A friendly, chic north London drinking spot that could be a real winner if only it loosened up a little, rather than trying to stick to the ‘cool modern pub’ blueprint.

The Venue
Just a five-minute walk from the Tufnell Park tube station, this venue is slap bang in the middle of a quiet, residential road and just about manages to grab the attention of passers-by with its minimalist, black and white exterior and mid-pavement sandwich board listing its takeaway pizza. Step inside and you’ll probably give a satisfied nod and say ‘mmm this is pretty nice,’ but you won’t be blown away. Its clean, stylish décor and mix and match church hall furniture screams ‘trendy London gastro pub’ and, although it doesn’t quite reach the heights of its more quirky counterparts around the city, it really is a comfortable, relaxing place to have a drink and a bite to eat. For the former, sit either inside amidst the pillars and alcoves, or out in the charming beer garden. It really is a great place to relax in the summer. With the doors wide open and the sun beaming in, it feels light and airy and you could happily spend hours sipping gin and tonics on the terrace.

The Atmosphere
Although they’ve pretty much got everything right at The Tufnell Tavern – nice staff: tick, good selection of food: tick – it can sometimes feels a little, well soulless. And that’s nothing to be ashamed of when a pub is as new as this. Having only opened this year, there’s hardly been time to establish a real personality, and with the bones of a great local, they may decide to splash the walls with a bit of colour and add some character. As far as the clientele goes, you can expect to see plenty of young trendy types with beards and baggy trousers, and yummy mummies, especially on a Sunday. The beer garden is perfect for children to run around in while the grown-ups drink or dine al fresco.

The Food
You can eat in the main seating area or go through to the separate dining room and there’s an impressive selection of tasty rustic pizzas, including the flavoursome Turkish, which combines spiced lamb and feta cheese. If you want something fancier, try a refreshing chilled soup for £5.50, a grilled ribeye steak and sautéed potatoes (£16.50) and, if you’ve still got room, peaches with honey (£5.50).

The Drink
They’ve got all your usual beers on tap, including Stella, Becks and Staropramen (around £4 a pint) and there’s a nice selection of wines on offer too, all displayed on the blackboard. Pay £2.50 for a small glass of house white (El Muro Bianco), £3.40 for a Pinot Grigio and £4.30 for a lovely Chianti.

The Last Word
A bright, welcoming pub with great potential, The Tufnell Park Tavern is a decent local for a laid back drink with friends, or as somewhere to hangout with the little ones in tow.

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