please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Nice pub, nice beer, nice staff uniforms, shame about the clientelle.
|
You’ve gotta love finding these pubs tucked away down old alleyways. This one states that it was founded in 1610 by William Butler, the eponymous Dr. & physician to King James I, rebuilt 1666 after Great Fire and reopened by Shepherd Neame 2002. Enter to wood-floored standing bar area and find good range of 5 Sheps beers, incl Porter, but £3.10 for pint of Spitfire! Beyond this is a seating area adjacent to a sandwich counter servery. Comfortable chatty atmos, albeit 80% suits, obviously, two small plasmas with low-volume SkySportsNews. First floor restaurant and function rooms, apparently. Contrary to previous reviewers, I found the place to be not remotely busy at 13:30 Tues.
|
Well worth the effort to locate this pub as its tucked down an alleyway. Traditional Sheps fare and the staff are usually good. Does get heaving at lunchtime (especially outside and the front of the pub), but usually there's room to be had toward the back. Recommended
|
Pleasant little sidestreet pub, though no Mitre ! Beer OK but not the friendliest. Great part of London to explore.
|
A hidden gem-serves the whole Shepheard Neame range on draft, beer quality superb
|
Great little watering hole, always enjoy wetting the pallet with a few oranjebooms, if only more pubs served it. Long live the boom.
|
Genuinely nice pub. Good range of Shepherd Neame beers. Always seems busy. Went here lunchtime at 1245 and the place was heaving. Well worth a visit.
|
It was doing a pretty good trade at around 3.15 on a Tuesday afternoon, with a fair number of suits who looked as if they couldn't summon up the enthusiasm or energy to drag themselves back to the office. And they were not all watching the cricket. The Kent's Best was pretty good and the barman was friendly and helpful. As you would expect, being down an alleyway with tall buildings adjacent, not much natural light gets in so it is rather dark inside. But no matter, it is still the best pub in the vicinity.
|
Very good pub, excellent atmosphere, good ales and friendly staff.
|
Brilliant place - genuinely old feel to it (but as the last reviewer said TV looks out of place) and I've had a decent sandwich in here as well.
Has managed to steer clear of disastrous makeovers like the one the similalry named Butlers Head received just across the other side of Moorgate
|
Nice pub; does have its share of the financial types - but it feels like a nice secret location there behind Guildhall. (TV definately out of place!)
Ktone - 10 Feb 2007 18:57 |
Vast improvement in the food offering; had a well cooked lunch with generous portions and friendly service.Beer first class as usual but smokey atmosphere in the bar spoils the drinking experience, roll on July!
|
This is a good pub. As other folks have said, it is hidden down an alley, has lots of history, and makes a welcome retreat from the Corney & Barrows etc. that surround it.
In the run up to Christmas I noticed it was always packed, though the area at the back by the food servery never seems to fill up outside of peak times. The pub seems to be popular with the type of old-fashioned city bloke whose pinstripe suit trousers strain over his fat arse and who thinks nothing of dropping a foul one very loudly, catching your eye and giving you a proud smile. All quite amusing really.
Serves a full range of Shep Neame beers, current seasonal is Original Porter which really is a cracker. The ale is always well kept.
In the immediate vicinity there is nowhere better. Give it a try on a lunchtime.
www.stonch.blogspot.com
anonymous - 4 Jan 2007 16:53 |
Worth going just to read the full collection of Spitfire posters.
|
Good little pub in charming little city alley. I had hoped to bag a nice Porter but they were out. Shame. TVs look a bit funny in there.
|
Nice pub. Just had two great pints of Bishop's Finger and a doorstep sandwich with a work mate in here. Got pleasantly busy, lots of proper lunchtime drinking in here.
anonymous - 21 Apr 2006 14:16 |
Popped in the other day had a well kept pint of porter. Still retains an old world atmosphere pity about the plasma screen which looks so out of place.Food has never been that good but this is more than compensated by the choice of beers.Ideal for the liquid lunch!
|
Nowhere near as good as it used to be. Was very smoky and dare I say a little bit grottier than expected. Bar staff helpful and seemed happy - no issues with them at all.
Used to walk down the alley every day, and drop in for a pint, on my way from work; so we went there for old times sake. Had a crowd of City Idiots that maybe were a bit lost and should have been next door at Corneys, one of them dropped drinks at our feet - no apology came forward. When I said, in jest, he was lucky that he missed us - he took it totally the wrong way and I could see was itching for a fight.
We drank up and moved on - not sure I'll be back in a hurry tho.
|
The history attached to this pub makes it a temptingly attractive destination in the concrete wasteland of this area of the City. That it is difficult to find down an alleyway off one of the lesser used thoroughfares makes it all the more appealing. But be aware that other people feel the same way, so the pub is often very busy and very smokey.
The hustle and smoke add to the stained wood character of the place. Originally built in 1610 it was damaged in the Great Fire of 1666 and rebuilt and refurbished many times since, including a complete makeover when Shep's acquired it in 2002. Whatever Shep's did in 2002, the pub still retains an authentic feel of an ancient tavern.
We ate in here toward the end of lunch time so our experience may not be typical. The menu was restricted to three items, all of which were unpleasantly over-cooked. Portions were very generous. I would have preferred paying less for smaller portions.
The beer was in excellent condition, and we stayed until very late getting quite jolly on the Porter, then the Bishops Finger, then the Spitfire, the Masterbrew, the Oranjeboom, the Hurlimann and finally the bottles of Light Ale!
We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!
|
yea top gaff this, although if it's ladies you're after you'll have to pop next door to the Phoney & Shallow.
was gutted in the great fire of 1666 and re-built in 2001.... talk about cowboy builders!335yrs for a refurb is taking the p1ss a bit don't you think?
|
Despite location, this is not a back-street local so don't expect a cosy chat with barstaff - they are too busy pouring it at peak-times. In their haste, they tend to slop it about and do need nagging for a full pint - important at their prices. Normally excellent Spitfire etc. - should be, given the turnover. Had occasion to complain about quality once but that was not the regular manager. Strange, that!
Fine pub, worth diverting for.
|
Love little pubs tucked down an alley. This one doesn't disappoint. Dark wood abounds, the plasma was off during my visit. Bar staff was not the most welcoming. Shepherd's Neame best bitter and Master Brew both made up for the staff's lack of interest. Didn't meet the landlord or get shorted so was luckier than most! Will go back.
|
Excellent watering hole with good selection of Shepherd Neame Ales. Bit frightening when 20 dark-suited clones walked in but good atmosphere if you ignore pasma screen. Foreign barmaid served short measure every time but filled up my glass with only a quiet groan on 4th occasion - didn't she get the message!
|
My kinda boozer this,..although i agree with some of the less favourable comments here. The Landlord is a bit of a dick,..in a dizzy mediteranean kinda way and yeah you do get a smug vibe off him,...however the pub is nice, dingy,..oldy worldie and very cosy,..The clientele is a lot more "normal" than in a lot of the city egoholes and if you can get a seat by the fire in the winter then you're sorted. I don't usually give a shit about the selection of beers but here i would prefer a weaker lager option on draft to oranjeboum,..as this does tend to kick in after a few.
|
Nice old-fashioned, with a good selection of beer & ales. Despite being hidden away, it can get very busy, but when it's warmer you can stand outside and as it's off the roads you're not breating in exhaust fumes.
|
I haven't been there for a few months and not likely to go back. The Masterbrew bitter was appalling - flatter than water! The landlord wasn't particularly happy when I asked for the pint to be changed; "Real beer is supposed to be flat." Ho, ho! If you like crowded, quaint pubs, where you don't mind what you are drinking then this is the place to go. If you want a decent pint go somewhere else.
Mike - 18 Jun 2004 14:10 |
The plasma screen may not be to everyone's taste but if you want to sneak out of the office at 11:30 in the morning, have a pint of Bishop's Finger and watch cricket, there is no finer pub in the City of London. Superb.
GregP - 4 Dec 2003 12:20 |
This is a must for shepherd neame fans. truly a great pub with possibly the fastest bar service i've ever experienced in the city, on a friday night. Unfortunately it has installed a plasma tv for sports fans, but with a fine choice of ales on tap, and plenty of space to stand outside....there's not denying this is worth finding.
Marc - 28 Oct 2003 12:17 |
Excellent Range of Beers, Orangiboom on Draught. What more could anyone ask for.
jamie - 27 Oct 2003 17:02 |
I concur that it is a bit difficult to find but it is certainly worth the effort. Great atmosphere and the beer selection was better than the ordinary fare.
Jeff - 8 Oct 2003 00:58 |
A bit difficult to find, this is a traditional English pub in the heart of the City of London. With a history going back to the early 1600s this pub was recently bought by Shepherd Neame and now offers an excellent arrange of beers including Bishop's Finger, Spitfire and Oranjeboom Pilsener. Highly recommended particularly if you want to introduce any american friends to a traditional pub as this place is twice the age of their country!
Darren - 6 Aug 2003 13:05 |
