please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
What is this pub?
Is it a gastro pub, is it a drink after work pub or a tourist pub? Well it turns out to be all three and it does it badly.
Wood and chunky clunky tables everywhere, it gets packed and the bar staff [apart from one] are rude and so unwelcoming. This is place has an atmosphere but then you get annoyed because it takes forever to get served and when you do you are greeted with miserable faces and attitude.
It can be such a good pub if it knew what it was as a pub. I have had a few good nights in there but overall I do not recommend it to anyone as it is also expensive as well.
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I walk past this pub on a regular basis, and on summer evenings during the working week there must be about a hundred people standing outside drinking beer, wine , etc
so the pub must be doing something right.
The last time I managed to get to the bar (a Saturday afternoon) I had a couple of pints of
Czech dark lager ( I think it was from the Bernard brewery. £4-10 a pint.
There seems to be a mix of students, tourists, and during the week office staff.
The pub is five minutes walk north of Russell square tube stn
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Like this pub. Especially as they Black Sheep on.
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The Lord John Russell, Russell Square ought to bring their bar man here to be shown how to behave towards customers. And perhaps know the difference between red and white Rioja wine, and gain a further basic knowledge of products they sell.
The little shit.
This place is well run, clean and staff are exemplary in attitude and knowledge of the wines that they offer. Top marks. Our new local after last nights incident at the aforementioned pub.
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A great burger and fries and a nice pint of Yorkshire ale went down well on a Friday afternoon while a curiosity of this pub is the range of American ales on tap. It was once part of the egregious Goose chain so it's a massive improvement and at least has some singularity when viewed in relation to the chains of the Brunswick Centre. A good option for a post film pint after a trip to the Renoir cinema.
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Good looking trad building but far too clinical and sanitised for my liking? The wooden floors look like they were sanded that morning. Extra mark for doing Blue Moon.
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We had a good family lunch here, and I'd have liked to have tried more ales.
It had more of a restaurant atmosphere than a pub to be frank, but I'd expect later evenings that could perhaps change.
I found the staff efficient and friendly enough on this occasion.
I didn't think the prices for either food or drink were excessive, notably the food.
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Good location, great for sitting outside in good weather. Poorer late in the evening though when you're forced inside. Staff have that indifferent air that you often find in pubs in London.
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Lunchtime visit was very food led and had plenty of people eating. Beer prices expensive and 1 reason I have been cutting down on consumption.
Stonehenge Ales, Eyeopener £3.95!!! It did taste good, and so it should at this price, or any price come to that.
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Great location . Staff , although always friendly , sometimes struggle to pull a pint of bitter . The beers could also be kept in better condition. Food is very good though .. During the day it is very relaxed and comfortable and highly recommended inspite of the above.
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Surprised to read the previous 'studenty' comments, as felt a bit more gastro to me. Maybe that's just the decor.
Reasonably busy inside and outside on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Couple of tables reserved by a biggish party and we had a reserved sign placed on ours just before we left, so figure it must get busy so wise to book.
Five ales on tap - pint of Tribute and one from Yorkshire worked out around �3.70 each and seemed to be in pretty good nick.
And the guy behind the bar offered tasters too, which is always appreciated.
Not an area I generally find myself, but would be happy to go back if I were in Bloomsbury.
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Good food, nice staff, comfy sofas and a range of beers. The only issue is price, but it's not a cheap area. I like it, but can't always afford it.
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S'ok, very student heavy population. Can be very hard to get served at busy times but plenty of space to stand and drink outside if it's warm. Selection of ales is usually ok with 2 or 3 rotating. Not always the best quality but happy to change is you ask.
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Lovely pub with really really good food and an excellent selection of beers and ciders. Always lots of variable ale on draught. Nice decor and very comfy sofas! Would strongly recommend.
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Decent pub with a crowded studenty feel to it on the evening I visited. Decent ale selection with Exmoor Antler, Pride, Ryedales Winter Tale and Tribute along with a standard selection of lagers.
This pub was ok but so crowded that I found it difficult even to find a comfortable place to stand so if you want a quiet drink with friend it is one to steer clear of.
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What an awful pub!
Warm overpriced beer!
Unfriendly staff!
Rubbish atmosphere!
Smelly toilets!
Guess it would be a good place to catch salmonella though!
So if you fancy a week off work with bad guts, visit this dump!
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A gastro pub that just about clings on to it's traditonal pub feel.
Spoiled slightly by the fact that some utter mug has decided to call the upstairs bar the "drawing room".
Aspalls and Old Rosie Ciders on draught.
A decent enough pub and I'm pretty sure it's the same chain as The Crown and Greyhound in Dulwich Village.
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Good pub, had some excellent Harvey's Sussex Bitter at a reasonable price. The food was pretty good too. Went in here two nights running and found it to be friendly, lively and busy with a wide range of youngish clientele. Well worth finding.
By the way, it is called the Marquis Cornwallis, no 'of' anywhere in sight.
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Surprisingly I found this the best of 10 pubs I visited today. I remember visiting this pub when it was the Goose and this is a big improvement. Three real ales - London Pride, Tribute and Black Sheep were supplemented by Weston's Old Rosie and Aspall's cider. Mulled wine and cider was also available. Didn't find the clientele too snooty. Would happily return.
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Group of 8 of us went in at 12:30 on Wed afternoon for lunch.
Big signs urged us to try the mulled wine or winter Pimm's. OK, mulled wine, please. "Didn't make it". OK, winter Pimm's please. "Didn't make it". OK, just a pint of London Pride. "Keg's empty". (No sign, by the way). OK, glass of overpriced cabernet. That they had -- and it was sour, undrinkable plonk.
Ordered sirloin steak, medium rare. Got an unidentifiable slab of rubbery meat, cooked well done. The pepper sauce that came with it was foul. Chips were decent, oddly enough.
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Good pub for a meet up, lively atmosphere, good wines and beers, good food, can have a little bit a snooty atmosphere which is some times due to the bar staff but on the hole this is fun pub after work or at the weekend.
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Would agree with rob372 re the crowd. Just 2 ales on as I write, but have a guest real cider. Two draught weissbiers and a good bottle selection make this pleasant enough
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One other thing - I think this is called "Marquis Cornwallis" not "Marquis OF Cornwallis"...
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Yet another member of the unbranded gastro-chain which includes pubs like the Albany at Great Portland Street and Edinboro Castle in Camden Town. I popped into this one for a drink with friends early on a Saturday evening and thought it was quite good. I remember a scuzzy old Goose pub being here a few years ago and this is a vast improvement: two large, airy floors, each with a proper bar with real ale, four real ales when I visited including Tribute and Black Sheep, and quick and efficient service. In an area which I've always thought is oddly thin-on-the-ground for pubs, this one is worth a visit.
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Black sheep on offer, bit of a snooty young crowd in, the marquis doesn't feel inviting. I think its more geared up for the local hoorahs on the import fizz.
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They do an excellent Weissbier however the service is mediocre. Even when not busy, the staff seems un- able to manage. Lately the food has been abysmal to the point of our table bursting out laughing at what we received.
To complete the Faulty Towers situation the weekend manager is also abusive if you complain. Used to be a great place; I hope it comes good.
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For the array and diversity of beers you can't fault this place. There's 3-4 cask beers, Addlestones Cider, Fransiskaner, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and some premium lagers. The fact that most of the staff seem to know anything about them or how each needs pouring is a tad worrying. It's not cheap and can seem a bit pretentious but go at a quiet time and it's OK.
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I popped in here on Saturday evening and had a very nice pint of Landlord. The other three ales all seemed to be off for the night and the only other offerings were premium lagers. I found the barman to be friendly and knowledgeable enough and the other punters seemed like a good crowd.
The downstairs bar had a DJ who was playing some pretty good tunes, but I wasn�t really in the mood so I disappeared up to the quieter bar, which is sign posted as �The Drawing Room�.
If I lived locally this would probably be the �lets go there for a change� pub on the odd Friday/Saturday night.
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I agree with previous commenters. This has been my local for 1 1/2 years now and it has really gone to the dogs. It used to be a great pub although has always had problems with staff - there seems to be a high turnover and a lot of European staff who sometimes don't even know what a Pimms is! However the atmosphere used to be great and the food good.
Lately every time I've eaten there there has been some problem with the food - eg my friend had a beef roast being brought instead of lamb, chicken instead of halloumi, and being told half an hour after ordering that there was no nut roast. I did get a free meal out of them that time but when it arrived it was stone cold!
The most disappointing part is this used to be a good pub. So sad! 6/10 purely because the fish and chips are excellent.
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Relatively run-of-the-mill pub. Didn't eat here and after reading previous reviews I'm glad I didn't. But can't complain about the beer - a good choice of ales, with some unusual guest options. No problems getting a seat or getting served, although this was not surprising at 3pm on a midweek afternoon. Not bad if you're in the area, but there must be more inspiring venues nearby.
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Disappointing service and would not recommend to anyone. We ordered food which failed to arrive and we were given our money back without an apology. Dirty floor and dirty seats - it is a great shame as was a far better pub when it was the Goose.
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What a shame. This pub looks great, its big with plenty of room to get a seat. It turns out there is a reason for this.
The staff don't seem to be too worried about customer service, a justified complaint our group made about our food fell on very deaf ears from more than one staff member. Something billed on the menu as 'nachos with chunky chili' should surely contain more than a tablespoon full of chilli?
I won't be going back to eat here again.
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What a shame a once nice pub has gone to the dogs. Lovely pub and decor etc, shame about the warm wine and disappointing & overpriced food.
Even worse that it's served by surly, rude staff who clearly don't give a toss.
Used to love going here; will be avoiding like the plague in future.
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Awful place. Bad service even worse food. We ordered the chilli nachos which had a little over a teaspoon of beef chilli on the top. When we asked if we could order an extra bowl of chilli we were brought a bottle of tobasco and then a teacup of salsa. Mind you if the staff actually spoke english they might have understood what we were saying. When we actually complained about the portion of chilli size we were met with a "well that's how it comes" from another unhelpful member of staff.
It is definitely not the pub it used to be and if you go there steer clear of ordering food. You will be disappointed.
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@ zebulebu
I'm surprised at your experience with the beer. I've always found it to be in perfectly good condition, and I'm glad of the presence of Tim Taylor's. Your complaint about the age of the staff strikes me as totally preposterous, however. I can't for the life of me imagine how there's any legitimacy in complaining about being served by twenty-somethings. The use of the word 'bint' suggests a bigotry I don't want to delve into, anyway. And I'd like to add that if indeed you did stand at the bar and complain solidly at them for the entire time, then I don't think the staff is under any obligation to put up with that, and are well within their rights to tell you where to go.
My experience: good beer, great decor, good but not amazing food, and just a bit too pricy. But I do, and shall, return.
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Seems like a reasonable-enough place to me. Modernised, but not overdone, with a youngish (but not teenage) clientele. Real ale served in a jug, which is a rarity these days (but did require a little top-up). Lots of space in the upstairs bar.
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Jesus wept.
Been meaning to join this site for a while now - this is my first review. I used to love this place (admittedly that was a good few years back) but what a ****hole it is now.
Bar staff seem to exclusivley consist of arsey bints who don't look old enough to be serving alcohol - no matter how many crappy tattoos, piercings or moody barnets they have.
Beer was crap - poorly pulled with a head of about two inches and taste like the pipes had just been cleaned with bleach.
Didn't bother with any food as I was off to the Hare & Tortoise when I went (lovely place) so just there for a few beers before eating. Wish I hadn't bothered.
When I paid for the last round I gave the barmaid a card - and she promptly disappeared out the back for two minutes. When I asked why she had done it she said (and I quote) "You've done nuffink but fackin moan since you got ere. Why donchyoo piss orf" in her very best faux Camden adenoidal accent.
Don't worry love - I did, and won't be coming back!
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I seem to have had a different experience from everyone else. Had a couple of good pints of Tim Taylors, service was pretty quick despite being busy and the staff were friendly. The crowd was good too - not too many suits. I'd definitely go back.
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From recent postings I'd got the impression this place was slipping so I checked it out last weekend. No problems at all: Landlord on fine form, and all five were full pints without having to drive the point home. Burt's crisps on sale - good but pricey. Decent crowd in there, in stark contrast to the old Goose days, and to make the whole experience even more pleasant the French(?)girl who served me was as fit as the proverbial butcher's dog.
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staff were rude, house white wine truly disgusting - warm and pretty much undrinkable, they wouldn't change it, I would never go back!
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bit of a soppy boozer really.
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It seems that old habits die hard as this pub is slipping back into it�s old Goose ways. If you are in the area and don�t fancy it then the Holiday Inn right opposite has a decent bar.
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Yeah, second the comment about the staff. Slow and stingy. Pub overpriced but not totally awful. There are nicer pubs in Bloomsbury.
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I'm struggling to find any thing good to say - every time I've been (weekly for the last few months) the service has got worse and worse. There is a good selection of beers but you always have to ask for them to be topped up, even on glasses that allow more than an inch above the mark for a head. Then there's the food. It looks good on the menu but is truly awful, incipid goo.
So if you like awful service, half measures and bad food - this pub is for you.
zak39 - 27 Nov 2007 10:48 |
I loved this pub when it re-opened as The Marquis of Cornwallis. The Goose was a dive.
The Cornwallis started off well, but has slipped. The staff are usually indifferent to the service they give, and I've found them rude more than once. The food can be very hit and miss.
Prices are a little high, and pints are a little low. It packs out some nights and you won't necessarily get the pint you asked for. Whatever time of day, or day of the week, there'll always be at least a couple of the taps off. They can be very slow to replace an empty barrel.
The guest beer is the only thing that brings me back now. Sadly, The Cornwallis doesn't have much decent competition nearby.
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Nice pub, good range of european beers. No smirnoff ice, or other alco pops .. which means better beer to me!
Nice and clean.. upstairs a bit quiter
anonymous - 2 Sep 2007 19:24 |
The most improved pub in London? A big claim, yes, but justified.
Thoroughly cleaned up, in every sense, in comparison to The Goose. No longer in the habit of selling beer past its sell-by date to lowlife morons who wouldn't even notice. Beer range now focused primarily on upmarket lagers, although on the day of my visit 3 handpumps were in use: Spitfire, the increasingly ubiquitous Landlord and something called Butcombe Blond. I had Old Rosie, in decent condition. One might say it should be at �3.00 per pint, but if a slight premium on the prices discourages the dross that used to frequent this place I'm not complaining.
Fully accessible, including disabled toilet.
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allegedly a nice enough pub. But reviews on this site are right. Watch your bag.
anonymous - 11 Jul 2007 02:04 |
It seems nice enough, but bar staff were pouring the shortest pints I've ever seen outside of Northumberland. Sure, they were happy to top them up, but one should not have to ask.
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That said it isn't a bad pub in the modern idiom. Three ales - Spitfire, Bishops Finger, T Taylor Landlord - and a range of non-standard lagers.
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Yes, expect to ask for top-ups. And be ware of your bag. Mine was nicked here.
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We stumbled across this pub last night while searching for a place with seats on a Saturday night and were pleased to get a table. It was busy enough, but there's a great feeling of space in this pub - the tables are not crammed together and conversations can be kept private. I really like the interior, it has character. I will definitely be visiting again!
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A reasonable selection of beers. Poor quality but friendly staff: Expect to ask for top-ups. Good (not cheap) food and the menu is as slippery as an eel so don't expect to be able to order what's listed, or get exactly what you order. There seems to be a bit of thieving going on in this pub so watch your bags (that said this is the big smoke so I may have just observed 2 bad nights).
This is quite a negative review of what is a good pub. Overall its slightly less then the sum of its parts and it just disappoints me because of that...
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Perfectly adequate boozer-BUT was in last night and three Hooray Henrys came in with green wellies,tweed hats, and barbour jackets! What is going on, the nearest farm must be 40 miles away???
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Went there with a group of friends (surprisingly I still have some, not many mind you) and we had a great meal.
Shame they don't have a good bottled beer selection, but the draught makes up for it.
anonymous - 22 Dec 2006 18:45 |
OK, it's become a gastropub and has all kinds of posh lah-di-dah beers in it and would probably make CAMRA sick to the stomach, but you know what, it's actually really nice.
Expensive, but it feels like you're actually getting something good for the extra money you spend. The Hefeweissner beers on tap are top notch.
koosh - 14 Dec 2006 00:44 |
I have to say I am impressed. The ales aren't exactly inspiring (house beers are the increasingly ubiquitous TTL and Spit, with Black Sheep as guest), but the range of drinks available is very good, a decent wine list, abbey beers, wheat beers, fruit beers, real ciders, unusual lagers. The food is exactly what I like in pub food, better to have a quality burger, sausage or cottage pie than a poor attempt at restaurant food. Prices are OK too, most meals around the 6-7 quid mark. Good to find a pub with no TV screens, I just hope they don't pay for it on midweek evenings. For all I know though, there might be a big screen upstairs now.
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Now up and running as the 'Marquis of Cornwallis' under M&B ownership. Lovely place, very much a gastropub rather than a pub-pub but a good example of the style. Sunday roast was fantastic and staff were nice. Good beer selection including (unusually) Liefmans Frambozen on tap. Great place.
anonymous - 26 Nov 2006 21:38 |
Obviously I'm going mental, it was the Goose and Granite and then dropped the Granite.
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I hate to contradict Mr Stonch, but I think he may be wrong about the new name being 'Marchmont Street'.
Clue 1: The pub sign, featuring a picture of Charlie Cornwallis
Clue 2: The words 'Marquis of Cornwallis' on the front of the pub (Coram St side, granted it does say Marchmont St on the other side. My guess is that this is the address, what with the pub being on Marchmont Street and all)
Clue 3: The pub did used to be called the Marquis of Cornwallis, before changing to the Goose and Garnite and then eventually dropping the goose.
Anyway, maybe Stonch will turn out to be right. As long as the beer and food improve, that'll be a start.
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Refurb more or less complete and sign outside says it open on Wednesday. Indeed staff were having a drink inside when I passed and all the bottles were on the shelves etc. Will be called "Marchmont Street". Hmmm.
Looking at the decor (brown, loungey sofas, faux-knocked about tables and names on the beer taps (Bellevue Kriek et al), looks like it might be an M&B unbranded effort. A good location no doubt, now that the Brunswick Centre is up and running and Waitrose spills out just next to it.
Certainly the Goose was a khazi so although this place looks entirely formulaic, all of the above is almost certainly good news. Can't summon up any enthusiasm though.
anonymous - 20 Nov 2006 12:37 |
