please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Best avoided unless you are deaperate for a drink
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Has been shut for the past few weeks undergoing a full refurbishment. Reopens on saturday 5 April
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For anyone that knows this pub from 20 years ago. This has seriously changed. Used to be a small one bar pub. Now on two floors. Must admit preferred it when it was small.
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Still a favourite, but don't get caught out by the "imported" lagers on draught. You'll need a second mortgage to pay for them, so stick with the carling.
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Enjoyed a pleasant pint or two in here one saturday afternoon away from the crowds up teh tube at westminster - very pleasant and friendly would always call in if i was in need of refreshemnt in that part of london and very convenient straight across from the tube.
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I've tended to avoid the Old Star as it's far too close to my office for comfort, but have been in 3 times in the last 2 weeks and it's certainly growing on me. The bar staff are friendly and do remember you if you're a semi-regular and apart from Friday nights it's fairly easy to get a seat. The arches downstairs are nice if there are loads of you, although there'd be a bit more atmosphere if the lighting wasn't so harsh in there. The gents toilets downstairs are tiny... not sure if there are more on the top floor, which never seems to be open.
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A large pub which is initially welcoming (busy, bright, looks smartly-kept), but ultimately rather flatters to deceive. It's spread over three floors but none of them are particularly inviting. The arches in the basement are particularly unpleasant - water drips from the ceiling onto the table and seats, so you have to be very careful where you sit, all of which is really unacceptable in a central London pub. The beers are the standard Greene King selection of IPA, Abbot, Ruddles and Morland - my pints of IPA and Ruddles were reasonably well-served although nothing to write home about. I don't know this area particularly well but I'd be surprised if there weren't some far better pubs around.
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There was a pleasant ambiance when we were there with friendly bar staff. Food was decent too. Just across the road from St James tube station.
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I see what you mean, I last came here last century also! But come on, it isn't that bad (as Harry Lime said). Still a proper pub, on three levels, with pleasant bar staff and as decent beer as you are going to get from Greene King who are not, in all fairness, my favourite brewery, but the Ruddles County was fine.
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Last Century when it was "The Old Star And Crown" and had a Wine Bar in the Basement it was a Great Pub...but Progrees has changed that, which is a Pitty. The "Crown Vaults" Wine Bar was one great place in the 80's...My visit in the 21st Century was disapointing. The beer was average, The service slighty above average. A shame that a Pub with shuch Histroy as it has has been changed.
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As always when i visit this pub the atmosphere here is great i have never meet such friendly staff and management, who at all times go out of there way to please.
anonymous - 28 Aug 2006 17:30 |
This Victorian corner pub is spread over 3 floors. The ground floor has a great deal of wasted space with about 25% of the floor space lost courtesy of a large open stairwell that leads to the cellar bar. The area around the bar is partially blocked by a large pillar and the overall space for seating is minimal given the overall size of the ground floor. The décor is rather bland as is the piped music. There is a fruit machine and a solitary TV that does not really cater for everyone who would want to watch. Beers are predominantly Green King IPA, Abbot, Morland and Ruddles County and are not always particularly, shall we say, palatable, rather disappointing given the Cask Marque accreditation. Downstairs (note the interesting panoramas of medieval London on the way) is the cellar bar although this comes as a disappointment for to who expect a dark and dingy dungeon like environment with bare bricks and a good musty smell. Instead, it is quite well lit thanks to the open stairwell and is of modern pub décor, again rather bland. The 2 recesses that go under the arches are fairly inviting but can be fairly cramped. On the top floor is a further bar that never seems to be open when I am there but doesn’t look particularly interesting from my peep through the door. You have to take your chances on what floors are open – on one visit both the cellar bar, the upstairs and half the ground floor were reserved leaving everyone squashed into the remaining area or onto the street. The food is a bit pricey and not anything particularly interesting and the wine also seems a bit on the dear side. This is one of those pubs that is fine on the first visit but the more you go, the more you begin to dislike it.
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My previous review was removed, presumably because it was deemed to contain a ‘personal attack upon a member of staff’, so I’ll try again. Imagine the scene: it’s Cup Final afternoon and a bunch of us (late 40s – professionals) have been driven out of our pub of choice by a sudden influx of 20-30 Morrismen (don’t ask). Eventually, we find a tiny corner of the Old Star where we can just about see the TV set. However, we buy a few rounds and enjoy the remainder of the match until the dramatic 90th minute equaliser by Liverpool. Readying ourselves for extra-time, the manageress approaches us and asks if we’d mind if she turn the TV around so that we can no longer see the screen. We say, ‘Yes, of course we mind, how are we going to watch the rest of the match? She says, ‘You can move’. So we did: to the Buckingham Arms.
I stand by my previous opinion that this pub is overpriced and that it has an all-pervading smell of stale chip fat. I withdraw my accusation that the manageress is somehow mentally ill but still contend that she is rude, unpleasant and manifestly in the wrong job.
Avoid. 0/10.
anonymous - 19 May 2006 14:01 |
Large ground floor bar in a mock traditional style. Four Greene King beers on sale which were in good condition if a little pricey. Downstairs “crypt” drinking area was more to my liking. Fairly quiet on a Saturday afternoon but places tend to close early in this area at weekends.
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One of my favourite London pubs. The "crypt" areas have real atmosphere.
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My favourite pub for a drink at lunchtime. Can get busy in the evening when the Home Office empties, and part time drinkers always get in your way on payday. However, if you're in the area pop in and see the lovely staff. It will be worth it, especially when the sun comes out.
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Great crypt downstairs for tete-a-tetes. Bar design upstairs is ridiculous - bar is some 10 feet wide yet can only serve one person due to the unfortunate placing of a pillar. They should ban people sitting at the bar!
Lawrence - 5 Oct 2004 16:44 |
This pub used to be an excellent place for lunch .... until they changed the menu from pizzas (which were the best in this part of town) to plates of salads. Great it you like blowing money on over priced, unfullfilling garnish. Not so good if you need to eat to get rid of hunger. Beer was okay but I don't go there any more as there are other pubs with better beer!
Feasty - 27 Jul 2004 14:22 |
excellent Service, nice and friendly staff. Good food for a pub. Definatly go there. AND THEY DONT DO CIRCLE LINE PUB CRAWLS, you will be ejected from the pub
Andrew - 22 Apr 2004 15:31 |
My local. The best beer in SW1 - fact. Regularly cleaned pipes and a general pride in appearance mean it is my pub of choice. Yes it's full of tourists but there is an upstairs and downstairs to sit in too. Mention how well Cardiff are doing to Lyndon the manager and see if you can get a discount....
Matthew - 19 Apr 2004 13:47 |
It's been nicely refurbished, but the service is really awful. On a crowded Thursday lunchtime it took my colleague 15 minutes to get served. Tends to be full of tourists too.
Juliet - 23 Feb 2004 21:55 |
Very nice food for a pub, a bit small but fair selection of beers/wine and a nice atmosphere.
Robin - 8 Feb 2004 13:16 |
Not a bad pub, although it was pretty expensive - was it to pay for the refurb I wonder!
Mike E - 19 Jun 2003 23:08 |
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