The Queens
26 Broadway Parade Crouch End London N8 9DE
Once more the most splendid late-Victorian pub in the area after a renovation that simultaneously restored the Grade II-listed architecture – indeed the Queens’ lofty neo-Baroque ceiling and Corinthian columns, and the mahogany bar partitions with Art Nouveau glass, are probably looking better than they have for a century. Not that its local crowd of 30- and 40-somethings come for the fixtures and fittings. This is a place for relaxed drinking, with a large selection of boardgames available behind the bar to while away the hours, and a small courtyard for outdoor boozing in summer. Perhaps the most impressive interior space is the separate dining hall, where you can tuck into posh pub favourites.