There is nothing particularly fancy about Charlotte Despard, but that's exactly the beauty of it. It's the epitome of 'the neighborhood pub' that everyone should have next door - there's good beer & booze, good prices, lovely owners, and above all, a unique sense of community.
The pub is popular for its Tuesday night quiz (from 8:30pm) with free booze for the table as the main prize. But on any day, you are bound to find the pub full of Archway locals and regulars from the nearby areas. Even if you are not particularly great at socializing, it's impossible not to start recognizing familiar faces after a while. If you are new to Archway, seriously come and check it out - you will never have to have a beer alone.
As a lager fan I like that there's Czech Pilsner Urquell on tap, plus a surprisingly tasty and refreshing generic 'Despard' pilsen beer. There are also three Vedettes and multiple ales on tap. There is a decent selection of wine and of course, booze galore, but that goes without saying.
The atmosphere at Despard is super chill, and the music is never loud to the point that you couldn't hear your friends talk. It's also a good spot to come in and watch sports, shoot some pool or play a round of one of the many tabletop games provided. The owners are clearly very tied to the local community, and keep coming up with ways to spice the afternoons/nights at the pub up - e.g. by having great food deals during big sports events like the recent rugby tournament, etc.
To top off the homely atmosphere, the pub also houses a much beloved three-legged cat Legs (the rescue cat of the year - I forget which year). Just be a little careful with Legs - while he is super cute to look at, he is very choosy with whom he lets to pet him.
That's it, you now have all the important information to make The Charlotte Despard your second home, like many of us in Archway did. We'll see you there :). read more