This is not the place to go to if you want to have a chilled out, relaxed evening. In fact, it's not the place to go to at all.
I visited the Old Crown a few times to get a feel for it, as it has outdoor seating in the front and back and I thought that I could make it a regular place to have a drink with my friends, especially during the summer. But those features are nothing to judge this place by, as I soon found out.
The first time I went to this pub I thought that the loud, vulgar behaviour of the landlady and the regulars was just because of the sports event that was being shown on the big screen. I was wrong.
The purple-faced, letchy alcoholic men don't make it any friendlier, although THEY seem to think they do. Most pubs stop serving people who are clearly drunk. Not so at this place. On one occasion, I watched the staff serve a man who could hardly stand up, drink after drink. This is a place that loves to take your money, but neglects to take care of the customers.
The tension in this pub is palpable and I knew it would only be a matter of time before some violence kicked off. If I'd wanted to see fight I would have stayed home and watched boxing.
The toilets are absolutely foul. I've never seen or smelled anything like it. There's clearly a plumbing problem which needs serious attention as water is coming up from under the toilet bowls. Disgusting and unhygienic. I wanted to try the food, but I didn't order anything because if that's what the customer toilets are like, I can only imagine what the kitchen - which the customers can't see - must be like. I just wasn't willing to take the risk.
I gave this place a few visits because I naively thought that it would improve. It hasn't, it seems to be getting worse which is quite disappointing as it is a lovely, spacious pub, but what's the point in having all that space if all you do is fill it with loud, obnoxious drunks?
The prices are rubbish too considering the standard of what comes out of the taps and the bottled drinks are ridiculously overpriced! I know it's Highgate, but why on earth are the prices so high? I've visited much nicer pubs in Hampstead and Highgate and the prices are reasonable, in fact considerably less, with a lovely selection of ales and ciders, both bottled and draught. What makes the Old Crown so special that they can charge such extortionate prices? The landlady needs to take some of the money she's ripping off the customers, and spend it on improving the pub. It only looks nice, but it stinks!
I must add, Wheelchair Accessible, means that a wheelchair can actually fit comfortably through the doors of the establishment, and that includes the toilets!
Just because you have an entrance that doesn't involve steps, does not mean that a pub is wheelchair accessible.
I won't be going back. read more