N4 PUB

Emma

I think the problem with trying to go posh is that there are plenty of locals who actually want to go there and they're <i>not</i> posh. That's the problem with the recent incarnations really - maybe trying to "do an N19" isn't possible in that particular area.

ADGS

Part of the beauty of N19 is surely that it *isn't* that posh - the drinks are still reasonably priced, the food's not far off classic pub grub, and so forth. Which means you still get the old locals in, as well as newcomers.

Papa

The problem with the N4 was twofold. TVs on all the time, not just when there is sport on, and no ale. That stopped me going back.

Emma

Re: N19 - maybe it's not a gastropub but it has been poshed up: it's much nicer than, say, the Park Tavern or similar classic "locals' pubs" (where "nice" means interiorally designed, website, proper chef etc).

Papa

The Park Tavern had a brief foray into having a menu a while back, not sure it involved a chef. N19 is definitely posher.

j

At risk of the thread deviating even further, I recommend The Crown on Holloway Road for those seeking a proper old-skool unpretentious boozer that on my last visit offered (a) a dartboard, (b) change from a fiver for two pints (c) free sandwiches for the patrons. The kind of place it's nice to know still exists.

ActionVerb

Sounds like The Park Tavern to me, although it's just over a fiver for a couple of pints.

miss annie

This week's Time Out calls the Fullback the 'best tucked-away pub in London'. Although they think it's in Finsbury Park.

krappyrubsnif

The 'f-ing' Fullback finks its in Finsbury Park itself. Its Christmas card this year (liberally left on the tables) has a motto inside that reads something like 'The Faltering Fullback in Fabulous Finsbury Park'.

ADGS

To be honest, I thought it was in Finsbury Park. But let's not have the borders conversation again.

WillM

It's only 2 minutes walk from the actual park and SGR, so I'm likewise surprised to hear the view that it isn't in FP.

miss annie

As previously discussed, I think that Stroud Green is partly a state of mind so I like to include lots of places (my flat, Season, the Fullback etc), that might otherwise be ouside the boundaries, into my definition of SG.

ADGS

Which is all well and good, but hardly allows objections when magazines use a more conventionally geographical definition of London areas.

sincers

You can't deny them the alliteration!

ShaunG

Nothing wrong with Finsbury Park. That's where I tell most people I live as they won't have heard of Stroud Green. SG is a local name for local people.

ActionVerb

Not wishing to do a re-run of a similar thread relating to a different bar in SG, but the N4 have started early with their summer piss-taking. Private parties going on past the hours, which isn't much of a problem, but massive shouting arguments and fights both last night and on Friday night are a bit much. Group of 50 or so involved last night, with police cars and vans involved in clearing it all up at around 3am. Complaint going to the Council, whatever N4's opening hours are, they're going way beyond them.

Mirandola

Far too noisy at one thirty last night too

knox_harrington

Who are the right people to complain to about pubs being really loud past their opening hours? The Fonthill is constantly noisy late, seem to have lockins all the time and groups standing outside shouting / fighting each other. There's one guy in particular who is completely unable to STOP SHOUTING

Amazing that the new people managed to take it downmarket from the N4, but there you go.

harpistic

There's a few threads which mention this - most notably the S***r L***ge - basically you can complain to the council and police.

There's people on here who know more about this than I do, so I'll leave it there!

Cookie

@ Bridget, I remember that pub in the 60's. It was extremely popular with our Irish community, especially on Sunday. My Irish friend and her family would go to the Catholic Church at the top of the road for Mass on Sunday. Once home, her father would visit the pub.I do not know what was on the 'juke box', but the only music that I ever heard was Irish. Happy Days.

ActionVerb

By far the worst pub in the finsbury park/stroudgreen area. Yet again a fight breaks out at half three in the morning, with dozens of drunken idiots accompanied by shrilling shouts of 'he's not worth it' spilling out onto the street. It's a shame that they've managed to get a group of the aggressive arsenal fans as regulars, I was really looking forward to this iteration of the pub failing.

ChangN4N6

AV I think you are unfair on this place. Yes, it is not a gastro pub (the food is terrible), but it IS lively and I have met several nice girls in there since the summer. We do need lively pubs. Even the Sugar Lounge has lost its excitement now. Someone at N4 on the bench told me it may revert to its old name (Duke of something?) and 'go a bit more upmarket' but they also mentioned a skittle alley so I wouldn't expect the knitting crowd to flock. Apparently Chapter 1 used to be a music joint so it would be good if they brought that back. chang

cristo

AV you are absolutely right! I too am sick and tired of their late night brawls that spread up and down the road. They had one today at 8:30pm on a Sunday!
I've even had one of the owners park his car in my drive on occasion...how bloody rude!
With the amount of complaints this place has I can't see it lasting much longer...or is this just wishful thinking?

newboots

Hello, fellow sufferers of the N4 now Fonthill. I logged on to see if anyone else is upset about the place after even the baby who sleeps through anything got woken up at about 2am on Friday night by shouting, screaming, murder, mayhem. Finally got up and was delighted to see crowds of unhappy drunks milling around, walking in and out of the pub as police watched on, at around 3.30am. Don't want to come over all disgusted of Finsbury Park so relieved to know I'm not the only who's fed up. Having watched things deteriorate there over the past couple of months is it too much to hope to get the police and council to finally take some action. I spoke to the Police Neighbourhood Safety Team (PCSO George Tsendis) and have emailed the chap at Islington licensing a couple of times (Niall Forde) and cc'd the councillor who is apparently responsible (Barbara Sidnell) but I can't help feeling that they would be more likely to listen if we got in touch as a group to make what seems like a pretty reasonable request: enforce the terms of the license - licensing sent me a copy, thrilling reading as you can imagine . However having asked the manager Mark Anthony to keep to it (eg clear the terrace by 10pm, not play LOUD music through speakers etc etc ) and having had him be pretty rude or just put the phone down on me it would be great to have some support. I've asked the licensing people to arrange a meeting where I and anyone else who is willing can voice their concerns. Don't know if they'll agree to that. I know it's not exactly thrilling but let me know if you'd be willing to come along or if that's too time consuming, I was thinking about doing a letter and getting neighbours to sign. xxx

Bridget J

Hi there, Im happy to support this , sign anything. It's really loud and quite frightening. I have two small kids and we are woken up by the shouting and screaming. It seems to be so frequent. Its very horrible.

newboots

thanks Bridget. I will let you know if & when I've heard back from all my exciting emails.

ActionVerb

Yep, I'll sign whatever, and attend a meeting if outside normal work hours. I remember when Red Rita had an application to extend their licensing, a petition letter went round asking people to object, I didn't at the time as it wasn't an issue. Has anyone had any luck with speaking to the Council's environmental health officers? Their first response is likely to be to keep a diary of when these things happen, but perhaps they'll take notice if a few people email them as well as the licensing chaps. The Council may be able to issue a noise abatement order, which should force them to restrict to specific hours. I spoke to them previously on another issue, and they appeared relatively keen to listen to my previous concerns.

ActionVerb

I've just also emailed my complaint to noise.issues@islington.gov.uk , and copied in Barbara Sidnell as well. @newboots - what are the permitted opening hours for the pub according to the license?

Thomas

I emailed Licensing on Monday about this very issue. No response yet. I also emailed the Noise people and the SNT earlier in the year about the same issue. I wouldnt bother with the Noise team again as they wanted to come round to measure noise levels which seems like a big hassle. The SNT (George T) were helpful and said they had been to speak to the landlord. After this posters actually went up telling people to respect resident (and not to deal drugs!), but seemed to have no effect. Issues seem to have become a lot worse since they started showing Arsenal games. But a lot of the late night issues seem to be as a result of private parties - are private parties exempt from the lisence maybe? Happy to sign something.

ActionVerb

I received back a reply from the noise team on this, which I will paste once I get in front of a laptop, apparently the pub had a late license for that weekend, allowing it to remain open until 3am. The reply suggests that the noise team are called when there is a disturbance to check internal noise levels (as mentioned above). Not particularly helpful, as fights don't tend to go on for more than 15/30 minutes, so waiting for the noise team to come in to measure the noise isn't always going to achieve much. It also states that they're aware of issues with the pub, and will be writing to them outlining potential action the council could take if the issues continue, but it doesn't say what that is exactly.