BITE user comments - sirensofsilence
Comments by sirensofsilence
A very nice pub. Keep your eyes peeled for the stained glass in the food service area which survives from a 19th Century refurb, as well as original etched glass behind the bar.
Nice beers, including guests, and a quiet atmosphere, both inside and out.
13 Jan 2007 01:23
A good pub in all the respects that have been noted before. My only gripe is that the manager refused to let my client (from Germany) sample the real ales (come on, mate, you're a franchise pub in Covent Garden, not some hard-done-by East London local!)
Nice pub though, considering what an over-priced, irritating, tourist / out-of-towner magnet Covent Garden is.
8 Jan 2007 23:01
The Horniman at Hays, Southwark
This pub is not as bad as a '4.0'! The location gives it a great deal of kudos - who wants a great pub that looks out onto the M25, for example (is there one?) The wood flooring is nice, the bar is long and interesting, and the non-smoking balcony area is large and pleasant to be in. Yes, it's full of suits but, as I often find myself writing, if you don't like suits, don't go drinking in London Bridge - it's a no-brainer really!
With two pubs closed (for refurbishment?) on Tooley St., this is by far the best pub in spitting distance of London Bridge, has good beers and when one considers it could easily be a Slug & Lettuce or an All Bar One, it should be given a lot more credit than it seems to have received so far.
8 Jan 2007 22:45
St Stephens Tavern, Westminster
A good pub, with some great decorative features, such as the wall-paper (!) which gives it a wonderfully authentic look. The beers are interesting and have a good enough turnover to be fresh. The pub also features a division bell for summoning the MPs to vote (never heard it myself though!)
It's a little unfair to criticise a pub for being jam-packed when it's in an area of London which is probably the most densely populated by tourists, working people and MPs per square foot per hour. One needs to keep a sense of perspective; this pub probably has more that is authentic in its little finger than all of what the pubs and bars of Islington and Clapham can claim altogether.
My recommendation is to go there between lunchtime and five o'clock, or else expect a squeeze, and if MP-spotting is your thing, then this may not be such a bad thing.
8 Jan 2007 22:20
The Prospect of Whitby, Wapping
While I agree that the level of service is hardly in proportion to the long bar and the number of staff members who hide behind it, this is a cracking pub. Yes, it's busy, but you're still likely to find your own little nook, and the beer is good. The food was also very good, but perhaps not for those with Wetherspoons-budgets.
All in all, I would defy anyone to find a pub in Zone 2 that ticks so many boxes all round, especially in the East of London.
3 Jan 2007 17:51
A lovely pub. Some really well-preserved features, including the ceiling mouldings and the triptych on the wall (representing Commerce, Agriculture and the Arts).
As regards visiting the wonderful cells in the cellar, the manager (?) was accomodating, informative and patient, but I was there just before closing on a Tuesday. If you are part of a group or are planning to visit around lunchtime or after 5pm during the week, use your loaf and check in advance.
A nice pint of London Pride, just far away from Bank to be comfortable, and a great building on the corner of the street. Only complaint is the rather gormless and slightly rude barman, who was like Kevin & Perry with facial hair - but I'm sure he'll have left within 6 months. Top marks otherwise!
2 Jan 2007 22:23
I've had many a nice night in this old place. It used to have an enormous Guinness Toucan hanging from the ceiling, which is sadly missed (it fell down during the night, apparently, and broke a table).
Upstairs bar, although with fewer beers, all the sporting events, sometimes two at once, which actually works out well because of the extensive balcony which goes round three walls, and all the little nooks and crannies to pitch up in.
The staff are great, and all speak English! And they stay (and have stayed) there long enough to get to know them.
In an area with some pretty dire trendy over-priced "wine bars" and "venues", this is refreshingly unpretentious, and is as good for a quiet afternoon pint with the paper, for sport, and for having a good night out on the lash/tiles/pull.
23 Nov 2006 16:25
Not a bad place, if you can stand the stares of the locals. The restaurant has gone, by the way.
23 Nov 2006 16:08
The Spanish Galleon, Greenwich
Despite the tourist element (well, it is Greenwich), I found this to be a wonderful pub. Great decor (wood floors, panelling, lots of ephemera on the walls and a fireplace) nice beers, well-ventilated and a good no-smoking section. It was quiet, not overly-expensive and made a pleasant escape from the wild November weather. Under-rated, considering how many establishments have lost their "pub-ness" these days.
17 Nov 2006 12:15
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Dylan's, Lewisham
I quite like this place. Yes, it's a bit ropey, but then again, it's Lewisham, not some untouched rural utopia. And yes, the Guinness is a little crap, but then it always is outside of Dublin (or St Stephen's Gate, if you're picky). And yes, there was an alcoholic raving at the bar last time...
I like this pub because it's named after Bob Dylan and because it has an Irish folk group playing every Sunday evening. I'd much rather drink here than in a Yates's.
2 Mar 2007 00:39