An opulent hotel-cum-pub built in 1899-1902 at the height of the great pub boom and still a fine place to eat & drink. It’s a companion piece to the magnificent Salisbury in Green Lanes, N4.

Both were built by developer, John Cathles Hill who is said to have acted as his own architect. The layout is very similar to the Salisbury with a large servery in the centre surrounded by a series of rooms & compartments. There is a screen across the bar at the front. There is another screen just inside the entrance on the Elder Avenue side.

On the right-hand side comes a saloon with a couple of alcoves & a spectacular decorated plaster ceiling & half-height panelling. The ceilings & deep friezes throughout the pub are immensely intricate in their decoration. There are lots of other features to admire, notably the beautiful Art Nouveau style glass with roses & other flowers.

The bar counter is original & so is the circular entrance arrangement on the corner with a mosaic floor bearing the monogram of H & Q .

Unfortunately the fitting in the centre of the servery has, for some reason, been replaced with modern work. The pub also suffers from an overpowering gantry atop the counter. A refurbishment in 2001-2 was a sensitive piece of work apart from the cutting of an opening in the screen. You may care to drop in at the nearby 1930s ‘brewers’ Tudor’ Railway, 23 Crouch End Hill. It’s been much altered but has a truly magnificent inglenook fireplace.”

Artist Richard Hamilton lived on the Highgate side of Crouch End & is said to have taken visitor Marcel Duchamp to the Queen’s Pub on the corner of Elder Avenue.

It is also claimed that Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy once performed at the music hall that is now Virgin Active Gym & that they stayed at the Queen’s Hotel.