please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Was working in Kensington for a couple of days and popped in here both nights, the second time to eat. Really nice pub, food was superb, ox cheek pie in a red wine gravy with colcannon mash. Lovely beer garden with heaters, ale was spot on, great atmosphere inside and out, would agree with others that is is one of the better pubs around.
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I take it all back!
If you pop in any night bar Friday, the Devonshire is fine. I ate here on a couple of occasions and the food was great. The squid in lemon batter is awesome and they do a mean ribeye. Nice rotation of guest ales and usually Doombar & Pride. Had a great pint of St Peters Bitter one night.
Having sampled many pubs on my jaunt to Kensington, I agree with championembiber, this is probably the best in West London.
Just goes to show that judging a pub on just one visit is flawed!
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I cannot find a better pub in West London. I like well kept real ales, I like decent well sourced and well served pub food and I adore great, attentive service. Here it is. All the staff are very good and do really well even when it is busy as it almost always is. Iana is exceptional though. Great food, marvellous beers both real and foreign and in my experience truly exceptional service in an old fashioned yet not London pub.
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Dropped in here for a pint whils scoping Kensington out for a future long stay in the area whilst working in London.
I should have guessed what it would be like as I walked past the 4 Aston Martins parked outside.......Full of after work business types with more money than sense. Lots of sweaters over shoulders and Jeremys shouting at Nigels interrupted by Jamimas snorting at Trixibells.
Not a bad pint of Doombar, but I just couldn't stand the racket coming from plastered tossers so I left. shame, nice looking pub and what looked like a half right menu on a large blackboard. Maybe it's better at lunch time, might give it one more go?
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had xmas lunch here, food was good value for the price paid and the service was spot on. shame pride was not on however had lancaster red which went down well.
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Don't eat, just drink
Kyer1 - 18 Aug 2009 08:33 |
Notwithstanding being the closest pub to where I've lived for the past 2 years, it has never become my local.. 'nuff said
(with more care, character and better ales & food it could be a lovely pub: it's a cute location..though I guess it's very profitable as it is..)
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I need to echo the complaints of others of poor service here. Gave up waiting for Sunday roast lunch after 1.5 hours. Considerable discontent from others present who were waiting almost as long.
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I live around the corner to the Dev I wish that Fullers would take over this one too and sort it ....they are building their portfolio in this area and the Dev deserves to be managed more enthusiastically!
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I only joined this site so that I could complain about the Devonshire Arms. In all fairness, it is a nice looking pub: lots of big tables, good for groups, light but cosy.
However, I went for Sunday lunch with a group of friends and was horrified by the staff's utter inability to do their job. 8 of us ordered food. After waiting 45 minutes they brought out 2 meals. They came back 10 minutes to tell us they weren't ours and had been delivered to the wrong table. 10 minutes after that they brought out 1 more meal. At no point was there any explanation, apology or assurance. Not only that, but they had the temerity to ask if anyone else was waiting for food - er, yes, all of us!
It was only after we'd done some serious complaining that they chased up the food, by which time we'd been waiting an hour and a half since ordering. And surprise, surprise, the food wasn't worth the wait. It was for the most part lukewarm and indifferent.
Staff were inept, lazy and unfriendly. We will NEVER be going back.
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Good cozy spot all year around, loads of character. Good dj's at the weekends. Go for the patio in the summer and quiz nights in the winter. one of the best spots in kensington
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I visit the Dev occasionally when working in the area, and had quick lunch here in August; usually pretty quiet lunchtimes, but along with the odd passng tourist a few thespieish or writerish types passing the time. A quiet ambiance to the pub I find whenever here at lunch. Staff were laid back, but thennot that much to do - but I was served without problem and the snack I ordered was quick and fine. Livens up in the evenings I far as can see, when passing. Nice spot, I guess they all need to keep working at it to allay some of the discontent below!
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Thought I would RETRY the Devonshire Arms for a drink and some food again after an awful experience a few years back, Food was cold, Staff badly dressed, dirty and service at the bar despite not being busy was very slow, HOWEVER happy to accept it might have just been a bad day for them. Very disappointed. Absolutely NOTHING has changed. Service was very poor. 3 staff serving (I think they were staff.....not too sure by the way they were dressed. Yet again filthy dirty, and looked decidedly unwashed!!)4 people the other side of the bar. I STILL had to wait over ten minutes. Once served I had to state that I had asked for a pints not a � of pint. Rather grudgingly the staff member refilled each pint. I then decided to order food. BIG mistake. I had some Calamari rings etc, 6 VERY small ones came which were utterly tasteless. I worked out they cost OVER 60pence each, mind you they did throw in some lettuce that looked at least 3 days old and was warm!! Quite obviously management does not care as they make so much on the beer. I am very sad to say that my friends and I will not be coming back to the pub. MANAGEMENT YOU NEED TO BE AWARE IT IS VERY EASY TO COMPLAIN TO THE OWNERS Mitchells and Butlers. I have done so!!!
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WOW how much have the standards DROPPED. I totaly agree with the other comments below and I work in a large pub. There is no excuse at all. Staff are lazy, slow and just don't seem to care. I woulds also describe there dress as SHOCKING and dirty. I watched them serve food and I will NOT be eating there again. ITS A SHAME as it used to be good.
anonymous - 14 Jun 2007 16:35 |
Have visited this pub off and on over past 3 years and always enjoyed sitting in the garden but when there with friends this last Sunday noticed an incredible falling off in standards.
There are now so many tables both inside and out that it is nigh on impossible to move. In the garden we saw people scaling the front railings to get out and one couple handing a baby, pushchair and all to those on the outside.
Lunch took an age from being ordering and were shocked to see salads being placed onto plates with hands that a few moments ago were putting raw chicken / meats onto the BBQ.
This place needs a good shake up- it`s not good to just go for profits! You are in a service industry and you need to look after your customers well and not make the eating & drinking experience uncomfortable (and worrying!). I, and my friends will not be visiting again in a hurry! Shocked
anonymous - 5 Jun 2007 13:45 |
If the review by anonymous - 25 May 2007 08:23 is accurate then anonymous of 27 May 2007 00:57 would do well not to seek defense with daft excuses. The number of ales on sale is irrelevant if basic hygiene standards are not met and friendly staff is purely a subjective view. On a final note, best not to publish such reviews under the protective banner of 'anonymous' as they are often seen by others as just spiteful. If you are new to this site, click on usernames and you will get some idea where others have been and what they have written!! No rating left as it's years since my last visit to any pub in your area but I do remember some fairly dire places!!!
Biker - 27 May 2007 07:31 |
Dirty filthy hands? ripped jeans around ankles? laid back?. Try working in a bar not sitting behind a desk and you'll see how hard it is. Your hands get dirty and your clothes end up ripped and covered in stains. The pub looks fantastic afer the refurb and the staff are great, friendly,courteous and hard working. Ignore the idiot comment below and go and check this place out, i've never seen so many draught beers! and any pub that's good enough for Mick Jones is god enough for me!
anonymous - 27 May 2007 00:57 |
Went there following the "Refurb". Nice pub but to be honest the staff are amazingly laid back. Service was absolutely rubbish. Staff are revoltingly dressed with dirty ripped jeans around their ankle's and filthy dirty hands. NOT nice. DEVONSHIRE PLEASE sort out your staff
anonymous - 25 May 2007 08:23 |
Difficult to describe this place, it�s clearly a typical old style local boozer and you can still see �Public Bar� etched on the glass doors. It no doubt suffered when the local clientele changed - it�s right opposite a massive gated mews development - and has had to change itself. They seem to have added a number of ad hoc things they think will fit in and it is now an assortment of high rustic tables, chrome framed stools, exposed ventilation pipes and some garish art deco orange lighting hanging over the bar. They do get away with it though, it�s more eccentric that pretentious.
Three cask ales and six continental lagers on draught, a selection of bottled beers and a good wine list. Tapas style menu with prices befitting of its new found clientele. Sunday is quiz night. Nice outside patio for smokers that looks as if it would be a sun trap in the Summer. Interesting place, couldn�t tell you how to get there as I was lost when I stumbled across it.
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the Devonshire has really transformed itself since tha last time I was there! Looks really clean & nice, wine selection is the best I've seen in a pub & the food quality really is amazing. Think most of the staff has changed as well, everyone is friendly & efficient & you can tell they all love working there. Don't know who's managing it now but well done!
A lot of stuff going on now as well, this week they're having an ale week with ales on from every region of Britain (such a brilliant idea!) They also do sockmonkeys on wednesdays?? odd but quite interesting.
I went there for the sunday quiz last sunday, prize money goes up to �100 & the questions we're a bit more clever & fun than your normal pub quiz. really enjoyed myself.
I would recommend to everyone to go & have a look at this place. Atmosphere is brilliant, & the girls that work there are brilliant (& good looking!!!)
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Youngs Bitter was good, Pride OK and Bombadier was off. However the lifeless barman didnt agree so left it on for others to pay cash for vinegary beer. As others have mentioned the barstaff are dour, miserable, sulky verging on rude and not wanting to serve. The food was very good everytime I went there this week except for the long wait for it to arrive. The amount of waiting time was not proportional to the number of people ordering food either. Will probably go back but only because its round the corner from where Im working at the moment. For a beer trip to London there are MANY places leagues above here... The fairly large garden area is very good for warm Summers evening, the pub interior is somewhat grubby.
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I really enjoyed this pub. We were there with a large group of people but I never had to wait very long at bar for a drink. The large non-smoking section out the back is nice for those that don't want to stink like an ashtray when they get home and I enjoyed the 3 ales on.
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A really good pub but spoiled by understaffing and poor service from the overworked souls who are there - 2 on a Friday night meant 45 min wait at the bar...
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Best burger ever. Friendly staff, great location and great place to chill out on a Sunday afternoon with a paper.
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Nothing to say except overated. Worst service ever and lets not mention the food.
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I don't understand why the prices are higher here than at the Kings Head just down the road. The staff ignore you and don't offer much assistance. Good Location but nothing else much going for it!
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Quite good but we had to wait ages for food and to get served in the summer. It has a nice beer garden. Toilets are really difficult to negotiate when slightly intoxicated.
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Good pub, great atmosphere, near to work, beer garden great on a summers night. Dom and staff work hard to please all.
anonymous - 16 Nov 2005 21:03 |
Dropped in to this pub by for a swifty as I was walking past with a mate last weekend.
Everyone was wearing giant sunglasses!!
Whats all that about?
The Polish girl behinfd the bar was useless.We were drinking Nosrk Vodka, she didn't know what it was, how to serve it or that they had branded glasses to serve it in.
The BBQ looked good though!
Why do so many pubs hire non-english speaking staff....its a service industry, but where is the service when basic communication is impossible!
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Top little boozer a short hop from the antipodean ghetto of Earls Court. Extremely tasty (and equally lethal) Leffe on tap, good Adnams Broadside and Staropramen so something for everyone. Comfy sofas, lit by candles and lots of lovely ladies so a a nice ambience. The food was great too - and at about 9 quid for a very tasty coq au vin a damn sight cheaper than you might expect a gastro-style menu to be when you're not a million miles from Kensington. The drinks ain't cheap - a pint of leffe and a white wine spritzer was the thick end of 8 quid - but this is probably similar to what a pint of e.g. Hoegarrden would cost elsewhere so can't complain. I rate this place - cheers folks.
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PUB AND STAFF FANTASTIC.............thank u dom,gherard,alex,vanessa,gemma,paul,nicholas,nick,alex argentino,fabio,ali,rosie,jenny,ana............and the costumers.........c u soon guys,all the best from italy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
serena - 4 Oct 2004 15:40 |
nice food, yummy wine, cool place all good!
Ames - 20 Sep 2004 12:50 |
i love this pub, near scarsdale villas-where daddy had his stucco fronted town house for over thirty years-ah its memories isnt it....and its near the persian restaurants of kensington what more could you want-friendly crowd of mostly locals.
kisskisskiss - 6 Aug 2004 11:57 |
Gone down hill since the refit. no more darts or pool, beer is overpriced. Lost all of it's old school charm,Pierce Brosnan wouldn't collect glasses in there now.
STHEY - 17 Jan 2004 15:59 |
great bar ,,,great staff ,,great atmospehere,,,especially the beautiful (singer) jessie with the nice bum huggers
t - 7 Jul 2003 21:15 |
See the Leffe, buy the Leffe, drink the Leffe - the three wise monkeys. But not on a school night.
Techno - 9 Apr 2003 15:27 |
