Clissold Arms

It is telling that despite the pretty average ratings I gave it, I keep coming back to the Clissold Arms.
It is just the only pub option in Muswell Hill if you want a nice pub lunch with a baby especially if it is a nice day and you want to seat outside.

Food wise, the food is pretty good but overpriced for a pub and this area. Also it seems to me that the menu of specials never changes and we always end up with the fish and chip, the fish cakes or sometimes the bavette steack which are all very good but what about some new stuff from time to time some game or nice pork belly or whatever else you can find in a good gastro pub.

My main gripe would be with the service which I think is not great. There is one older guy always there looking unhappy with a tie (not sure if he is the owner but if he is he should make more of an effort) and some East European waitresses who do not give you a strong sense of warmth. I would not say it is terrible but does not make you feel very welcome. On the back of other review they can be slow with the bill but I have no pb going to the bar to pay straightaway and leave quickly which you sometimes want to do with a bored 15 month old.

However the garden is a very nice place to have lunch on a nice day (with new synthetic grass which baby loved walking on) and the dining room at the front is very comfy and cozy. Beer selection is good and I never tried the wine list as I usually stick to beers in pub so can't comment.

In conclusion this place has the potential to be THE place in Muswell Hill if they just could try a bit harder. You could even overlook the fact it is overpriced if the service was better and the menu a bit more varied and in season (or at least changing during the year). I would still recommend it though

Speaking of chips which seems to be a theme on the link of reviews, we always order a bowl of chips on the side for the baby and they are very good but I do remember one occasion a while ago when we were told we could not order chips on the side and you could only get chips if it was part of your meal. It seems a while ago though and we never had the issue since.

I hadn't realised until I read the reviews for the Clissold that there was an issue with Chips. For the record I ate here on New Years Eve and we ordered 2 bowls of chips as sides, the manager didnt swear at the chef, the waitress didn't put her fingers all over the cutlery and the wine wasn't too expensive for the glasses. The Clissold is a great gastropub and most people go there it seems to eat rather than to drink which tells you something about the food, which is very good. I wouldn't say that it offers great value but to be honest when the food, service and atmospehere is this good its worth it.

Finally got to post this review after a culmination of being away on holiday, work commitments and half term break.
I dined with my family at clissold arms on Saturday 9th october for lunch. It was busy as usual with lots of other families and couples with young children. (Now before i start i do stress that im only writing this especially after so long ,as to what i witnessed and heard on this occassion which was not good.) As said it was busy ,we were seated near the kitchen and towards the terrace. Everything was going well if a little bit chaotic and rushed but we didnt mind too much. However what we did mind was the in- house fighting that suddenly occured right near us between the chef in the kitchen and the manager with the- how shall i put this 'funky hair cut" was disgusting.
The manger swore twice at the chef and i quote “ well this is the shit staff ive gotta put up with” pointing at various members of his own staff. The chef precededed to shout back and say something like “and you call me patronising, your a fucking joke for a manager and everybody knows it”.
I dont know the ins and outs of restaurants but i know from t.v programmes that its tough and stressful but totally unforgivable for managers and chefs to swear in the restaurant with children and families about. And what of the poor girls that work for this manger to listen to him openly criticising and swearing at them like that.
Maybe the manager in question with the haircut that would suit more a nightclub owner or waiter in a nandos should look at himself before reading the riot act at his staff!
I will say that we do love the clissold arms because its the food that is the star of the show by a long shot but after this episode and with a new french restaurant newly opened in highgate that had great smart service and a carluccios about to open then the clissold need to sort there house out.
We will be back at the clissold because of the outstanding food and great venue but the clissold and its management need to up there service and management to stay ahead of the game cos there are new boys coming to town now!!!

Went for a meal at the Clissold arms on Saturday 17 July with my wife and 2 friends on the recommendation from 3, yes 3 different people!!

We arrived at 8pm after being strongly advised to book a table by friends for Saturday night and especially at this time. Thank heavens we did as the place was full and a couple were turned away (presumably without a booking) just before we were shown our seats.

We were shown through the restaurant to which the Clissold refer to as the Terrace, which is a cosy outside eating area which is covered to stop the elements(if there had been any) and which is adjacent to the Garden eating area and the Inside Dining area.
The Terrace was almost full with diners of almost regal appearance, men and women dressed smartly and sophisticated (as if they were dining at a top restaurant in the west end), but nothing over the top.
luckily and to my wife's pleasure and absolute smugness she was wearing here blindingly expensive shoes and bag to match , she in turn made me wear my smart suit jacket and had me buff, yes buff my shoes up for the night.
Which I tried to reject out of hand as it was just a" Gastro pub in East Finchley". I should really listen to her more on these sorts of issues!!!

Any how as we sat we were offered menus and complimentary water from a jug was poured, which I found a nice touch, and took our drinks order.
As we Grazed at the menu we were literally blown away at what sort of food was on offer . Dishes I could remember were Half Lobster garlic butter, (which you could also have with your steak) , Crab Ravioli, Seafood Bisque, Scallops & Black Pudding, Red Mullet, whole Corn fed Baby Chicken, Ox Tongue with (I cant remember now), Scottish Sirloin, Oysters 3 ways and so on.
Well most of us could not decide but in the end as it seemed like an occasion I plumped for half lobster to start with my wife having crab ravioli and our friends having warm Asparagus & Hollandaise and Foie Gras Terrine and Sauternes and Toast.
Our Wine came and was offered to taste and then poured for us, the Girl pouring did seem a little nervous I have to say but the wine was lovely.
After 10 minutes or so Starters arrived- and by gosh were they all presented magnificently- My Lobster came served in its Shell with Dressed Leaves and was divine and cooked beautifully.
My Wife was Begging me to try her Crab as she said was so good- but you see I know her tricks,She was angling for some of my Lobster in exchange. And I grudgingly gave her a morsel of my Lobster!!
But the Crab was I have to say beautiful.
I cant speak for our 2 friends dishes but they said it was also fantastic especially the Foie Gras!!!

Our Plates were cleared but we were informed that there was a 30 minute wait for our mains as it was absolutely full and the kitchen had a back log. We could only Imagine, as the place was Heaving with Diners so we were content to wait and enjoy the lovely atmosphere that we were engulfed in.

And as it turned out we only had to wait no more than around 20 minutes so that was a nice surprise!!
I opted for Sirloin steak medium rare so did my friend they were cooked to perfection and was so tasty.
My wife had the Cod with some sort of crust on top and bisque and again she marvelled at the cooking.
And Red Mullet finished the quartet.

By now it was gone 9 and it was still full with more diners arriving, everybody seemed to have smiles on there faces and were enjoying themselves.

Well I had not read any reviews of this place thus far but just seeing the 2 reviews that did not seem to have a good time and complaining about the lack of chips and the service.
This is our take on our experience of those issues concerned.
Chips were not on the menu as a side dish so we did not even think to want to order any. But the chips that came out with our steaks were superb.
Service seemed a little chaotic from a distance with it being so busy you could understand and the majority of staff did seem young but our personal service was fine.
Yes some attention to detail in service could be made a little more but I am only knit picking , this is only because I felt like I was eating some of the best food I have had in such a long time and I was warranting more than the “gastro- pub” status in service ( The food was like eating at those expensive west end restaurants.)

So to those 2 reviews who had such a terrible time, the Clissold seem to be putting many many smiles on peoples faces and by the looks of Saturday when it was packed are doing something very well on a consistent basis. Maybe go again and not think about the chips to much!!!

Oops I am starting to sound like a rebellious teenager with a placard held high on the picket line supporting the Clissold- what would my mother think!
Right back to the night.
Mains were cleared and dessert menu followed.
we were all full and busting at the seems but my wife and I had to try the Pear Tart Tatin (to share) with the help of our friends of course. It was Just Heaven, mounds of butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream to compliment. Fabulous finish on what was a breathtaking experience.
The Chef certainly knows his/her stuff!!!

We Stayed a little longer, Blankets were provided if we got the chills and the small little blue lights were switched on to give that extra feel of being somewhere totally other than on a stretch of road between Muswell hill and east Finchley!!!

The bill came to just a few pounds over £200 (service charge included) and it was money well spent for what we got.
We will definitely be back and we hear Sunday lunch is considered the best around too- so we will see you then!!!

Regards Dexter

Very surprised at the other reviews on this site, not least because, as of 13 July, they are factually incorrect. The menu makes it perfectly clear that the chips, if that is what the reviewers particularly wanted, are available as a side dish, alongside various others such as spring greens etc. And we also found the service impeccable – various other review sites mention it being attentive but not obtrusive and I would agree with that.

We had starters and mains, no room for pudding, plus a glass of champagne each (it was my birthday) and, as one of us was driving, just one further glass of wine. Iced water is provided when you sit down. It is a very pleasant room with an outside area which had the weather been like the previous week we would have asked to use. For starters we had a smoked trout and horseradish parfait and baked figs stuffed with goats cheese. Both were delicious and very well presented.

For mains we had a bavette steak, served with the controversial chips and a rocket salad, and two types of roast pork on mustard mashed potato with greens. Again the food was excellent, good size portions and beautifully cooked – clearly they are sourcing their meat very carefully.

The bill, including two glasses of champagne at £7 each and a glass of Rioja at £5.95, was £72 including service, which although fairly high for a ‘local’ restaurant seemed to me very good value for such a good meal. We will definitely be returning.

Well. When I sat down to write this review (having given myself a few hours to calm down) I did look at the one other review on this site and have permitted myself a raised eyebrow and a loud cough.
We walked through the outside area before being seated: there was a large board advertising Bar Snacks such as “chips cooked in beef dripping with mayonnaise: £3.50 per portion”.
My daughter ordered a steak with chips (as advertised on the restaurant menu). I ordered the half lobster with salad and then made the fatal mistake of asking for a portion of chips to have with it.
“no, we don't do chips as a side order”. Not easily dissuaded (I am, I believe, a paying customer…) I queried this. After all, they clearly serve chips! I actually don't eat chips very often…just very very occasionally…like…when I have lobster: you see, I like chips with lobster…The very pleasant waitress assured me that she was under strict instructions from the chef to refuse to allow diners to order chips as a side order. It was simply not possible. They only had chips to go with the steak.
How absolutely extraordinary.
I then had the temerity to ask her to check with somebody in charge.
She did.
She came back and told me with a smile that it was DEFINITELY not possible. Well we felt absolutely marvellous by this time – well done Clissold Arms.
New cutlery was brought for the main course and the waitress delivered each knife to us by sticking her fingers all over the blades. Lovely. The wine was too expensive to be served in thick glasses.
Once our main course was delivered we couldn't catch a waiter's eye for love nor money.
It took us over 45 minutes to pay and leave.
I do hope the management at this pub/restaurant are able to take a long hard look at themselves and consider where they might be going wrong. We want to go to local restaurants, we would much prefer to spend our money locally than go further afield. But this is simply not acceptable.
We won't return.

We'd been to the Clissold before – just after it opened in its present form. The service was so awful that we didn't return until last weekend – friends persuaded us that it had improved.

We called in advance to check that there was a kids menu – we were told that they had penne, sausages and “things like that”. So we booked a table for 4 adults and 2 kids.

On arrival we were offered a table outside with “a limited menu” or a table inside in the large room nearest the road – it was empty, but we were told that lots of people would be arriving later. In fact, in the just under 2 hours we were in the Clissold, no other guests appeared and the 6 of us ate alone.

My wife ordered a glass of the house Viognier. We were told that they hadn't chilled it yet (this at 7pm on a warm Saturday evening) and could she order something else.

We asked for the kids menu. It turned out there wasn't one – they could have either penne with butter, tomato or another sauce. Or they could have sausage & mash. That was it. It turns out that when we were told that the kids menu had penne, sausages and “things like that” on it, what they meant was that kids could have penne or sausage & mash.

One of us ordered fish cake with a side order of, to quote Squaremeal.com, “possibly the best chips in the world”. “Sorry we don't have any chips”, we were told. Surely not, we said. Its just after 7pm.

At this point, we called the Maitre D' over.

It turns out they did they did have chips, but because they had 160 covers that evening, they were only serving “possibly the best chips in the world” with dishes that specified chips on the menu. NOT as a side dish.

So in a near empty restaurant at just after 7pm on a Saturday night, we couldn't have chips in case somebody wanted them later.

This is running a restaurant Faulty Towers style.

I could go on, but I'm sure you get the picture. The Clissold is a shambles.

It doesn't matter what the food was like (it was OK). The lack of organisation ruins the whole dining experience.

Whoever is in charge of the Clissold doesn't have a clue.