please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
You know how sometimes you walk into a pub and just sense something's not right, well here you go.
9pm Sat night. There's a seedy air about the pub, looks like people have been here all day. Go to the bar. Lots of glasses on taps. 2 pints of Becks please. She brings back 2 bottles. No, 2 pints I say. We then have a long and difficult conversation made harder by the crap band in the background. She says something about problems with the taps and it looks like only the premium lagers are still on. Hmm, how odd.
She starts pouring a Stella. After about 5 minutes there's half a pint in the glass and it dribbles to a stop. Okay, 2 pints of Staropramen and she starts pouring Strongbow. I eventually get my Staropramen, get charged £6.50 and it's flat and luke warm.
The bloke next to me takes a good 20 mins explaining his order, amid much pointing to bottles, taps, glasses, you name it. Turns to me and says "Some boozer this, isn't it"
This place is a crap hole.
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The trouble is this pub plays its music very loudly and has a plethora of one armed bandit machines. Too noisy for my liking or for a proper social evening.
It does have a price list displaying beer prices - wow that's unusual nowadays, But they are not displayed very clearly and in a large enough typeface to read it properly.
Has London Pride among other beers
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Went in here for first time last week as I am soon to gig here with my band, The Capris.
This pub has a fantastic history, with legends such as The Rolling Stones, The Who, Jimi Hendrix and many many more having played here in the old days, in the function room upstairs which is sadly now closed.
Pubs like this need to be promoted for their nostalgic value and wherever possible, rejuvenated to that state or as near as possible - this could soon turn into a leading live music venue which would be awesome considering the number of pubs closing down or stopping live entertainment. New landlord has right attitude and I think you may see this pub go from strength to strength over the next year or two. Watch this space..
Matt
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Dropped in for a pint after work. Wow, what a pong. Combination of BO and stale farts. The bogs smelt better than the pub and that's saying something for this place. Pint of Fosters £2.50. This used to be quite a smokey joint which obviously covered up a multitude of sins.
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Serving vinegar through the Deuchars pump and smooth through the London Pride pump. Serving beer in plastic glasses, but allowing bottles of tramp juice to be taken outside. Not surprised that the police turned up yesterday evening.
anonymous - 22 Nov 2007 06:44 |
Perfectly decent pub with friendly staff and very good food. The entertainmnet could be a bit more imaginative (if I hear any more Crowded House covers I'll scream) but overall a good pub.
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acceptable (no more, no less) station pub for a quick pint or if you're waiting to meet someone.
gets pretty busy before big matches at wembley, being so handy for the tube.
mps77 - 30 Jul 2007 13:25 |
went in having changed trains to go to wembley prior to the england brazil match, service adequate, quite busy but managed to find a decent seat even if the table was a bit of a mover! staropraman wasnt the best though. worth popping in for a quick pint if youre changing between the train stations and underground.
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Always a bit suspicious of anonymous postings but I agree it's got tired the last few months. Same old bands, draft lager run out runs out, staff not as keen as they used to be and sometimes a bit of a "feel" about the place that you can't put your finger on.
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Gone down hill recently which is a shame, as it used to be a cracking little pub. The boss has lost interest and it shows all the way down to the staff.
anonymous - 9 May 2007 22:49 |
used to be a great little local, sadly gone down hill over the last year get the friendly staff back! loss the 18 year olds and maybe it will get better again.....
anonymous - 27 Apr 2007 00:38 |
Better than average boozer - fairly lively, efficient and friendly staff, plus points for table service with the drinks, minus points for the Karaoke but obviously a musical snob like me is going to say that :-)
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This pub used to be the Rat and Parrot when I used to go there in the late 1990's, pretty much the only thing that has changed is the name and the slightly extended weekend opening hours.
Standard pub, not particularly outstanding in anyway, but an OK pub nonetheless.
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The criticism of this place is somewhat true: the clientelle can be a bit rough, however I find the staff to be quite good. Unlike most bars in London, the barstaff are constantly running around behind the bar, so that in busy times the wait is never too long. The table service is fast and efficient (even when busy) and the food is acceptable (not great, but not crap either).
The beers are OK and well-priced for the area.
Overall, the Railway is your typical average pub: a good place for a quiet drink with friends. It doesnt have the class of the Gallery around the corner, but also lacks the pretentious clientelle.
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£1.75 for a glass of Leffe isn't particularly cheap - only marginally less than in my locals which are far nicer than the Railway and in a decent area.
anonymous - 21 Feb 2006 11:46 |
I have not been to this pub in the past few months as I have left the area but I used to visit regularly. I found the staff to be extremely helpful and to work very well under pressure. They had recently added a few more beers to the menu and I was sad to move away. In contrast to a previous post I have found the Aussie barmen were extremely friendly as were the other mixture of nationalities they have on board. Show me another nice friendly pub where you can buy a glass of Leffe for 1.75. Overall excellent table service from a young enthusiastic group of hard workers led by a good management team of a difficult-not-to-love Kiwi assistant manageress and a fantastic Irish manager. Thumbs up!
anonymous - 4 Oct 2005 01:20 |
Have to say every time I've been there the service has been excellent. It was heaving last Saturday but still got served quickish. The pint was pure gnat's piss though and warm with it. I find the comment about the bouncer being sacked odd as they've had the same 2 there since it reopened as far as I can make out.
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I live near by this place and I actually quite like it. Im always served quickly. However, I have heard some negative things from my friends about this place. It seems the bar staff can be prone to rudeness, but I still get better service in the Railway, then I do at the Ponce magnets in the surrounding area.
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Doesn't look very inspiring on first sight but is actually better than it appears. Always has two or three real ales on tap and a large selection of other drinks. Lively in the evenings but also fine for a spot of quiet newspaper-reading during the day. In an area as starved of decent boozers as NW6 this is not so bad a place.
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Had a very nasty experience in this pub tonight, and I'm not normally compelled to post about pubs/bars. I've just moved into the area, and went to the bar and asked for a pint, which was poured short. I complained about this to the barperson, who said I'd have to take it up with the bar manager. Upon getting to speak to him after waiting 10 minutes, I was told "Fuck off, I'm busy". Can't say that I've been spoken to by a bar manager like this before, and mentioned this to the person next to me, who informed me that he'd already sacked a member of bar staff as well as a bouncer earlier that night.
Needless to say, avoid this like the plague.
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Revisited this though I promised I never would and to be honest it's a well run pub. It's not the sort of place I go for but you have to take your hat off to the landlord and landlady who always seem to be present on busy Sat nights. The bar's always well staffed and you're quickly served even when the pressure's on. The lager's cold and cheap and the bands though not great are better than nothing. There's even the option of table service and they don't expect a tip (least I don't think they do!). Compare this to La Brocca up the road. Poor service and landlord does f*ck all except clog the bar up with his rugger mates. Anyway, well done. I'm sure the pub owners are destined for bigger things!
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The Railway has always been a great local for my partner and I. We are made to feel welcome each visit and the bar staff and Manager (who have been there for sometime now!) have made the effort to greet us by name and always provide friendly and efficient service.
Drinks are cheap, the pub is clean, table service is great.
Thumbs up!!
anonymous - 16 Jun 2005 13:57 |
Got a pint in here recently,..had two sips then went for a slash,......came back and the landlady (who served me!)had cleared my pint up and thrown it away. When i asked her for my drink, she said she thought that i had gone, and that, if i wanted to be sure of its safety, i shoulda taken it to the bogs with me! She was Australian
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Can't quite understand the snobbery about Sharons and Kevins - it's a north London pub, not a St James' gentlemens' club, what do you expect!? Definitely a loud, tacky gin palace feel to the place, probably more suited as a meeting place near the station than a cosy place for a session. Contrary to other messages, last time I went the service was impeccable - fast, efficient and friendly.
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If it wasn't for the aussie bartenders in this pub, it would actually be quite a nice place to have a quiet tipple. If you're young, pretty and female, expect to be constantly badgered by the over-confident lads. if you're not young, pretty and/or female, don't expect to be served in a hurry.
Saying that, however, the drinks are cheap, the location is convenient and there's plenty of seating. So i suppose if the comments relating to the high staff turnover at the railway are true, it might be worth a visit in upcoming months..
anonymous - 8 Mar 2005 15:28 |
Putting a new sign up outside a rubbish boozer does not make it a good place to go. Especially when there's some fourth rate entertainment thrown into the bargain. Don't bother.
anonymous - 30 Nov 2004 12:04 |
The name has reverted to The Railway (or The Rail-Way according to some posters) scene of many famous bands in years gone by. Anyway went to check it to see if it's still as ghastly as its been for the last 10 years.
Simply dreadful. Appeared to be full of 18 year old Sharon and Kevins. Place was thick with smoke and they had one of the worst 2 piece bands I've ever heard. The most depressing aspect was it's doing great trade. People were loving it including one family who came through the door and started dancing. Mum was wearing tight white trousers and knee high boots, Dad was wearing a sheepskin coat a la Ron Atkinson. Daughter had dyed blonde hair. Passed them on the way home later as they were going into the kebab shop.
Landlord looks like Alexis Sayle and the bouncers seem to be everywhere
Cheap, cold lager though at 2.09 a pint. I won't be returning though.
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on the service, i agree with the negative comments. i have lived in w.h. for 6 years and barely ever seen the same staff member more than once, they change so quickly, and they are usually bad.
this pub has now changed its name back to the railway, and what i can't believe is that they have got rid of the no smoking area?! in this day and age, i find that ridiculous. they are, however, still advertising from the outside that they have one.
Dean - 8 Nov 2004 13:29 |
It's mugs like me that keep places like this going. A BLT for £3.95 made up of one of those cheap baguettes (25pence) and 2 rashers of bacon (50 pence tops).
anonymous - 30 Aug 2004 22:08 |
I lived in West Hampstead for over 6 months and I can say that the opinions expressed on this site to date are a total crock. The people who have written in thus far, sans Louise, must be out of their mind! The staff are some of the friendliest in London, the drinks and food are great. Sure it is a chain pub and could do with a screen to show sport however I think it is a warm friendly pub and would recommend it to anyone. Especially with Jess behind the bar!
Stu - 15 Jun 2004 16:38 |
Totally disagree with the statements so far! Friends and I went on a friday night, the staff were really friendly and always had a smile on there face. Yes the place needs a revamp but a good freindly local
Louise - 8 May 2004 22:03 |
totally agree with all the comments so far. a travesty of a pub - specifically the staff, who are all, without fail, hopeless.
shame is it's a good location and no doubt the building was splendid in years past.
ian - 1 Jan 2004 19:28 |
I have visited this pub numerous times over three or four years(only to meet friends in, rather than stay there for any length of time) and the service has consistently been awful. The staff seem to spend the majority of their time floating around behind the bar not doing anything except ignoring the waiting customers, even when there are as few as two or three people at the bar. God knows what its like on a busy evening...
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Used to be the Railway - venue to countless bands (Jam, Rolling Stones, etc) over the years and also used to have a successful comedy night thru' the back. Look at it now. Why do people go to places like this?
anonymous - 6 Aug 2003 17:22 |
