please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Looks like this place has re-opened as some sort of cocktail bar.
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CLOSED.
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Come on Bar Group . do something with this shithole !!!!
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Bolandini is quite wrong. the toilets are next to a storeroom which is next to the kitchen. if you look in the storeroom , you can see the pipes from the gents to the castle lager conversion chillers where piss is rebottled and chilled to be sold once more..... this used to be a great place, alas no more.....
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Been here a few times over the years and enjoyed it. Never made to feel unwelcome by Saffas(Im English), as for racism allegations when I have been there I have seen black Africans drinking here with no problems.
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This place has gone downhill. the downstairs room is shabby. Since the smoking ban you can smell the toilets throughout, conveniently situated right next to the kitchen. Range of beers poor. Staff are normally friendly and helpful which and are the only good thing about the place. I do not know why people come here.
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Good atmosphere here when I visited mind you it was just before Xmas don't bother when the rugby is on you won't get in the door it's that packed not much choice for real ale drinker's only John Smiths.
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Odd pub, Thai food, (yawn not again) beer- the normal also-rans. Been here a couple of times as I work in Covent Garden. Host to some pretty dodgy cover bands, or some inanely load music. Frankly don�t see the point to the place.
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a pale echo of once what was! sad really
anonymous - 16 Sep 2006 01:09 |
Ooo, the Bok Bar. One time favourite haunt (great lock-ins, cool bar-staff, great range of drinks, comedy "DJ", interesting bunch of people) seems to have turned into some fairly tedious haunt for miserable Saffers... and always seems empty. What happened?!! Would have been a "9" last Summer now it's a "3".
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Slightly tatty downstairs room decorated with an African safari theme. The place has a hollow, empty feel and needs to generate an atmosphere from the clientelle, which can be variable. Sells bottled South African ciders, which are not to my taste, but are quite rare in Britain. There is a babyfoot footbal table which is fun. I didn't dislike the place, but it does have limited appeal.
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i think it is shit not been here since jan 05 when it was run by an english couple? was very good then but not to sa, now it is not very good but to sa (if you like drinking with drunk farmers your love it)liked it better before had a good vibe then
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Great SA bar, and very nice to hear SA accents again. Very friendly atmosphere, both times my brother and I visited the bar last week, and great service. Will definately visit The Bok Bar next time in London. Was however a little dissapointed that they only have Thai food and not Boerewors. Will hopefully be on the menu again.
The 2 danish bro�s
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anonymous who is the little guy behind the bar??
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In here last month with a couple of folk from SA !! To say they were unimpressed would be a huge understatement - "This place is shit - Lets go" was the conversation as I recall.
So we did - which was nice (unlike this dreadful place).
Def one to avoid - but I did spot a few of the ugly women others have commented on.
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It's great to be able to get the various SA beers, etc. but the place is slightly tacky and full of loud Dutch farmers and ugly women.
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What is Soutie thinking, this place is a dive , it does nothing for south africans and certainly doesnt help me think of home. service was crap , beer was flat and there was a big fight that was the highlight of the little guy behind the bars' day. truly a bar for ignorant Africaans who dont want to become part of london life. close it down , send them home. they embarrass those of us from SA who want to make this our home.
anonymous - 23 Oct 2005 15:20 |
The BOK BAR is the best bar in london for people who love South Africa and haven't forgotten where they come from.You get the feeling that you're back home.Hear people speaking afrikaans.....ITS AWESOME!!!
- Soutie
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Definitely not recommended. A dreary, uninspiring pub - many better places nearby.
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good nights in here when busy , fri and sat with band always rock , why do saffas have no sense of humour??
this is more british than saffa anyway. let them stay in wimbledon
anonymous - 9 Jul 2005 15:20 |
This pub is great. They have STROH 80 there which is excellent and the strongest drink I've ever had.
anonymous - 8 Jun 2005 10:46 |
I went their last night(tuesday) it was Kareoke. It was fun. Nice selection of beers and the crowd was good, didnt plan to stay there but we did till closing.
anonymous - 16 Feb 2005 14:04 |
Had a really crap time here. everyone is so mouthy and rude.
amumd - 10 Feb 2005 15:31 |
complete change from the last time i went. we had great night i noticed the dj was a girl (is that allowed) but she was brilliant every anthem from bon jovi to the blues brothers to great balls of fire. in short great bar,excellent beer/music 11/10 women.
ps bad headache next morning
anonymous - 20 Dec 2004 13:36 |
What time was it you were refused service? Was it busy? To be fair, bars are not really places for 4yr olds are they...
Having said that, I suppose if it was quiet and early then they could have exercised a bit of common sense...
TheGP - 12 Oct 2004 17:00 |
I've been living in London for two years now and have been in the Bok Bar a few times. My wife and son are visiting me from S.A. and i thought I would show them a little piece of the home country. After waiting 10 minutes for service we got told that my four year old son was not allowed in the bar. What should I do with him? Leave him on the pavement? Needless to say we took our bussiness to a english pub where my son was more than welcome. It just made me remember why I left S.A. So....if you want to go drinking without your family you are welcome at the Bok Bar. If you have kids you are not. I can assure you that I will not bother to ever go there again and I have relayed my experience to all I know who go there. Shoddy treatment may be acceptable back home......not here!!
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Have only been here once. Didn't like the atmoshere, but this was during the 'Springbok' days. However, I have SA friends who do like the place. Mainly due to the biltong.
MIKE - 6 May 2004 15:08 |
The Bok Bar is excellent, I took 2 of my turkish friends there a week ago and they loved it, noone was racist to them. Way more relaxed and not as snobby as The Springbok down the round, everyone was really friendly and most of the clientele were really good looking, great place to go no matter who u are, but better if your South African, cause you know whats going on.
Zoe - 4 Mar 2004 17:31 |
I love this place. I'm English, and attend with a SA mates. Yes, it's small, yes the toilets aren't out of the Ritz, but who cares ?? Was there for the England v Springboks World cup game wearing an England shirt and I've never met so many good people in 2hrs ! All the SA's were great, even though they'd just lost to us. Fab, fab, fab. Go there, and you will be hooked.
Greg - 20 Feb 2004 15:21 |
I went back when it was a Harlequins supporters bar and i loved the atmosphere, and experienced no racism there. I went again since it turned into the south african and i actually preferred it. Very stylish, accommodating service (even though i was wearing an England jacket) TV's on the wall showing the day's rugby were a real nice touch
Edd Flower - 29 Dec 2003 20:47 |
Had my first visit last night brought back memories of home. The SA accents, the music, the Hunters Dry, Redds, Winghoek... aaaah I'll be back! Oh yes there was a good mix of Pommies and Saffas and we all mixed with no aggro.
Matt - 4 Dec 2003 16:39 |
I think the Bok Bar is great and it's only what you make of it. The pub company is obviously trying to better it so I think people should just give it a chance. As for the remark by Simon Wade, just remember that we sometimes get the same treatment from foreigners back in our country. Oppie bokke !!
Phillip - 2 Dec 2003 15:45 |
The Bok bar is great! I really enjoyed being there. And can not believe people are bad mouthing the place. Quick note to English people ever thought why we dont like you?...... Regards Happy Bok bar Customer
C - 30 Nov 2003 07:28 |
Was actually asked "What are you doing in OUR pub" by one of the charming South African patrons. Wish I'd responded with "What are you doing in my country", but the overall hostile atmosphere meant my determination to make it out in one piece overcame my desire to bite back.
Lovely place, all the traditional aspects of South Africa...rugby, S. African beer, burly Boers/Bores and the warm glow of racism.
Simon Wade - 18 Nov 2003 10:40 |
The Bok Bar is excellent. Great atmosphere for rugby.
HJS - 11 Nov 2003 11:11 |
Well, it is now called the Bok Bar. Has had a refit and is much much better. No longer a dive, a much better advert for South Africa, and better than the Oz equivalent, the Walkabout, which is just round the corner. Although I didn't sample it, the food menue seems to have also improved.
Mike - 23 Oct 2003 18:31 |
I have been to London recently and seeing anything that reminded me of home was just great. I don't mind how the place looks, all that I care for is that there's Castle, 'boerewors' and some fine South African people. So those who don't like it, there are always some white ass english pubs to go to.
Annabelle - 12 Sep 2003 14:25 |
Great bar.
Not sure about the refit though, seems to have changed the mood.
Dave - 8 Jul 2003 11:30 |
A scruffy dive where everyone seems to be legless.
anonymous - 2 Jul 2003 10:12 |
Stroh Rum not Straw
malletron - 20 Jun 2003 15:39 |
If you like South African stuff come here if not don't. Try the Straw rum.
arturo.morales - 1 Apr 2003 10:04 |
OK - it serves Castle, but I was on the whole dissapointed. Bit of a dive really. Not a great advert for South Africa.
Mike - 29 Mar 2003 10:05 |
