CAMRA North London Pub of the Year 2022.
Narrow, late Georgian side-street premises, just off the Gray’s Inn Road, with a single bar, smoking patio at the rear and benches on the pavement. It retains much of its Victorian character such as etched mirrors, a splendid bay window, a fine back gantry, floor tiling, blue wall tiles (listed), lamps, a lovely fireplace, a lantern and a mixture of old, non-matching tables and chairs.
Up to three traditional ciders sold from handpump and bag-in-the-box - winner of the CAMRA London Regional Cider Pub of the Year Award 2013 and 2016. Now an accredited member of CAMRA's LocAle scheme and offers a 10% discount to CAMRA members. Payment by card only.
Also has interesting beers on keg tap such as Kernel. The pub can stay open beyond the listed closing times depending upon trade. The food menu is designed to complement the beer - Mrs Kings's Melton Mowbray pork pies, cured meats, cheeses and ploughmans. There is always something going on here, live music on the piano every Thursday night from 8 o’clock and every Sunday from 4.30 and the last Thursday of the month features a five piece Jazz band.
Historic Interest
Grade II listed:- No.66: Stucco. Three storeys, attic and cellars. Three windows. Mid-late C19 public house frontage, restored, of moulded pilasters with enriched capitals and consoles flanking entablature with dentil cornice. Central bowed window with engraved glass; double, panelled doors to either side, part glazed with engraved glass. Stucco Ionic pilasters at angles rise through first and second floors carrying a dentil cornice. First and second floor windows, two-pane recessed sashes. Attic storey with recessed panels alternating with two-light casement windows. Moulded coping.
INTERIOR: good interior with green tiled dado, tiled cornice frieze, mirrors along back bar and wall opposite counter. Stair with closed string and column newels.
One star - A pub interior of special national historic interest
Listed status: II
A Victorian pub with an eye-catching exterior and some original interior features.
In a terrace of three houses built c. 1764, this has a fine Victorian exterior which has earned it Grade 2 listing status. It boasts an ornate bay window with curving, etched glass, and a c.1928 photo on display within the pub confirms that at least some of the patterned glass is original. The main panel, with an image of Victoria, and some of the other panes, is certainly not. Two old and battered Charrington’s lanterns still adorn the wall. Victorian tiles cover the floor of the entrance lobby.
Inside has been opened out but still retains much of interest. Tiling along the floor indicates that a corridor once ran along the right-hand side of the pub and contained doors leading into three rooms all of which would have been served by the bar counter which presumably has always been situated along the left-hand wall. The four mirrors on the right wall are relatively modern replacements but have been done in a style to match the mirrors in the bar-back on the opposite wall, which may well be Victorian. The pale blue tiles of the dado walls are very attractive and may also be Victorian.
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This Pub serves 2 changing beers and 1 regular beer.
Queen's Head, London
Source: National