Review

Bar 271 is a pub of two halves, one half has a hint of the new, the other most definitely has a hint of the old about it. Unfortunately the old comes from a sense of being run down rather than any visible history or operational longevity of the establishment, and the new is probably destined to deteriorate in much the same way. The pub does boast one of the most colourful pub exteriors in North London, a mix of pink, blue, orange and white; presumably the thinking being that if you have enough colours everyone’s bound to like one of them.

The bright colourful exterior isn’t carried through into the interior décor, the large windows in the older half of the pub (the pink half from outside) allow a lot of light in to reveal a worn out knackered looking carpet, faded brown wood panelled walls and ageing wooden tables and chairs. By contrast in the newer looking half of the pub the floor is polished wood, the walls are a strong shade of dark red, and the furniture doesn’t look to be antique.

Whether you prefer the old or the new, each half is served by the same bar, and each has a widescreen TV to watch the football on. The newer half has a pool table and the older half a dartboard; the darts trophies clustered around the board obvious testament to how popular the game is with the locals. And aside from when visiting football fans are making a stop on the way through to White Hart Lane, locals are all that you’re likely to encounter in this pub, as it has nothing to attract the passer by.

Review by AJS