The Finsbury — Restaurant in London

The short of it is that the Finsbury is a great place to go for a casual drink and listen to some live music (or comedy on a Wednesday, tickets for which are free if you buy one of their pizzas). Bar staff are friendly and I've never had to wait long to get served in here. The doormen are generally friendly although beware: they will not allow dogs on the premises, even in the areas outside which is a bit disappointing.

Otherwise prices are typical for the area; yes beer is perhaps a touch more expensive than you might expect for Harringey but that's because it's a) generally craft or export and b) it's zone 2 slap bang next to a tube station, barely 20 minutes from central London. Wine offers outrageous economies of scale here - a small glass is steep at £5ish... Upgrade to a large (double size) for a £1ish extra?! The food is simple but done well - burgers are amongst the best I've had in pubs across London; the pizzas are stone baked and tasty, but don't really compete with your pizza pilgrim/homeslice/franca manca fayre.

This place is really about up and coming live music and that's where it excels. There are at least 3 bands on every night, well advertised on their website and in pub, to suit a variety of tastes, normally running from 8pm-midnight. I cannot recall the last time I saw a 'bad' band here on a Friday or Saturday night. At times the venue can feel a little larger than needed when bands are playing as, frankly, they're up and coming, but then is that such a bad thing? I remember once seeing Skindred play the Garage in Islington when there can't have been more than 50 people in there. Yet a few years later they're playing a sold out Brixton Academy.......

If there were a lower rating, I'd give it. The door staff are the worst type of awful [insert nasty swear word here] as, after a warm day running a busy Soho bar pretty much on my own, and then with train strikes that kicked us all out at Finsbury Park, on the long walk home striding past I thought that, on the hottest day of the year, a pint might be nice. As is my wont, and indeed I wanted a pint. "Hello, may I come in for a pint?" I asked politely. "Have you been here before?" I was asked brusquely. "Um, well, yes, I've played here several times, at the venue." I said, which is true, as I had, in my other life as an amateur bass player. "Well I don't recognise you, so you can't come in." I was told. Now I've met some proper first-class pillocks in my time, but few can compare to that security guard. A message to the owners, this frontline logic as a business model is novel, I admit, but I see some flaws. My complaint is that a public house is just that: public. Finally, to all potential punters, my advice is: don't bother, nay, actively avoid until they change their door staff; unless you are desperate to be wound up by a prat on a power trip, in which case it would be by first and best recommend. Also, back when I did have a few drinks, this was the first place I ever paid £7 for a pint of...

Very good stage, a great little venue for bands and the general music scene. (Which you must admire The Finsbury for help keeping alive.) The sound crew are incredible and do a great job for the bands. The staff, sadly, are very poor. Despite there being a well equipped bar back, I waited several minutes to be served and as about 20 other customers waited to be served, the entire bar back all rounded each other up to do shots! I was disgusted to be served by a half pissed bar maid. Licking her fingers before fetching a glass and pulling me a pint of flat cider. I think allowing staff to drink shots like that is so unprofessional. Not only do you trust bar tenders to handle your purchase and money effectively but it's a bit unhygienic to be served by someone who's licked their sticky Jagerbomb fingers and are about to touch something you're paying to drink from. Won't be coming back there again and it's a shame. Great venue ruined by ...