Next up was Katie’s Bar. ‘Member’s Only’ it says on the door, but they made an exception for Sessions. Briefly feeling pleased with ourselves, the barmaid brought us crashing back to earth with a “You lot must be here for the Coldplay concert then.” Ouch. Never mind, what a place this is! Vibey decor, plenty of regulars – and when the well-kept Guinness comes in at about £4 a pint, it’s not hard to see why. Right on the North Circular, and ‘Well Sessions’ turned out to be a good description.
We spoke to a belting Irish (Cork) fella at the bar called Nigel, who told us Neasden used to boast 16 Irish pubs, but is now sadly down to just two (Greene’s – just across the North circular was the most recent to close). In their wake trails a miasma of betting joints, phone shops and fast food outlets. We stayed for a few jars (both Neasden pubs were cash only – natch) and had a gloriously pointless argument about how long a ‘proper’ dinner should take to make. Won’t bore you with the full details, but look out for ‘Glendo’s 12-minute meals’ hardback being launched this Christmas, featuring the secret recipe for Mert’s famous ‘fish tacos’ (Fish fingers in a wrap - stolen from Jamie). We’d completed what was left of Neasden, so kicked on to nearby Willesden for further fun.
19 Nov 2025