please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Last night I hosted my boyfriend's 30th birthday party in the Harlequin and can't give them enough praise. It's a perfect venue for a little party - they let us put decorations up and bring our own cake, brought out a fab selection of food (mmmmm cheese plate...), the staff were brilliant - really helpful and friendly. Top marks for making it a truly memorable night.
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Went in there Sun 20/07 in the afternoon and no one was in. Barkeeper was very friendly and 'chatty'. Only had 1 real ale on (TT Landlord) but well conditioned.
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Sounds like the last reviewer came in on a bad night. I really like this place, it's a cracking little local, not my closest pub but worth a walk. About a year ago it used to be such an old man pub, ugly wallpaper and dirty carpets caked with dog hair. Plus random Guinness memorabilia screwed to the walls, but this is London not Galway. Just an average boozer.
The new owners gave it a decent makeover with a proper telly for watching sports (it was recently a quiet haven for watching the Euro's away from the crowd crush of Angel) and they've opened up the outside area at the back for BBQ's. Ales are of good quality (Landlord + guests) with the standard lagers on draught. The wine list keeps the missus happy too. Never had a problem with the staff, some of them Aussie, some English, so getting your order understood is not an issue. Overall a fine little local pub that is not trying too hard to be anything it's not.
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I went to this pub, mainly because of some of the reviews on this site. I was extremely disappointed:
The service was bad. The female bartender did not know anything about the beer they served, and now the worst thing: We were there around closing time, so we saw the bartender take the lemons and limes cut out for use in drinks, she then poured some lemon soda in the trays with the slices. Then she used her finger to stir it around, after which she put a towel over and put it in the fridge. Apparantly this pub saves the slices for several days, and have a low sense of hygiene.
I will not go back there. I suspect the profile "G2003" is the owner, since this profile has written the same 5 star review on all the standard review boards.
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Popped in last week for a pre "Peter Grimes" pint at this pub next to Sadlers Wells. The décor is bare floors and scumbled paintwork. Scrubbed pine tables. Chalkboards with the daily specials. Non-matching chairs. All doubtless carefully chosen to create the effect that it's a charmingly bohemian hotchpotch. A wee bit artificial for my taste, but wife (had she been there) would love it.
Now, the serious bit. There were two ales on: Black Sheep and Timothy Taylors Landlord. Didn't try the Black Sheep on this occasion, because the Landlord was as tippety-tip-top-tip as it gets. So we stuck with it for the second round. *And* the quick one during the first interval, hot-footing it round from the theatre. We'd booked interval drinks & paid for them, a handy feature. Yes, the beer was superb.
And the food looked good too. There was a theater goers offer at £10 per head, which included a glass of champagne at the interval as well as food before the show. Needless to say the ale sufficed.
All in all, a pleasant pub which wears its pretensions lightly and confidently. And the service was efficient and friendly: when it was noticed that I had a chipped glass, I was given the next drink free. Can't argue with that kind of customer service.
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Love this pub - warm and friendly staff, great ales and board games!
(Love the free wi-fi too!)
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Used to love this place - an Islington pub not overrun with wannabe idiots. Great music, decent prints on the walls, and two dogs.
Sadly someone has now given it the standard makeover with lurid red walls and iffy sofas.
Won't be going back.
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This pub has changed owners very recently and I have to say it it is a very different place to what it was. Whereas it used to be an old run down pub, after some minor improvements it has been transformed into a much nicer space whilst still retaining its theatre pub roots...
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I made a detour on my usual route to visit this pub for the first time. Looked pleasant enough to sit outside and enjoy the sun with a decent pint.
Inside there were two dogs roaming around, the carpet and floor covered in dog hair. I ordered a pint of landlord. Must be a special version as it came with bits. I will not return.
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Re: my comment below. When I said "the Landlord had run out", I was referring to the beer (Timothy Taylor's Landlord), not the actual landlord!
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I made a special journey to visit this pub. Sadly, my friends and I were disappointed. It was very smokey, and the foul-mouthed clientele were a tad intimdating. The Landlord had run out, the London Pride only dispensed water (after drawing 4 pints, the landlady said "That appears to be off!", which left Old Hookey.
Maybe this was an unfortunate time to visit; however I won't be back.
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I like this place a lot. Gets a mixed bag of customers, old-fashioned locals mingle with actors and luvvies from Sadler's Wells. The staff visible tingle with anticipation when interval time approaches and will ask you to bunch up a bit to make way for the rush. And it doesn't take much to make a rush here - the pub is tiny. It seems to be named for a famous old performer from the 19th century. Or something like that - there's some old prints of him around the place.
Staff are good at their jobs and friendly. It changed hands recently - the old mother and daughter who used to run it, and their father and son team of black labs, have been replaced with a sarcy old git and two little mongrels who are completely mental and will jump all over you if you give them any attention.
The furniture and decor generally is pleasingly old school. The two sofas at the back area are blessed with particularly rancid uphostelry. The ceiling is covered with framed Guinness posters and an old photo of Bogart sits behind the bar.
On the beer front, there are a few pubs in London that serve Timothy Taylor Landlord where you really do see why people rave about it - this is one of them. Always a perfect pint. Does London Pride as well. On the lager front, the best is I think Kronenbourg 1664 - not saying much.
And yes, its in Clerkenwell or failing that Islington - not by any stretch of the imagination is this the City.
Combine this with the Old Red Lion and Filthy McNasty's if in the area. Both are also decent pubs, though very different to this.
www.stonch.blogspot.com
anonymous - 4 Jan 2007 17:20 |
A nice, small pub. The beer is kept well, if a little generic. The landlady is friendly and fantastic.
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THIS PUB IS NOT IN THE CITY - ITS IN ISLINGTON
anonymous - 4 Apr 2006 10:05 |
A great place - friendly resident dog! Definitely worth a look in if you like real pubs. Can't remember what beers they serve but I do remember that its cheap.
anonymous - 4 Jan 2006 16:23 |
A quiet, old fashioned local but with well kep beers and a good range of food. Godd sized helpings and a blazing fire in winter.
Settees at the back of the bar and pavement tables in the summer - until at present (the local council may ban these soon).
A change from the busy high Street bars nearer the Angel tube station.
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