Junction Tavern Kentish Town — Restaurant in London

We went for drinks last Sunday as this pub is local to us and unfortunately we were unimpressed. The bar staff were very friendly (despite being out of Guinness the drinks were okay). However, there was a sewagey smell near the bar area and the toilets which was quite off putting and the tables around us where people had been eating were left uncleared for a while whilst the dogs were nearby trying to get to it which did not add to the atmosphere. It felt a bit deserted. We used to love coming here and especially for a meal when they had the platters. Hope to go again and have a different experience.

Updating review based on below response as cannot directly respond Yes, this is in reference to the correct pub in Tufnell Park. We live nearby and have been coming here for many years (hence my dated reference to the platters which were served around 2021-2022 when we used to come regularly). Unfortunately the initial review was our experience when we visited on 15th December. We were told the Guinness was out on that day (around 7pm) but perhaps this was a mistake from the barman. As noted above, we hope to visit again and have a different experience. If so, I will update the review...

Very sad Sunday roast at the Junction Tavern today. With exactly 5 dishes on the menu to choose from and only one option for non meat eaters, I expected the food will be well prepared at a minimum. Vegetarian option was stuffed mushroom with Mediterranean roasted veg. A medium size portobello mushroom arrived topped with chopped butternut squash, aubergine and tomato. All minimally cooked and inedible (ever bitten into raw aubergine?) . It was swimming in what tasted like extra salty bisto, accompanied by a potato (not a roastie), a carrot, and an abundance of raw crunchy green beans. To add insult to injury, I paid £20 for this largely inedible pleasure. To add further insult to the insult, this was he same price my friends paid for practically half a chicken with similarly inedible trimmings. The pub with its big lovely garden was mostly empty on a sunny Sunday afternoon. The staff were not skilled or helpful. So sad. This used to be such a great pub years ago and will jot survive unless it...

Disappointing service despite excellent food!

While the food was truly excellent, the service unfortunately fell short of expectations. Here's what happened:

Waited 10 minutes for menus: Upon arrival, we waited 10 minutes without receiving menus. Shouldn't they be readily available or offered immediately upon seating?

Out-of-stock dish and lack of follow-up: One of us ordered a fish course, but a few minutes later, the waiter informed us they were out of stock. He said he'd check with the kitchen for alternatives, but unfortunately never returned. We eventually had to inquire with another waiter about the dish's availability.

Long wait for starters: The wait for our first course (starters) was quite long, taking 50 minutes to arrive.

Main course served prematurely: To our surprise, the main course arrived very quickly after the starters, while we were still eating them.

Unexpected and unwanted dessert: Although we hadn't ordered dessert, one was served to our...