Harvester, Friern Barnet

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FancyaPint?'s review...

The fact that the local pub for this part of North East London suburbia is a Harvester suggests Arnos Grove may have as a good a claim to be the northerly edge of London as the M25. Possibly designed to pick off tiring journeymen from the nearby North Circular, this one does its best to pick up local custom as well. What with the steady disappearance of the old Chef & Brewers (the ones with wagon wheels outside), we're starting to look upon Harvesters in a slightly more favourable light. Not that we're advocating their expansion, but perhaps they've got a place in the grand scheme of things. If Wetherspoon are the McDonald's of pubs, Harvesters are probably the Wimpy's. The case could be made that their family friendly, TV free, food centred establishments cleared the way for the JDW chain. If you want to really push the argument, perhaps the open plan kitchens gave gastropubs an idea or two... Anyway, this place must be an odd one to have as your local pub: a huge barn of a place, with most of it given over to the family restaurant section (with as strict a demarcation as a gastro "Pub & Dining Room" as it happens). If you chance the pub area, there's a fair range of drinks to be had. Still, it must be someone's idea of fun: perhaps all those tube drivers terminating their trains at Arnos Grove have got a taste for the Harvester salad cart.