The Sebright Arms on Alston Road reopened on 22 October under two local residents. A family-first refit is due in 2027, and they want your ideas first.
The Sebright Arms on Alston Road, High Barnet, is open again. The pub poured its first pint under new owners at 5pm on Thursday 22 October.
Its new owners are Ben Dillon and Lex Deak, who the pub’s own website describes as “both long-standing Barnet residents”. The pub dates itself to 1871.
“We couldn’t have wished for a better opening night,” the pub posted on Instagram that night. “The support from the local community has been incredible.”
What has happened so far
The pub’s website sets out the timeline:
- October 2026: the keys changed hands, followed by “a tidy up and a lick of paint”
- 22 October: the doors reopened, with beer and ale delivered that morning
- This winter: trading as a local while the owners collect ideas
- 2027: the full refit
Opening hours have not been published yet. The website says only “now open, opening hours to follow”. A menu is listed as coming soon, built around breakfast and coffee, a small set of signature dishes and proper food for children.
The plan for 2027
The owners call it “a family-first community pub, done properly”. The website promises a “thoughtful restoration” that keeps the building’s character.
For the garden, an artist’s impression on the site shows:
- a covered terrace
- planted spaces
- a big screen for summer nights
- a play area “in sight of the grown-ups”
They also say they want to give local clubs a home and put on events. The detail is deliberately open. “Some of it is nearly certain, some of it is a dream, and all of it is up for discussion,” the website says.
Two community-run pubs on the same patch
The Sebright is the second pub in this corner of High Barnet to be taken on by local people this year.
The Black Horse at 92 Wood Street reopened in June 2026, according to CAMRA’s London pub guide, after closing in September 2025. The two pubs are under 400 metres apart, going by the map points on their Food Standards Agency records.
Both hold a top food hygiene rating of five. The Sebright Arms was inspected on 9 September and the Black Horse on 12 September. We covered the Black Horse result in our October food hygiene roundup.
The Sebright’s new team is also sponsoring the bar at the Barnet Elizabethans RFC charity fireworks night on Saturday 7 November, at Byng Road. The club says all ticket profits go to Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice. Gates open at 5.30pm and the main display is at 7.15pm. Advance tickets are £12 for adults, £6 for children and £28 for a family of four.
What it means for you
- The pub is open now at 9 Alston Road, Barnet EN5 4ET, a few minutes’ walk from the High Street. Check its Instagram for hours until they are published.
- You can shape the refit. The website has a short form asking what you loved about the old Sebright, what you have missed and what would bring you in more often. The owners say “every response is read”.
- Old photographs are wanted. If you have a picture or a memory of the pub, they ask you to send it to info@thesebrightarms.co.uk.
- They are hiring. Bar and floor staff are wanted for evenings and weekends. There is no application form: you email them about yourself and when you could start.
For more places to drink, see our guide to Barnet pubs.
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