The Bailey

Not a Arsenal fan/gooner but this is a good pub to watch any football match in...great buzz about it on match days when Arsenal are at home. Been here a few times usually on match days with my mates who live around the area or that are fans and always had a laugh. good outside area to watch the crowds and cheap pints.

Used to enjoy the Monday night quiz at the Bailey, which is run by the highly entertaining 'Fat Controller'. I haven't been in a while, partly because quizzes were put on hold during the summer while students were away, but also after having my bag nicked from my table. It can happen anywhere and the staff were helpful, but it's worrying when these things happen right under yer nose. Suggests a professional element.

Decor has been changed recently, but is still rather bare and could do with a decent overhaul.

Three stars, but only because of the excellent-when-its-on quiz.

Apart from the fact that they serve a couple of real ales I can’t think.of anything else to recommend this pub. I guess the big wooden tables were kind of nice?

When I arrived there were no barstaff at all. After a couple of minutes a girl finally emerged, but by the time she had got through the backlog of people waiting to be served (including getting annoyed at a guy who asked for a small apple juice for his kid, after she had given him a pint of it) I had been there for almost 10 minutes. She still didn’t see me so I had to call her over. Great service!

Apart from the TVs adorning the walls the walls are bare. They really good use some kind of decoration.

Serves Thai food, but I wouldn’t be tempted to order it given the trouble they seem to have with serving drinks.

One of the better pre-match pubs for games at the Emirates Stadium, the bailey has a great pre-match atmosphere and is for home fans only. I usually go here for mid-week games as it's a handy spot half way between Highbury and Islington tube station and the stadium. On Saturday, we popped in to get the full "Arsenal Karaoke" experience- featuring any popular song with references to Arsenal crowbar'ed in! Some worked quite nicely but the version of the recent hit "Human" by The Killers stuck in my head for it's sheer stupidity... "Are we human... or are we Arsenal?" went the refrain. I suppose the original was hardly an Oscar Wilde turn of phrase in the first place!