please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Nice big pub, excellent for the summer as well as they have a decent spot out the back. No good when its too crowded though and didn't like the food much last time.
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Really now a restaurant
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Decent choice of pales and bitters, no milds or stouts. Barman slightly aloof. Wine bar feel. Gastro trendy food. Expensive though. Be warned £2.35 a half! Can't fault the quality of the beer though. 6 out of 10.
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This is a nice place, but it is indeed expensive… but that tends to be the rule of thumb in this area unless you go to the likes of O’Neils or Rocket. Few ales and a good wine list so can cater for most clienteles. However, I think I’m just unfortunate that each time I go I get the scattiest barman EVER, very friendly but tire with having to tell him my order at least 3 times as he keeps forgetting. Service can be slow, but the setting is nice. They also have a very small beer garden at the back which is totally enclosed.
I have been quite a few times and each time it is a good evening, there is a nice chilled atmosphere every time I visit. There is a cocktail bar downstairs which people generally tend to vacate to as the evening progresses where the music is louder and you can have a dance if you wish.
I have only ordered food once and would never do so again. I only ordered snack foods and after waiting 45 minutes, it still hadn’t arrived. I queried, it then came out 15 minutes later, it was delicious but was still frozen in the middle – so sent it back, got a refund and left.
Oh and if you want to use the mirror in the laddies toilet, you have to be at least 6’3’’!
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The best pub in the area, IMHO. It's expensive - I don't recall paying for less than �3 a pint of anything, and a packet of crisps nudge the �1 mark. Still, I consider much of that cash going towards friendly staff and clientele in a well maintained environment. Pleasant as heck. Just make sure you've remortgaged your house first.
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Worst meal I've never paid for. They have got so much wrong. Dirty plates. Dirty cutlery. Dirty tables. Candle wax covering top of pepper pot. No light in ladies toilet. No toilet roll in gents. Food cooked to order? I don't think so. Over priced " British Tapas". Warmed up roast spuds. Soggy and inedible. I could go on. Beer was ok. Service average. Was looking forward to my visit after looking at their website. A pub with aspirations that really need to up their ante. Quite shocking really.
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Another pub in the Euston area we tried for the first time on Sunday evening. The Somerstown Coffee House appears to be part of a small chain. It's a gastropub type place that has a pleasant atmosphere. It's also a little bigger than it initially looks. Clientele were mainly young(ish) 30-somethings. Bar staff were friendly and the toilets were in a good condition. Brains Rev James, Courage Best & Directors, Youngs Gold & Adnams Lighthouse were the real ales on offer. Stowford Press was the cider. Better than I had expected.
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Stumbled across this by accident, and happy to have done so. Six ales on, and I had a guest ale which was excellent. Bar staff pleasant, some tables for eating and some battered sofas for lying about, and a friendly atmosphere throughout I thought. Was reasonably busy at post-work time, which was nice to see. Recommended as a good place to meet in the Euston/St Pancras area as it beats a number of other pubs nearby.
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Beers: six real of which two less than 4abv.
Mine was in excellent condition.
Staff: friendly, helpful.
Excellent for area and if you can find it east of Euston it is worth it. Still a pub rather than gastro.
No point of sale price list.
Music: not intrusive.
Clear external notice of opening times.
Well worth a visit. Have no knowledge of evenings. *
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I hadn't realised that there was anything up this road beyond The Rocket but this place is a real contrast. It's more gastro-pubby, reflected in the food prices, but what we ate was very tasty. There were three ales on: Courage, Youngs and Bombadier, all of which were fine. Staff were extremely pleasant. It was very busy all evening so if you're looking to sit down, it's worth booking ahead. For me, it's not the type of place you'd visit just for a quick pint - it's more somewhere you'd go with friends to have an evening of food and drink. Credit to the team who have taken over this place in October as they're trying to offer something different to the area.
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I've had really good food, wine and beer in this pleasant and attractive pub. It can be hard to get a table here early on a midweek evening unless you choose to sit in the restaurant, but it's a good place to spend the whole evening if you can.
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Not impressed - arrived on a busy Friday night and had a pint of Wells IPA which was pretty tasteless. Seemed I was at the end of barrel as this was soon taken off and despite four pumps being available no proper beer was available for the rest of the evening. Not much else on offer either.
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My son treated me to a beer after a lovely day walking the City. I enjoyed the warm and welcoming atmosphere. Two elderly gentlemen were sitting at the table next to us with their ale and mulling over a crossword, the food smelt really delicious. A really excellent spot to relax in, would recommend to any visitor to London.
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What a brilliant place! A proper smoking garden, a great wine list, a wonderful selection of food. The decor is great and the French staff are cheekily Gallic without being downright rude. It's nicer later in the evening once the braying post-work drinkers have moved on.
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As a local, I have a soft spot for the Coffee House as it�s been beautifully renovated, tho' like many residents, I�ve always found the new menu quite pricey. However the food was good (if not large portions) so I viewed it as somewhere for a bit of a treat. However (credit crunch response?) when we visited it on 24 February, the portions had shrunk (like the economy)! The burger no longer comes with chips; tho� I asked for rare, it came well-done; the salad was half the size of last time; my companion�s Irish coffee was tiny; and I had to ask for extra cream for the tasty chocolate dessert as the original serving was almost invisible. So, I�m sorry, Coffee House, as a long-term customer I was not impressed and unless I win the lottery, I can�t afford to return for such small meals at such big prices.
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It's a bit schizophrenic this place. Can be a really nice quiet pub with decent beer, or a REALLY LOUD bar packed full of braying idiots. Mind you, I'm a suit too - the area used to be really dodgy but lots of companies have moved in. Food's really average as well, despite the French pretensions and high prices.
The staff are either ridiculously friendly or can be complete nobs as well (they recently had a go at our secretary for having an unopened can of coke on the table that she'd just got it out of her bag whilst looking for stuff) and we've heard the tale of them not allowing a family to have a birthday cake on the table (don't know if its true or not but wouldn't put it past them). Possibly part of the 'French' thing they have going on - maybe they think it adds atmosphere.
People who've only been here once would give it either a 10 or a 1 depending on their experience. There are much better pubs in the area if you look for them (stay away from Euston road though).
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nice pub with decent outdoor area. ordered a cheese platter for �7. please don't bother. very bad value for money.
nicci - 20 Sep 2008 00:46 |
This place has changed since I was last there about 4 years ago, probably reflecting the changing affluence of it�s catchment area. It has a pleasant frontage with tables outside and a restaurant area inside plus a heated patio out the back. Bit of a pretentious menu where after translation you find that it�s actually just basic food. Excellent levels of service from bar staff who were both helpful and efficient. Youngs Special �2.80, Strongbow �3.00
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This is THE best pub in the area. It was somewhere to avoid until a few years ago when two French ladies took it over and completely revamped it. Well chosen wines by the glass. Great chips if you don't want to try the dining area. Smokers have the choice of seating in the front and a comfortable area with seating out the back.Gets really busy on Friday with the office crowd and they could turn the music down a notch - it's really not needed.
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Great pub. Stumbled across it whilst out on a school night in the characterless concrete congestion that is Euston. Spacious, clean and civil enough clientle and staff. The real ales - especially Eagle - are spot on. Very smooth. Food is French so fine if you're keen on anything that my have been walking or swimming that morning but veggies are limited to chips and little else. Bloody good chips though.
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'quiet' not quite!
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In for a quite beer and chat with a friend for the first time since last year. A friendly welcome, and a very good pint of Bombardier; a good buzz in the bar, and out in the back, which has expanded since I was there summer 2006. I could use less/lower, or even an absence of, music, but it didn't intrude that much.
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The low rating for this place is ridiculous. The beer (Bombardier and Wells IPA) is fine, the staff are charming, there is a good atmosphere, and the food is excellent and reasonably priced. If you are a smoker (as I am) there are plenty of tables out front and in the garden.
If you dislike this sort of pub and really want a taste of an "Old Somer's Town" pub, then go to the Cock Tavern, 100 yards away, where you can have your fill of keg lager and old, red faced alcoholics in dirty clothes.
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Good food, on the gastro end of the spectrum and quite expensive. The beer is good, and a vast improvement on the previous incarnation. A hidden gem, perhaps.
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I'm really surprised at the low rating for this pub. Clean, friendly, good food, decent service, plenty of seating. I can't see why it has such a low rating!
I went on a Tuesday night, so maybe it's worse at the weekend? Who knows. Maybe I should slag it off as well and keep it as our little secret....
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Utterly top pub. Ignore the critics. Great service by a range of genuinely French types, good food in the bar and in the proper restaurant area, pretty good beer and a good range of wine. I'm in at least once a week and I've never had anything to complain abot. Vive la France!
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this is a great food pub , the platters are superb, wonderful pate fine dips and fries that are divine. the french gal is well cute it is not a suprise that CAMRA used it to launch there new guide as the bombardier is excellant.
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Good atmosphere on each visit. Enjoyed the food and the bar staff were consistently good. Tables cleaned down on a regular basis throughout the evening. Infact the last visit the bar staff who waited on our table were excellent. Decent pub cum restaurant that is my opinion worth a return visit. As with any establishment of this nature its good to see the toilet facilities in good order as well. Cannot fault it so it gets a perfect 10 from me!
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I moved here before the refurb and although the staff were very friendly and welcoming, as were most of the locals, I was advised not to go in on my own, on a weekend or during a football match because it was 'a bit rough'. Having worked in the pub trade for a few years, I didn't really find it any rougher than any other local boozer but that's not to everyone's taste.
I've been in a few times since it was taken over and I quite like the place. the food is good, the staff are still friendly and welcoming and it's generally a good pub. Only thing that puts me off going more regularly is some of the suits. They can be funny with you once they realise you actually live here.
anonymous - 14 Feb 2007 03:01 |
well this place certainly galvanises opinions ! i've walked past several times and its either been closed or heaving so havnt bothered, but i wandered in for a swift half today, pleasant ambience, friendly staff, well kept beers Youngs Bitter plus Wells Bombardier, and Eagle at �2.50 a pint ? Wine list looks good and not that pricey all things considered. I couldnt comment on the food as i didnt try. I'd certainly visit again. Its a shame some of the contributors feel its necessary to vent their petty vendettas on here instead of giving constructive comments and ciritcism without overloading their opnions with profanities.
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I was planning to visit this pub for the first time in ages this weekend, but after reading the reviews I think I'll give it a miss. I had my misgivings about a gastropub in Somers Town anyway. I'm only recent import to Somers Town myself (10 years) but feel like a local now. I'm sure the pub will do well with the champaign socialists in the RMT to keep it going. Maybe not one aimed at the locals though.
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I am obviously soulless and middle-class then as I think this pub is good. We go there a lot and, though we have seen people being chucked out, it is always for being threatening and rude, usually to other customers. If we got the slightest hint that there was some sort of demographic cleansing going on then we definitely wouldn't go there. Furthermore, in response to whoever said about the bread, we've asked for more bread on many occasions and it has always been given graciously and with no charge. The atmosphere in this pub is lovely on a weeknight and it's no more expensive than normal London pubs.
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Despite some of the negative reviews, some colleagues and I decided to venture around the corner after work to give this pub a try. I must say that we were quite disappointed. Most of the real ales were off (only so-so pints of Charles Wells Eagle IPA and Bombardier were on offer) and the wait staff were extremely rude. After being served a paltry cheese platter (�6.50) with only four thin slices from a baguette, we had the gall to ask if we might have a bit more bread to finish off the cheese. After being informed that we would need to pay extra for the additional few slices of bread, I mentioned that seemed a bit mean (not bringing up the fact that we had already spent well over �150 on over-priced wine and food that evening!). I was briskly told "you should read the menu more carefully next time, young man" and was ushered out the door (I was actually older than the waiter, but I don't think that he meant it as a complement). I won't repeat what else he said, which wasn't very nice, but I've certainly never been treated more rudely by wait staff in any pub or restaurant in London (or elsewhere, for that matter). Needless-to-say, we won't be going back!
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Thanks for clearing that up. I thought it was worth posting that in the interest of discussion, and as it prompted your informative response I think my decision was vindicated. Its not like I endorsed any of what the IWCA website said or passed it off as my own opinion...
anonymous - 8 May 2006 11:06 |
Bob Crow wrote in to the Standard recently denying the allegations in the story, which ran around November / December.
There's absolutely no sign of social cleansing or ghettoising. You can have a quiet or boistorous drink in about 2/3 of the bar, with 1/3 for a simple, straightforward menu and dishes of the day. Gastro-ing it ain't - the visit before last for a pint with friends we shared a table with a guy running the dry cleaners round the corner.
There are some locally who regret the loss of the big screen etc. For my money Vannessa and Sabine have rescued a down at heel and very seedy lager pub (which it had been for years), and it's now a friendly, pleasant place to be. Even the toilets are clean, comfortable, and warm.
Direct experience sure beats recycling what is printed elsewhere.
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A very controversial place it seems. Evening Standard favourite Bob Crow of the RMT was barred from here for "loud singing" apparently. Locals who claim to have been regulars for years have allegedly been barred.
All I am doing is regurgitating information I have read elsewhere, but I must say it made for interesting reading - in short, the Independent Working Class Association, a political party, is aleeging that the new owners of this pub are deliberately pursuing a systematic policy of social cleansing.
If it is true, it wouldn't be the first pub to do this in tandem with going gastro.
anonymous - 4 May 2006 10:50 |
Dropped in again recently with 2 friends (their first visit) - one from Whitehorse Yukon Territory, and one from Watford. Food and wine were excellent, and good value for money. The beer quality remains variable - but the IPA was acceptable.
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brilliant little pub restaurant, can't wait to go back with my friends! they actually remember you if you come back, don't find this often in london!
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Have been here a couple of times recently, and basically it's a little diamond. Staff are friendly and honest (they ran across to our table with 20-odd pence realising that they'd actually short changed us), food great (calamari and Corque Monsieur superb). I've been on a Thursday and a Friday. Both nights pleasant atmosphere, chilled music and friends mighty impressed that I'd found it (my track record in such things not good!). Definitely a non-aggro pub and great place to chill and chat with your mates.
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I've now made several visits to this pub [school nights only] and enjoy it more each time as do the friends I've introduced to it. The French owners and staff are terrific people if sometimes over attentive, and their chef is an absolute master. Definitely try the food !!! Plenty of comfy spots to sit and a separate dining area if you prefer.
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Tried this pub on my way home from work at King's Cross. Barmaids are quite ropey (prisoner cell block H?). Had to wait ages for a barrel change and then got served a short pint. Nice and spacious as only a few others (Sat night). Got fussed over with my ashtray emptied more than was required - not much for staff to do, apart from run down the locals in French (of which I'm a speaker). Felt watched constantly. Didn't bother trying the food as I don't like to eat on my own in a big empty room. Don't bother.
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Dropped in for a beer wlaking from Chalk Farm to Goodge Street about 7.00 PM Friday January 20th - busy and friendly, and a very decent pint of Charles Wells - �2.40 plus Tyrells Crisps - 65p. The pub dates from 1923, and is Grade II listed. It's been rather well and sensitively refurbished, under the direction of two sisters, Vanessa and Sabine, from Normandy, who took over 7 or so months ago and only been reopened recently. It's comfortable, good toilets with hot water etc.
No decent cider - Strongbow - but that's because it's a Charles Wells house.
Their price list is prominently displayed, and on the bar. Bar and sitdown food looked and smelt good - and bistro rather than anything else being tucked in to by quite a few folk - cooked by their 'excellent Parisian chef', reasonably priced, and the kitchen open 'til 10.00 PM. Food is locally supplied where possible.
The pub is open 12.00 - 11.00 PM Monday - Saturday, and 12.00 - 6.00 PM Sunday. The kitchen is not always going to be open during the afternoon, weekdays.
The staff is all French and friendly. They have a decent range of wines from �2.95 a glass / �11.50 a bottle.
And it's one of the few pubs in the area that is Bob Crow and his RMT gang free - as apparently they got barred in December.
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Arranged to meet friends here on a Saturday night but it was closed!! Met here a few weeks later again on a Sat and the pub is virtually empty! No atmos, dodgey area - loads of kids in hoodies outside so got spat on and abused. Then staff shut it at 9.30pm as not enough customers - seems they don't like guest ales (even though CW) but prefer stocking loads of wine. Definitely would not recommend the awful trip through somerstown to get here or drink in an empty pub that throws you out when they feel like it. Ruined the evening.
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A mate more local than me rated this place previously as a sh*t hole and that's believable considering the area . . . it has been done up and although I have nothing to compare it to, it is now a high quality pub. Yet to try the food, but all the patrons seemed pretty content. Good atmosphere and comfy too.
anonymous - 12 Jan 2006 10:55 |
Recently renovated, this pub has changed become a rather fashionable bistro style pub. Still welcoming,the prices have not increased.
The regular beer is Charles Wells Eagle, with Christmas Cheer available as the alternative at the moment. There are four handpumps, but only two in use at present. Would be worth a 9 or 10 with a couple of guest ales to complement the "house" beers.
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it's changed!
max - 7 Sep 2005 18:52 |
