please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Spacious pub, pretty good service for this part of town and reasonable quality beer. Fairly pricy even for the area. I'd put it as the best of the pubs actually on Whitehall ahead of the Silver Cross, Clarence and Spoons (though that serves a purpose and is much cheaper which is worth noting).
Better options close by though if you are a real ale fan - the Harp and Ship and Shovell, but it's perfectly serviceable. Has satellite TV sport as well if that's a factor for you.
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This used to be my regular in the Whitehall area, but not any more. There were 6 real ales on tap, but of the three I tried one was rank and had to be sent back. The other two (Finchcocks and Adnams Explorer) were warm and had a nasty aftertaste. I was charged £8.60 for a pint of each, which is pretty appalling even for central London prices. The barman changed the rank pint without complaint, but shrugged his shoulders and said it was too warm, as if you can never sell a decent pint of ale when the temperatures over 70F. The music was also too loud. I won't be coming back here until they sort out their real ale.
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A couple of Adnams beers, Westerham Bulldog and God's Wallop. The Bulldog was very good!
As always the pub was clean and tidy and the staff were efficient. As it was busy they couldn't chat too much but were friendly enough whenever things were quieter.
I don't use the pub as much as I used to as I rarely travel via Charing X but I enjoy popping in whenever I'm in the area.
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How is £3.90 expensive for a pint in London? Maybe if the only other pubs you go to are Spoons.
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Adnams Explorer at £3.90 was expensive. The food was ok, small portions and took an age to serve. Not too many people in here, could be the "please wait to be seated" sign puts people off. The interior is nice. Not a pub to frequent.
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An excellent selection of beer in the pub but service was poor and drink was expensive. Also background music was loud and awful. Full of trendies. Can't they go to a pub with shouting. Not a patch on the Harp or Ship and Shovell. Won't be going again.
Boyne - 22 Apr 2013 11:47 |
Timely visit to the Shades at 7.27 on 31/08/12 on an Olympic crawl with Swedish partners in crime Torsten and Viggo. Our halves of London Pride were staggeringly quaffable. A fabulous pub - my rating of 10/10 remains!
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I always get this place mixed up with the Market Porter. Can't imagine why.
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Oh dear, missed the 5th anniversary [27th May] of BITE being told it's the wrong picture.
Five years,and nothing corrected, is this a record?
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This used to be a haven away from the other pubs in the vicinity when it was a Nicholson's, with a good choice of beer better priced than some of its neighbours - excluding the Wetherspoons directly opposite. Unfortunately this all changed following the takeover and the beer shot up in price; the range available got intermittent and the food became expensive for what it is. Hence it can be a good place to start in the evening as it is not as crammed as quickly as it used to be. Polite and helpful staff, however.
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It is a really nice pub but I'm afraid the service is poor. Although it was really quiet no please or thank you. I wouldn't have pointed this out but for the 'putting the record straight' comment below. The beer, admams broadside was'nt that good either and at �3.80 a pint it should be a lot better. Shame that this is what tourists will experience.
tanky - 29 Jan 2012 17:33 |
Went in yesterday with a pal for the first time despite walking past hundreds of times.
Very good selection of beers, and the two I tried (British Bulldog and Young's Gold) were spot on.
Lovely furnishings and decent service in a clean pub. Quiet when we first went in just before 4pm but soon busied up with the suits.
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A lovely building, attractive furniture and surroundings, but it has all the atmosphere of a mortuary. We called in this afternoon at 2pm and the black haired woman was fairly busy serving a customer so we waited and waited and waited.... Not one glimmer of recognition. "I've seen you Sir and I'll be with you in a minute" was not what I heard. After ten minutes a young Australian took over and we were served a very nice pint. As we entered, we notice a table nearest to the front door with two uneaten plates of food. The customers never returned. A strange place and not one I'd hurry to return to.
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Hello welcome and happy beer drinking.
I am here to put a few old wrongs right, give you all a better idea about The Old Shades, and its history as well as its current status.
The site "The Old Shades" has housed a pub since around 1680. The current bulding dates from 1898 and is a grade 2 listed house which now sits among the modern government offices on Whitehall.
The word "Shades" refers to a wine vault, with a drinking bar, shaded by being either below ground or covered by an arcade.
To put some facts straight:
Yes the display picture is incorrect. You can find examples of the exterior of the pub on its website, google image search, or even better...come and see for yourself.
No we are not a Nicholsons, JD Wetherspoons or any other brewery tied pub. The Shades was taken over by an independant company a little while ago, and is breaking free of the image that was created in the shadow of the previous owners days.
Yes we have a fantastic selection of real English ales on tap. With over 6 individual pumps, each one feeding its own unique and well cared for ale. We take pride in our ales! We love them, and in return they love us!
No we do not have sky sports. Understandably this does put many off, however since we are arguably the oldest and most traditional pub in the close vicinity, we feel that the atmosphere this creates does not fit in with the character of The Old Shades. We are not a sports bar. However we DO have a television, and will be happy to change channels to events at your request.
Yes the service is as good as everyone here has said! The saying in the industry goes "You can teach someone to tend bars, but you cant teach them a personality" so with that in mind, each and every one of our staff is trained, and has a fun, friendly and helpful service skills.
No we do not short pour! Ever! Previous companies may have practised this method, but we are all about giving you value for money, and an experience that means you can enjoy your WHOLE pint, not miss 2 inches of it.
Yes we do specials. Sunday roasts, Monday hospatality industry evenings (�2.50 drinks all night), Tuesday and Thursday cheap wines, and Wednesday, 2-4-1 cocktails.
So there is a more upto date summary of The Old Shades. Our little slice of tradition in the heart of London. You might find that we are not so easy to spot, with our small frontage, but large interior. But this makes it even more special for those who do make the effort.
If anyone takes the time to come and see our lovely pub, and wonderful staff, please do say hello. We love a good chat! And if you are brave, how about contacting me personally on here, you might even get a free pint out of it!
Regards
GM D.J
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Nice interior. Taken over by Wetherspoons late last year, for what its worth.
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Called in Tuesday teatime for a bite to eat, Had the steak, ale and mushroom pie which was very nice, came with mash and crunchy veg, �9.95. Not overly busy at 4.30pm so no probs in getting served, great place with lots of character, good choice of beer which seems well kept.
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I paid a visit to this somewhat touristy pub recently when in dire need of food and drink after a lengthy river trip all the way from Hampton Court. I was very relieved to find that they serve food until 10:00 pm (why do so many places stop serving food at 9:00 or even earlier?), and the sausage and mash was quite good (as is always the case at these Nicholsons pubs). The pint I had (either Timothy Taylor Landlord or Doom Bar, as I recall) was also fine, as well as being on the cheap side: that was probably to do with the competition from the Wetherspoons on the other side of road.
My only major gripe was the music blaring out.
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This is typical of the mismanagement of this site, that still,this picture hasn't been corrected. Most of those who have pointed it out in the past for correction,have given up the ghost and consult better beer sites,
Beer in the evening is invalid to true beer fanatics now. Hence outdated pub comments,pictures and a valueless top 40 & 100.
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I see the image used here is actually The Market Porter near London Bridge - but anyway - the Old Shades - yeah nice enough. Nothing special really - typical Nicholsons pub.
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Situated up near the Trafalgar Square end of Whitehall, The Old Shades is a fairly typical Nicholsons house in many respects - much dark wood panelling, leaded windows, leather banquettes etc, and the usual fine traditional feel. Note in particular the old H G Simonds of Reading brewery mirror.
The pub looks quite small from the outside, but extends back quite a long way. There's a separate restaurant area at the back, principally catering for the hordes of tourists in this area.
In contrast to recent reviewers, the beer range was pretty disappointing on my recent visit - 3 pumps with London Pride clips, 1 pump serving Chiswick. Also on were TT Landlord and Greene King IPA.
I like the Nicholsons style of pub, but I do hope the beer range is much better next time.
Finally, as previous posters have commented, as at the date of posting this review, the pub pictured above is The Market Porter in Borough Market, and not The Old Shades
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A good pub right in the centre of London. Does a fine breakfast and has a good selection of real ale which is very well kept. Staff are friendly and the atmosphere very pleasant. Watch the trip to the Gents though the steps begin straight after the door! Does tend to get alot of tourists but this is quite amusing as they are totally unfamiliar with pub etiquette ie going to the bar and ordering/paying.
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Not the tourist hell I thought it could be on a Sunday afternoon, instead I found a pleasant Nicholson's house, with the usual wood floor, dark wood panelling etc. Mixed seating some of which is seperated by fairly recent glazed screens. A long narrow interior, the bar being about halfway down on one side. The bar floor is "tiled", seemed to be the rubber/cushion floor type. Another, more ornate and attractive room beyond the bar is seemingly just for eating.
Impressively I was offered the choice of a straight glass or dimpled jug. Beers were, Thwaites Nutty Black, Pride, Jennings Lancaster Blonde(�2.95...not bad nowadays for round here), Tim Taylors Landlord and also Golden Best.
The beer was in good shape, and this is somewhere I'd certainly duck into again.
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Went to the Old Shades last Saturday evening. Had a few pints of Timothy Taylor Golden Best which were very drinkable.
Talked to a few of the regulars and to the bar staff- 3 attractive and chatty young girls.
Will use the pub again on future trip to London.
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Popped in yesterday after New Year's parade. Nicely decorated, friendily staff, and the fish & chips were to die for!
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The Old Shades is the middle of three pubs in a line down Whitehall. The Silver Cross is right next door and The Clarence is a few doors further down from Trafalgar Square. Only had time to do two of them so decided to skip the Silver Cross on the basis that it�s a GK house and in theory , this place being a Nicholson house should have a better choice of Ale.
And in this respect The Old Shades did not disappoint, having six hand pumps dispensing TT Landlord and Golden Best, Fullers Pride, Bateman's Rosey Nosey and two other Xmas Ales.
It�s also a bit more traditional d�cor than the other two having leaded windows, what looked like original interior wood paneling and leather bench seating.
So of the three, if you only have time for one, I�d go for the Old Shades.
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Ok some real ale s, food expensive & touristy expensive bangers & mash type, clean & friendly enough.
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This was my grandfather's local when he worked at the Admiralty and I don't think it's changed much since his day. Nice wood panelling and comfortable seating made this a very pleasant place to spend an hour or so after Beating the Retreat at Horse Guards Parade. Despite previous posts, my two pints of Adnam's Broadside were perfectly poured by the pretty barmaid and there was absolutely no evidence of a short pint! I'll always pop into the Shades if I'm in the area having been several times in the past and the food's good too!
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Went in there today for a change. Won't bother again. Staff tried to short changre me and the IPA was awful. best thing that could happen to this pub is for it to close down.
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Fairly typical Nicholsons. Pride, Landlord, Springhead Polar Beer, Adnams Bitter. They had Thwaites Nutty Black when we went in but it was off by the time we were going to try it. Long narrow pub, restaurant area at the back. Reasonable pub for central London but watch the short pints.
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Opened the door, saw the ruck at the bar smelt the fish and chips and deicded to give this one a miss. Might as well knock through the wall to the Silver Cross next door - will save on bar staff at least.
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Good food, good beer and very good prices (Pride at �2.50 a pint!). Visit!
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This place has something of the look of a gentleman�s club about it, which is something of a Nicholson�s trait. But they had Reverend James on at �2.90 a pint, which is not bad for Central London, and pretty good it tasted too.
It�s changed a bit since last time I was in here. A fairly major refurbishment has done away with the entrance door on the right (which no longer forms part of the pub) to be replaced by a door on the left � which must have always been there but not in use. But the makeover seems to have been very sympathetic and I think this is one of the better Nicholson�s houses. Despite being a tourist stopover, I highly recommend this pub. If only we could ditch the photograph of the Market Porter!!
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Very quiet in here last night after a show and the beer (Rev James) was excellent, the bar man was unable to supply information about the "Dick Whittington trail" but was polite and friendly, beer was offered to taste "sip before supping" which I took advantage of before buying, I had no problem with the size of the head and all the real ales where availiable if needed. Had a nice quiet drink in here.
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I Visited this pub yesterday as Part of the "Westminster to Piccadilly" Dick Whittington Pub Trail". Nice Pint of London Pride, usual selection of Ales served in a Nicholson Chain pub. Foreign Bar Staff who provided short measures (but was the same in all Nicholsons run pubs visited that afternoon). however was topped up without fuss. Very Busy when I was there, recommended but watch the size of the head on the Beer!!!
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I liked it in here and have to say that it is one of the better pubs in the area. The very nice barmaid served me excellent Deuchars during an afternoon session last week.
The chatter can get a little mind numbing as people start competing to be heard over each other and their voices echo through the long thin bar, but other than that I was impressed and will go back.
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Good pub with great beer. Any pub that sells Timothy Taylor Landlord must be okay.
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Decent ale selection. The wife was happy here until she needed to use the Ladies. I have been informed that they are shocking!!!!!
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NOTE TO SITE ADMINISTRATORS - AS other people have already pointed out, the pub pictured here is The Market Porter, NOT the Old Shades
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Good little pub and stands above most in the area. Excellent beer, quality and good value food, staff are right on the ball - even when busy it's easy to get served and they keep the floor well run (you don't end up sitting at a table surrounded by a sea of empty pint glasses).
John Prescott was in here when I went in but it's still a decent pub. It's shockingly easy to stack it down the staris to the blokes toilets if you get wellied though. I speak from experience.
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It's The Market Porter.
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That picture is NOT "The Old Shades"!!
You can see the street sign is Park street, not whitehall!!
anonymous - 18 Jun 2007 13:05 |
Visited this pub as part of the "Dick Whittington Ale Trail" - Westminister To Piccadilly. You get a Frre T Shirt after visiting 5 different Pubs - There a Six different Trails to do, all run by the Brewerey. This pub offered God Food a Beer at very competitive prices - the cheapest of the day �5 for two pints of Carling Lager. - Well worth a Visit
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Nice friendly pub. Very wooden all round. Great beer and food. However, the wrong pub shown in the photo is not 'The Clarence'! I thought it was 'The Market Trader', E1 at first but not. Any ideas anyone?
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I love this pub - despite the picture above being of the WRONG pub! As I write this the picture shown for the Old Shades is actually of the Clarence, so be warned - if you are looking for the Old Shades, it is closer to Trafalgar Square than the pictured one, and has a very narrow frontage.
I started using The Old Shades while the Clarence was being refurbished, and wouldn't change back now that I have found it. It has a wonderful friendly atmosphere, good food, good drink, and is now a Bookcrossing zone - there are free books you can take away with you (and keep if you like) on the shelf on the right hand side as you go in. It's the sort of pub you go into for a good time with friends involving good booze, good food if you're hungry, and good conversation - with that wonderful bonus of no TV! Perfect!
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Not bad at all. A less good range of ales than the average for Nicholson's (although my IPA was perfectly adequate), but a lovely wooden-panelled interior made this a pleasure to spend time in. I'm not sure whether it's original or a more modern pastiche, but either way I liked it.
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This is probably the most traditional pub in Whitehall and the least changed over time. Not as touristy as the Clarence, with a higher proportion of local customers and vastly superior to the neighbouring Silver Cross. The Old Shades has a narrow front and looks tiny at first glance from the outside, but on entering, it is tardis-like, i.e. surprisingly long. Definitely worth a visit, if you fancy something with a more authentic feel. Very pleasant staff and at peak periods tends not to get quite as packed as the Lord Moon of the Mall opposite.
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not particularly memorable.Didn't stay long.
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My grandfather's local when he worked at the Admiralty. First time I visited was after the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cenotaph. Wonderful atmosphere brought about by the place being full of bemedalled veterans. Have eaten there once and found the food excellent. A nice pub probably largely unchanged from when my grandfather used to sup there.
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Unremarkable, but pleasant enough. Close to Trafalgar Square.
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A nondescript but pleasant enough pub to duck into if you're in the area. We had drinks and a bowl of chips, and both were good but not overly memorable. It's a Nicholson's, and all the usual suspects were available on tap (including what seemed to be a well-kept Landlord).
The decor, like everything else about the place, is pleasant enough. The only real surprise about the Shades was the very friendly barmaid, probably one of the nicer people I've met behind a bar in that area of the city.
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I't been nice reading your comments, I recently popped in to the pub for a beer a while ago, my reason to go in? My Grandfather ran it about 60 years ago and my Mum grew up there.
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Just had a refurb - which has added to rather than taken away the atmosphere, which, seems to be the exception rather than the rule for pub refurbs! It's now more intimate and with very subtle lighting, giving it a dimmer light. Certainly an improvement on what it was before.
Beer, which was the usual fare was well kept and served just right. Amstel was superb, though in fairness i've yet to have a bad one in London.
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Good pub, friendly bar staff - tasty food. Looks like they mostly attract tourists.
Addlestones Cider on tap which was nice.
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You can always get a seat in here, when every other Whitehall pub is bursting at the seams. It has some atmosphere, but really the guaranteed table is its biggest draw.
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Traditional pub that was fairly quiet even on a Saturday evening, despite being just south of Trafalgar Square. Fortunately no TV blaring football at us, so we could have a conversation....
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Because of it's wooden furniture and old graphics the place got it's own charm.I used to be there every day in August and September and I was very pleased.The staff is really nice and helpful.See for yourself.
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I've worked there in August and September 2004 and I spent most wonderful time of my life.There were some problems, like e.g. TV set without a SKY SPORTS and problems with Ale,but the atmosphere in the pub was really great. Staff and manager(Natalie)were best I've ever seen and we've worked very hard to give customers the best we can.Now I've heard that there is new manager(Dermond),so I'm sending my best wishes to him and all of the staff.Take care boyz and girlz.C U soon.
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watched euro 2004 there, due to convenience and only pub in whitehall showing the footie. Wouldn't do it for any other reason - they are ALWAYS running out of ale and the lagers too. PLUS went there to watch the England game (v Ukraine) and 5 mins before ko found that they had 'technical' problems withe the tv and would no longer be showing the game.
Saturday Boy - 22 Aug 2004 11:40 |
What happened to Dave, the manager? Used to be a good mate of his when I ran the Silver Cross next door. Where did he end up?
Dan - 20 Aug 2004 20:33 |
Very traumatic experience last week - went there to watch the footy, got there early to nab favourite table and settled in for the night. Found out 15 minutes before kick off that they no longer have Sky TV! This is a very worrying turn of events, and I hope its just a temporary absence...
Pauly H - 29 Mar 2004 09:04 |
Brilliant pub, great people, manager crazy guy but very funny, cant wait for another night out at the Old Shades. The Chef is so very sexy (Yes you Marco)
anonymous - 21 Feb 2004 21:13 |
Top pub on the Whitehall strip. Good mix of people in there, and more importantly good beer.
Rob - 20 Aug 2003 14:59 |
Excellent Special deals Food Good and service fantastic. Have best Barmaid in London Sarah. Can serve beer blindfolded standing on her head and she won't spill a drop, she'd also do it quicker than the average illegal immigrant barmaid. (no Pubs named Silver Cross whoops!)
Ashley Neal - 14 Apr 2003 16:06 |
Specials �1.99 - Carlsberg some bottles and Double Spirits. Jugs of Carlsberg (4 pints) �7.60, and iwas led to believe this place was expensive. Watched England game here after leaving witch in Coal Hole (now there is an expensive dump of a pub)thrown out for watching the football.
kate weldon - 4 Apr 2003 18:18 |
Completely agree - it was top notch for the England v Turkey game last night, and 4 pint pitchers of lager mean no unnecessary stumbling to the bar during the important bits! Don't know anywhere else round here, short of the Sports Bar, with a projector screen TV.
Pauly H - 3 Apr 2003 15:32 |
Best place to watch football anywhere around Traf Square in 2/3 mile radius. Good beers and special offers 2 for 1 etc.. Food very good and service excellent. All barstaff seem to speak English which must be the only pub anywhere around here were this is the case, they also do their job!
arturo_morales - 25 Mar 2003 16:49 |
large pub with sky big screen. Closest pub to Trafalgar Square that bothers at sporting occasions so if you want to see Football Rubgy whatever and then dance in the fountains come here. oh yeah the beers not to bad and food very good. Barstaff abit queer though!
christine young - 25 Mar 2003 14:38 |
