Robin, London

North London CAMRA Branch Cider Pub of the Year 2025. At the presentaion on 29/04/25 Crones from Norfolk, Luke's: made in Somerset although officially a London cider producer (according to Camra) where most, if not all is sold and Turner's: Kent were on tap. Previous real ciders - Hogan's: Warwickshire, Little Pomona: Herefordshire, Sandford: Devon and Snailsbank: Herefordshire.

Reopened at the beginning of October 2023. Food: similar to Southampton Arms - ie pies; scotch eggs, sausage rolls and salt beef sandwiches. 10 keg lines, up to 4 cider lines and up to 6 changing cask beers from independent UK breweries inc a stout or a mild such as Left Handed Giant. Its similarity is no coincidence as operator Nick Bailey was previously the manager at the Southampton. It wishes to be also known as an Ale & Cider House, wonder where that came from?

It is a small corner pub made cosy by soft globe lighting and candles with a mix of seating, from booths to sofas, which offer a warm welcome to all. The bank of four cider handpumps is at the back of the bar serving area in the same way as the Southampton Arms.

Previously the Brave Sir Robin but that closed - 10/02/23 - it had reopened as Brave Sir Robin in December 2017 from the team that still run the Rose & Crown in Kentish Town. The name of the pub came from the name of a knight in film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

The building that hosts the pub has gone through various usages. At one time, it was a Post Office and, in the 1930’s, a grocery shop. It finally became a pub in 1983 and was an early conversion by JD Wetherspoon when it was known as Marler’s Bar. Since then it had numerous names including Hopsmiths, when it was run by the now closed London brewery, Late Knights. But that wasn’t the only closed brewery to own the pub; Tolly Cobbold of Ipswich purchased it from JD Wetherspoon when they departed in the late 1980’s. We have retained some pics of how it used to look.