Oakdale Arms, Stamford Hill, London

The Oakdale is a proper local boozer, owned by the Milton Brewery. www.individualpubs.co.uk Rob runs a great pub with great beers and a rather eclectic jukebox. Dog and bicycle friendly, Wii available and free wifi. All that’s missing is the range of guests that the Pembury gets, com’on Steve share…

Now with added lizards and fish…

Now with fewer hand pumps, not a good idea Steve….

Still hanging on, needs to get beer other than Milton though.

Closing on the 19th of March…..

Gone now, but sitting there empty, what a waste…

Windows are now blocked up…

Flattened… :-(

Sadly this pub closed down this year.

Sadly the demolishing of this pub is imminant. And it is a crying shame. I have been told that the place is a shadow of its former glory….well then I would truly love to have seen it in its prime because it is still a top top pub. There are only a couple of ales on (where there were once half a dozen) but I had never had either of them before and they were both really good.

The staff are friendly, the lizards are indifferent to your presence (yes lizards) and there is a pub cat which was extremely cute but not too bothered about spending any time around the quaffing clientele (probably wise).

You don’t expect to find a pub down a street like this either and soon….you won’t :(

The Oakdale is what you'd call eclectic - an out of the ordinary pub, with fine real ales, a real mix of clientele - and lizards. But more of that later.

The main downside is its location, seemingly miles from the nearest bus stop, and a good 15-20 minute walk from Manor House underground station. Hermitage Road really does seem to go on forever when you're walking down it.

Once there, through, the pub is something of a surprise: the inside is Tardis-like - it seems bigger on the inside than from the outside, and is spacious, with a central bar and a raised seating area at the back. There's lots of wood, and the furniture is a mix of stools, chairs and sofas, with an overall feel of being comfy and lived in. Humorous posters decorate the walls. Pretentious it is definitely not.

The real ales are the main draw - on my visit they had Milton Neptune (3.8% ABV) - described as "a crisp, nutty-flavoured copper-coloured ale, with a pronounced hop aroma". Delicious and refreshing might be simpler terms! Alongside was the wonderfully-named 'Village Idiot' at 4.1% ABV, from White Horse brewery.

Staff were friendly and efficient, and the other customers were a wide mix of locals, some studenty types and CAMRA members on a pub crawl. Overall it was fairly calm and relaxing - including (and this a first, I think) a Mike Oldfield album as its piped music.

The other residents were two Bearded Dragon lizards, located in two separate tanks, together with some crickets, which I take it were their supper.

Now, how many other pubs can offer that?

The Oakdale has been regularly represented in CAMRA’s best North London pubs because of it’s extremely impressive range of 8 real ales and upteen bottled beers. The beer is well kept, and even if you’re not fussed about real ale, there’s more than enough choice of non-ales to keep anyone happy.

The place itself is tucked away, around 10 minutes from Finsbury Park, which is probably one reason why it’s not always as full as other locals. This is a shame, as the pub itself is great, nice and big inside, with a beer garden and games room. They even have a big projector screen which alternates between live sport and the now ubiquitous Wii. Just ask the barman if you can play, they’re really friendly.

Scattered around are some pretty neat books, check out the Bible Stories graphic novel for some interesting analysis by the likes of Neil Gaimen amongst others. There’s definitely an “alt” feel in general, I guess the alienation from the main road lets the place get a little more character. The previous reviewer noted that you do get some metal from the Jukebox, but unlike a lot of places they don’t feel the need to play it constantly and super loud (which is a strategy, it has been reported, for making people, notedly men, drink faster). I personally do like a bit of metal, but the music selection is by no means biased in that way, there’s some great indie, Jazz, Electronica etc. with the added bonus that when you choose a song, you won’t have to wait long to hear it…

So, after this long and, admittedly hazy, review, I think it best to enthuse the good bits about this place. It has great beer, most importantly, but it also has a lot more to offer. The great shame for the Oakdale is it’s location, but in some ways, as I’ve touched upon, it’s character owes a lot to this. It’s always going to have to offer that something different. With the ever increasing homogenization of the high street by the big breweries and chains, I think the Oakdale is something to be cherished.

The Oakdale has the privledged position of being not only one of very few, but one of the best pubs in the Haringey/Finsbury Park area. A beautifully traditional local establishment, too few of such places remain and when one discovers one of these gems they’re worth clinging on to.

The Oakdale is a friendly place, with great staff and a warm homely feel; complete with resident cat. The real ale is a delight and the service with a smile. The pub is very well kept and it’s only drawback is the fact that it is so often quiet. A perfect setting for an afternoon pint and read of the papers after a walk, but a real shame on a saturday evening; maybe I’ve just been unlucky with my timings. I look forward to visiting in the summer where hopefully the extensive outdoor seating will prove a draw.

The pub does have a jukebox, but; it’s infrequently used and often a rather heavy metal tune will erupt from the speakers, not ideal. I’m all for the hard riffs maaan, just not in a quiet local. Otherwise a fantastic local pleading for the good folk of London to join in.