Three Colts, Buckhurst Hill

pub details:

let's meet here
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location:

Buckhurst Hill

address:

54 Princes Road Buckhurst Hill, IG9 5EE

phone:

0871 258 7645*
* calls cost 10p/minute, click here for more about 0871 numbers.

nearest stations:

Buckhurst Hill London Underground station
(440m) - zone 5

Roding Valley London Underground station
(830m) - zone 5

bus routes:

167, 549, 20, 397

how to find it:

Buckhurst Hill: turn left out the station and, then take the first left, Victoria Road. Just after Waitrose, take the first right, Queens Road (Social anthropologists and admirers of Victoria Beckham should check out the shops along this stretch.) Just after "Blue Monday" bar, turn left down Kings Place, then take the first right down Princes Road. You'll soon find the pub on your left. It's somewhat less than a 10 minute walk from the tube.

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Approaching the Three Colts, which is situated on an attractive street just minutes from the tube, the phrase "hidden gem" might pop into your mind. It's a lovely old building with gnarled beams, an eccentric layout and plenty of character. The nearby greenery of Knighton Woods and Lords Bushes lends the area a slightly rural charm too. Does the pub live up to its potential? On the evidence of our visit, it's a mixed picture. A range of reasonably priced bar meals, a (basic) wine list and relaxed atmosphere are all positives. Unusually, the pub is over-23s only, which keeps out the students and younger drinkers. However, of the two real ales on tap, only one was in drinkable condition, which was a little disappointing. Another own goal was the filthy state of the gents' toilets: graffiti, no hot water, no soap. Call us precious (we're not renowned for being over-fussy about hygiene) but this reflects badly on the pub's management and needs sorting. The Three Colts should rate as a three-pint pub, perhaps even higher, it just needs a little grooming. We'll be back again to measure its progress.

reviewed:
13/2/2006