please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
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Great place to go for a drink - friendly barstaff, nice clientele, not too pricey. Lots of little nooks and crannies to sit in and people watch. Steer clear of the food though - I had bangers and mash and the mash had about a teaspoon of salt in it. Also has a lot of tables and chairs outside in the Square - great for smokers as you are not standing in the road looking like a git.
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Really like this pub but I'd find it difficult to tell you why. Found by accident last year at six on a Saturday evening late in October after leaving the Seckforde Arms - which I was supposed to have liked more than I did. The Seckforde that night unfortunately was as dead as they come and I felt (unusually) a bit out of place. After leaving early and with time to kill I popped in here and the difference couldn't have been greater. Struggled to find a seat with loads of people in the 'back room' playing board games, plenty of life. Felt right. Felt comfortable. Brought my wife in the following night, something I don't normally do (visit a pub twice in the same London trip - not take the wife out!) and although it was after ten on a Sunday night was still lively. Returned again this month and the place is definetly growing on me. Nice one.
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This is the worst place to get your lunch from. Ok, the food is good but the service is appalling. Very very slow, often the wrong order.
I have never been there and have them get the order right. A houmus sandwich once took 45 minutes to arrive! It's cold! What are they doing in that kitchen.
Unless you have a 3 hour lunch break don't order here! It's such a shame as the food is really quite good.
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Great place for apres work drinkums, the clientele are a nice young and attractive bunch and very friendly, the barstaff are very friendly and helpful. I had no problem being served even though they was somewhat of a scrum at the bar, the bar staff seemed very quick and efficent. Good selection of International Beers, some real ale for the hopheads, but quite a limited selection so I dont think they would make this place their own.
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Tried it on a Friday evening and was very disappointed. The server at my end of the bar was inept - too busy trying to be cool and showy and not actually serving people in turn. I gave up after 20 minutes in which his friends, ladies and those shouting the loudest had been served first. Saw a few people complaining about short measures as well.
Food was quite good though.
Think it deserves a second chance at a quieter time before I write it off, but for now I agree with the earlier posting: avoid Friday evenings.
anonymous - 4 Jun 2007 12:00 |
I'm lucky to live close by, this is mu local! great food, great choice of beer, quirky (and yes: very European) interior. On warm days you can lounge in the green (sorry: piazza), an added plus.
Only draw-back: it's frighteningly popular with the after-work crowd, which makes the pub a no-go zone on friday evenings.
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After eating very good food at the Crown on a few previous occasions, the events of my recent visit are especially disappointing. I ordered at the bar Starters and Mains. These were delivered together. When I said that I didn't wish to receive these together I was accosted by a very loud bullish manager who insisted that his wife who had served me had not got it wrong. He stated that their policy is unless you specify, you will get all food delivered together! I was then re-served with my Mains Course re-heated and only lukewarm. By this stage we had given up complaining as we were dealt with very rudely and loudly which was very embarrasing. I would recommend that anyone attempting to order food here makes it very clear that they don't want their starters, mains and desserts to all arrive together!
Ann20 - 24 Apr 2007 22:03 |
There were only so many glowing reviews of this place I could read from Stonch, before finally setting out to see what all the fuss is about.
I stopped by here late on Sunday afternoon, and I'm now a convert. I approached the place with skepticism: I'm not a huge fan of M&B pubs, and didn't really like the pub in its old form about 5 or 6 years ago. However, they have done a great job with this place since. It took me about 5 minutes to decide on what I wanted, eventually going for a Liefman's Goudenband. My fiancee decided upon a 500mL Schneider Aventinus, which caused me to feel a bit of a beer inferiority complex (size matters......), until I tasted the Goudenband, and felt more than satisfied with my lot.
Even after ordering two fantastic beers, there was still a lot of "Oooooh! I didn't see that one" grumbles, and mental notes of what to order next time. The service was friendly and excellent as well, which itself puts this place several notches about The Rake, who seem to have hired the closest living resemblance to Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons.
The interior was pleasant (a good combination of historical features and modern approach), although we decided to sit outside and enjoy the first truly nice weekend of the year. Despite being in central London, the square out front is very calm and peaceful, and almost feels........dare I say it...........Eurpoean.
Anyway, a wonderful, wonderful pub. I can't go back soon enough.
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Just to confirm - there is real ale here: Adnams Bitter and Timothy Taylor Landlord. Also real cider on hand pump in the form of Thatchers.
In terms of bottled beers, in London only The Rake, Quinn's and the White Horse have a selection more interesting.
Vastly underrated place.
anonymous - 18 Feb 2007 12:18 |
What are you on about, there's almost always real ale in here?
anonymous - 7 Feb 2007 00:17 |
Still no pumps working. A pub with no beer - is this place way ahead of its time in setting a new trend or something? It seems like a determined effort anyway.
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Met a friend there this evening, for the first time for some years.
No bitter or real ale on - and they didn't seem concerned - and the friends white wine was expensive and not terribly good.
We went round to the Betsy Trotwood and .....
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Was in here last night. Nice cosy pub. Good crowd of people. Good efficient service. If lived local then this would be a worthy local. Worth a trip.
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NYE party here was great, hats off to all the staff who worked at double speed all night - despite the crowds, service was absolutely excellent and there wasn't a dry glass in the house. This place has been completely turned around - six months ago it was a lovely pub with painfully slow, unfriendly bar staff. Now its an absolute joy.
I prefer writing shitty reviews - but credit where credit's due. This is now the best all-round pub in Clerkenwell.
anonymous - 2 Jan 2007 14:31 |
In the spirit of fair assessment I looked in again when I was back in the area and two of the four pumps were in action; both the Timothy Taylors and the Adnams were in good condition. Wasn't eating but the food served to a nearby table looked good in both quality and portion. Huge windows provide a light, airy feel in the afternoon.
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Went in yesterday lunchtime. Four handpumps, no beer. What's the point?
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I found this a comfortable pub, with an interesting range of beers. In addition to those already mentioned, Cantillon gueuze is pretty rare, and I've never seen Franziscaner on draught before. Good range of Trappists too although the bar man bizzarely rolled the bottle of Orval on the bar to get all the sediment. I've seen this with German wheat beers but never a Belgium beer! Food was bland.
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Service has definitely changed for the better. Owners are still the same (massive pubco Mitchells & Butlers) but management is clearly different.
Beer bore stuff below for those who are interested (Conniwot can stop reading, if indeed he is reading at all):
The beer selection is indeed impressive but then always was in this pub, as with M&B's other pubs of this "unbranded" variety across London. If anything the recent shake-up has left an equal amount of choice in terms of different continental beers, but inferior and less interesting examples in my opinion. Budvar Dark is gone for example. They have added Maredsous blonde on tap - unusual, but in all honestly I think it is no better than Leffe. Sleemans Honey Lager from Canada has been added, quite nice but nothing something I'd choose very often.
Having said that, I notice a third hand pump has been installed - and they had a pump clip on it for real cider (Westons) - however the dozy barman was puzzled by its existence and it wasn't hooked up to a cask. Hopefully this means they are going to try and have an interesting guest in addition to the Adnams and TT Landlord they have been serving for some time.
anonymous - 17 Oct 2006 11:40 |
I think this place has been taken over by someone else, as i was in on friday and what a suprise.
Fast efficient service, and a great range of draught beers. But more suprising was the dining room upstairs, a beer menu with food sugestions!!!!! I've heard of beer matching but never food matching!!
Well done to the new owners i'll definately be back.
nomis - 16 Oct 2006 22:16 |
I walked in to this pub on a Friday night and was initially pleased by the surroundings. The service was somewhat odd though, firstly, the service was very slow, the barman informed me that the manager was doing admin, but told me that he was actually avoiding work as he had a hangover.
Then I was given my pint in a plastic cup instead of a glass - despite the fact that I had informed the barman that I was drinking inside. I don't like drinking beer from plastic cups, but more annoyingly if I wanted a pint of beer that comes in a special glass such as Frulli or something similar then I would have been given a glass - quite annoying really
These sort of happenings went on all evening, suffice to say that I won't be rushing back.
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No Potato headed Media types? GYAC – it's in Clerkenwell FFS! I'm sure the beer has improved – if you can actually fight your way to the bar to order it!
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Looking at other people's reviews of this pub the bar staff must have changed. I found all the staff to be be really helpful and friendly. And there is a nice selection of beers (but nothing you wouldn't find elsewhere) and the prices seemed average for Clerkenwell.
However I did think the pub lacked atmosphere.
And The food is overpriced.
Basically I wouldn't go out of my way to come here.
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Yes, the staff seem to have been changed completely recently. Mr Rude Barman is still seen partolling the streets of Clerkenwell but I am pretty sure he no longer works here. If such a thing is possible, the beer selection has actually improved or at least changed(Budvar Dark and Sleemans Honey Lager now available, though a few things have been pulled).
This pub is constantly busy in summer, and the London Oasis public art thing has only increased the crowds. Nonetheless service is no longer snail's pace and I have ceased to be annoyed by this place.
Good news all round then.
anonymous - 27 Jul 2006 10:10 |
Well fortunately it seems to have changed: no rude bar staff and no potato-headed media types. In fact, the bar staff were efficient and as friendly as possible given the huge amount of people wanting drinks, and to sit in the spacious outside among the interesting mechanical/electrical sculpture thing. Good ale (unusually for Clerkenwell bars), good wine and ambitious food. All they need is a couple more bar staff at busy periods – great place to hang out on a summer's evening…
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Funny I just went into this pub for the first time today and came across, guess who? Yes, the rude b*stard barman!!! I luckily didn't have to deal with him but, his monosyllabic grunting to his colleague who was trying to help me make a reservation, made me feel ill. Get rid of this man - this is not hospitality!
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This is a local of mine, I think it is a great pub but the comments below about the staff and the one bar man in particular are completely true and fair. Wish they would sort it out.
anonymous - 28 Apr 2006 11:04 |
A real dilema this one: We work locally and have been here a number of times.
Everytime with out fail, one of us, usually all of us thouroughly disgusted by the ignorant pathetic barman. So why do we go? The food is actually really good!!!!
I can only think the reason for keeping him is so that the pub doesn't get too busy and controls the number of diners. If this is the case well done, it's working, we would certainly be here more frequently if he wasn't. Sack himchef !!!!
anonymous - 28 Apr 2006 10:54 |
Such a frustrating place. The food is excellent and a lovely place to sit outside in the summer, but the staff, one gentlemen in particular, is incredibly rude. I can't believe he hasn't been sacked or left as he is so miserable.
Don't go unless they get new staff. I would be embarrassed if I owned the place.
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i like this pub, no-one else does although pepepepe and I agree that the librarian bar-man is rather obnoxious & rude. It is also far too hot inside with far too many nathan barley lookalikes
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no eye contact and rudeness from barman
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Gus, notice you're a big fan of the Green. I must say I find the kind of customer you see in here far preferable to the smug kind you see through the picture windows of the Green, mewling infants in their laps. But there you go, horses for courses.
I agree with you about the food - ropey. But pubs aren't about food and this one hardly sells itself on it. If you want a restaurant with a couple of token beer taps look no further than - the Green.
anonymous - 10 Apr 2006 17:07 |
bad experience with lunch. Staff were clueless and not that bothered. Typical pretentious fish fingers on ciabatta type fare and it took an hour to arrive. Decor okay and it has a nice aspect on the corner. Brimming in the summertime with outside drinkers, but mostly loud, media d*head types with stupid haircuts and banal conversation.
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Brilliant beers, standing outside here in summer is heaven. Loads of tables outside. Staff are a laugh. Food is standard fare but the drinks are amazing - I love it love it love it.
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dis is d booza where Lenin and Stalin met in 1905 innit
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New oriental barman serves short, flat measures and then won't do anything about it. Twerp.
anonymous - 17 Feb 2006 08:25 |
Shayman, was it the short haired black guy who shouted tosser at you? He can be rude.
anonymous - 4 Jan 2006 14:00 |
Nice looking pub but the staff on both my visits have been slow, inexperienced and rude. The Prices are ridiculously high for this area of London.
The worst part is that if you ask for a short they automatically give you a double. A discussion with a boy who claimed he was the "manager" lead to the revelation that this is bar policy and culminated in him shouting tosser at me. Nice. No wonder there was an ambulance crew seeing to an unconcious customer at the time.
Jonathan
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Wonderful in many ways, but I agree with RebelBhoy that the service is rubbish - the bar manager can be a right knobber. On the plus side it has a brilliant (though recently diminished) selection of drinks. Staropramen Granat, Leffe, Fruli, Kupper Kolsch all on draught, Erdinger Dunkel in bottles which is cool. As I say the drink selection has been trimmed of late, they explained to me no-one was buying the bottled belgians and the great Herold Black (a good and rare Czech dark lager) so they cut them. The real ales aren't very well kept so I'd give them a miss.
As for atmosphere - the music is chilled and inoffensive and the decor is a good nod to the traditional features while giving a relaxed and modern ambience. Attracts a variety of people, and thankfully virtually no one in a suit ventures in here.
If you like this pub, try the Castle by Farringdon station which is a bit livelier and has almost exactly the same drinks selection but with better service.
anonymous - 14 Dec 2005 14:08 |
Shit pub!
Big area outside on the road. Silly prices though and not a good pub inside if you are in large groups, which has always been the case when i've been there. Gets too cramped, not enough space. The upstairs room is a nice touch though if you've got enough people to take it over. Like having a party in someone's living room and allows you to shout drunken abuse at people walking past as I am ashamed to admit I have done in the past.
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Service is appalling.....I mean really bad.
Good range of beers, if you can be bothered waiting for them.
Nice setting on a sunny day though. Might want to get yourself a carry out before you get there though.
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Great place to meet for lunch time drinks in summer as it has use of the giant forecourt area in front of it.
A good range of imported beers on tap but service can be a bit slow as everyone hits it for the lunch time rush.
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