please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
The variety of beers on offer was a bit better than the Cambridge, another Nicholsons just up the road. However a TV football match put paid to any quality time there. I also reckon my beer was 'off' but I couldn't face battling back to the bar. My wife's Black Sheep beer was fine. Maybe one to go back to on a quieter day
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Sits right in the middle of a swirl of tourism. This pub's best function is a meeting point before heading out into the West End. The drinks are adequate.
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Nice centrally located pub (righ next door to Leicester Sq Station, so its a good meeting point. Seats outside if your lucky and dont mind the beggars. Average size inside room for 30-40. As with a lot of the older pubs in area, stairs down to the loos can be a bit of a challenge if your +6feet tall or a little round in the middle like me. Guiness and Ales are all good. Lagers dissapointing, always seems to much gas or none at all. As previous people have said, meet here and move on.
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Popped in when I was passing through the other day for the first time.
I actually quite liked the place - good atmosphere, good staff and well kept Guinness. Overall not a bad place at all.
Would go back.
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Location, location etc. My favourite West End meeting point, but nought there to make you linger once met
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The barmaid was friendly; the beer was OK and I got another stamp on my Ale Trail card. Say no more!
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Popped in here about 5pm on Friday last week - the pub was packed but attentive staff served quickly. Good atmosphere and four different ales on - would drop in again if passing
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Street corner Nicholson's on the Caring Cross Road, clean and tidy, if a bit echoy from it's bare floorboards early on in a lunchtime.
Friendly enough staff considering the area and mainly touristy customer base. One barmaid was taking some time and care to let two newly arrived Americans try tasters of the various real ales to see which they liked.
Ales included Pride, Doombar, Landlord, Viscious US IPA, Jorvik Blond and Saltare Triple Chocoholic, which was very nice.
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Nice enough place - lots of framed actors/directors photos around. Bit touristy given its location.
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Smallish pub next to the tube station, typical nicholsons interior and decent range of beer. Had the harvest pale which was ok but I had much better elsewhere later that evening .Not a bad pub but one for the tourists I feel.
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Nice interior (is a little basic given Nicholson's usual Central London offering) is complimented by a good range of beers (although I noted that it was almost identical to the three other Nicholson's pubs we'd been in that day....) Dutch Wink was sampled and it was in good nick. Prefer the Three Greyhounds round the corner though....
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On the face of it this is a typical Central London Nicholson�s boozer, but a point of note was that I found the staff to be extremely friendly to the transient commuter crowd and although busy there was a nice atmosphere and the Pride was good. Greene King IPA was also available alongside a couple of obscure guest ales and a selection of standard and premium lagers.
There was some decent background music playing at an inoffensive volume and there is a TV, but no Sky Sports.
Next time I find myself in the Leicester Square area I will pop in here again.
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My partner and I popped in there on 14th May. He had a pint of Landlord which seemed ok. However my pint of 'Pirates' Gold' from Wooden Hand had no aftertaste whatsoever. Had the barrel been watered down? I'm asking because in the Good Beer Guide it states that this ale is supposed to have 'a tangy fruit finish' which was not to be on the night. My partner tried it and wasn't impressed at all.
The food (proper pub grub) was very good value for money especially when you consider where the pub is situated. So all was not too bad!
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Reasonable Pint of Greene King and London Pride. Busy Pub in the afternoon with City people and Tourists alike.
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Had four real ales but my mate and I had already tried the three in prevoius pubs so we had no choice (one rule of our pub crawl) but to go for a pint of Doom Bar. Nice pint and well kept but not sure why the Barman felt the need to serve it in jugs?! I am 28 and looked a bit strange with the damned thing. Seemed to have quite a strange atmosphere I couldn't put my finger on it but not sure if I will go back.
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A nice pub to use as a meeting point. The ales are kept well and the staff are ok. The place is kept clean as well but the smell of fried food can be a little overpowering at times. But after you have met your friends here, go somewhere else!
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Great little pub as soon as you come out of LS tube station, fantastic pint of Pride on offer and well worth spending an hour or so of your afternoon.
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Small for a Nicholson's pub, but seems to offer better-kept beer than most (with a very reasonable pint of the light Cairngorm 'Autumn Nuts' on offer at the moment). As said before, not many seats downstairs and the upstairs seating claims to be table-service only (although I can't confirm, not being a fan of such strange continental practices in what is otherwise a traditional central London pub).
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As previous commenters have said this little place really can get very very busy. This is made up for by the staff who are all fast, efficient and friendly. They have two South African bartenders there who are particularly friendly and often very funny. Well worth a stop before you head home.
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Good "afternoon" pub that gets really busy later on and has more customers outside than in. Decent priced food as well. They make a selling point of that fact that Fullers LP is on sale at �2.50 [good pint] and that other guest ales have tasting notes and are try before you buy. Don't expect this after work places begin to empty though as this place quickly turns into a lager-fest.
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With most Porcupines the pricks are on the outside, but with this one... lets just say it attracts a "mixed bag", and leave it at that.
Olde Corner pub with a certain amount of charm. The bare stained wooden interior is attractive enough and the upstairs bar is quite snug if you can get a seat. Drinks selection varied. There were 4 handpumps in operation and the ale quality was good.
Crowded with the exact mixture you would expect; bewildered tourists, kids in from the 'burbs taking in a bit of the West End, argrieved brickies "up west" glugging lager and swearing, outraged middleaged theatre goers grabbing a quick libation before the play. From this you will garner that the atmosphere is not exactly harmonious and not always pleasant and relaxing, but what can you expect from a pub a stone's throw from Leicester Square?
Clientele and crowdedness drag this pub down to an average 5/10
Jay28 - 24 Jun 2008 17:02 |
I love this pub, the restaurant upstairs is a nice surprise in the middle of London Madness. Worth A try!
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Better than it has a right to be given the location. Dropped in here for a quick couple before going to the Alex show just before Christmas and was pleasantly surprised. A wide mix of people although none objectionable. Have to agree with a previous poster though in that it is geared for standing up drinking so probably not great for a long session
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A pub taken in transit, or towards the end of the evening before one heads beneath the streets to catch the last tube home. And that is all it deserves really. It is designed with standing in mind, with hight round tables serviced with the occasssional stool. I seem to recall it being pricey too. But then, most places are around these parts.
Good for: One for the road.
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A decent enough bar in the middle of tourist hell. Good beer, nice lunch, good friendly service. Just about everything you could ask for. It does seem to be lacking any atmosphere though. A good place for a quick pint and and lunch. Not a pub for an evening's session.
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Handily situated next to the tube station, The Porcupine is an okay enough pub to pop in for a quick one. I should emphasise the phrase �quick one� as after a few here on Friday evening (Sept 7th) I have reached the conclusion that here is a little dull to warrant too much time inside. Ales were pleasingly on offer though and The London Pride passed the taste test (though it wasn�t wonderful). Interior wise its quite bland and woody. I didn�t pick up on a lot of character and it�s not an establishment I�ll be rushing back too. A swift one? Yes. A session? No thanks!
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Whilst upon first glance the porcupine would appear to be about as inoffensive as a pub in this part of London could be, the sunday evening staff made every attempt to be as unpleasant as possible for the time it took for us to order a drink, realise our mistake in electing to come here and go looking for somewhere else more welcoming. After being rudely told by the bartender that we wouldn't be served in one part of the pub we witnessed the same customer oriented individual respond to a request for assistance from an elderly patron who had just had her handbag stolen with repeated statements that the pub was now closed and no longer serving. When he finally understood what she was requesting his reponse of "it happens every day here, that's why we have signs up saying to watch your belongings" and subsequent refusal to be drawn further on the issue made me appreciate why the place was so empty in the first place. The sign we should have taken heed of was the name on the door - after all the porcupine is known for it's prick(le)s...
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Any discerning drinker will naturally seek to avoid this neck of the woods at pretty much all costs, but occasionally the thirsty man will find himself here - and if so there are far worse options than this one. It's a Nicholson's so you know what you're going to get - trad. dark wood sort of environment, couple of guest ales. The Taylor's Landlord I had there was none too shabby and I don't recall it being too overpriced. Eastern European staff were friendly enough and did an alright job of keeping the place tidy-ish. I was in on a Tuesday so there was no sign of any of the Burberry Brigade.. Only slight objection would be the beggars coming in and hassling for change, but I guess that that goes with the territory round here. Pretty much best in show for the vicinity.
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I only recently went here for the first time recently, despite spending half my life hanging out in pubs in this area. I always figured it would be heaving...but it's fine, decent beer and the staff were happy to let you taste the more unusual ones...
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My boyfriend walked past for about two months before realising this was here! a miracle seeing as he is usually spot on with his pint detection. Nice and cosy. Good pint and friendly staff. Will go back if we remember it exists!
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went in 20th jan expecting west end prices and sour beer.
reasonable prices, well very reasonable to be fair, decent london pride and landlord(T Taylor)
rubbish policy though about not having sport on the telly. i wanted to watch the racing on channel 4, but was told only wimbledon and fa cup final could be shown. what a load of bollox and waste of a telly!!!!
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I think the review by pgazz is spot on - basically the pub is in a poor area, but has potential to do better if management got their act together and made a bit of effort
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always been a nice no nonsense nicholsons pub for a couple of beers,nice cosy atmosphere.
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This place is a lovely little pub in the heart of London with very nice staff and I would recommend it to all. I stake my reputation on it.
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Realised why the staff look so miserable in here went in a few days ago (early evening)and they had 1 member of staff behind the bar I apologise for my comment about the staff but management need to sort that problem out asap you may not have noticed but you have a pub near leicester square you might get busy!!!!
juzza - 16 May 2006 16:46 |
strange place to be honest staff look suicidal most of the time puts you off going in there
juzza - 29 Mar 2006 12:33 |
Strange place, this. Seeks to attract theatregoers, but makes no attempt to reward them appropriately. Fortunately I do not go to the theatre. The pub would suit the hard of hearing since the music is extremely loud - and sign language is required to communicate your order at the bar. Good place to meet an old friend arriving at Leicester Square tube.
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Faux theatre bar decor not reflected in clientele, a mixture of office types and rough chavs.
At risk of sounding old, the place is far too smoky with unnecessarily loud music.
Staff are average, as is the beer.
Visit was made palatable by excellent company.
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A real last chance saloon. Had one grim pint here once after a long day of drinking. A sad end to a great day. This type of pub is typical of the area. Avoid and get yourself to the nearby Lamb & Flag.
anonymous - 9 Jan 2006 15:36 |
A great place to meet (next door to Leicester Square tube). The staff have every right to be unpleasant (v. busy at times) but they're surprisingly friendly. Some decent ales on too. Also good if you're alone for people watching!
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Not too bad for a quick ale or meeting point. Upstairs pretty good for a function (around 30 people or so).
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Quite a small pub for the area so can get a little cramped. Just opposite Leicester Square station so a good meeting place to kick off a pub crawl.
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Crowded downstairs, but there were tables free upstairs so we sat there and enjoyed the view up Charing Cross Road. A good traditional pub.
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I visited on my honeymoon last year. The staff were very friendly to this "Yank"! My wife and I had a great time and look forward to visiting again on our next trip to London. Certainly one of the top pubs we visited.
Scott Weinstein - 18 Nov 2004 18:22 |
Great pub,good food (very reasonable),friendly staff especially the young lady with the dreadlocks. I always go there before football when I do the London games its there as soon as you come off the tube at Liecster Sq. c u soon
anonymous - 16 Aug 2004 17:31 |
The pub is great. The staff are fantastic. one of the best pubs in London. Only thing, the gents toilets are the size of a match box! not great when you've had a few!!!.
Martin Knight - 6 Jun 2004 19:08 |
Not bad,never has been.This pub always reflected who ran it,and it has been run well in the past,howver at the mo it is another branded "nicholsons" pub and seems to have lost its individuality,much like the bear and staff across the road.But all in all not a bad place for a couple of beers and an excellent corner spot to people watch,however the downs stairs small bar gets busy and fills up quickly,try the larger upstairs bar,a hidden gem from the madness below.
Nick Hamer - 20 Apr 2004 18:41 |
Fabulous place. Great for single women. Bar jocks are great. Upstairs is great for a date or just hanging out.
Bella - 30 Mar 2004 06:53 |
A very handy pub, adequately stocked with a range of beers. Just the right amount of traditional English pub authenticity. All this and the world's smallest men's room!
Martin - 2 Mar 2004 15:56 |
good "meet and move on" pub. dingy, good staff, bonus level upstairs, terrible blokes toilets, quizzo, oh and you can watch people try and park cars in the West End and get clamped, hilarious :D
oliver - 5 Nov 2003 18:24 |
My nephew David reckons it's a fantastic pub, though I think it could with a slight makeover and maybe the addition of a few real ales.
Kirk - 14 Oct 2003 17:51 |
Standard beers a few real ales, this is a tiny pub that benefits from one of the best locations in the west end directly opposite Leicester Square tube. With seats outside to watch the world go by and a fair sized bar upstairs I tend to arrange to meet people here before moving on somewhere else. Which is a shame because it's a decent place with friendly staff, a few choice real ales and a reliable well priced food menu.
Agnes - 2 Sep 2003 11:21 |
