BITE user comments - meltwaterfalls
Comments by meltwaterfalls
The Knights Templar, Chancery Lane
In terms of Weatherspoons this one is actually pretty decent.
It is not as cheap as others in the chain due to 'City' prices but it does inhabit a nice beuilding. The painted ceiling is not really to my taste but at least they have tried something differnt with the space.
The toilets are excellent. Aside from that just a standard 'spoons.
3 Feb 2011 14:58
I reviewed this a few years back when the current landlords had only been there for a while. Have to say that this is a real little gem of a pub. the landlord is always welcoming and knowledgeable, giving out trials of the consistantly changing real ales.
There are not many pubs in central London that can boast as friendly a welcome as this one. Keep up the excellent work.
3 Feb 2011 14:56
Always tend to gravitate back here because of the Happy Hour.
Certainly not the greatest pub but friendly and can be cheap, ocasionaly turns up an eclectic selection of sports on TV (European basketball, African football, Slovakian cross country skiing). Is on our roster of local places we go for a budget night out and is certainly a better option than the 'spoons up the road near Farringdon.
3 Feb 2011 14:52
The Punch Tavern, Fleet Street
Ouch, those last few comments don't really reflect the pub I know. Each to their own though.
I have always found it to be pretty charming with a decent selction of real ales. I wouldn't say it was overtly touristy and the �5 pub classic meals are actually really tasty.
Everyone has different tastes but I am surprise so many reviews can feel so strongly about what I always found to be a decent little pub.
3 Feb 2011 14:42
Agree with donjaun:
"The worst pub in Finsbury Park" and yes that is quite an acheivment
3 Feb 2011 14:16
White Lion Of Mortimer, Finsbury Park
Pretty miserable, but hey it is a suburban Weatherspoons what do you expect.
Could be worse as the service is normally OK
3 Feb 2011 13:37
Always have a soft spot for this pub, and head there if ever I want a drink in Portchester. A little more expensive than the others localy but it is a little bit nicer.
Will always make a beeline for it on Christmas eve, no matter what.
3 Feb 2011 13:29
End up here more regularly than I would like as it is in a decent location. Service is always a little slow/ terrible.
My family book a section for two celebrations there last year and on both occasions the management got it entirly wrong/ did nothing at all in tersm of reserving an area.
it is cheap and has a good selection of drinks, but is not somewhere i ever really look forward to visiting.
3 Feb 2011 13:27
The Sir John Oldcastle, Farringdon
All the atmosphere of a damp paper bag.
By Weatherspoons standards it is pretty poor.
Not really as cheap as other 'spoons due to 'City' prices.
Used to only go there out of desperation if wanting to continue drinking before heading to Farringdon, now have even given up on that.
There are better budget optons in the area, so only go here if you want a cheap meal deal in a dank hole overlooking a tube station entrance.
3 Feb 2011 11:39
A great little pub. They have a superb selection of bitter that is constantly changing and also a decent selection of whisky as well. There are few better places to settle into on a cold evening next to the roaring fire. It's tucked away location makes for an extra treat.
Also top marks to them for providing unpretentious bar snacks, there are few places in central london where you can get a scotch egg, a pickled onion or a gherkin. Brilliant.
22 Jul 2010 15:44
A magnificent pub, with prices that are unbelievably low for this neck of the woods. Have been drinking here regularly for a couple of years and have no problem calling in on regualr basis. The only problem is that after 2 years of Sam Smiths beer I would like a little more variety in the beer. but to be honest that is being far too picky, this is a magnificent pub!
22 Jul 2010 10:18
A very decent little pub and just a short walk from Finsbury Park station. There are some great live bands on the weekends, and there is a fair few screens if you want to watch any big sporting occasions, but these don't dominate the pub making it a nice place for a pint anytime.
22 Jul 2010 10:13
A little bit of a hidden gem awaits you in this pub. The garden out the back is brilliant, full of bean bags, low tables and shisha pipes it is like being in a romanticised version of Turkey. Add to this the recent addition of a pub rabbit and you really can't go wrong for a lazy summer afternoon.
The pub itself is pretty nice with a good selection of well kept beers, and a great location overlooking Clissold Park.
However the real hidden gem of this pub is the staff! Led by the owner (Ayhan) they are excellent and incredibly friendly. This became our base for the world cup and we could not have been better cared for by everyone there. The great table service made it a delight to be in, especially when the tasty food was delivered direct from the Barbeque.
They gave one of our friends an exceptional send off a few months back and it has been a real delight spending time there since attempting to show our gratitude.
In Ayhan we Trust!
22 Jul 2010 10:07
The Jerusalem Tavern, Clerkenwell
Brilliant pub, the selection of beer is outstanding and the interior is great. It is not as old as it looks but the old battered chairs and flaky paint in the back corner have an incredible charm. The only grumble I have is that I don�t have this place all to myself, it is always pretty busy. However, if the place was bigger it would lose its charm so I won�t complain, one of central London�s finest pubs.
5 May 2009 22:08
The Blue Anchor, Chancery Lane
Pretty uninteresting selection of beer. They have a BBQ during the summer which is nice, other than that a pretty nondescript uninteresting place, there are better ones nearby.
5 May 2009 21:47
Serves a good pint of Guinness and has an interesting interior. On the down side it is expensive, even by this area�s prices and the atmosphere and clientele can feel a little stuffy.
5 May 2009 21:44
A great little pub with an incredible and ever changing selection of real ales. The bar staff are friendly, though not too knowledgeable on the real ales. Would like to say that the landlord and his partner are particularly good and welcoming, which is nice to see in central London when it is all too common for pubs to be run like a business. It has a nice interior and the upstairs room brings a bit of relief when the downstairs gets crowded. It can sometimes feel a little �suity� but being in the heart of the legal district that is to be expected. The only thing that stops me from going there all the time is that it is a little pricey, again this has more to do with location than anything else.
Well worth it if you are a proper fan of real ale, also the �secret� gents toilet is a nice quirk for regulars.
5 May 2009 21:32
As a pub it is not anything particularly special, but the food was very good and the staff were very friendly. There was a decent selection of beer but the interior just lacks a bit of character. The owners have done well with what they have though. The food was very good and service quick and affable. A nice place for an afternoon meal with a pint but not cosy enough to settle in for a long night, good marks for effort though.
5 May 2009 21:10
The Old Ale Emporium, Harringay
This is my nearest pub but I tend to steer clear. I was actually quite looking forward to visiting this place, but was sadly disappointed by my two visits. I don�t mind pubs that aren�t fancy but this place just wasn�t very nice. The Guinness was one of the worst I have had in London, though they did have a few real ales as you would expect from the name.
It had a slightly intimidating atmosphere, a pretty consistent stare from someone sat at the bar made my first visit a little uncomfortable. I thought I would give it another try but the welcome wasn�t much better then. I had a look at the interior and was impressed by the old leather chairs and naval memorabilia, when I actually sat down on the seats they were nothing but bare springs I had to sit on the wooden edge which was one of the more uncomfortable pints I have had.
The new smoking terrace outside adds something as you can soak up the nice atmosphere of Green Lanes, it does look a little cheap though, and the minority of gruff looking locals means I keep on walking to other more enjoyable locations.
5 May 2009 20:57
The best pub I have been to in North London and I can�t think of too many ways it could be improved. The interior is magnificent, as shown by its place on the CAMARA�s national inventory, there are several different sections that feel like different pubs, and there are plenty of small nooks and snugs to tuck yourself into.
The beer selection is pretty decent, the standard selection of Fuller�s ales with a guest ale of some variety. They also serve a hold selection of Belgian beers (and even have the glasses for them!), ciders and draught beers. Litovel is a great Czech brew and I am impressed they have both the 10 and 12 degree versions, this beer is tough to find outside of Moravia, so well done to Fullers for sourcing it.
I have enjoyed coming down at many different times, however Sunday is particularly nice, to sit in with a paper and flick through the impressive jukebox.
The food is very good, especially the Banger�s and Mash which lived up to Time Out�s recommendation of being the best in London. My one grip is that the Sunday Roasts are really quite expensive, and seem to have shot up in price recently without any particular change in quality or quantity.
It is out of the way for most people but this is a great pub worth travelling out to, if, like me, you are in the situation to treat this as a local then count yourself lucky as there are few pubs that can match this for character or quality.
5 May 2009 20:37
The Nicholas Nickleby, Stroud Green
It was like stepping back to the 1980�s going into this pub. I can�t say whether that is a good or bad thing, it was certainly great to see a place with a Bar Billiard table though. The bar staff were a little uncommunicative and I fairly unfriendly look for sitting near the dart board when someone came up to use it. It did have the feel of a working men�s club when I called in, this doesn�t necessarily have to be a bad thing though.
If you are not one for trendy or particularly plush pub or wanting a slightly nostalgic trip to a pre-Gastro Pub era den then this could be the place for you.
5 May 2009 20:08
The Faltering Fullback, Finsbury Park
One of my favourite Pubs in the area. It offers up one of the better pints of Guinness in London and has a decent selection of other drinks. It is actually a decent Irish pub with music sessions on weekend and major GAA games on the big screen, but it doesn�t go over the top with the Blarney. The hanging baskets and flowers on the exterior where what first drew me in, and the interior of the pub certainly lived up to the outside. The front bar is full of sports memorabilia and assorted junk, it doesn�t feel too contrived though. The back room is a large slightly featureless place but it is good for big sports events as plenty of people can fit in. The food from the Thai hatch is also pretty decent and well priced. The outside beer garden is a pleasant surprise and a nice place to venture even if you are not a smoker.
It took quite some time for me to stumble upon this place, and I was starting to think there wasn�t a decent pub anywhere near Finsbury Park station. Although the competition is not too strong this is certainly a place worth a strong recommendation.
5 May 2009 19:52
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The Penderel's Oak, Holborn
Rather expensive for a 'spoons. It is OK decor wise but there are many, many better pubs in the area, and teh Sam Smith's ones (Citee of Yorke, Princess Louise) are actually cheaper as well as more characterful
13 Dec 2011 16:02