please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Nicholson's pub that is a short walk along the waterfront from Canary Wharf tube. Doesn't look much from the outside. But, inside it has a wide selection of ales. St Austell Nicholson's Pale Ale, Purity Mad Goose, Fuller's Off Piste IPA & London Pride, Brew York X-Panda, Long Man Old Man, Dorset Brewing Company Frosted Jack, Adnams Sloe Storm & Ossett Yorkshire Blonde. There were a few in. But there was still plenty of seating available. Staff behind the bar looked a little bored at times. There were plenty of them, suggesting it's normally much busier. Probably one of the best options for a beer in this area of the city.
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Had a reasonable pint in here. For a bar at the bottom of an office block and given the area it's okay. At least it doesn't have 'greeters' at the door waiting to show you to a table.
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Still gets rammed on a Friday night but the beer range here is excellent.
On my last visit I had a very good pint of stout from an unknown brewery (didn't have a chance to look at the pump clip).
Some people have problems with chains pubs but I like Nicholson's as a chain, they are always well run and the beer choice is normally excellent.
Not cheap but it's Canary Wharf after all.
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Possibly one of the very few Canary Wharf pubs you'll catch me in. I like it because the ale is of decent quality despite being a really busy place. Can't beat a bit of busy, it gets rammed out on Thursday/Friday late afternoon and evenings but the ale is good, the service fine and understandable on busy times and it's a decent furnished to a standard 'On the Wharf' pub.
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"At least they have a good range of beer - last night they had pride, doombar, and tribute as well as 5 guest 'christmas ales' "
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You're quite right there. It's a Nicholson's pub, so there's always plenty of choice and usually pretty good qulaity s well.
Agree, it is the best choice in the Wharf area, unless you want to walk half a mile to The Grapes which is much better.
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There are basically 2 ways of looking at this place.
Compared to other drinking establishments in canary wharf its actually ok but compared to everywhere else its pretty average.
At least they have a good range of beer - last night they had pride, doombar, and tribute as well as 5 guest 'christmas ales', pilsner urquell on draft and a couple of other continental lagers.
like i said, a good option in canary wharf but unspectacular overall.
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Pretty pricey and terribly laid out which can mean you wait a long time to be served, but generally a nice pub with good food and worth a visit when it's quiet
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My partner and I visited this pub today. Whilst we were sitting outside a lady customer inside walked into a closed door and hurt her head. Not one member of staff bothered to check on her.
When we ordered a second drink the bar staff tried to put a small wine into firstly a Champagne glass and then a half pint glass. Eventually they found the right glass after consulting the manager!!
This is the first time we have had problems here. The drinks are way overpriced too.
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Visited Sat 4th and Sun 5th September 2010.
Good selection of beers and it is very quiet on Weekend so had the chance to enjoy my drink. It's packed during the week though (as are all CW pubs). Food was OK but could have been a lot better. On both days I saw customers complaining about their meals still being frozen, incomplete, or just cooked to death. Meal for two, plus a drink each was about �25. Probably go there again for a beer but will give the food a miss. Strange choice of music though - I think probably for the bar staff to listen to rather than the customers.
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Was ok, but is going downhill. They've stopped doing wheat beers which deprived a few friends of drinks and we now go elsewhere. Music is too loud inside, but it's nice to stand outside to talk with the few people who still go. I agree with Jethro, the Cat & Canary is suddenly looking a much better venue.
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Decent enough pub and generally a good selection of beers.
Currently seem to be in rip off the punters mode as they have suddenly stopped selling crisps and you are obliged to instead purchase their overpriced Chilli Puffs in a glass option for �1.95 !
Pubs sell crisps. It is part of the fabric of drinking culture. Will be using the Cat and Canary instead now.
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this seems to be the lower class pub on the wharf , been here a few times and it attracts different sorts , couldnt moan about the beer , tasted alright when ive been here , reasonable price for the area , the interior looked more ornate than it really was
the staff were ok , we didnt try the food so cant comment on that
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Reasonable pub ....one of us sent back a pint of Fullers London pride..cloudy and flat...the Deuchers IPA was on form...Bombardier also on offer
Food very average..and overpriced for what you got
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Fairly typical for the area, Henry Addington was obviously once glitzy but has seen better days. It's main attraction - again in common with several bars in the area - is the availability of outdoor seating, which takes you away from the dingy, slightly down-at-heel interior.
There seems to be a good enough range of beers if that's what floats your boat, wine likewise. Food is, in my experience, NOT cheap. �10 bought us a fairly meagre mixed platter which was done in by two people in short order.
Drink prices are pretty standard for the area - a couple of G&Ts will set you back over a fiver, a standard bottle of wine �20.
The music was overly loud at 6pm - three times we asked them to turn it down. It was a good job none of us carried anything sharp or the speaker cable would have been cut.
Be warned - I had my wallet stolen from here. Might not be an issue isolated to this bar, but will make me especially wary if I ever go back there again.
Pro's - nice outside drinking area.
Con's - slightly tatty interior, expensive food, overly loud music, attracts local villainy.
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Used to be the trouble hotspot of the wharf (xmas 2003-last friday of the work year-at least 7 people hospitalised inlcuding the assistant manager)seems to have clamed down now. Good.
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At least the pub does show some interest in real ale - three were on last night, though not in particularly good condition. Otherwise a fairly dull, noisy, tatty pub.
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The worst pub in England by a street. Understaffed, untrained staff and they do not know how to keep bitter!
anonymous - 31 Aug 2007 10:40 |
With Greshon on this one. Nice pub although little character but it isn�t easy to create character in this area. Would rather go here then All Bar One. Service was good and if you like the sun, outside is an absolute suntrap. The two pints of Timothy Taylor I had were good.
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Ticks boxes: clean, good quick service, good (and cheap) food, good range of drinks (including Fruli on tap). Nicholson's isn't a bad chain, and this one's a good example of what they can do. Not pubby enough for my tastes, but that's just personal.
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All the down sides to Canary Wharf (expensive, packed, soulless & crap beer) but none of the up side (beautiful people, civilised behavior).
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Filthy gross packed pub. I ordered a jim beam and coke and ended up with a glass of champagne. If you order in Hungarian you might get the right drink.
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This place is a getting worse. Again yesterday it had no beer!! Imagine Macdonalds with no burgers or Qwik Fit with no tyres!! When you eventually get served they give you a 'French Pint' ie two thirds beer one third froth.
anonymous - 10 Nov 2006 16:13 |
Only been here on a Friday night after work....reasonable prices, and a cheesy disco that gets everyone up dancing when sloshed!
OK, its not great, but in Canary Wharf at least its not an AB1 or a Slug and rip-off.
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I have just had the misfortune to go for lunch here because my friend was meeting someone else. Haven't been there for nearly a year because of the simply appalling service. It has actually got worse! A Tuesday lunchtime, three staff to deal with taking orders and taking the food to punters. One member of staff who took every opportunity to talk for minutes at a time when collecting plates. Another member of staff who couldn't remember the order three people who arrived at the bar were in, resulting in a chinless idiot and mates getting served first, taking nearly ten minutes to decide on what food and drinks they were getting. Don't serve them unless they've looked at the menu first or come back to them! Absolutely hopeless. I will never set foot in this place again.
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Why is it the grottier the pub the more stringent the dress code? This is one of the worst places in Canary Wharf. The bar staff didn't even know which real ales were on.
Inevitable loud music and no atmosphere.
Go to the Cat & Canary or the Ledger Building instead. Then you will have a better chance of avoiding a punch-up.
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That's it - going to the Cat & Canary from now on. Today involved a 15 min lunchtime wait for a pint. Why can't they have a 'bar food' area with one person on the till taking food orders which can be routed through to the 'back office', ie kitchen. This would then free up the overworked staff to concentrate on selling drinks. This pub is losing a fortune in potential drinks sales - it's an Organisation & Methods case study this place - the manager is a joke!It's a shame because most of the staff are pleasant and willing.
anonymous - 4 May 2006 15:08 |
The red haired step child of canary wharf drinking, and a total schizo to boot. In the day, like Ozzy says, a nice relaxed place to drink. School nights, great but a bit rowdy (there are bouncers but I've never ever seen any trouble), and despite the staff being very nice it's hard to get served due to the sheer scale of the drinking. Football nights, it's easily the best place in the Wharf to watch. The end of the week - a meat market like you haven't seen since the local disco when you were 16. It's unbelievable... if you're in banking, you'll meet a woman. If you're not in banking... just say you are.
anonymous - 27 Apr 2006 22:46 |
A couple of weeks ago they had no bitter for 3 days! Talk about organising a p**s up in a brewery!
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A bit smokier and grubbier than most CW pubs, but that's not so bad because it feels more like a real pub. Not much more, mind, but then around here anything that doesn't feel like a sardine can full of pissed bellends is a good thing
OK for a couple of beers I suppose, and better than the other dreadful offerings on the estate. You need to go round the corner to the City Pride or (better) North Ple for anything approaching a sensible pub experience
dodgy - 17 Apr 2006 22:29 |
This pub has two very different lives. A relaxed time during the day when there is plenty of room, it's easy to get served, and it's not very smoky.
And then there are the evenings when the place fills up (especially at the end of the week when it's packed and everyone is on the pull!!), the smoke becomes dense, and getting served can be a challenge.
To be fair though, they now have plenty of staff serving so it is much much better than a year ago when getting a drink was almost impossible.
For a lunch time beer in the Wharf, this place is okay. And once the warm weather arrives it's very good as it gets plenty of sun during the afternoon when you can stand outside.
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Probably the best in the Canary Wharf estate - kind of sad that I can only justify giving the place a 5...
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Whats going on with the smell in this place? Its like drinking in a place thats perfumed with the fragrance from the bins round the back.
Alright if you want afterwork beers, otherwise, avoid.
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This pub has turned into a joke. It always seems to run out of bitter when I get to the bar. When it is on it's poor quality. The place also smells of cooking. The bar staff are more preoccupied with serving food, clearing away, and swiping credit cards than serving good beer.
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the night was a blur. Maybe it was the smoke!
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So, with the ale problem fixed, they are now serving various ales all through the summer! As a confirmed Pride drinker...even I've been persuaded to 'sip before I supped'!! And now look forward to the next beer!!
Staff are very helpful, but the place needs to fix the a/c FAST! It's too smoky...even on a Monday, but when they open the doors it helps a bit!
A favourite in the wharf!!
anonymous - 11 Sep 2005 20:46 |
I can't believe you guys slate this place..It's by far the best place in the area, with great location, great staff and great beer!
Thank God for Thursday Nights! Love the DJ, he's great and the music is so cheesey...it's great!
Live it, love it - the Henry rocks!!
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This place has gone downhill drastically. Used to be the best pub in Canary Wharf (not difficult) but the service has become appalling recently. Sometimes there are two people serving behind the bar, even on a Friday lunchtime! Two people serving, maybe 50+ people waiting at the bar. Completely ridiculous. To the management - stop being so tight and employ more people! Also get someone who knows how to stocktake properly - the number of times London Pride runs out is a joke! To Canary Wharf punters - go to the Wetherspoons or Cat.
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What a place! I've been going here for age's now, and have only just found this site. Can't believe you guy's don't like it, it has to be the best place in the Wharf. Staff are great, they love the regulars, standards are great and the place...I have to be the No.1 fan!!!
anonymous - 8 Jun 2005 21:04 |
Must do Better.
Although most of the staff are friendly the service is extremely slow. At busy times it isn't unknown to have just 2 people serving.
Food isn't too bad and it's not the most expensive pub in the area.
Major complaint is that somehow in a Public House you can have seats reserved and when a group of people turn up to watch a sporting event there's no chance of a seat, that's OK for Football and Rugby but not for cricket especially at lunchtime, and what if anyone had want to eat ??
anonymous - 7 Jun 2005 09:37 |
Went to this pub Thursday nigh. Had a right laugh with my work mates, service was fine, they didn't run out of the beer I was drinking all evening. Ended up suffering the next day, but it was a laugh, so worth it. I'll be making this my after work regular.
anonymous - 21 Jan 2005 09:58 |
I disagree, this is the Wharf�s only bar on the waterfront which succeeds in creating a real pub atmosphere. Set against the imposing aesthetics of the Wharf, the designers of this place have succeeded in creating a warm and welcoming pub environment that mixes all the attributes of a classic London boozer with a soothing, loungey atmosphere.
Thanks to the pub�s late license and revamped dance floor me and my mates had one of our best Friday nights in ages just before Christmas (Saturday morning�s embarrassing flashbacks to the dance floor were not as great however!).
In terms of food, I�ve eaten there several times during the afternoon and have yet to be disappointed. The menu is not of gastropub standard by any stretch of the imagination, however, what is offered is unpretentious quality pub fare. My personal favourite is the beer battered cod and chips � yum!
anonymous - 4 Jan 2005 16:36 |
Awful. It's just undergone a refurbishment. They've changed the decor, but the service is still pathetic and they often run out of certain beers, which in my opinion is sinful. Come to think of it they have been known to run out of food at lunchtime too. The staff seem disgruntled and slow (another major sin at lunchtime), they have a fair mix of booze, but I can�t say it�s anything special. Maybe it's different in the evening but at lunchtime I�d rather play on the A13!
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Great pub. Friendly staff & good food. Friday Nights dj's are always worth sticking around for.
rachel - 15 Oct 2004 16:09 |
