please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
The landlady and her staff seem to live in a parallel universe to their customers, in which the only overlap that occurs is to take your cash or your drink and throw you out. I suppose if one could see inside their universe one might be able to understand their actions, but I think it really would be quite scary to be in heir head space. I think I'll stick to acid, it's safer! If you're an anthologist with an interest in cults this would be a good case study though, and you'd have a great excuse for staying in the pub all day. Just make sure you don't go native!
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i personally stopped going to this boozer 4 years ago because i was tired of the insulting looks and comments from sandras daughter-the christian bale clone-(i kid you not)--beer was awful then and i doubt if it has improved-full of middle class home counties twats-the sort that make you grateful for mass immigration occurring-very anti workimg class pub.
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It is a credit to this website that the reviews below truly reflect just how awful the service in this pub is. Other websites are full of the usual cant about "traditional east end boozer" and "charming mother and daughter landladies". The truth is, the service in this dreadful pit has to be seen to be believed. Perhaps they could incorporate it as an additional horror in the tour for the Jack the Ripper tourists. They show nothing but contempt for their customers. I was in there and a large bowl of peanuts had been left in front of customers on the bar. I had a couple of peanuts while I waiting for the hatchet faced bar maid to serve me. Suddenley I am confronted by a furious barmaid accusing me of theft and shouting about how the peanuts are for the staff! Planet Earth to The Golden Heart: If you leave peanuts on the bar in a pub, customers assume they are put there for their benefit.
I would recommend this pub if you are in the area and you want to go and point and laugh at the most unpleasant and obnoxious bar staff in the UK.
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I have got to say, the bar staff are probably the rudest I have ever come across. Went in last week and the Landlady's Daughter was flushing out the Fosters. Stupidly, I asked for 2 pints of the stuff. It was warm and tasted like shit.
When telling the landladies daughter the beer was warm, she basically put her hand around my pint and told me it wasn't.
Rather than confronting her about it I went and sat down with my colleague.
2 minutes later, Sue, the landlady come steaming down the stairs like a banshee, shouting out "Who says the beer is warm ?"
I politely went up with my pint and explained. She poured out a centimetre of beer in the pint, tasted it and barked "no it ain't"
Could not believe how rude she was !!
Unless you want to get abused by the staff, I suggest you stay well away from this shithole.
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UN-freakin-BELIEVABLE!!! Went for a quick catchup with a friend at the Golden Heart. I ordered a Guinness, he asked for a water. Satan, sorry, Sandra approached us after we got our drinks and asked my friend, "you gonna get a proper drink? This isn't a youth hostel you know". I calmly pointed out that I'd bought a pint and we didn't specify tap water. She promptly snatched my pint, slammed about £2 on the bar and said, "there's your money, go and drink somewhere else". I didn't even raise my voice or use any naughty words; I was in shock. She clearly hasn't suffered any consequence of her rudeness, and I'm not advocating corporal punishment, but if ever anyone deserved a dry slap...
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Strange place - packed and only one lady behind the bar who actually said to me "I hate this bloody place!" haha - I guess she was stressed though as she was on her own - but got my drinks and they were ok - might be better on a quieter day!!
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Looks like a large corner pub from the outside but so much of the inside is given over to the bar that there’s not a great deal of room. For some bizarre reason the wall paper in this pub has a 3D effect which makes it look like the walls are covered in corrugated iron, I’m sure they have a book behind the bar with a note of the number of people who check whether it is or not. The only ale available was Adnams, which wasn’t that good.
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I went to this place once with a couple of friends and I can sum up my visit in three (very polite) words...NEVER EVER AGAIN!!!
Worst service I have encountered! Who I believe is the owner of the bar, a middle-age woman, served us an open and what probably was a refilled bottle of wine. When asking to get another bottle of wine, she literally snapped, refused to serve us and told us to leave! First time in my life that I get such bad service. And what's worse, is that in 21st century, multicultural London, there are still some bar owners like this one focusing on people's origins, looks and accents to insult them.
To sum up, if you are looking for bad service, rude bar owner and an unwelcoming treatment towards foreigners/non-British looking people, well this is definetely the place.
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I've been to this place once and never again. Although the staff werre polite and jocular on my visit. The beer was dreadful and the clientele were a mix of trustafarian wannabe Easte Enders and some older soaks who never were. they combined to make my visit with friends from out of town deeply unpleasant. Ia ma fraid tha this is one to avoid.
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We passed by this evening for a warmer. Service appalling. We sat down, eventually, to observe singleton at next table get up to get another beer (which took even longer than our service), at which point two girlies nabbed his table, his paper. Then called their mates to come sit down. 4 in all giggling intruders. He turns round to his table and is told "sit over there". Half a minute later we are told to "move, you're blocking the bar" by incompetent, rude, barmaid - we are sitting at the corner end of the bar, not blocking anyone. Sympathetic look from banished bloke; we emptied drinks pdq, never going back.... (and we've been living round here for 15 years) Trash.
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Very busy and another traditional ex-Trumans pub not far from the brewery and at the end of Brick Lane. I don't think there are any pubs in Brick Lane proper any more with the Seven Stars vanishing but there are ones like this nearby. Old Ale was fine.
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Heart of Spitalfield - I meant Pride of Spitalfields
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Popped in last week - it's a nice traditional two-room wood-panelled pub with an open fire roaring and an appealing little dog snoozing in front of it. Unfortunately the warm glow of the fire was more than negated ny the fact that they had the street door wide open - in fact the place was freezing.
Beer was Adnams Bitter and Broadside - so not much variety.
The plus point of this pub is that it has a somwhat rustic feel despite being on Commercial Rd and opposite the newly souped up Spitalfield Market. The downside is that management appear unaware of this advantage and do very little to make the place stand out.
Williams and the Heart of Spitalfield are better options within 10 mins walk as well as The Gun, Shooting Star, Dirty Dicks....
So no real reason to visit here other than curiosity.
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Absolutely appalling management. Was recently serve a pint containing a considerable amount of bleach. Landlady's daughter refused to appologise and pretty much blamed me for it being there.
Avoid!
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This was a great pub, now its just another pub. When the landlady started believing her own press it turned her eccentricity into arrogance, and many like me simply walked away. I went back recently to see what had happened to the place, and its sad to see where it is now. More sad was to hear that the landlord Dennis had passed away, as despite his 'old fashioned views', he was a good guy at heart. Many people will remember the old Golden Heart before the press spoiled it and, regardless of what its become now, the landlady and her family should feel proud to have been part of a great period of time in East London's history, which is sadly now lost.
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Dennis the Lanlord sadly passed away last Sunday after a 6 month battle with Cancer.
My deepest sympathy to Sandra , Katie and all the Family.
30 years In The Heart this year a great pub .
Dennis was old school London "One of your own"
RIP
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It retains a number of its original Victorian features, including separate saloon and public bars, plus wood-panelled walls. There was a fire blazing away (gas-fired I suppose) with a dog in front of it, giving the place a somewhat rustic effect – false of course, with the frenetic Commercial Road outside. They had Adnam’s Bitter and Broadside on, but no idea what they were like as no-one appeared to serve me in the saloon bar, so I left. It’s a nice enough pub, but low marks for service.
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very poor beer
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Had to reassess myt view of Sandra....I was recently inbibing in the Golden Heart only to be confronted by what appeared to be quite a drunken Landlady. To my, my mate's and if I'm not mistaken the landladies daughter's embarrassment I was told I was a bully and to leave as I was barred!
It's safe to say I wasn't expecting that!! I have no idea whatsoever about what was going on and a strong urge to find out what it is she thought was going on, I won't, I will take my custom else where! Maybe I'm not trendy enough!
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I agree with other users that the service can be very slow when its busy. This pub has been run by the same couple Sandra and Dennis for many years (early 80's) and they have weathered the storm since the market closed and turned the business into a profitable concern through hard work.
I love going in there to people watch because you never know whats going to happen one minute to the next.....with all the local freaks and floppies coming in there to try and meet their heroes smelly pete Doherty et al ... makes it far more interesting than a all bar one and other shite chain pubs with their sterile, boring sameness.
its a different kind of pub .... visit it and try it out for yourself ...
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On a recent visit to this pub my friend was served a pint of lager that had a very strong metallic taste. Not uncommon I acknowledge but whenever I have had an unpleasant drink before, bar staff are always willing to change the drink.
Not here! Instead the woman behind the bar literally shouted at us and told us there was nothing wrong with it. Another member of staff appeared from the other side of the bar looking like he was about to offer an apology for his colleagues attitude.
Unfortunately not ! He told us if we didn't like the lager to get out.
If you like lager that tastes like copper and bar staff that would rather fight you than serve you a drink then this is the place for you.
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Bar service - is like something devised in the novels of the great Russian surrealists - where the main character is sent on wild goose chases and up blind alleys only to end up hours later back where he started!
Instead, I recommend the 1 ltr bottles of Budvar which can be bought at the Tesco 24hr shop a few doors along, and opened by the security guard! We did this and had a good couple of hours drinking outside. The pavement is all public highway, the barstaff can't cope - so everyone's a winner here?
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Thw wind blows hot and the wind blows cold, I really dont know what to make of this place, I've had a couple of good nights in here, other times it's so full of 'pretentious music journalist' types.
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I was in this pub only last weekend. gets quite busy and can take a while to get served; why don't these places employ more staff? great jukebox, young crowd ('til we walked in) and a friendly atmosphere.
One thing to be aware of: we were stood outside as there's little room inside, and I've never been so hassled by bums/drunks/spongers in all my life. amusing at first but soon grows tiresome. even saw stupid old pete doherty outside later, and yes, he was being hassled by the bums!
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This is a pub that really polarises opinion, judging by these reviews and the differing opinions of myself and my flatmate. My flatmate rates this pub as one of his favourites, I cannot stand the place.
The landlady (I take it her name is Sandra) and the rest of the staff are the slowest of any I have ever encountered, the atmosphere is none existent and the beer is poor (on a good day).
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was a great pub a few years ago. Now - as is always the case, it has been ravaged by pretencious wannabes. Sandra seems to like them though and tends to forget where all the custom has come from over the years. Still worth a visit, but find a more loyal publican as you local pint puller
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I live down the road from this pub and spend a lot of time and money there. The interior is great, the beer's okay, it's always lively and they show sport. The girls behind the bar are pleasant, and after going there for a year they finally know my drink! However, the landlady seems to disapprove of me, which takes the edge of things a little.
Mind you, I suppose with the amount of trade the place does she can pick and choose her clientele.
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Great pub. Sandra's alright, always been kind to me. Great juke box, often topped up by Sandra. Beer in good nick, fresh flowers everywhere and loads of silly looking wallybags to point at and discuss loudly and openly without fear of assault.
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Quite busy for a Tuesday night. It was like being on the set of a Nathan Barley shoot. Lots of daft haircuts & mad clothes.
That being said, I thought the Guiness was good & the barstaff were efficient and friendly. It had a game on as well.
No sign of the landlady which disappointed me. I was looking forward to watching her in action.
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I like the pub, good guinness!! Lots of moaning about Sandra, if you don't like it leave! Found her generally hungover but on good form. Dougie seems to keep a good pint. If you want the slug and lettuce then you know what to do, the wife and I like it!!!
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Miserable landlady, waited ages for adnams to be changed and then she says 'I'm too busy you'll av to av John Smiths'.....
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Trouble with this place is the clientel - obnoxious mockney types. That and the fact that the unpleasant landlady can'y be bothered keeping a decent pint makes this one to avoid.
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used to be one of the best pubs in the area, now full of typical shoreditch brigade. Landlady Sandra (whilst longstanding) has to be one of the rudest people on the face of this earth, beer is shit, pull it down.
anonymous - 23 Aug 2006 12:24 |
Nice street corner pub - can't really call it a local with all that passing trade. Intact Trumans interior in both bars, Adnams ales, and a good place to sit and watch people go by. Dog which could at first blush be mistaken for an ambulatory mop likes to sniff around.
Music was too loud for 6 of a summer afternoon though!
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Amazing! Visited here after a few years absence and it's virtually unchanged. Just what a pub used to be like in my youth. The survival of the Trumans woodwork and mirror is remarkable. Interesting customers and a highly individual landlady. Go there!
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Fine East End local with splendidly intact Trumans interior. Recommended
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The best pub in London, many drunken fun evenings.... Sandra's fantastic. Just don't be rude, then you might be in trouble. She's got the most loyal regulars in london. cheers sandra x
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Awash with Nathan Barley and his bubbleheaded mates. This was one fine boozer back in the day, before the trustafarians moved in. Still worth a visit if only to see the (almost) uniquely intact panelled Truman/Hanbury interior.
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Possibly the rudest Landlady in London. She asked me and two freinds to leave after only our second drink, as "we were quite clearly drunk". Obviously our faces did not fit with the crowd in there, and we left immediately. DO NOT BOTHER WITH THIS PUB.
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Hmmmm it's a bit scabby though , well unless they've renovated in the last decade, and the beer wasn't very cold when i was in (2002).
Stuart - 15 Jun 2004 16:38 |
Singing and dancing and laughing and drinking...Sandra's Golden Heart is a beacon of good beer and good fun on the Commercial Road. With its smashing interior, singalonga jukebox and crazy landlady, there really isn't a better pub in London. If only there were a few more pubs like this, maybe we'd all be slightly better people.
Seb - 11 Jun 2004 14:28 |
BLINKIN MARVELLOUS! Real open fire in the winter. Landlady is very charming and perfectly mad. Good range of beers, proper old Truman/Hanbury panelled interior. Love it.
Dan - 14 May 2004 11:11 |
A fantastic pub with an authentically 'local' atmosphere (despite its trendy placing) and very friendly service (although MissyMary is right about the landlady..). Apologies to Tracey for cornering her for an ART DISCUSSION when my friend and I were wasted. There's no excuse for that sort of behaviour.
K - 28 Jan 2004 13:20 |
this is the pub where you will find the original brit art crowd. i have often seen tracey emin rolling around on the pavement outside, and would also reccommend this boozer on a sunday afternoon. ferocious landlady, and well worth a visit.
missymary - 6 Jan 2004 19:20 |
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