please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Butcombe Bitter on, which was superb. They also had Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, which is a rather good beer from a small(ish) brewery in Chico, California. First time I have seen it in the UK. This is now a gastropub, and as I didn’t eat there I can’t comment on the food that is obviously now their raison d’etre. But I had a very friendly chat with the young man behind the bar about pub names and similar things. Definitely worth dropping in for a pint of Butcombe Bitter if you are passing, but not really worth going far out of your way to visit.
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I concur with the tales of rudeness and have friends who now refuse to come here. It does however serve the useful purpose of keeping the more annoying elements of N1 away from other good pubs nearby.
Shame no-one commenting here who finds the service rude ever managed to come here when it used to be called the Prince Albert. It had the same great beers, superb food and really welcoming service.
What was different? Well, there were couches and armchairs where all those crampt tables are. Thoroughly charming and relaxing, it but didn't get enough custom. No accounting for taste, eh?
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This place just doesn't feel like a pub. The beer was pretty good with some interesting choices, but that's as far as the 'pubness' goes. Overcrowded, uncomfortable and little tables hosting silly-sized plates. Worst of all was the clientele, most of whom were just like the characters who turn up in the 'It's Grim Up North London' cartoon strip in private Eye.
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Couldn't agree more she is soooooo rude! She acts as though she is doing you a massive favour by serving you! Other staff are too busy trying to be cool and chatting to their mates to serve you properly. Shame as its quite a nice little pub.
nicci - 19 Jun 2008 16:05 |
CHARLES LAMB PUB, ELIA STREET, N1.
Yep, some (but not all) of the staff are EXTREMELY snooty & rude, especially one with a short 'bob' hairstyle - she, single-handedly, must account for 95% of the bad reviews this pub gets! Get Rid of Her!
This 'Pub' is really more a Restaurant trying to disguise itself as a pub! The food is excellent but generally over-priced. Tends to be frequented during the week by 'Nouveau-Riche' loud-mouthed and incredibly boorish rejects from the Royal Bank of Scotland at Angel, taking an on-expenses long-lunch etc. Seats are small and hard, tables are not big enough for the huge 'gastro' plates they serve the food on, assuming you have drinks there too. A very 'cramped' feel in the main area, tho' they have another room with restaurant-style tables and more hard chairs! You really have to be desperate or bloody-minded to make this your 'regular'!
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I too found the staff here really rude, had some good beers but definitely won't be going back.
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An immensely crowded little pub , beer range was good and 70% of bar were eating.
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13
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Pleasant on an early evening visit; only an Oakham beer on but very good it was. Typical of the pubs in this part of Islington.
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I've lived in the local area for over a year now and I've always found this place a little gem of a pub, with super-friendly staff.... until last Thursday that is! The place was pretty full (nothing unusual there) but the staff (I'd never seen them before) seemed to have a (very) bad night. The girl taking our drinks order was on the verge of being rude, and when we ordered our food fifteen minutes later her mood obviously hadn't improved much - saying (or snapping, more like) two out of the three main courses on the menu had run out. Afraid we made a swift exit pronto! Toby come back!
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A lovely pub on a sunny corner. Perfect for an evening drink; good range of ales and 'relatively' friendly staff. Mix of punters, mostly young and local. Menu looked interesting although no one was eating. Only complaint, pint of lime and soda, £3.
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A gem of a corner local! Not what you expect to find in the hidden backstreets of Islington. Sit outside in the sunshine or in the small bar area - might be too small on a crowded night - and enjoy the Chiswick Bitter or Landlord. Some nice bottled beers as well as a decent range of wines. Didn't try the food, but it looked good. But don't feed Mascha...
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Visited here the other day and found the bar staff to be very friendly and the food excellent. Good selection of drinks too!
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Despite previous postings here this, my first visit i found this place quite pleasant. Chiswick Bitter/ Taylor Landlord on draft, good selection of foreign beers/wines. The food looked pretty dam good too. Perhaps a little small to be headed at busy times but i'd certainly drop by again next time i'm in the area.
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Have been a couple of times before and found enjoyable (though this was probably because it was the Summer and therefore sitting outside). However this Sunday i was pretty bowled over by the rudeness of the woman serving us. Arriving late-ish on a Sunday lunchtime I ordered roast pork as the beff had run out. When the food arrived it was distinctly like gammon. Very cooked, red and salty. It was even sliced like gammon. I didn't finish it all and when our plates were cleared(in the absence of being asked if everything was ok)I asked her if she could check with the kitchen that it was definately roast pork I had had as it was very much like gammon. She turned to me (as walking away)and said 'no it's pork, it's definately pork'. She couldn't have dismissed me more if she'd tried. I wanted to explain that I wasn't disputing that it was pork, it just wasn't the roast pork I was expecting, but declined, thinking that perhaps I was wasting my time expecting her to be receptive to my (a customer's) discontent. Upon paying our bill I took a last attempt at getting a reasonable explanation. The man behind the bar explained that it was Serano pork and described exactly what I had eaten. I left feeling better (and less-dismissed) but why they didn't out Serano pork on the menu was beyond me. It's a shame that the Charles Lamb doesn't hold 'customer service' in high regard. It really is it's downfall. This climate of surly, attitudey service is becoming tiresome and stale.
anonymous - 9 Jan 2007 11:04 |
I am actually writing this review from the Charles Lamb as I frequently use their wireless while I am fighting with Orange in regards to the con they call free broadband. Nevertheless, I have always found the staff here charming and constantly going out of their way to make my visits here more enjoyable. Their house wine is a Torrentes, which by far my favourite and the food here has been consistently excellent. Not only do I find this pub a fantastic local but they don't mind me coming here daily to sit over a diet coke for 3 hours and work. I shouldn't really broadcast that fact....still, I am failing to understand a lot of the comments in regards to the management here as I have always found them delightful. Perhaps they've changes staff since the reviews here were writting but I don't have a bad word to say about this place...except maybe that the toilet door is always wide open, but apart from that, this truly is an excellent pub that deserces the praise it gets!
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I thought this place was awesome. I was a little worried when we got there as the entire place was completely rammed and we were doubting if we'd get the chance to eat dinner. The staff were amazingly accomodating, squeezing us in between two large Xmas parties and even waiting on our table, although that's not what they usually do. The food was tasty and the resident dog was very sweet. I'll br going back for sure in a quiet afternoon rather than a mental Saturday night...
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Sunday lunch was a disaster but that's just because the Charles Lamb is usually so good. I think that staffing problems were to blame, although being told that they had to use the cleaning staff to run the kitchen because they were short handed didn't inspire confidence. Of the few times I have been here I've never seen service so busy and flustered but then each time I go the busier the place is. what I didn't expect was to be served a plate of tepid food.
If you are going to eat, I suggest you go in the week when it's a little quieter.
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Hey wait a minute, Andy! If there's one thing could be said about me, it's that I am not a user who just registered to review this place!
In all honesty I wouldn't be at all surprised if your accusation was well grounded however - a lot of effort has gone into this pub and the owners are clearly extremely ambitious (which is a good thing) which may have led them or their pals to try and ramp the place up on here (which is a bad thing).
If this is the case, and if the management are reading this, can you please take note of those of us who are critical of the standards of service in your pub, instead of trying to slap as down, as you did below to myself and LondonBoy?
Last time I was in here a too cool for school barman with shades on and his pants hanging out threw a queeny, bitchy comment of at an elderly lady who became frustrated and sat back down again when she had to wait ages to get served. She had to wait ages because you were too busy joking around with two girls I took to be regulars. She didn't even say anything but her disatisfaction was obvious, and the barman saw fit to throw a comment her way about this. The lady and her group of about six old dears then left quietly and I don't expect they will be back.
You've got so much right with your pub - well done - now drop the attitude, take off the shades, pull your trousers up to cover your arse, and you'll be laughing.
anonymous - 2 Oct 2006 10:35 |
Does any other pub on BiTE have such a continuous stream of praise from 'anonymous' users and people who created profiles soley to rate one place?
The only one that comes to mind is the infamous King and Keys on Fleet Street, but even there the manager at least admits to when he posts reviews...
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I'm wondering if "stonch" and "londonboy" drink at the same pub as me ... rude staff? I've never met more warm and smiley bunch ... busy they may be but rude never. As to the food being compared to McDonalds thats just plain childish ...
anonymous - 30 Sep 2006 22:54 |
There are many things worthy of praise about this pub. The beer, the food, the decor, the atmosphere, the location - all first class. Mascha is the best thing of all of course.
However, the staff ARE rude. No two ways around it.
anonymous - 27 Sep 2006 10:41 |
This pub is a discrace to Islington The Staff are rude the beer is overpriced and the food is crap!
I would sooner eat McDonalds from down the road.
The staff really need to sort their attitude if they want to keep regular customers
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Decided to have a bite in here after the blinding review that Time Out gave it and was not disappointed. Despite having to wait to order our food (due to the dreaded time out curse), the food was brilliant and plentiful, and not too overpriced. the pub itself is gorgeous and well worth a visit if only to see mascha the pub dog. having read some of the other reviews i cannot believe that people were treated rudely in here, the staff and managers were lovely and helpful, very friendly. great place, cant wait to go back
anonymous - 21 Sep 2006 13:59 |
We are sending this email from outside the Charles Lamb (it has FREE WIRELESS!) drinking scrummy Honey Dew Ale in the sunshine! Problem, Mascha isn't here ;-(
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The Charles Lamb has a great selection of beers (albeit a bit pricey) and the food is very tasty. But that's as good as this place gets: the atmosphere is very terse to newcomers. The staff were very rude when we ordered our food and were totally ungracious and acted as if we'd dragged in dog poop all over their wooden floor. As for their dog: if you go and touch or pet the cute little mutt, the owners get VERY aggressive towards you. I'd stay well shot of this pub until they sort out their attitude problem. There are nice pubs in the area, and this pub doesn't even qualify as a welcoming drinking establishment.
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The Charles Lamb can not be faulted for it food but that is where the praise stops. My friends and I were regulars to this pub in its early days and were happy to support the new landlords on their new venture. It was not difficult because the food (although totally over priced) was delicious. However as the weeks went by we were stunned that what we had initially thought was rudeness due to shyness was actually plain discourteousness and ill-manners on the part of the owners. We thought maybe we had been rude to warrant this behaviour so made a concerted effort to be politer to no avail. It was obvious they did not want our business.
We have tried going back to the pub several times but the behaviour by staff and landlords have not changed and now even the food is not worth going back for. It has been very upsetting. I suggest only those who fly either the rainbow flag or George Cross enters this pub as the rest of us aren’t welcome.
Try the Mucky pup round the corner – even under new management still the friendliest pub around.
BG238 - 29 Aug 2006 16:51 |
Love the new "please don't feed Mascha" signs. Although it hasn't stopped her from looking at me lovingly when I eat my cornish pasty
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First decent pub I've been to that serves Perry! Great wine list and cute dog
anonymous - 23 Aug 2006 01:23 |
A sad disappointment last week, calling in after a 2 hour walk along the Regent's Canal from Limehouse. The behind bar staff were working hard, but the Fullers Chiswick Bitter was not drinkable.
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Had heard about this place but forgotten about it until I saw a blackboard advertising it by the Regents Canal when I was cycling by on a boiling hot Friday in early July. It's a nice place, on a very quiet side street - you'd never know you were so close to Angel. The ales I tried were in tip-top condition, as was the sausage roll. Sure it's middle class and a bit twee but that's hardly a fault.
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Had a wicked Sunday roast (proper potatoes, great beef) ended up staying far longer than intended due to entertainment of Mascha and great beer selection. Music selection just right and not too loud, Mascha sat on my friends lap for an hour snoring! Bring on the summer so that we can sit outside…
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went there last night with mate having had pleasant lunch there a few days ago. starter was a globe artichoke which was raw. asked nicely for it to be cooked and it still came back half raw. had to order new starters (now hungry...). was not offered refund - just given cheeky backchat from barman who said - 'hey - it's only a pub'. this kind of smug islington overpriced and pretentious amateur bollocks just ain't worth it. also the place was full of N1 loudmouthed tossers. avoid.
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Masher is indeed the best pub dog in the world. Her bandana is particularly appealing.
anonymous - 22 May 2006 00:44 |
Dear Masher, you make my day everytime I visit this pub. You are probably the best dog ever. Someone said you are a seal crossed with a brown pig crossed with a small bear but I don't care. Love Lew
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Very nice pub. Wicked pub dog. Good beers (Konig weissbier, Fullers Chiswick, Gales/Fullers HSB (guest), Fullers Honey Dew, standard lagers and keg stout). Food looked very nice. Very pleasant up-market interior nonetheless retains two rooms. Very middle class and trendy, but round here that is to be expected and there was a very nice atmosphere, unlike, for example the Mucky Pup and the Duke of Cambridge. Will return soon.
anonymous - 2 May 2006 08:17 |
Is no more. Now called 'The Charles Lamb' & is completely different inside. Lots of wooden chairs. Still has a few of the games, didn't see any books, only 2 beers on tap when I went (some bottles available). Menu looked nice though & the wine choice has definitely improved.
anonymous - 6 Feb 2006 15:28 |
