced foreign beer (which I generaly like but not this particular stuff). Has quiz night amd food seems decent. Outside decked area to the front.

Recently reopened, this pub sports a wood lined saloon lounge, tables out front for smokers and those who wish to watch life going by with a pint, and, best of all, a large 1930s styled marble floored room to the rear, which is airy, spacious and beautiful. A fully stocked bar, with all the usual beers, wines and ciders as well as a few unusual choices. The friendly staff make it an excellent place for a week night drink, or somewhere to spend a Sunday afternoon with the paper.