please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I too visited a couple of weeks ago to find no real ales on. It's a real shame, but I would tend to agree that this place seem to be on the slide...
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THIS PUB HAS GONE TO THE DOGS *GRR*. Turn up at 5pm on a Friday night - NO real ales, not even the Skinners Lager!! A disgrace!! These new oweners have RUINED a great pub :-(
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I love The Cove; the pasties are delicious, and not heated to the nigh-on molten lava temperatures that the West Cornwall Pasty Company shops usually work to. The real ale is lovely, and a great complement to the pasties. The terrace is a great spot to people-watch, eat and drink, and be sociable, on a warm summers day. The downside is, as virtually every other poster has commented, the ridiculously loud music (totally unnecessary for such a small pub), and occasionally having to wait quite some time to be served. Please, owners - take note!
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I first came here in the summer of 2006. It was a nice pub, where you could have a good chat with friends and the service was perfectly fine. Since then, I presume the ownership has changed hands. It now plays crap music at the highest volume, which means you'll be lucky to have a conversation with yourself let alone anyone else. Above all, the service here is absoulutely ridiculous. You will no doubt find yourself standing at the bar for 4 or 5 minutes whilst the bar staff chat amongst themselves. A terrible waste of a fantastic location. There are several beter pubs in the area, go somewhere else.
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Oh dear, what has ahppened to this pub? :-( Went in a couple of weeks ago and just one of the real ales was on - how can they not be prepared on a Friday evening!?!?! And the staff were useless - whoever served me couldn't understand that I did NOT want a pint that was 30% head.
Went back in yesterday, and was pleased to see the beer was good again. BUT staff still useles.. When I arrived there were 4 peopel behind the var - 1 serving, 1 sorting out a barrel, and the other 2 just standing around gassing. And rather than serve the growing queue, they just wandered off.....
So have downgraded this former oasis from a magnificent 10 to an average 6. :-(
PS: The nearby "Essex Arms" has a sign saying that is Covent Garden's "best kept secret" (sic) - er, no that woudl be the Cove as it's a real bugger to find the first time ;-)
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Busy spot. Staff a bit inattentive. Good selection of Cornish Ale. Met a really interesting academic from Cornwall and had a lovelly nice long chat. Its worth a visit.
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Gave this place a go yesterday while killing time in London. Was happy enough to find it as the address didn't make sense, just look out for the West Country pasty shop.
4 ales on while I was thee, 2 Skinners and 2 St Austell. Had he Proper Job and an Ice Blonde whih were both ok. Wasn't too packed as it was Saturday afternoon and the service was fine.
Good if you want to watch some entertainment in Covent Garden but you will still be asked for cash!
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Paid my latest visit to this Pub on Friday, when it was absolutely packed solid. Music was exceptionally loud, but service seemed fine. Four or five staff all doing their best to make sure evryone got served quickly. Still five Cornish ales, from Skinners and St Austell Breweries. However, the latter Brewery's HSD has now been replaced with their 'Proper Job IPA, a good improvement in my opinion. One thing that would improve the cove still further would be to introduce a berrs from Sharps of Cornwall, such as Doombar or Own. Here's hoping!
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Lovely St. Austell Tribute unfortunately served by probably the worst staff in central London. Completely uninterested, slow, unhelpful and rude - customer service doesn't seem to exist in this place anymore. My gran could do a better job and she's been dead ten years.
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I loved this place. Being a music lover and a real ale fan this was perfect. Never heard of the venue until my colleague introduced me last Friday for a beer there. We ended up staying a good 4 hours and 6 pints later!!! Cornish beer - great. Skinners and St Austall. The bar staff were plesent but needed a bit of training when pouring that perfect pint from a cask.
One for my future list!!!
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Absolutely loved this place. Great ales, great music, a great mix of people (mainly student types)and the atmosphere was fantastic. I can't see how people can find faults with this place. I love the fact you have to go through a pasty shop to get in as well, a quirky touch.
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great pub but managers and staff is unexperienced they dont know what does it mean customer service , most of the staff is very ignorant , where is the old staff with experience ?
i used to enjoy my pint of beer there but not anymore
anonymous - 11 Apr 2007 07:22 |
This place had somehow a change in management and it's not a friendly place as was used to be.
I've been kicked out of the pub after asking to lower the music a couple of times as it was impossible to speak with friends.
I was forced to shout to order the beer and I stated "you can't understand me if you carry on with this volume of the music".
All the people in front of the bar were forced to move to other rooms to speak with their mates!
After asking the address of the owner/place to write a complain letter they kicked me out.
Unbelievable poor service and the manager is not capable to understand what's customer service is about. I doubt she's able to manage the place too as I found unusually empty for a Friday eve (it was used to be packed!).
We'll come back to the place once the management changes.
anonymous - 27 Jan 2007 14:43 |
Enjoyable 'one-off' pub. Decent selection of Cornish ales (mainly from the St Austell brewery), though my beer was too warm this evening. The prices were reasonable (£1.35 for a half; the Lamb & Flag down the road was £1.40 and that doesn't have any USP)
However, as noted on previous posts, this place has a cramped interior which means that it's not great for meeting friends or for having relaxed chat. And getting a beer from the crowded bar is like trying to get prise a bar heater off an eskimo.
Well worth sampling once for the balcony view over Covent Garden, or for taking a foriegn guest.
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Great pub. Great beer. Shame about the needlessly rude and ignorant door staff.
anonymous - 3 Jan 2007 16:34 |
A return visit for quality control purposes. Lack of control meant that I had to repeatedly check the quality just to make sure. Same excellent selection of beers with the Betty Stogs from skinners being absolutely top notch. Once of the best Pubs in Londom, and along with the Harp, the best in and around covent garden
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A small pub right in the heart of Covent Garden, so it can get very very busy. Pleasant atmosphere inside, though, and it does a good range of Cornish ale. If you can get a seat out on the balcony it is very pleasant. They also serve pretty good pasties. Although crowded and touristy, this pub's a good bet.
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Not that easy to find when you don't read the gen info above. Once inside, great beer (Betty Stogs & Tribute sampled) and a nice feel of Cornish charm albeit somewhat contrived. Yes it's small but perfectly formed, unlike the loos which are small with dodgy locks and several steps down (not good after too many). Too busy last night to enjoy the balcony but not too busy to sit inside. Staff friendly enough even though command of English was not top drawer. I'd recommend this one. Will try again early July and see how things are with full on summer crowds and even hotter sunny weather (or is that a joke?)
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Beer selection interesting but always far too full on weekends so I've never actually stopped for a drink
anonymous - 31 May 2006 14:31 |
Ok plus points for this place, good looking friendly staff, good beers well kept and poured and yes the balcony gives you a good view of the plaza. On the negative side this is in fact a loft and a small one at that. There is so little room in here that it would feel crowded even if you were the only customer. You enter/leave by way of a staircase which is parallel to the bar so when queuing for a drink and I mean queuing you end up doing an insane sort of dance swaying this way and that to avoid comings, goings, spilt drinks and Americans with over sized umbrellas. Also there are only two toilets which means you queue again. After just a few minutes in this place I was forced to scream “ I’m a customer get me out of here”
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Nice beer. Great location. Small but just got seats at 5pm on Monday. Big negative was ridiculously loud music. We had to go elsewhere to hear ourselves talk, even before getting to try a pasty! Without the music would score a 7, but frankly unusable as a place to meet people. Shame.
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Visited this pub yesterday based on previous reviews. The location is great and the pub itself, although small and crowded, is surprisingly comfortable. Good selection of beers and the added bonus of being able to order a pasty to go with them!
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Still great! And the Betty Stoggs was delicious :-)
10/10. (And still fun to look at the saddos over at the pisspoor Punch and Judy)
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I love this place, it's got the lot. Upstairs, a terrific range of 5 constant & well-drawn Westcountry Ales (St Austall's Tribute; HSD; Skinners Cornish Knocker Ale, Betty Stoggs Bitter; & Weiss Bier); A balcony, complete with outdoor heaters, with a cracking view over the Covent Garden Plaza for people-watching & overlooking the street 'entertainers'; A West Cornwall Pasty Shop downstairs with all the exotic fillings you could think of, available for eating in the pub or for takeaway after you've finished your session (Pork & Cider is my fav); And an awful lot of varied & interesting clientele, as you would expect in this part of London. (Plus the missus likes it too) Always worth a stop-in at any time of the week.
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Tried it on the strength of previous reviews and weren't disappointed. All that's been said before is absolutely spot-on and it's a surprising oasis in that area. The Betty Stoggs and the Tribute weren't great as it happened, but maybe we caught it on a bad day. Busy of course, but not packed and service was quick and prices reasonable. Pretty Good!
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As said elsewhere, it is fake beams/cornish and nothing like a cornish local. But they have a good (Cornish) real ale range - 5 on - kept well. And they even will do tasters if you are not sure which one to start with. (Perhaps as the staff do not seem to know the beers?)
Prices for the area very good - under £3 a pint. Also good view over the piazza and nightlife, althou chilly this time of year on the balcony. Added advantage for the way home is being above the pasty shop, you can still buy one, as the shop is still open! A rare change...
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It should firstly be pointed out that the Cove is situated in Covent Garden, one of London’s premier tourist areas. It should therefore be not be a surprise to note that the bar is a somewhat cynical touristy recreation of a traditional Cornish smugglers inn. The bar itself is accessed through a Cornish Pasty shop at ground level and is easy to miss (I have been walking past it for 18 months without giving it a second glance and only really found out about it from this web site). The Bar itself is made out to look like an old boat (maybe it was, but I doubt it) and leads to a further 2 small drinking. The surroundings may be fake but it is comfortable and they have done a good effort to try and make it feel authentic. Unfortunatley there is nothing that can be done to replace the local opera singers and street entertainers with the sound of the sea crashing over the rocks at Lizard Point so an amount of poetic imagination is required. The walls have a nautical theme with portholes, pictures of washed up ships and old sea captain murals. The seats are a strange combination of comfy chairs, cushioned cubes and sturdy low bar stools. There is an outside veranda overlooking the piazza where there is always a healthy throng of tourists watching the street entertainers. The big plus about this place is the beers. They have 5 Cornish Ales on hand pump (including a wheat beer) and they are reasonably priced considering you are in such a tourist trap. There are 2 or 3 standard lagers and Scrumpy Jack cider for the non Real Ale buffs. One small gripe is the annoying habit of bar staff handing your change over with a receipt on a plate expecting you to leave a tip. They wouldn’t dream of it in Cormwall!
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Got in early via the pasty shop and had an excellent pint of Betty Stoggs whilst sitting out in the sun on the balcony watching the strained attempts of the performers to generate a crowd which they hope can be persuaded to put hands in pockets for 14.5 minutes of blather & 30 seconds of uncertain action...NOW THATS ENTERTAINMENT!
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I love this pub. Mainly because St Austell beer is among the finest in the land, particularly Tribute. Have had some great nights in this absolute cupboard of a place. Gets rammed but is still better than the Punch and Judy. Which is pap.
Toilets are a laugh. Beware the open window....
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good idea this, a cornish themed pub. must admit i've toyed with the idea myself a bit....ditched it eventually and went for the herefordshire theme. if you're in covent garden anytime soon maybe come and check out my rutland-style boozer.
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Nice Cornish beers in this small upstairs pub. If you are lucky enough to get a seat on the little balcony on a sunny day it can be a great place to watch people go by.
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Entered the Cove at 11:01 a.m. for my first pint after a long trans-Atlantic flight. Barman was extremely friendly, pouring tasters of all 2 real ales (St. Austells' Tribure & HSD and Skinner's Betty Stogs and Cornish Knocker). Opted for the Tribute which was fairly good. Cornish pasties were great. Worth a look if your hanging around the 'garden'.
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Still a top destination but the beer quality was a bit suspect on Friday night. However I always would prefer this to the Punch and Judy opposite.
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Best (only?) selection of Cornish beers in the capital.
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I always make a point of visiting this place when in London's a sunny day you can sit on the balcony watching the performers doing their stuff below.Eye candy behind the bar is worth the trip alone,always different,always top totty & polite,the steep stairs are a bit on an effort when exiting after a few beers,a risk worth taking,it can be a little claustrophobic
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Very true about the waitresses. What an eyeful! Decent beers, decent food, lovely place in general. Except when people get impatient waiting for the toilet. There's only the one so they bang on the door while you're tinkling away. I have to have another couple of beers to calm my nerves.
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Surprisingly well hidden pub right in the heart of Covent Garden Piazza. I daren't think of how many times I'd walked past this place and never noticed it, hidden as it is above a cornish pasty shop. Worth the time to check it out though, as the beer is good and reasonably priced and is served by pleasant and quick bar staff. Crowded and cramped inside but gorgeously atmospheric decor still made it a pleasant enough environment. Balcony is your best bet, but beware that you may struggle to find enough space to raise your elbow to drink whilst watching the street performers(not a euphamism for prostitutes!) below and just generally people watching. Nice on a sunny evening though. The pasties from downstairs are excellent and can be delivered to your table, the traditional is lovely as you would expect but for heathens that would tamper with the sanctity of a traditional pasty; the lamb & mint ones are very nice too.
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Hidden Pub with selection of well kept, if somewhat cold, Cornish ales from Skinners and St Austell. Extensive pasty menu available and balcony from where you can watch the street performers. One of the best Pubs i've visited in London and reasonably priced beer at £2.60 a pint
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Considering its prime location and the amount of tourists who frequent it this is not a bad pub with very friendly staff and good pasties. OK, the beer is nothing special but still a good atmosphere and view over the Piazza.
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Finally discovered the location of this pub - and it was well worth the wait! Definitely one of the top 10 best pubs in the whole of London!!! Serves excellent and varied range of Cornish beer (Betty Stoggs Bitters was gorgeous) - and food .If you're lucky enough you can sit out on the balcony and enjoy the sunshine & street entertainment (for free ;-) ); and look across at the saddos in the piss-poor Punch & Judy. 8/10
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I like this pub a lot. Being in covent garden it aint cheap - but they have a pasty bar downstairs, beat that. The steak and guinness pasty was very nice if somewhat expesnive, given the size. The cornish beers are all very nice. Does get PACKED however - all days of the week so i'm told.
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This is an awesome pub. Cosy inside, cool balcony. Great range of brews, all pretty decent quality.
Fantastic location in the square. Pasties sold downstairs are tremendous. Also close to a great cigar shop.
And, being in Covent Garden, also close to other great watering holes such as the porterhouse, if you're looking for a change of venue/beer/pace.
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They serve HSD - enough said! Get there early in the summer to bag a balcony table and sit back and enjoy the surroundings with good beer and table service from the pasty shop downstairs.
Richard - 9 Nov 2004 10:04 |
Sort of a theme pub, I suppose, a tower in Covent Garden market made to look like a Cornish tin-mine.
They do have some good Cornish beers, though, and having oily pastry products on sale down-stairs seems a bit unfair. The Knocker is good but they do serve it a bit cold.
The customers are a fair mix of tourists and back-bakers and the bouncers can get a bit heavy at closing time but the barmaids are curvaceous and dark-haired and gorgeous.
Worth popping in if you’re in the area or fancy checking out the beers.
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Lovely Cornish Ale served in the upstairs bar - which is small, wooden and very cosy - is excellent and goes down well their authentic Cornish Pasties that come in many sizes and fillings (chips and Pizza etc also available). The girls behind the bar do an excellent job and look good too:> - Greg Katanic comments here are spot on. The Balcony looks over the square where street performers entertain - very touristy as can be expected in this area. Don't even think of visiting the the 'Punch and Judy', this is the place to be, a real gem.
George - 11 Jan 2004 16:34 |
A fantastic and unsurprisingly popular place. The beer is always excellent - Cornish Knocker is my favourite - and the pasties are very good too. They have heaters on the balcony so you can brave a cold evening overlooking the piazza, and the atmosphere is really friendly. The only downside is that it can get really smokey.
Graham - 9 Dec 2003 12:33 |
A nice, cozy and dark spot for a drink and a snack. Gets quite crowded, but that is part of the fun. We go every time we're in Covent Garden.
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lovely pub for the Cornish homesick. One problem - the beer is too cold - its ale not lager!
vix - 29 Jul 2003 10:31 |
a bit squashed but quite cosy, have to climb over people to get to the toilet , but nice. the cornish pasties are lovely.
Nicole - 1 Jul 2003 18:12 |
In stark contrast to The Punch & Judy, this is actually a nice little place. You can get quite drunk and then wander downstairs and buy a handful of pasties for the journey home! (Though you probably will burn the hell out of your mouth in your haste to quell the drunken munchies.)
Top little place. As the last post says, a bit touristy, but fun.
TheG - 20 Jun 2003 10:20 |
cute, lovely balcony. a bit touristy, but fun. it's a great if you can get a seat, but otherwise, a bit uncomfortable. not much standing room.
anonymous - 18 May 2003 23:38 |
Weird Ice Blond Beer from Cornwall gorgeous (but £3.10) balcony overlooks main street artists, ideal place in summer. Barmaids always gorgeous Portugese/Brazilian love goddesses
greg katanic - 24 Mar 2003 11:53 |
Upstairs bar with balcony over looking main piaxxa in Covent Garden, so you can watch the clowns and the pickpockets. (on saturdays you get a crazy religious lady shouting at people when they come out of HMV.) Part of Cornish Pasty shop that sells all things Cornish so if you like odd sounding Cornish beers mulled wine and a wide range of pasties come here.
arturo_morales - 20 Mar 2003 09:28 |
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