please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
This is a bar, and not a pub, and clearly isn't my usual choice of establishment. I'm therefore not going to review the place as I can't give a fair assessment.
The only point I will make is �3.90 for a 330ml bottle of London Pride is extortionate - equivalent to �6.70 a pint. For that reason, I'm out.
Oktup - 19 Feb 2012 14:27 |
Not a bar you'd find unless you were looking, this is another great bar in the Clerkenwell area that is both cool and comfortable, with good drinks and food, great music and some interesting decor.
Despite the media types and other suits drinking there, once you find it both the upstairs pool area and downstairs bar have lots of space for a drink or a dance in the evenings. The bar busily sells both cocktails and beer, and is generally unpretentious and fun. A perfect place for a corporate function . And the staff is always so lovely.
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What a waste of time and money. Went to 19:20 last night and was shocked by the inefficiency. It wasn't busy at all so I have no idea what the excuse was. We ordered 3 different cocktails, 2 of which were unavailable (no mandarins or apple juice - WTF?). Finally our replacement cocktails arrived - took at least half an hour though so we weren't able to drink them at the same time.
Don't bother going.
cbc29 - 13 Aug 2010 13:17 |
Real shame� we went to the place for lunch and our order was accidentally not placed. This wouldn�t be a problem although when we questionned the waiter we were completely ignored twice. The third time he simple shouted as he walked past �YES, it�s coming�. Ten minutes later a different waiter came out to say it was never ordered! Wasn�t worth the wait either. If you can stomach the staff then not a bad place but definitely nothing special.
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I am very impressed with the service in 19-20. We had a launch party for a charity event and the staff were helpful and all the beers were on, so I would recommend 19-20 for private parties.
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Went to 19-20 bar tonight and was genuinely impressed by the quality of cocktails and the knowledge of the bartenders.Played 3 games of pool on real American pool tables...Great stuff..Monday night and the bar was busy.. The 2 other bars on the street were dead..They must be doing something right!!
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The other reviewers have hit the nail on the head - it is pretty amazing how a bar run so pitifully badly can keep staggering on!
Last night, at a mates leaving do, we went to the bar 5 times and returned with alternative drinks as each time there was something unavailable. This just highlighted how poorly the bar was run....
1) No Kronenbourg Blanc
2) No cream, so all the cocktails with cream were unavailable
3) No melon liquer - so from their list of 3 cocktail 'special offers' only two were available
4) No mint leaves, so no Mojitos
5) The house red special was not the one they were advertising in the wine list
Moving onto the staff - 'bored disinterest' and joke amongst themselves they were much more animated. At one point after they had taken my order they decided to do shots together, leaving us waiting and watching. Not once did any of them say please or thank you when asking for money or returning change.
There are so many places nearby which are better run and better stocked - go there and avoid this dump.
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Bizarre layout, strange decor, hideous bar service, expensive drinks, rude staff and tatty toilets. Fits in well with the local area for those alone. Avoid.
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We booked the lower floor of 19:20 for a private function, but apparently no-one told the bar staff. They were rude, incompetent and inattentive throughout.
There were a paltry four beers on tap, one of which remained unavailable all night - on a Friday, even. Bar staff on the upper level refused outright to serve punters from the function despite the contrast between the heaving mass of people waiting to be served below and the empty upper deck.
19-20 could have some promise as a bar or function space but is sorely compromised by the dismal layout - the one link between the upper and lower floors is a cramped spiral staircase that is doubly compromised by emerging on the top floor at the main entranceway and descending outside the entrance to the toilets.
In peak times this makes for a pitifully cramped and uncomfortable environment. However, in contrast to the other two establishments on Great Sutton St, the upper floor was conspicuously deserted throughout the evening. Consider heading there for an expensive and indifferently-served drink. Do not under any circumstances consider hiring it out. Dismal.
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No problem with the pub itself (although the men's toilets were quite small) but the bar staff were ignorant and rude. Friends were short-changed. Service was slow, abrupt and impolite. Staff seemed to have trouble understanding basic English when serving although their homophobic remarks were more comprehensive.
anonymous - 30 Jun 2007 14:50 |
Inexcusably bad bar staff. Horrid and disorganised, they got worse as the night wore on. I had to explain how to dispense TAP WATER - the concept seemed completely lost on her. I am sadly not kidding.
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shockingly rude bar staff. I've rarely seen such a workshy bunch of aggressive whingers. first and last time I'll visit this pub.
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What an awful bar. Crap layout promotes heavy bottle-necking downstairs, rude/ignorant bar-staff who either can't understand English, or won't serve you if you look like you've been mainly on a different floor from where the bar is.
I'd never go back.
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Basically - a loser's bar. Its horrible to look at and attracts awful people.
anonymous - 4 Jan 2006 16:22 |
good bar, good atmosphere, excellent pool tables which never seem to get too busy...
Surely its call 19:20 because of its address though...
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If you ever wonder why this bar has such a buzz about it, it�s either because it�s been designed along Feng shui principles or because it was once a watchmaker�s studio. Bright and functional, it�s sort of Richard Rogers with a twist of orange - which may explain why there are quite so many media types here. Oh, and in case you�re wondering it�s called 19:20 because� it�s bad luck to use �1� and �2� without using �3� in any selection of numbers, so we have a ":" Not a members bar but still for followers of fashion - this is Clerkenwell after all.
Kaden - 6 Aug 2004 13:20 |
