Bar review: The Kingslander, Kingsland

The Kingslander. Photo / Doug Sherring

Address: 470 New North Rd, Kingsland
Rating:

First drinks: There's a pretty comprehensive range of Monteith's on tap, and we were preparing for a long evening of cricket viewing, so we opted for a pint each of Radler and Golden to begin. They're fairly reliable stalwarts and were cold and crisp, which is exactly what we were after. There's a selection of other specialties on tap which change from time to time, and plenty of options in the fridge, plus a decent wine list. It was a busy evening so we decided not to test the staff's cocktail-making skills, but the list is pretty standard.

Beers at The Kingslander on New North Road. Photo / Lydia Jenkin

The vibe is:

Very laid-back, convivial enough, well-lit, utilitarian, and on this particular occasion, very sports-oriented with plenty of screens everywhere and a family-friendly atmosphere.

On the stereo: Well, nothing at all during our visit, because all attention was on the Cricket World Cup final, so the soundtrack was all commentary. But if you venture there on a non-sport night, you might get anything from a DJ playing classic hits, to a live band, quiz night, or even salsa classes.

Room for improvement: More easily accessible water jugs and glasses would be great, and a little more care and enthusiasm from the staff wouldn't go amiss (you are pretty much left to look after yourself). But they're perfectly obliging, and though nothing is particularly flash or special, it's all clean and tidy.

The perfect spot for: Watching a big game/match/test. It's always nice to share the win or loss with a crowd and we found it easy as pie to book a spot for 12 people - we were given plenty of room and a prime view of the wall-sized screen.

- TimeOut