Maddens

One of my few go-​to pubs in East Finchley. The staff are great — friendly, fast and they remember who you are. Lovely sense of welcoming. The décor shows its an Irish bar but it doesn’t go down the tacky route which is always better. Wide range of drinks on tap too which are great to try and taste. The clientele is a little older but the atmosphere is energetic and buzzing so no worries about it being «an old man pub». Definitely visit it

Unhelpful, bad mannered staff who reneged on a booking and hung up the phone on a customer. Don’t go there.

Maddens is a genuine, independent family-​owned local. The front bar is narrow and deep with an eclectic mix of seating, and of sports memorabilia for décor. The back is wider with wooden tables and chairs, a couple of squashy sofas and small performance area for live music about once a week.
They serve London Pride and a changing selection of guest real ales, well kept. The staff have a nice quiet friendly way about them, and there’s a reasonable menu of Thai food if you get hungry.
Yes it shows sport but the volume is silent or low, and it adds to the banter and atmosphere especially if Arsenal have a big match.
The kind of place that has loyal regulars but remains welcoming to all, I’m more than happy that it is my local.

as someone who used a nearby pub very close to the tube stn since coming to this pub i have been made very welcome by the friendly barstaff the lager is excellent and the whole place is entertaining. Will not go back to the other pub now i have finally found this one

Not sure why the first reviewer gave this only three stars — he got the wrong end of the stick on a couple of things, so to put the record straight and to add my ha’pence…
This is my local, so I see it in all its many guises during the week it’s a friendly and welcoming locals’ pub with nice beer, interesting conversation (it’s always attracted characters), pleasant staff etc. When there’s sport on (particularly Arsenal games) it’s a packed sports bar with huge atmosphere (other clubs’ games too, cricket and even cycling). Its origins are more 70’s real ale bar (it was Welch brothers a pioneering real ale pub) rather than an Irish pastiche, although Kieran Madden has done much to extend and refurbish the bar. Thai food is served throughout the pub (upstairs is a games room) and is delicious and stunning value for money. There are often guest ales and the general range on offer changes regularly in any case (some favourites always available though, including Pride and Abbot). Guinness is exceptional as you’d expect and there’s a fairly good selection of wines and whisky’s too. On top of all this, it’s the best place in North London to sit outside on a hot evening and watch the world go by. I love it.

With a name that for me conjures images of a sports bar stateside, rather than an Irish pub up the hill from East Finchley, ladies and germsI give youMaddens.
Maddens doesn’t look like a pub that serves real ale. It looks like a bit of a cobbled together Irish pub (I have seen a couple of them in London where I think they have taken over what was a shop in a previous incarnation and so they don’t quite look like pubs). 3 ales on tap there were though, the common or garden Pride and Greene King IPA and also the Abbot Ale. I’m getting picky now, but it’s a shame not to see a guest ale.
As hinted towards previously the layout is a bit oddthere are some comfy seats at the front then an unusual line of seats facing the bar (not sure how to describe them, but haven’t seen seating quite like that before).then a partially dividing wall means that there is essentially a room at the back, this room looks more like a café. There is an upstairs area and my unparalleled powers of deduction have surmised that this is where you can go to enjoy some Thai foodthe oriental lady stood unmoving at the bottom of the stairs was my major clue.

Maddens is a traditional Irish style pub.
its not only for the preserve of Irish locals, I have been there three times and during every visit it seems to be filled with a pretty lively atmosphere and a mixed crowd.
The inside decoration is interesting, with the front section being a traditional looking bar and the back being a newer lounge area, with candles and couches. When you add a great choice of ales into this mix, you get a pretty good night.
They also boast some occasional live gigs in true Irish style on some Sundays although I have yet to get to one.

I’m only adding this review to second the opinion already expressed, I’ve stopped for a drink here about five times and have always been impressed by the welcoming, friendly staff and really friendly and warm atmosphere that pervades the whole place, really comfy sofas you could just sink into forever, lovely guinness and good selection of beers and a pretty comprehensive jukebox to boot. About 3 minutes walk from East Finchley tube.

Recently voted Barnets pub of the year Maddens continues to move with the times having just opened a very reasonably priced Thai kitchen where one can get a tasty feed for less than a fiver. Comfy leather sofas, big screens and a good selection of beers and wines makes this a great place to watch the football. Live music can often be seen here from Elvis impersonators and soul singers to full throttle funk bands playing James Brown classics while punters dance. Little known to many there is a room upstairs open to all where one can have a relaxing game of pool, or watch match of the day. The main thing that sets this pub apart from the other locals is that it is privately owned and it’s friendly staff will do almost anything to make you feel at home.