please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
This place is closed due to CrossRail development.....
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Hi Guys
I hope you have all enjoyed the snow�..
Well we were not effected to badly we were open through out as some of you may know when you propped the bar up at 1pm as you were sent home nice and early from work..
Thursday sees the launch of Movers and Shakers�.. Its going to be a great party�� get down nice and early�..From DJ Foley Bear (KAVOS's London Bar, Walkabout, Greece Uncovered, Trinity, The Pit, Brannigans, Liquid, Time & Envy and, and many more)
First Tuesday of March sees the launch of Acoustic Sessions Live Lounge�. Due to success and your feedback of our Saturday Acoustic Sessions we have been asked to launch a mid week session so here we are�
Karaoke is going to be great, it launches march also hosted by our very own Singing Bar Maid Leandra aka FLOrida all the way from , you guessed it, Florida USA�..
New Thai menu coming soon and with our new Beer & Thai offer available now its got to be the best Lunch offer in holborn
Any way that�s all from me for know
Barry
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Hi Guys
I thought I would join up and respond to your feedback; I am the new Manager here at the Ivy House. We have changed hands and with that come change of suppliers etc etc. So I apologise for the inconvenience its has caused.
I just want to thank you for your feedback below, good and bad. I appreciate them all as they let me know where we are going right & wrong.
I will always try to answer your feedback as best as I can and will also post out a bi weekly newsletter keeping you up to date. I also welcome any suggestions you may have or ideas. I want to provide you all with a decent place to come and relax after your hard day at the office.
We are launching Quiz nights and karaoke�s soon so watch this space� We are also launching our website which will be with you shortly.
In response to Stevie.h feedback on tonic being served in plastic bottles, this problem has been resolved and we know have a supplier for the mini bottles. Lemon and Lime has been hard to get hold of this year for every one (Including Tescos etc.) But have again a supplier for all.
I agree with your feedback on the standards of service, I have re � trained my staff and have also made some changes to the team and would like to welcome Leandre aka Florida, Susannah, Carly, Rosie, Amy and Luke.
Also I am sure none of my staff have posted any feedback here..
I welcome any one with feedback to come see me at the bar I will buy you a beer and we can discuss any issues and will do my very best to solve them.
Till next time guys take it easy
Barry
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In response to my posting last month about there being no ice, no lemon, no lime, and the tonic being flat 'nightlifeace', who posts regular rave reviews about this place sent me the following charming message:-
"you got barred for bein a moron"
Do you think he works there? ... Or does he just has a strange idea of what constitutes a decent well-run pub?
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hey did you also see that famous guy in there form the police film ....
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Had wicked night there tonight
Cute loony were awesome
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Went last to the Ivy House this week for the first time with a group of friends. I quite often drink gin and tonic, which isn�t a difficult drink to get right; all you need is a half-decent Gin, a small bottle of tonic, some ice cubes, and preferably lemon, or a slice of lime. The Ivy house were using flat tonic from large plastic bottles, that had clearly been open some time, and had no lemons or limes or, for most of our stay, any ice. I had a couple of these flat, sickly drinks, then tried a large one hoping the extra gin would make up for it, requesting it in a slightly larger glass (I always think large spirits should be served in a taller glass), got a large gin in a pint glass (which wasn�t what I meant by requesting a �slightly larger glass�) filled to the top with warm flat slim-line tonic. Asked if they had any lemon yet, and was told no but she could put in some lime cordial if I wanted... Needless to say I declined. I know it�s a pub and not the American Bar at the Savoy but any London pub should be able to correctly serve a refreshing cold g&t. I resolved to switch to Becks Vier, needing something light and refreshing after an overdose of warm flat lemonade but was told the Becks was off.
If I was the bar manager I�d ditch the plastic bottles of flat warm tonic and opt for small fresh baby tonics out of a fridge; always make sure the ice machine was working, and always ensure the bar had a fresh stock of lemon/lime etc prior evening service, and if I ran out I�d ask a member of staff to pop out to nearest supermarket (Sainsbury�s in Holborn a couple of minutes away) to get some, rather than risk upsetting paying customers. One of our group was drinking Corona�s too and would have liked lime with that. Had a Carling then left. No surprise that the pub was half empty, in a Holborn full of office parties it being mid-week in mid-December. The fact that the bar was carelessly kept makes me wonder that the beers etc might not be kept correctly and that the place may not be clean generally. There�s a Thai restaurant upstairs apparently; I dread to think what that�s like.
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Enjoyed music tonight especilly edd sherren he was awesome
What a great venue will be back next week
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Cracking night saturday guys thanks for the great night .
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Thanks to staff for a great night -
had wicked night at the Ivy the music the well priced drinks and food MMMMM
We will be back every saturday for a game of Chess and Back Gammon
LOL
Best pub in central london
100% agree with comment below
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I think that this is one of the best Pubs in London The New Manager has done a great job to raise the standard and I have to say it is lookin good... It is clean and the atmosphere is fantastic music and the great beer.... Staff are great all speak English which is a Bonus now days... I had a great night out with all my colleugues. We were entertained by decent intelligent bar staff and have to say we enjoyed the card tricks.... Amazing ..... I would give them a massive thumbs up and we will be comming here all the time....
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Avoid at all costs. If you go in, look around the door and along the skirting boards along the wall. You'll see that there is a filthy dark smudge running from the floor up to about six inches. These are the marks left by the copious numbers of mice and/or rats running around this pub. When I was there I saw a rat running along the wall 5 times in the space of 45 minutes. A friend of mine said to the bar maid "You've got rats..." she said "yeah..... I know...".
So so so slack. No wonder this place is empty. They can't even be bothered to even attempt to disguise the fact the place is crawling with vermin.
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For some reason I seem to gravitate to this one when I meet ex-colleagues, but it's really nothing special. Crap beer selection and a thai menu that I never see anyone eatig from. However, it does have a pool table, which is pretty rare for the area.
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I started to use the Ivy House when the Princess Louise closed for the refurb and I have to say it's a much nicer place than I remember it a couple of years ago. The staff are friendly and there's a reasonably good selection of beer (mainly lagers). They often have Harvey's on draught too. The restaurant was recommended by a Thai friend and I have to say that it was the best experience I've had with Thai food (and very reasonable). However, I shall be returning to the Princess Louise when it re-opens as it just feels more like a proper pub.
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I can't comment on the beer, but the Thai restaurant upstairs is brilliant. Best green curry I've ever eaten. Priced about �7. Friendly service and a very clean wood-decor gastropub. Will be popping back for a few pints one evening.
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Been there twice in a month and found the staff attentive. Pub clean and busy. Last visit I found Thai restaurant on 1st floor was packed and I had to wait for a table. Service was a little slow but food is fantastic and Thai beer went well with meal. Also tried the Thai wine Moonsoon Valley which was very easy drinking. Can't understand some people and their comments. I suppose some people are out of place away from their local fish and chip shop
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What happened to the Lord Goodall?
Never been the same since.
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Good selection of well kept ales and lagers.Friendly staff and pleasant atmosphere.New Thai restaurant offers a choice of oriental and English food at competive prices including bar snacks.Cannot understand previous comments since the place was packed out on my lunch time visit hardly depressing,grotty or crap!
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Depressing place with either no ale or badly kept ale.
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OMG!!
What on earth happened here, half this very average is now a thai restuarant (nothing wrong in that) but is totally out of place in what is at best, a grotty pub.
Plus, if you are going to employ east european bar staff (the economic advatanges are clear) please give them an english test. Taking time out to explain what "ice" is, after waiting 15 mins to get served in first place, really does kill my happy mood!
Used to rate a 6 for friday nights out...now, i struggle to give 2
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Horrible, greasy, unpleasant boozer, walls covered in "shooters" menu's, dodgy bar-staff, off pints..............best avoided.........
anonymous - 1 Aug 2005 14:03 |
Well I thought it was crap. Like drinking in a warehouse. Cheesy. Never again.
jcraf - 10 Jun 2005 17:43 |
Excellent after work venue, busy without being mobbed. Proper pub,far nicer than the goldfish bowls of Kingsway aka Fine Line, P & Piano etc
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i used to work not far from russel square. i left in 2001. it took me 6 months to leave. i drank a lot. i worked in a company where no one had any friends. i took them all to the carlisle pub. or maybe they took me if you are a philosophical type. eventually they let me leave the carlisle. i fled to thailand. i am still in bangkok in feb 2005. great place. we had the greatest times there. the tables are small/medium/large so that no matter who walks in that you know there is always a table at hand that you can grab to make your table bigger. i don't think i have ever been barred from there. in fact the chaps running it back in 2001 a bald tall guy and someone else were nice guys who let us make complete idiots of ourselves rather than let us fight to do it. marvellous. great place. but stella and the gimp has a lot to answer for
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Good venue for one after work - except it might become a slightly longer sesh. Good music at just the right volume for talking too. Ale kept well. Beware the Pear Cognac!!!!! Good manager. Barmaid who looks like Debbie Harry did.
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I love the Ivy House, it's not quite SWAY but it's a close second. I often come here on my own for a pint when im bored, i just love the chilled out atmosphere, and the fit bar men ;-)
Pat K - 9 Nov 2004 16:47 |
I thoroughly enjoyed the Ivy House as i don't get out much and to see people snog in public was excellent. I never saw the fit yank bird as i never bought a round all night. Def worth booking for a company event.
Brian H. - 25 Oct 2004 13:40 |
On my recent trip here this pub was full of students with about �2.50 to spend between them, but who were expecting to take up seats all night. I also got to witness a "snogging display" (see Bomber's remarks) - I wonder if it was the same couple. There is nothing special about this pub, except its proximity to the tube station.
Pippa - 14 Apr 2004 13:28 |
Great shots and shooters, and if you fancy a ruby but can't be bothered to leave the pub the Kitchen knocks out a more than half decent Chicken Tikka Masala. Also hot Yank bird behind the bar, you won't get anywhere though, so don't even bother fellas.
Frankie - 2 Mar 2004 11:44 |
This is the only pub I know of in London that sells Carling Extra Cold.
Boozehound - 16 Aug 2003 11:11 |
I have to agree with the comments about the decent birds behind the bar. One of central London's better pubs with a good vibe. Last time I was there we kept getting distracted by a couple next to us petting very heavily (how 80's swimming pool rules!) Not sure if that was a good thing or not...
Bomber - 30 Jul 2003 14:20 |
Played some kind of advert orientated CD which turned the night into an impromptu quiz evening. Friendly staff, good vibe, a few tourists.
Tried to chat up one of the bar staff many months ago and she didn't flinch or look petrified. In fact she smiled back, making the Ivy House a sacred place... Mecca, Jerusalem, Amritsar, Holborn.
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Good size, good beer, upstairs bar open in the evenings... one of my favs in London.
Go and try it...
Jason - 12 Jun 2003 11:50 |
Go here to meet london's original alfie moon right down to the tasteless shirts !! A truly cracking boozer
daniel - 9 May 2003 21:55 |
Excellent pub, lovely girls behind the bar and in front of it, cool place for a quick pint at lunch time or a long pint in the evening. A really friendly safe pub. 10/10
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It's not very often that we go to pubs at random to get more added to the database and come across a real gem, but this is one of those cases.
Nice chilled out place, Bud on tap and the foresight to put Ceefax subtitles on the telly for anyone afflicted with mute TV syndrome. What more can you ask for? :)
mike - 6 Sep 2002 00:29 |
