please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Subject Matter: Leicester Arms, 44 Glasshouse Street, Piccadilly, London, W1B 5DP: Tel: 02035 824 568
�We are delighted to welcome you at Taylor Walker and assure you of friendly service in a relaxing British pub with a welcoming atmosphere�
Dear Sir/Madam
With this disclaimer (above) on your website you would not have believed the disgusting standards at the Leicester Arms in London yesterday. As someone with years of experience running bars, clubs and hotels, with excellent customer experience levels, let me explain.
Yesterday, I was looking for a relaxing venue to sit down and do a bit of paperwork over a few lagers and have something nice to eat. I had been told of the Leicester Arms as a good pub in the area and so paid a visit mid-afternoon. The pub was pretty quiet but had around a dozen patrons in and around the bar.
Before purchasing a drink, I had to use the rest rooms and went downstairs but very nearly threw up with the dirty smell in the Gents. The toilets were absolutely filthy and did not look like they had been cleaned in weeks or months. I then after holding my nose, feeling very ill, journeyed back upstairs to order a lager. I asked for three different types of lager (that were on tap) and was told by a young eastern European sounding female member of staff, in a very condescending tone like she could not be bothered, �no, none of that�.
I asked why there were no lagers on tap and she said �no idea�. I then asked for the manager who said �why do you have an attitude problem?� I then very courteously advised of the issues with regards to having no lagers, the unhelpful bar staff, the dirty and dangerously dirty toilets (which will be reported immediately to colleagues in the HSE and the local council).
The manager, a very unhelpful scruffy male (again with a foreign sounding accent) advised he did not wish to talk to me anymore. At this point about a dozen customers (everyone in the pub) started talking to me, saying that they were so pleased I had raised these complaints and how disgusting the premises were, how unhelpful the staff were, and how they were just about to leave. There was a shout of �well done mate�. Just before a round of applause I then left the premises immediately thoroughly disgusted with a seemingly good public house in a nice part of Central London.
So, the question is: what are you going to do about the premises, the staff, and the general disgusting state of affairs in one of your key public houses? This end I will be visiting every website I can today to post this complaint.
Without malice
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Looks attractive in a touristy way from the outside, but is grimy inside. Clientele almost entirely tourists seeking a "Genuine Pub Experience" - as none of them is likely to return, the service is dire. Uncleared tables covered with crumbs. Avoid!
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not a terrible boozer. cheesy music could be removed. youngs served nice and warm, but left with a nasty perfume taste in the mouth.
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Went to this pub for the 1st time on a thursday in december, with a few mates stayed for a couple of hours and had a great time food was good beer was good and music was even better, would def recomend.
GREAT NIGHT HAD AND WOULD HIGHLY RECOMEND.
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Semi respectable tourist trap juicer. Fish, chips, Pint of Nelson Mandela for the geezers or warm beer and tea like yer muvver makes for the out of towners. Gor blimey.
Seriously, what do you expect from a place this close to Piccadilly on the commoner side of R. St.
Barman was super efficient, legging it hither and thither, pulling pints and delivering steaming plates of microwaved scran.
Mayfair was rammed last Friday so we ended up here for a bite. A tenner for a piece of fish wrapped in a soggy pancake and about 6 chips!
Pint of Bombadier was good.
Like I said, what do you expect...
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I have to say I had the worst Pint of beer in my life in this pub. I ordered a pint of Bombardier and what I received was a pint of the most disgusting slop I have ever had. It was luke warm, stank and tasted terrible. I cannot believe they sell this garbage.I took one gulp and left the rest. I never even stayed around to complain.Absolutely revolting. Ironfist.
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this is a beautiful, characterful pub in a prime location.
however, it is let down by the beer which is permanently foul. also you'd be wise to check your change, the polish barmaids often see fit to tip themselves from your change.
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I've liked this place for almost 20 years but hadn't been in for a good while until a few weeks ago. It's been redone but is still pretty much the same style I remembered and my favourite table on the small landing on the stair is still in place.
It's close to Regent St so there are many tourists during the day but they don't seem to spoil the character of the place and it remains one of the better pubs at this end of Soho.
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Looks like a reasonable pub, but I just know that I was going to get a borderline short-measure pint. It had a real ale promotion on, so you would think that they would make an effort to ensure that the beer would be OK but my pint of Bombardier was very average. Also, you could get a 1/3rd pint glass of each of the three real ales at �2.80, but a straightforward pint of the same was �2.95 - where's the sense in that? Not rushing back.
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I thought that this was a pretty good boozer with a better atmosphere than the glassblower across the road. The staff were friendly enough and it seemed to be full of locals. Greene King IPA, Bombardier, Pride and Youngs Special were all available along with a few standard lagers. There is a dining room upstairs that is also available for hire. It is the first pub I have seen this year advertising for Christmas dinner!
All-in-all a decent pub to pop into for a few pints.
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Good pub, good food, excellent management.
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Its now opened after the refurb and apart from the fact it looks cleaner, it is the same. Friendly enough staff and a decent pint of Pride.
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Currently closed for a refurbishment
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Went there on a Saturday lunchtime which is probably not the best time to see it. Took ages to get served as the one bar staff was busy carrying meals. The range of beers was unexciting but ok, and the London Pride was fine. The overall grubiness of the pub definately let it down and would put me off going back there.
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doing something right - it's always been pretty busy (and smoky) when i've been there; service is good, beer average, not quite sure why anyone would drink there in preference to the glasshouse stores
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Went there a long time ago. Atleast 15 years. Really liked the place, very friendly bartenders. Still looking for David a young man that used to work there around that time. But yeah, I suppose for tourists it is very nice.
anonymous - 1 Mar 2007 12:01 |
Fantastic pub, wonderful atmosphere, good beer.
Food is excellent, staff willing & pleasant.
Good selection of real ales - all in perfect condition.
Toilets are not great.
anonymous - 26 Feb 2007 15:32 |
The previous reviewer was spot on: looks nice from the outside, but has no soul. The London Pride wasn�t the best I�ve been served. Barmaid pretty enough, but these Eastern Europeans don�t speak English too well. Handy if you�re passing and want to take a leak and rest your feet for five minutes, but that�s about it.
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Staff were rude and unhelpful, my wine tasted off and I wasnt offered an alternative....nuff said!
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A nice pub for an after work drink. Staff not pushy and the food is good. Music a bit loud on the friday nights but will turn it down if you ask
anonymous - 10 Nov 2005 01:02 |
Went here a while back, think old boozer and you've got it!! Nice inside and out!!
All though it did take a while to get served (sat night about 9ish) and we did have a spot of trouble with some big hairy northen blokes!! After they left it was tip top
A good place to start!!
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Its an average pub, looks traditional, tourists will like it.
anonymous - 9 May 2005 20:12 |
Bit of an odd pub, looks quite good from the outside, but lacks soul - I suppose because of it's locations there is little "community" in here and it strikes you more as a traditional pub meant for tourists.
TheGP - 31 Mar 2005 16:42 |
Pretty average pub, probably not as good as many of the pubs/bars close by. However, it is one of the few places on a Saturday night in this part of town where you can actually get a drink as it is relatively quiet.
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Another visit! Young's Special, Bombadier & Courage Best on offer. Still a great, friendly 'local'. Think the photo might be wrong though?
Nigel - 1 Nov 2004 18:23 |
Friendly staff, relaxing drink,
good ales.Check out 'the snug!'
Tim - 6 Oct 2004 13:12 |
Quite reasonable pub. Bombadier was "guest" ale (their marketing team must be fantastic cos all central London pubs seem to have this as their "guest" beer) and was reasonable. Nice, relaxed atmosphere (unlike The Glassblower!!)
6/10.
Darren in the City - 14 Sep 2004 16:01 |
An ok pub, handy for the location. Pretty average.
Jack Knight - 24 Aug 2004 11:55 |
Really excellent Young's Special and a lovely barmaid. If you're watching Cast Iron Shores at the Infinity, this is a must between acts!
Nigel - 2 Jul 2004 18:19 |
I work about 100 yards away and it's one of the places in west Soho where you can get a decent pint of London Pride. They've a good selection other beers and it's in a great location to chill and watch the world go by.
GaryD - 28 Jun 2004 21:13 |
I was happy with the beer but the food was terrible. Nearly �7 for a beefsteak pie which was mainly diced carrot. Barlady is polish and friendly,
Tom - 19 May 2004 21:59 |
Excellent fish and a great atmosphere. 1st time I went there most of the clientele were speaking Norwegian. That's when I knew it would be my favorite place when in London.
Geoffrey Wodell - 1 Jan 2004 04:07 |
Friendly proper english boozer with smart restaurant upstairs eatery. Best fish 'n chips round here, uses beer batter - home made. If eatinbg try and get the table by window (round) great veiws of picadilly. Decent music in bar also and Youngs beer.
stuart thorne - 8 Dec 2003 12:09 |
