Elephant Inn

Sometimes I really like it, other times not so much.
It is nice in the summer to sit outside when the weather is nice and chill with your drinks.
We used to go there every Friday after work about on average 12 of us. But, we were finding the the service is inconsistent and you can be stood there for an age waiting to be served. Also, it can be quite expensive really, considering the area that it is in, and we found the more junior members of the team wouldn’t stay around as they couldn’t afford it.
Went there recently as someone from work was leaving so there was a fair sized crowd of us; we ended up sitting a one long row of small square tables so we were sat in a row and it wasn’t as group-​feeling as we would like.
There were also screaming kids in there quite late on. Running around banging into us and wiping their hands over us and our belongings. This would be fine during the day, you would just have to suck it up, but trying to remember your Ps and Qs late on into the evening as parents are scowling at you is not ideal.
So, I’m happy to do a long lunch in the summer sat outside, drinks in the winter if you get the comfy chairs.

Yesterday my sister took me to the thai restaurant here for a birthday lunch. The pub is nothing fancy and I was a bit worried about what the food would be like as I am very fussy. Surprisingly the food was fabulous! There is a set lunch menu which is good value and has lots of choices. I had a red thai curry, and a chilli basil rice and it was delicious and seemed very fresh. Just the right amount of spice. The other people in our party enjoyed the lunch so much that we met there again today! The food was presented very nicely and everything was clean. On first impressions of the pub you might be put off but try the food, it’s great!

Comfortable compared to the other options in the area, but nothing really stands out about it.

Lovely pub and a good place to watch the rugby on a lazy Saturday. Drinks are slightly on the expensive side and the food is diabolical, but all round a friendly place to meet for drinks at. Pub quizes on Monday and always something on the go.

This is probably the nicest pub in the area, with friendly staff and tasty pints.
Drinks are cheaper elsewhere in Finchley but you’ll find this is a great way to keep the kids out.
In Winter the lovely open fire is a nice touch. The pub quiz on a Monday evening (8.30pm) is a long-​running event and you can tell the teams and Quizmaster have been around for a while. The quiz itself has sufficiently complicated rounds, and ridiculously difficult questions to keep you amused throughout.
The front of the pub has a good-​sized beer garden/​smoking area with nice wooden benches and a bit of marquee shelter.

Elephant Inn has a great vibe. I don’t mind sitting here for hours and I don’t drink. This pub has a beautiful real wood fireplace (you shouldn’t have to say whether a fire place is real wood or not but in this day and age you do.)
I like to have a cranberry juice and lay back on the couch. This pub is not grimy, not a meatmarket, and not snooty, it’s comfortable.
In one part of the pub, lads like to sit around and watch the game and it can be rowdy. If you want to just relax, go into the other room with the couches.
The best way to describe the Elephant Inn is homey. Not homely because it is definately not a dive bar, but homey. I love it. Great for Cranberry. :)

This is my local. It is not the closest pub to where I live and I pass 6 or 7 pubs to reach it and I will tell you why.
From the outside the Elephant Inn looks like a typical pub and nothing special. It does however had a large courtyard which is heated so you can sit out on cold evenings. The only problem with the courtyard is when busy it is full of smokers. As a non smoker I am always put off by sitting outside amongst the smoke filled air. If quite the courtyard is a nice place to park yourself with a beer and watch the people passing by.
What makes this pub for me is the inside. It is fairly small but cozy with a real fireplace and a fire burning throughout the day and evening. There are several leather sofa’s to lounge on and a friendly warm atmosphere for a town pub. The bar serves fullers ales including London Pride, London Porter and my favourite EPA.
They have a thai restaurant upstairs which I have yet to try. You can however order from the thai menu in the bar area. They also offer a special thai lunch menu (12−4pm) where the prices are reduced and very reasonable.
This place is a hidden gem right in the heart of North Finchley opposite the Tally Ho Bus Station.

A sweet little pub, a bit old man-​ish, but it’s cosy, and they show all the sports, and the best bit — there’s a thai restaurant in the back.