The Noble

andy

The Noble (formerly the Big Fat Expensive Food Smoky Slightly Chaotically Managed Sofa) has now reopened. I've not been in - anyone tried it?

I wonder if anything can survive on that site, as it's between the Scylla and Charybdis* of the megapubopolises of the Larrik and Dairy. Will there ever been enough trade left over?

(*Is this the most pretentious analogy ever used on this site?)

Lucy

I will go in if they allow dogs!

Pete

My analogies are probably pretentious, as no one understands them.

Looking into yours though, I never realised that they were both women. Interesting thought that. the Greeks sure do love their Hell-hath-no-fury-as-a-woman-scorned-and-turned-into-a-hideous-multi-headed-beast-by-some-god characterisations.

Four Eyes

Noble is doomed to failure if you ask me. I've stuck my nose in the door and it looks much more 'gastro' than pub.

Doesn't look like the place you'd call in for a pint, or happen to be walking by and just fancy a £15 burger either...

andy

I agree. I'm not sure there's enough market there. It would be tough enough if there was only one of the two pubs near it.

And you're not going to walk there from Crouch End.

David

Went in on Sunday to try out the roast, which was nice enough. Staff were friendly and I actually would go there for a pint, espcially if I wasn't in the mood for the bigger Dairy/Larrik or wanted to avoid whatever sport was on. So a thumb's up from me on most these issues. For the dog-owners out there, they do let dogs in, we saw at least two on Sunday. The huge downfall is the price. Its stupidly expensive, but I'd decided to go try it anyway knowing it would be. We had two Sunday roasts, a drink each and shared a desert. They then stuck service on without asking _(maybe i'm old fashioned but can't get my head around tipping in a pub)_ and it all came to £35. If it had been more towards £25 we'd probably go more often, and that could be their downfall for sure.

andy

Interesting. We were in there on Saturday night for a pint. Upsides: Nice room, not crowded, Wadworths 6X Downsides: Stupidly expensive, being bothered by a drunk bloke who was insisting he looked like Peter Cockroft.

Four Eyes

We went for Sunday dinner a few weeks, forced up the road because of an Arsenal match on everywhere else.

Mussels in red chilli coconut broth were delicious but the chicken was a real let down and the portion really stingy. We both left still feeling hungy and £40 poorer.

Friendly service but a let down none the less.

David

yeah. I went into the Dairy to watch a game after my Sunday Roast, and watching a huge plate of roast beef getting served up to someone which was probably three quarters of the price I thought, _hmmm, I think the kitchen here knows its market a little better..._ A shame as it'd be a great addition. Suppose the beer is similarly priced so a pint isn't out the question, but a slap up meal is.

David

Drunkenly I ate at Nando's for the first time in my life last night, though the Soho one, not the Stroud Green one. How we managed to navigate our way into such a shithole with so many decent restaurants around us will probably remain a mystery forever. Needless to say, I'd rather remortgage and eat a burger in The Noble than go there again.

Liz

Good. I don't think you need to have gone to Nando's to know it's a bad thing (I certainly haven't) but happy to have it confirmed, even if it was at your expense.

David

But Liz, that's exactly the type of attitude that burns the injustice of the Waffle vote in my mind forever. But yes, don't go. Ever.

Ewan

Hi All,

me and my flatmate went for a few drinks in the noble. I quite liked it but I think I wanted to. unless I have a sofa I find the old dairy not enjoyable and get a bit lost in the larrick if there is only a couple of us.

no I thought the noble looked Ok. The food does seem overpriced though I they will have to address this to survive.

Also Nandos is such grim and nasty place. I didn't even know what type of food they sold until I asked someone. (sooo middle class) it always looks empty surely they must be loosing money?

Lucy

the noble takes dogs!? Winner in my books. Shame the dog's going back up north this week. Plus, going with Ewan on the Nandos thing. Tis no good.

Four Eyes

Isn't Nando's just overpriced KFC?

SimonB

I've been there a couple of times - to be honest I think of it more gastro than pub ... and found the food to be very good and worth the expense!

It's nice to have something a little bit different from the other pubs/restaurants in the area, so I hope it does well.

David

I agree its good food, relaxed atmosphere and the staff are friendly too, i'm just not convinced of those prices...

andy

"I quite liked it but I think I wanted to." That's my view too.

David

The difference between Nando's and KFC is that KFC offers chicken with the colonel's secret recipe whereas Nando's offers chicken. Also despite it being crap chicken, I think Nando's is actually a piece of real chicken, rather than the machine redundant stuff KFC wrap up in that secret recipe.

matt

I've walked past this and thought "ooh" but then I read the uninspiring - but gastro - menu, look at the price and then walk on.

Eventually, I'll succumb!

Emma

The Noble is an excellent Summer Pub, I'm happy to say. We spent the end of yesterday in there, and with the sun going down and the windows completely open it was pretty lovely. Plus, the windows are so completely open that it's possible use them as an alternative exit.

Are there any beer gardens in the area, apart from the Fullback?

Colette

The Triangle has a few outside bits, both of them very small, but nice.

andy

vv few local beer gardens - a definite blind spot for the area. Slightly further afield, you have the big one at the Canonbury Tavern and The Swimmer has outside space. If you're serious about your outside drinking, then you're best off going over to highgate, where the flask + others have good beer gardens.

Liz

The very manky Arsenal pub on Tollington Park has got a beer garden. But I'm not sure that's a good reason to go...

tosscat

The Bank of Friendship also has an okay garden.
Does the outsidey bit in the Harringay Arms count?

tosscat

And if we're being thorough the Nicholas Nickleby has a garden.

Ewan

hi tosscat. what is the Nicholas Nickleby like inside??? I have always been intrigued

Four Eyes

I once considered the Nickleby for a swift half when my washing was drying in the Launderette on the corner. I walked in and left...Afraid.

But yes there is a beer garden at the back.

David

You mean The Tollington, Liz? They've done it up now, so instead of manky, its now manky but with cheap wood laminate flooring and Staropramen.

matt

Just had a flyer posted for The Noble's new Tapas menu. Might give it a go

I used to live on Ferme Pk Rd and the Nickelby is definitely more Harringey Arms than Fullback. Poor choice of beer, but they do Guiness, a bit cold, really smoky. But they do have bar billiards, too.

lucky

just been in to the noble for a pint, my girlfriend had a watermelon cocktail, said it was soooooo good, we were chatting to the barman, they are doing outside seating starting tomorrow.
thank god there is somewhere else to drink out side other than the dreaded lion