The North Pole in Islington

Estuvimos allí el jueves para la comedia y lo pasamos muy bien. Un montón de grandes actos y un pequeño bar encantador. Recomendaría

Estuve el jueves pasado para una noche de comedia y lo pasé muy bien, un gran tiempo libre en Londres. Recomiendo ir a comedia o simplemente tomar una copa

I had a great time at the Goliath comedy night, great and diverse set of comedians in a nice venue. Will come back!

Visited last night for the first time to see “Goliath” comedy . Great show in a lovely venue . Will be back soon

Weekly comedy night on a Thursday. Great lineup and a cracking atmosphere!! Will definitely go again!!

Absolutely amazing stand up comedy night. They're doing it every week on Thursdays and I can't wait to return.

Really cool bar, the decor is so well done. Comedy night was great fun. Good set up and comics were of a high standard. Bar staff very friendly.

Nice staff but this does not compensate the horrible food. Beer selection is small and not worth to comment. Music far too loud for any conversation. I was misleaded by the amount of great comments.

Had a midweek lunch here, welcomed by a very nice lady at the bar. A good selection of beers. We were the first in the pub as it opens at 12 noon, so we had the pick of the tables. Took our seats and ordered our food. All arrived in good time and was delicious, hot and good size portions. Definitely be back when next in the area. Pop in, you won’t be disappointed.

Tony is a good man, he always makes me feel welcome. The food, event and music is all i desire from a pub.

Popped in for the monday night 2-4-1 burgers, good selection of beers and interesting Hitchcock memorabilia to view. Very pleasant pub and food was nice.

We had to call in advance to take advantage of a 2-4-1 starters/main offer and the owner was very chatty, when we arrived, he picked up on us immediately & welcomed us by name & introduced us to his partner, and suggested a table by the window. The pub itself has an Alfred Hitchcock theme, with posters, trivia notes, and some not too unnerving crows looking down on us, amongst other items. The menu wasn't as complete as the one shown on the website, but still plenty to choose from. For starters we had Chicken Goujons and Breaded Prawns, which both came with fries so could have easily been enough for those with a smaller appetite, so when our main courses showed (lovely hot Fish & Chips - more fries, and a large pizza covered in meats) we knew we were going to struggle. Again the owner came round & chatted to us and really made us feel like special guests in this most homely of pubs. Top all this off with some great draught pints & IPA, and enjoyable music & fn bar staff, and you have everything you need for a great night out. Thanks to you all, Alan & Katrina

I recently celebrated a significant Birthday at North by North West in North London. Like a lot of Londoners, my flat is too small to host more than 6 people so I booked the function room at North by North West, which was a genius choice. In being located in the pub, but in a private room, there was already an on tap atmosphere with great music. The interior is quirky which was a great talking point for many of the guests, the staff were efficient and discreet. For me as the host, catering costs were transparent and reasonably priced. A number of my guests commented that the food was the best catering they had ever had at a function. All of this contributed to it being a memorable and stress free evening. Thank you

We attended a private party in the pub last weekend. Food was really really good and much better than normal buffet pub food - great place for a party.

What a great pub! We had a fabulous party there this weekend. Great food, great service - just great! Highly recommended

Las cosas no fueron muy bien desde el principio ya que cierto miembro del personal del bar no estaba contento de hacerme saber qué cervezas vendieron, ya que no capté lo que ella dijo, ya que estaba un poco ocupada y tuvo que repetirse. . Oh, bueno, pensé que era Navidad y ella probablemente está enojada con el trabajo. De todos modos, había oído y visto que la comida era abundante y sabrosa, así que no iba a arruinar mi comida. Después de un par de tragos más (que me aseguré de que alguien más me sirviera) decidimos tomar asiento para nuestra cena anticipada. Lo primero que me llamó la atención fue lo sosa que se veían las mesas y la sala con solo una galleta barata que le recordaba que era Navidad. Aunque no soy un bebedor de vino, el prosecco gratuito no existía. O. K no es el fin del mundo porque habíamos comprado bebidas, pero no debería estar en el menú si no se proporciona. Los entrantes fueron perfectos y realmente solo puedo decir que tal vez un poco demasiado, pero pronto descubrieron por qué. Ambos optamos por el pavo, que estaba delicioso, pero la pequeña cantidad de verduras y papas hervidas (que creo que se suponía que estaban asadas) fue muy decepcionante. De nuevo, el menú indicaba las coles de Bruselas que no se materializaron ni ningún condimento de Navidad. El pudín de Navidad estaba delicioso y hubiera sido la cantidad perfecta si la cena fuera más abundante. Sé que mucha gente hubiera dicho algo, pero estaba con mi esposa y no quería causar un escándalo, pero estar sentado aquí 2 días después me ha estado molestando y sentí ganas de poner mi experiencia por escrito. Aunque había pagado las 2 comidas del mes anterior, sentí que me habían hecho un favor apretándome en el último minuto. Si tuviera que pagar el día, no me habría estado separando con 120. Supongo que tendré que atribuirlo a la experiencia, pero a los 59 años de edad, probablemente fue una de las comidas más pobres que he encontrado. Creo que todavía estaría escribiendo esto incluso si me cobraran 20 cada uno.

Love this place, great staff, amazing decoration around Hitchcock, very friendly highly recommend. Great gin selection

Ce pub nous à été conseiller et vraiment sans regrets! Je Le recommande pour la bière et pour le repas, top.

Brilliant Pub, good food and great entertainment on a Friday night. Had my 50th birthday drinks in here, its local to me so will be going back.

Nice pub, good food. Highly recommend the Jerk Burger, I add jalepenos and cheese. Really nice and the nacho's are really good also. Worth a visit.

Great pub with some excellent ales and good food. The only problem - and it's a big problem - is that it's hardly ever open! Such a shame as this place has real potential.

ヒッチコックがテーマになったパブです。巨匠が使っていたスタジオのすぐ近くだとか。店内には、映画のポスターやプロップがおしゃれに飾られ、美味しいパブ料理が堪能できます。スタッフも親切で好感がもてます。閑静な住宅街にあるパブのため、観光客ばかりがいかない場所を探している方におすすめです。

En el pasado, escribí una crítica mejor valorada de este pub sobre la base de un fabuloso anacardo y hongos Wellington con salsa de porcini.

Great deco for this Hitchcock themed pub. I had a chicken burger and loved it. My friend had a pizza. It was good. Service just ok.

Como un gran fan de hitchcock me encanta este pub puramente para la decoración solo. Si viviese cerca estaría aquí todo el tiempo, pero por desgracia es poco si no viven en la zona (una buena caminata de 20 minutos Angel si no tienes a Essex Road fácilmente). Espero que logra abrir porque realmente han puesto mucho esfuerzo en el tema, pero parece que siempre sorprendentemente tranquilo cada vez que he estado allí. Quizás si no eres un ventilador del enganche que preguntarte qué toda la agitación.

Fuimos para el sábado almuerzo con amigos y un perro. El perro era una cálida bienvenida. Pizza, ensalada de pollo, salchichas y puré estaban bien. Los niños jugaban al tenis de mesa fuera, así que pude hablar con mi amigo, y el perro blagged un salchicha. Bob Marley fue una banda sonora un poco extraño el tema de hitchcock. El único inconveniente que vimos era escuchar otro punter lamentándose por que no era un día de partido, que supongo significa el pub recibe tomada por pantalla grande, que para mí arruinar completamente. Buena relación calidad-precio.

Un grupo de nosotros visitamos North by Northwest para asados del domingo! La comida fue servida rápidamente, bien presentado, fresca y sabrosa/probado parecían de buena calidad. Aunque el tamaño de la porción de carne era bueno y había una buena cantidad de patata asada que personalmente me hubiera gustado una mayor porción de otras verduras. El ambiente era relajado y no nos apresurábamos a lo largo, a pesar de tomar nuestro tiempo y nos costó 3 horas sobre la comida. Hay mucho espacio en este lugar, así que algunos de fútbol estar en familia, algunas comidas, mayor, etc. pueden disfrutar el mismo lugar sin tomar más. El servicio era bueno. (También debería mencionar en una anterior visita a North by Northwest antes de Navidad, uno de nuestro grupo dejó su bolso en el pub por error. El personal honesto tenía pusieron a un lado y nos recogerá al día siguiente, que era muy de agradecer).

Fui a este restaurante con mi amigo en un fin de semana para una comida. Vinimos a pedido en tiempo, pero la cocina era casi de cierre. Pedimos pescado y patatas fritas y mi amigo ordenados bannoffee pastel como postre. Teníamos apenas metido en nuestras comidas cuando, de repente, el postre fue traído en la mesa con cocina explicación cierra ahora. Por el momento terminamos nuestra comida tarta de mis amigos / helado había derretido toda la mesa (no es agradable! ).

À chegada começou mal. Sentei-me numa mesa e fiquei lá à espera que aceitassem o meu pedido. A casa estava praticamente vazia pelo que não percebi a demora. Só depois é que fui ao balcão e me disseram que não existia serviço de mesa... Poderiam ter sido mais prestáveis e dizer-me logo isso à partida.

Los entusiastas de Hitchcock no más allá de este pub decorado con buen gusto en un tramo de carretera en corriente Islington, cerca del lugar de los estudios utilizados por el antiguo maestro. Fotografías, carteles de cine, las películas de Hitchcock y artefactos de prevalecer. El asado del domingo no está mal, junto con una buena selección en el menú los platos principales. También es perro simpático! Bien merece una visita.

Lovely unique ambience, good beers and really friendly & helpful staff. I had an issue with my food when it first came out and the barman (Warren) couldn't have been politer or more willing to help, and got me a new burger sorted in a jiffy and I really appreciated his great attitude.Only bit of constructive feedback I'd give is that if you're going to do all burgers medium-rare as a standard you need to tell people that in advance. I know I'm a philistine...Other than that loved my evening there and would recommend it to everyone!

To be fair I've not seen any hitch cock films, but i was dragged away from my comfortable bed to this ungodly sin house in the flipping middle of no where. It was a mission and a half to get there and I ended up getting a 15 pound salad which was tasty, but very small portions. If I'm paying 15 poinds for a bloody salad expect 2 "big" chicken breasts minimum. Man gotta eat.There was a lot to look at but I felt there was too many picture which became overwhelming.

I recently visited the North by Northwest and had a great experience! The food was delicious and reasonably priced and the service was quick and efficient. In particular Andy, the guy behind the bar, was friendly and helpful and there was a great atmosphere in the beer garden without it being too loud or overcrowded.Will definitely be going here again!!!

Nicely refurbed and friendly staffNo loud musicPing pong tableWe will return and eat next time the pizzas looked great

Having worked right near this pub for 6 years I have seen it through highs and lows in management and I am sad to say it's seen better days. 6 of us came for lunch and were immediately surprised by the massive menu and dramatic range of prices (sandwich for £5 or salad for £14.50). We ordered a variety of different meals and were disappointed with the quality and service. Food arrived at different times, with 15 minutes gaps between meals. The not very friendly bar man told us we should have pre ordered as we are a group of 6, but we have never had this problem in other surrounding pubs, even when we have showed up in groups of 12+.When the food did arrive it didn't taste fresh as promised and the order of one of our guests was messed up twice.As this is the local pub to our office and there are lots of other businesses in the area, there is so much potential and it's a real shame that it hasn't improved since the change of hand. My only reason for not giving one star is for the friendly girl at the bar and the interesting decor.

We have made this our regular local since its re-incarnation. It is now a themed pub in honour of Alfred Hitchcock whose Gainsborough Studio is just down the road. There is a life size waxwork of Hitchcock behind the bar and bird models all around the seating areas. Posters from Hitchcock's movies adorn the walls. Screens show Hitchcock movies with the sound down. Outside there is a seating area and table tennis table that's free to use. There's a great selection of local beers. The food is really excellent especially the Sunday nut roast. I've had it several times and not been disappointed. My husband has enjoyed the pork, the lamb and the beef (not all at the same time!). During the week there's a 2 for £10 offer on pizza (Mon - Weds) which is a steal for such excellent pizza. My only disappointment is with the deserts. They're a little expensive and not as good as the mains and side dishes.

The food is amazing and the staff are really lovely! I just wish they would have a more interesting range of beers, rather than the usual standard stuff like Guinness and Amstel.

Having had a complete makeover and new people running it this pub is friendly, has decent food and an interesting interior. Hopefully it will thrive unlike its previous incarnations, so only judge it by recent reviews.

Good service ,food was very nice,beer also very nice,used to be my local when I lived in Islington many years ago,will pop in next time I visit my parents

Came here over the weekend. Happy to say we are onto a winner. This area has lacked a decent local. Food reasonably priced, nice mix of draft. Nice manager there too... Hopefully this will be consistent as I live accross the road. Football was on with no sound but the music was good.

First time I've visited this lovely pub , here for a family members birthday the food is amazing I had the roast lamb and my husband had the roast beef we both very impressed.. great service as well I Come to London quite often and I will definitely be coming back here.

This is our local that's changed hands many times over the last 15 years.I hoped this latest incarnation would be good. Decor is different to what anyone has done before with the Hitchcock theme.Sadly the menu was massive (which isn't a good sign, how can you keep it all fresh?)We had a mixture of standard pub food and pizzas.Sadly the pizza was very similar to what you could make yourself with a frozen base. There are many good places to get pizza near by.My ribs, chips and coleslaw was pretty much what I'd expect from a wetherspoons meal or even a TGI Fridays.I think they need to pick one thing and do it well rather than have curries, pizzas, English pub food, America dinner foodSorry to leave a negative review but it wasn't good at all

Recently moved to Essex road and have been enjoying most pubs in the area. North By North west ticks all the boxes, there's plenty to choose from the menu. We now eat here on a regular basis and have come 2nd and 3rd in the Thursday quiz. To all Hitchcock fans, this is a must to check out !

We stumbled upon this place last week for a quick bite en route to the cinema. My heart sank when I saw the menu - Burgers/Pizza/Sunday Roasts/fish & chips etc etc. Trying to tick every food box and doing it badly. Burgers were overcooked - No apologies from staff when we showed them. As for the Alfred Hithcock theme....less said about this the better.

Went to celebrate friends Anniversary.Have been to venue before on several occasions.It is local to friends house.Great job in the refurbishment,very pleasant surroundings and atmosphere.We returned as we were so impressed with the food....one of us vegetarian,four not. :) however we were all equally pleased.The bar staff are friendly and helpful,as the service staff.Great offer of ales and drinks to accompany .I would be happy to recommend a visit to this establishment to try it yourselves and thus supporting a local pub as well as enjoying your time .

I've been to The North a few times in the last year or so for after work partys and it was always ok but after my visit last week I was blown away with the change. Alfred Hitchcock theme is fantastic they even have him standing behind the bar. Any lover of the director must see this. It has a very nice feel, low lights and candles make it quite cosy. Beer was great the have my favourite Hammerton N1. Three of us had dinner, Chicken Curry, Fish and Chips and a pizza all was just perfect. Staff were friendly and were able to give us local information that we needed. Big thumbs up guys we'll be back for sure.

Recently popped into the new North by North West pub for lunch. It's not often that I review places but the burger I had was so good that I thought it was worth a mention. I would strongly recommend it to any burger lover! I'll be back soon.

Went in late on a Sunday evening after the dinner rush. We had great attention from the staff, very accommodating with our request to change the food order a bit, and on the whole, an incredibly pleasant experience in a city where I'm used to poor table service and being overcharged.

Went with a couple of friends and had a great time, very good food and the staff was very helpful. Would definitely recommend.

Our night at The North Pole really did have something for everyone!The restaurant was very good - well cooked food, the service was attentive without being intrusive, and no rush. Make sure you download a 50% off voucher from their website, it makes the meal good value, and they were expecting us to have one. It would be overpriced without one, though.Then it was out to the Shisha garden (prompted by our children). I thought it was a friendly & informal setting, not quite what I expected, but not really my thing - it must be an age thing, as all the 'youngsters' were enjoying themselves.Then it was into the bar for karaoke, again, not my thing, but I enjoyed watching others make total idiots of themselves & not care about it! It was great fun, though.We had a reason for being out that night, & we will certainly never forget it.

Used to be a cozy pub with great beer and good food. Now, it's over-lit and has a weird modern angle going on. The menu is just plain strange, seating uncomfortable, and the burger barely edible. On the plus side, they have a great range of beers on tap. As my nearest local I really want to love it, and might return in a couple of months to see if they turn things around.

The North Pole has just reopened after a major refit and new owners, clearly a lot of money has been spent and the interior is now very modern.We went on Saturday and it was not busy, menu has a Turkish bent along side traditional dishes such as fish and chips. All of us went for a Turkish inspired dish and we felt disappointed, the meat was well cooked in a charcoal oven but there was too much bread and the rice was dry so overall everyone felt the meals were uninspired and dry.

Le north pole est un endroit très agréable pour une bière après le travail, le chicken burger est très bon avec son pain légèrement brioché. Il ne faut pas s'attendre à un repas digne d'un chef français mais la nourriture est très bonne. Petit bonus le mercredi, c'est soirée quizz.

We just took a bunch of people from work here for an xmas do. The pub has a decent selection of ales, but the food was absolutely horrific. We probably covered the whole menu between us, and there wasn't a single person who thought the food was better than awful. Really disappointing, would definitely avoid eating there again.

To be honest I've been avoiding the North Pole since it opened because the previous pubs that have been there were terrible. I finally relented and now wish I'd been in way before! Great selection of food and beers. Good atmosphere, and also not jam packed at weekends like other key pubs in the area, which makes a nice change. Only comment would be that the service is quite slow, but it didn't affect my experience. Try the buttermilk chicken burger and whiskey cider - yummy.

Fantastic pub with a great atmosphere, but when I expressed some concern over a pint. I was bullied and abused by staff( Her name was Enma) ... I wouldn't go again. Her attitude stunk.

this is now our local! good food and amazing beers, we pop in regularly now, even just to sample the ever changing beer on tap!!!

Ottimo cibo, buonissimi prezzi solo servizio un po lento.Mi è mancato il consueto chili con carne ma abbiamo provato la shrimp gumbo ed è una zuppa di verdure e gamberetti piccante molto buona e una ceasar salad con pollo davvero ottima !

I've been coming here a few years. Fantastic range of beers and good food too! Staff are friendly and straight forward. A great local boozer to relax and unwind in. No football, no intimidating atmosphere. An excellent pub

We just love this pub. The menu is quite small but the food tastes great and has fresh ingredients. Everything we tried was lovely so far and there is also a great selection of drinks. They keep changing the drinks frequently so don't be surprised if your favourite disappears but be assured there is always something new to try.They have different specials during the week, from ribs and wings in a bucket to sunday roast on the weekends.Having previously been for lunch and dinner and really enjoying the food we went along for the pub quiz once and even won the jackpot :-)Finally we decided to have our wedding reception there beginning of this month. The staff and especially the manager Adam were great and we could have the day planned as we wanted. We had an outside BBQ and overall had an amazing day.We are just back from our honeymoon but will surely go there again for my favourite burger!!

Since moving into the area, The North Pole has quickly become our pub of choice. Ales are well kept, with a selection of ten beers, ciders and stouts on tap. But rather than buying into the craft beer craze, this is a pub that genuinely cares about its beer. The beers are regularly rotated, the staff are happy to allow tasters, and favourites become a regular feature. There's also a good selection of bottled beers and wine available.The food is averagely priced for this (expensive) part of town, and is of good quality. While the menu doesn't change too often, there's a good selection of dishes including the usual gastro pub fayre - pulled pork rolls, barbecue ribs, steaks, wedge chips etc. and the standard is good. There's also a decent roast on a Sunday.It's bustling but never overly busy, staff are friendly and polite, prices are reasonable and the food and drink are great. If you fancy getting away from the shouting antipodeans on Upper Street, this is a highly recommended option.

Upon on arrival, there was no one to seat us and we had a small wait before anyone greeted us, however, we were seated by the piano - which was nicely tucked out of the way. It took a little while to place the drinks order however once the order was placed, the drinks arrived promptly at the table.The waiter was very attentive when taking the food order. I had the tortellini to start which was delicious and beautifully seasoned. For main, I had the steak which was cooked to perfection (for me) and had side order of green beans and some wedges. The dessert was pretty spectacular to say the least - pear crumble with the creamiest vanilla ice cream.I thought it was a little pricey and probably wouldn't have visited only we had a Groupon voucher.However, the food was delicious and I would recommend anyone to try.

We stopped in here on a chance as it was close to our hotel and it was getting late. It looked like we'd stumbled on an average pub downstairs, but the bartender said we were welcome for dinner. We were certainly not disappointed. I had the curry which was excellent and we all shared one of the best risottos (the mushroom risotto) that I've ever had. I had a few pints as well and my wife had a few glasses of wine. Even the kids were pleased with their meals (though I've forgotten what they ordered).There was basically one visible worker who's name I wish I had gotten. He was greeting, tending bar, serving, and still had time for some pleasant conversation. You should definitely stop in if you're in Greenwich!

I really love this pub because it offers such a good range of ales and lagers. It's hard to find such good craft beers, particularly cold darker brews. The taps are kept fresh and the prices pretty reasonable. They used to have some really good burger options but since revamping their menu they eliminated some of the best.

This friendly local pub has around ten ales, ciders and stouts on draught, and the bar staff seem to know their stuff. Tasters are happily offered. The atmosphere is friendly and busy without being too noisy, and there are plenty of comfy chairs to sit at as well as a small outdoor area. We had the Sunday roast which was excellent - tasty and reasonably priced. Highly recommended.

First visit to the North Pole.Great selection of real ales, very accommodating bar staff who seem quite passionate about the quality of the beer.Lots of seating and good atmosphere.

The food was excellent and the service was impeccable. We celebrated my mums 50th in the fine dinning room and had an amazing evening. I'm looking forward to eating here for my birthday in April. I would most definitely recommend.

Ambiente super agradável, com ótimos drinks e excelente comida. Garçons super atenciosos e um menu bem diversificado dão o tom festivo à visita. Recomendo demais.

My daughter lives above this pub, as it was raining we did,t want to go far ,got in there just gone noon we(4) of us we were the only ones there . We all order burgers with home made chips & colesaw we all ahd a drink bill came to about £55 . If I was seeing my daughter again I would pop in here. They do a very nice cider !!!!

Best cooked Sunday Lunch ever! Friendly staff. Atmospheric bar. Would I go again? Yes! If you like food, you will live this place.

The food and service here in the restaurant upstairs never fails to please. Sunday lunch is exceptionally good value with the typical roasts difficult to beat. Prices are typically London Fine Dining, but use of the Taste Card reduces costs substantially. The menu changes from time to time, and the chef is particularly skilled in serving up beef and lamb dishes - rack of lamb if on the menu is superb. Staff are meticulous but very friendly and extremely efficient. Friday and Saturday evenings sees a very talented pianist perform. Slightly out of the town centre but still very very near to DLR and mainline railway stations, and also close to main hotels, this is probably the best bet in Greenwich for fine food.

The North Pole is one of my favourite London watering holes. A huge selection of craft beers on tap and fantastic food. They show live sport but its better for a few beers and a laugh with mates rather watching the football. Love it

The North Pole is my local, and hence I frequent there once in a while. The food is quite average. The burger is by far the best option, but I feel like it was better a few months ago when you got a big patty instead of a double. Also, don't expect any table service since you might have to wait forever to be served.Now on to the positive. The beer selection is truely amazing. They frequently change beers, and I'm not sure I have ever had a bad one! It's a perfect place for trying new beers, and the beers are not too expensive.

A locals pub which is hidden away. I hope it don't close down for a faceless pub. The landlord John and his staff were very nice.

stumbled across this while sheltering from torrential rain en route to hotel. What a find! Downstairs there is a lovely bar and out the back a shisha terrace which smelt lovely! We ate in the piano lounge and had a lovely meal. little bit pricey but worth it for a special occasion. Lovely surroundings and staff very friendly would def eat here again

And I mean that in a good way. The music was 80s, but the good edgy, interesting and creative 80s, not the soul-sapping glitzy, syntho 80s. The craft beer is great if you like that kinda thing - doesn't really interest me, but nor is it a problem. The food was meaty, but a fishy veggie like me just about found enough to enjoy - a simple BBQ bean pot and a great shrimp burger. The waitress was excellent. All in all a good, friendly, local pub.

Agree with review of 8 March 2013, this is a local pub, close to Canary Wharf and Britannia Hotel and a real London local pub, no modern features and decor, mix of locals and business types customers. There was some building work and fences up on our visit which obstructed the entrance somewhat but pleassant for a couple of drinks, probably not the whole evening !!If you want modern pub chain, steer clear of the North Pole !!

This was a lovely little pub squirrelled away near the hotel with a legend of a barman and extremely cheap drinks! Definitely recommend!

We took friends because we heard it was cheap- you get what you pay for, the veggi burger (falafal) was awful but the friends said the double cheeseburger and chicken burgers were good. There was a really great selection of beer and all the bottles of wine were under £20. The service was friendly although our friends thought a bit over friendly as the waitress kept patting everyone everytime she came over.

Traditional old london east end pub, shabby but has a great hart, just as tone throw from canary wharf , hidden in backs streets, crisps scratchings, and a range of beers worth a visit.

We visited the North Pole on Saturday as part of a large party and were really impressed. A great selection of well chosen real ales, ciders & lagers are on offer which the staff seemed fully clued up on. The food was simple but very tasty with good sized portions. Best of all were the staff who could not of been more helpful and friendly. We will be back without the kids.

My step-daughter booked a table for her family, for Sunday lunch, to celebrate her birthday. Sadly, it did not go to plan. To start, our party of five were not given a proper table but two small circular tables placed together. We were just able to perch on the tables.What we hadn't taken into account was that on Sunday lunchtimes children are allowed into the pub. This was a major error of judgement on our part! I have no problem with children that are well behaved. However, I do object to badly behaved children that are allowed to run out of control and test their larynges to destruction. Their din was continuous and deafening and it was unfortunate that we had left our ear defenders at home. It was hardly conducive to a convivial and pleasant birthday celebration. Our lunch was a miserable experience.We experienced a breakdown in service with the Birthday Girl having her meal served twenty minutes after the rest of the party. I later overheard a conversation in the men’s toilet where the chef bemoaned the waiting staff for getting their orders wrong. Friction and poor communication between the chef and waiting staff was probably a major issue here. Then there was the question of the food. Birthday Girl found her burger inedible because the bun was burnt, the bacon under-cooked, the burger meat was served undercooked too. She sent it back, uneaten! I suspect that the cooking was probably not compliant with the advice of the UK’s Chief Medical Officer, regarding the safe cooking of burgers, i.e. they must be cooked at 70°C for 2 minutes or equivalent. A number of our party had chosen the Sunday Roast but they found this unappetising as the roast beef was served with large pieces of fat attached. In addition, the Yorkshire puddings were served stone cold. To be fair, the starters were good.Whilst I appreciate good food and good cooking, I am pretty tolerant of what I eat. I must confess that I did not enjoy my main meal at all. In fact, I would go so far as to say that I found the taste most unpleasant and that is extremely rare.I make a point of writing favourable reviews and I like to do this when I have encountered excellence as I wish to share good news with others. I am most reluctant to post bad reviews as people’s livelihoods are at stake. There were some good points to The North Pole. Firstly there was a great selection of beers and ales, which were kept in excellent condition. Secondly, the manageress was highly professional in being constructive and conciliatory when we spoke to her to complain. She gave us a discount for the inedible meal.

Pleasant enough place mainly full of young people and certainly nobody over 30 that I could see! Food was the usual Nouvelle cuisine, a Godsend to some restaurateurs who use this acronym to give you as little as they possible can. I suppose if you’re looking for a traditional Sunday lunch with roast spuds two or three Veg and the usual trimmings, then think again. I saw on my plate half a spliced carrot, a section of potato and some beef carefully sliced on top to fill it all out!However the food although not plentiful, was OK, all except for the Yorkshire pudding that was clearly burnt; and I do mean burnt! I always wonder what goes through the mind of a chef when he’s prepared to serve such an item. The roast cost £12.00 per head but the drinks were pricey although this is technically a pub and not a restaurant - or so it says from the sign hanging outside the door.

Following the closure of the North Star earlier this year, the North Pole has opened on the same premises. Its main selling point is its extensive, and regularly-changing slection of craft beers, lagers and ciders. These are well-kept, and, by London standards, reasonably good value - a standard pint of ale is currently £3.30.It being my one of my locals, I've made several visits, and eaten there four times. The food is very much for chaps (of either sex): steaks, burgers, sliders, heroic portions of barbecued ribs and jerk chicken - very much the fashion of the day, and done well, in an unfussy, man-food sort of way.