Decent venue for bands/music, which is increasingly rare and to be cherished now especially in Central London.
Wouldn't bother unless was going here to watch music, beer indifferent and overpriced, though it has a later licence than some of the other pubs in the area.
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Dreadfully overpriced for something not at all special - was charged £5.80 for a pint of "craft" keg that resembled Whitbread Tankard. Poor beer and mediocre surroundings at vastly inflated prices - there are far far better places in the vicinity.
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Nice bar/pub with good service and music but way too expensive. £4.70 for a pint of Whitstable Pale Ale is pushing it so not surprised there were only 2 other people in
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I am in my late twenties, don't like going to clubs, and enjoy music so this was a perfect night starter for us. We ate at the bar then headed back to watch the bands. The night we went there were 4 bands playing and our tickets cost 7.50 GBP apiece. The mixed drinks are fairpriced but the beer is relatively cheap...especially if you get whatever's on tap. The bands play in the back room and there's a bar there as well. You'll get the chance to be nice and cozy with the locals as it's standing room only. I think the bar closes at midnight though.
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Beer quality was poor, and my mate was attempting to drink Guinness but was forced to leave it as he said it tasted watered down.
Despite it being billed as a late venue, the bar closed at midnight and everyone including the last playing band were virtually kicked out onto the street minutes after they stopped playing.
On a positive note the DJ in the bar area was putting out some good tunes though :-)
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Not the sort of place I�d normally go but I hate seeing pubs that I�ve not been into so dropped in a couple of weeks ago. The small bar is a bit tatty but to be fair it�s purpose is really as a waiting room for the music venue. There was no real ale on but I had a decent pint of Star. Rather amusingly whilst they have one of those all-singing all-dancing coffee machines behind the bar the barman put the kettle on to make himself a cup of instant.
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Potentially a great venue. Entry system wasn't ideal, people with tickets had to wait with the ones without. Staff were mostly friendly. Stage area was vast and was very crammed as there were 3 or 4 top bands on (not necessarily a band thing as it shows it's popular) and I agree with a previous reviewer in that it was extremely hot at times. Range if beers was average and didn't taste great. Entry cost was good value for money as there were TOP bands on.
Venue 6/10 and bands 9/10.
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More a music venue with a bar than a pub with live music (if you know what I mean), but I've been there a couple of times and had an excellent night both times. Found the staff to be cheerful and attentative. (And the bar was open 'till 1 am.)
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Bills itself as a late venue yet shuts at 11. Decent venue, cant remember the beer.
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This was originally the headquarters of the Grand Order of Water Rats, an organisation formed by showbiz celebrities in the late 19th century to organize charity events. These days it is mainly a music venue for up and coming rock and indie bands and can boast a large list of big names that have passed through the doors on their way to stardom (as well as a few who have headed the other way). As a pub, it is a basic single bar with very little of its Victorian charm left. As one would expect of a music venue, it is dark and tatty with pounding music, flashing lights and plasma screens. Unlike most music venues it does at least serve a couple of Real Ales (Bass & Spitfire) although the quality is not very consistent considering you are paying inflated prices for them. The music venue is at the rear of the pub and is pretty good what it is; a decent P.A., good lighting and a raised area at the rear that offers a fairly good view unless the place is packed to the rafters. Not a place to go specifically for a few pints but as part of London�s �toilet circuit�, it is a must for music fans to check out some of the up and coming bands.
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Snakebite is the way forward in this place.
Not too bad, saw a decent band there. Need to fix the sofas and the toilets too! (as you can see into the ladies from the gents.)
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More of a bands venue, yes. You know a pub has an unexciting range of beers when you end up drinking Staropramen (NB I know REALLY shit pubs don't even sell this).
The band room was baking hot, so much so that it spoiled our enjoyment of the music slightly.
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Nice place, and friendly bar staff. However the beer selection is rather lacking.
Over all, not bad at all, and you could do far worse if you're in the area, but it's not a place I'd come to simply out of choice.
anonymous - 3 Dec 2006 14:42 |
Had some great (and forgotten nights in here) as a music venue. Fairly poor as a bar though, and that's the main reason why we're here.
Has a couple of handpumps that are sporadically filled with expensive Spitfire or Pride, and run out most nights; so you make the bad call and hit the Hoegaarden/Leffe, or when that's off too (as most people make the same choice), the Wife Beater. The toilets are often a bit skanky too.
Best get your beers in at the surrounding pubs before coming here, as you never know what you're likely to get.
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I don't. I clearly drink in better pubs than you.
anonymous - 8 Sep 2006 13:35 |
To Stonch.
More often than not in my experience of North London boozers, they have at best three lagers on draught. More often than not these consist of One "premium" (nearly always Stella or Kronenbourg 1664), and two "normal" lagers (typically Carling, Fosters, or if you're slightly luckier Carlsberg). You get the same chains selling pretty much the same brews over and over till it all becomes very homogenous.
To me any pub that has four or five draught lagers plus additional bottles qualifies comparitively as having an extensive range. When those beers, draught Becks Vier (as opposed to bottled Beck's which is more frequently available), Staropramen which is much less often encountered than the likes of Kronenbourg 1664 and 4X which whilst crap is at least different from the all pervasive Foster's and Carling axis; I consider it an unusual range.
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Nooo ... they actually have real ale (one or two) which is unusual for a music venue. Besides, it isn't about the beer but the music and the atmosphere. BMovie club excellent the second Friday of the month!
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Stella? XXXX? Becks? Star? Yes, a truly "extensive and unusual" selection of lagers...
This isn't a proper pub, its just some kind of music venue with a bar at the front. Even the Lucas Arms across the road is better.
anonymous - 25 Aug 2006 20:30 |
Good solid and relaxed pub with an excellent venue for unknown live bands at the rear. Bar service is good and the selection of lagers is both extensive and unusual (Beck's Vier, Staropramen, Castlemaine XXXX & Stella from memory and I believe there was at least one other), the quality is good but the prices are a little over-the-top. There was Bass, Spitfire, Boddington's and Guiness available for the non-lager drinker. Comfy leather sofas line the walls and the floor is bare wood. Food menu looked impressive but was unavailable when I attended (which in fairness was at about 8.30 at night).
I'd imagine this place is a good one to while away the hours on a lazy day off with a few quiet pints, but it is much busier when there is a gig on and has a nice buzz about it at those times.
A fairly strong effort all in all.
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'Theatre-bar'. No real ales on my visit
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