please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
In our hunt for a "proper pint" on Commercial Street last night, we dropped in for what was going to be a swift visit but then became a longer stay when what looked like a table from someone's garden became free. At £6.30 a pint, I expected the Timothy Taylor Landlord to be nectar - it wasn't quite but it was enjoyable.
|
The elderly barmaid/landlady of the Golden Heart obviously needs to retire, judging by her inability to pour a pint after changing the barrel, but mainly for her lack of any decent customer service.
She looked very worn out on the day I made the mistake of visiting this pub, and she couldn't seem to cope with the queue of about two other customers. I can only assume this was the reason for her loud, verbal aggression towards me when I'd done nothing wrong and had, in fact, waited patiently for her to attempt to pour two drinks.
Don't bother with this place - the drinks are overpriced (and, from reading other reviews, frequently variably-priced too). I paid something like £8 for a pint and a half of beer - the actual price was mumbled at me and I almost didn't get my change due to the onslaught of abuse hurled at me.
This pub probably only survives due to the support of a few regulars, who perhaps feel sorry for this person or maybe find her outbursts entertaining. There are far better pubs nearby.
|
called in on our way to the rugby at the Olympic Park yesterday...greeted by Sandra who was very pleasant...Had a pint of Youngs and my mate had a Coke...no mention of get a "proper drink" to him...so all in all ,a nice pub which I will revisit when down that way....Reading all the previous postings it appears there may be a hidden agenda toward this pub and landlady..most of the posts are by people who have only left one comment on this website leading me to assume they are all the same person...so no way does this pub warrant a 3 out of 10...so pay a visit and decide for yourself !
|
The only pub (so far) that I've rated zero on this site. What can they expect when they charge £2.90 for a half of bitter (but £3.80 for a pint)! Left without drinking or paying.
|
Superb reviews here. I want to go back! Couldn't pass it by, having been here many years ago. When I saw Tracey.
This time just some five a side footballers.
Super Timothy Taylor and a great jukebox.
Definately coming back.
|
Just to reiterate, the landlady is nuts. My girlfriend and I were only drinking halves. I was surprised they charged £5.70 for two that were only £3.70 for pints. I asked to speak to the landlady, who told me pricing was nothing to do with her (despite being the landlady) and said I should come back the next day. I said (politely) that I probably wouldn't. She shouted at me for being aggressive as she wrestled my drink out of my hand. As my girlfriend pointed out, I'm 5'7", what was I going to do, bite her ankles? At least she gave me my money back. Stay away! Every other pub in the area is a better bet and has a much better selection of beers. When I order, I asked the girl serving what interesting beers she had, she looked at me blankly and said none. Genius.
|
LANDLADY NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO PLANET EARTH
SHES AN ABSOLUTE OBNOXIOUS HORROR OF A THING WHO HAS HAD HER EGO INFLATED BY TRENDY ARTY TYPES WHO SHE SUCKS UP TO FOR ATTENTION
IF YOUR NOT A CELEB YOU MIGHT AS WELL NOT BOTHER AS YOUR TREATED LIKE SOMETHING SHE HAS SCRAPPED OFF HER SHOE.DONT KNOW HOW SHE GETS AWAY WITH HER BEHAVIOUR
|
Never have i felt the need to write a review about anything before but went into this pub last week with a small group of friends and had been happily drinking and spending a lot of money for over an hour when we decided to oredr taxis to move on , after being told they would be about 15 min we decided to order another half while waiting . WOW the landlady all of a sudden went off on one saying we were all drunk and she was refusing to serve us anymore , which is just baffling because 5 minutes earlier she was chatting happily to me about how nice it is to see people out enjoying Christmas. Think the real reason is she is very very hostile towards (Non Trendy Shoreditch Types) and thinks genuine eastend locals are not fit to drink in her pretentious establishment , so sad there are landladys like this who look down on the people who earn her a living , came away feeling very sad as someone whos lived in the area all my life.
|
Do not go to this pub! There are plenty of others around Commercial St, like the Ten Bells, which will give you a friendly service and you will not open yourself to the bad manners and verbal abuse from the land lady and her daughter behind the bar. Last Thursday my wife and I decided to pop-in to the Golden Heart, as we had done on a casual basis since 2007, on our way to Brick Lane. Things began very civilised, chatting to other drinkers and even exchanging rounds of drinks and generally minding our own business. It was at this point the landlady approach my wife and called her Mary Poppins (which was funny as she was wearing a spotted dress) but then she followed that up by calling her “A RAG HEAD” as she was also wearing a scarf – the term Rag Head is derogatory and in addition for all she knew my wife could have had some serious illness to contend with (thankfully she hasn’t but put another person in that situation who has!). The verbal abuse continued and my wife became distraught and wanted to leave but I had to deal with the matter first. On approaching the landlady I was then accused of taking cocaine and other substances and was immediately barred from the pub and pushed out in to the street - By the way I am a 43 year old family man. Outside I was trying to console my wife and it was at this point the daughter began taking mobile phone photos of us with a smile on her face!! We spent all weekend agonising over what went wrong and then, curious, looked up some reviews and to our aghast we saw many many other similar experiences had been written about the landlady and her daughter. The brewery should do something about her but they won’t! I repeat, do not go to this pub – I won’t be…………..i’m barred anyway!
|
Astonishing rudeness and belligerence! I wanted a pint but needed the loo first. The elderly woman behind the bar shouted at me and claimed that the toilets were not working. When I expressed some surprise at this, she advanced on me from behind the bar in a very confrontational way, clearly having prejudged (as she did with some other reviewers above) that I had simply come in to use the toilet. Why do breweries tolerate staff like this? Needless to say, I went for a drink elsewhere. The place was nearly empty and I could see why. Tracey Emin is welcome to it.
Does the name 'Golden Heart' break trades description regulations, I wonder?
|
Large corner location ex-Truman's pub. Well kept, and with a good traditional feel inside. Attractive roaring hot open fire in the corner. Wallpaper that looks like corrugated iron. Adnams Broadside and a couple of other regular ales. Was crowded and noisy on our visit, but OK. An OK pub. not offensive but nothing special. The landlady, Sandra Esqulant, is popular with the media locals, and is a friend of Tracey Emin who drinks here.
|
The landlady is a twat, the locals worse.
|
Seemed okay from the outside, but got shafted twice by the bar staff. Whilst there I went to the bar three times to get the same round of two drinks. The first time I was charged �8. Second time it was �8.70 for some reason, and then the girl said she could only give me �1 change from a tenner because the till had run low on coins! Third time it was �8-something, I couldn't quite hear the last bit, but she (a different girl this time) didn't give me any change back from the �9 I handed over. Just started serving the next customer. The place was packed so I didn't have the energy to argue over a few pence (although I now wish I had). Perhaps they are just clueless, but it seems odd to be fleeced twice in a row like that by different bar staff.
|
am i alone in being unable to figure out the landladys erratic (rude/bullying)eccentric behaviour -i just dont geddit.
|
Rudest woman behind the bar (older 'lady' - heavily 'made up' - wouldn't give her name) - We entered yesterday around 5pm intending to have a drink - I walked around the bar to see what Real Ales were on offer as my husband availed himself of the facilities. I was amazed when the Barmaid - who was in the middle of serving another couple demanded to know whether we were going to order drinks - I said that I was going to have a Brandy & Coke and that my Husband was a real Ale drinker - I didn't know which one he wanted, but that he would order for us when he returned - She then went mad and accused me of coming out of the Market and using their toilets (the Market, by the way, has it's own toilets!) - I explained that this wasn't the case. By this time I was both annoyed and embarrased - I asked whether She was the Licensee - She referred to herself as Manager and said that we could not have a drink and that we had to get out! Quite annoyed, still, that She treated us in this way - We are a middle aged couple - smartly dressed - certainly not in any way deserving of that attitude - Would heartily recommend that anyone using the Market did go into this Pub to use the toilets - As to have a drink here is certainly not conducive to a good time! We will be writing to the Brewery to complain as her treatment of prospective customers is nothing short of disgusting - On reading other reviews it might seem that She was playing to the gallery - Certainly she reeked of alcohol - Shame really that the Pub is in such a prime location and obviously has a healthy turnover because of that location - I wonder how long the Brewery would have kept her there if it wasn't the case. Unfortunately this lady believes in her own press - big mistake.
|
The landlady and her staff seem to live in a parallel universe to their customers, in which the only overlap that occurs is to take your cash or your drink and throw you out. I suppose if one could see inside their universe one might be able to understand their actions, but I think it really would be quite scary to be in heir head space. I think I'll stick to acid, it's safer! If you're an anthologist with an interest in cults this would be a good case study though, and you'd have a great excuse for staying in the pub all day. Just make sure you don't go native!
|
i personally stopped going to this boozer 4 years ago because i was tired of the insulting looks and comments from sandras daughter-the christian bale clone-(i kid you not)--beer was awful then and i doubt if it has improved-full of middle class home counties twats-the sort that make you grateful for mass immigration occurring-very anti workimg class pub.
|
It is a credit to this website that the reviews below truly reflect just how awful the service in this pub is. Other websites are full of the usual cant about "traditional east end boozer" and "charming mother and daughter landladies". The truth is, the service in this dreadful pit has to be seen to be believed. Perhaps they could incorporate it as an additional horror in the tour for the Jack the Ripper tourists. They show nothing but contempt for their customers. I was in there and a large bowl of peanuts had been left in front of customers on the bar. I had a couple of peanuts while I waiting for the hatchet faced bar maid to serve me. Suddenley I am confronted by a furious barmaid accusing me of theft and shouting about how the peanuts are for the staff! Planet Earth to The Golden Heart: If you leave peanuts on the bar in a pub, customers assume they are put there for their benefit.
I would recommend this pub if you are in the area and you want to go and point and laugh at the most unpleasant and obnoxious bar staff in the UK.
|
I have got to say, the bar staff are probably the rudest I have ever come across. Went in last week and the Landlady's Daughter was flushing out the Fosters. Stupidly, I asked for 2 pints of the stuff. It was warm and tasted like shit.
When telling the landladies daughter the beer was warm, she basically put her hand around my pint and told me it wasn't.
Rather than confronting her about it I went and sat down with my colleague.
2 minutes later, Sue, the landlady come steaming down the stairs like a banshee, shouting out "Who says the beer is warm ?"
I politely went up with my pint and explained. She poured out a centimetre of beer in the pint, tasted it and barked "no it ain't"
Could not believe how rude she was !!
Unless you want to get abused by the staff, I suggest you stay well away from this shithole.
|
UN-freakin-BELIEVABLE!!! Went for a quick catchup with a friend at the Golden Heart. I ordered a Guinness, he asked for a water. Satan, sorry, Sandra approached us after we got our drinks and asked my friend, "you gonna get a proper drink? This isn't a youth hostel you know". I calmly pointed out that I'd bought a pint and we didn't specify tap water. She promptly snatched my pint, slammed about �2 on the bar and said, "there's your money, go and drink somewhere else". I didn't even raise my voice or use any naughty words; I was in shock. She clearly hasn't suffered any consequence of her rudeness, and I'm not advocating corporal punishment, but if ever anyone deserved a dry slap...
|
Strange place - packed and only one lady behind the bar who actually said to me "I hate this bloody place!" haha - I guess she was stressed though as she was on her own - but got my drinks and they were ok - might be better on a quieter day!!
|
Looks like a large corner pub from the outside but so much of the inside is given over to the bar that there�s not a great deal of room. For some bizarre reason the wall paper in this pub has a 3D effect which makes it look like the walls are covered in corrugated iron, I�m sure they have a book behind the bar with a note of the number of people who check whether it is or not. The only ale available was Adnams, which wasn�t that good.
|
I went to this place once with a couple of friends and I can sum up my visit in three (very polite) words...NEVER EVER AGAIN!!!
Worst service I have encountered! Who I believe is the owner of the bar, a middle-age woman, served us an open and what probably was a refilled bottle of wine. When asking to get another bottle of wine, she literally snapped, refused to serve us and told us to leave! First time in my life that I get such bad service. And what's worse, is that in 21st century, multicultural London, there are still some bar owners like this one focusing on people's origins, looks and accents to insult them.
To sum up, if you are looking for bad service, rude bar owner and an unwelcoming treatment towards foreigners/non-British looking people, well this is definetely the place.
|
I've been to this place once and never again. Although the staff werre polite and jocular on my visit. The beer was dreadful and the clientele were a mix of trustafarian wannabe Easte Enders and some older soaks who never were. they combined to make my visit with friends from out of town deeply unpleasant. Ia ma fraid tha this is one to avoid.
|
We passed by this evening for a warmer. Service appalling. We sat down, eventually, to observe singleton at next table get up to get another beer (which took even longer than our service), at which point two girlies nabbed his table, his paper. Then called their mates to come sit down. 4 in all giggling intruders. He turns round to his table and is told "sit over there". Half a minute later we are told to "move, you're blocking the bar" by incompetent, rude, barmaid - we are sitting at the corner end of the bar, not blocking anyone. Sympathetic look from banished bloke; we emptied drinks pdq, never going back.... (and we've been living round here for 15 years) Trash.
|
Very busy and another traditional ex-Trumans pub not far from the brewery and at the end of Brick Lane. I don't think there are any pubs in Brick Lane proper any more with the Seven Stars vanishing but there are ones like this nearby. Old Ale was fine.
|
Heart of Spitalfield - I meant Pride of Spitalfields
|
Popped in last week - it's a nice traditional two-room wood-panelled pub with an open fire roaring and an appealing little dog snoozing in front of it. Unfortunately the warm glow of the fire was more than negated ny the fact that they had the street door wide open - in fact the place was freezing.
Beer was Adnams Bitter and Broadside - so not much variety.
The plus point of this pub is that it has a somwhat rustic feel despite being on Commercial Rd and opposite the newly souped up Spitalfield Market. The downside is that management appear unaware of this advantage and do very little to make the place stand out.
Williams and the Heart of Spitalfield are better options within 10 mins walk as well as The Gun, Shooting Star, Dirty Dicks....
So no real reason to visit here other than curiosity.
|
Absolutely appalling management. Was recently serve a pint containing a considerable amount of bleach. Landlady's daughter refused to appologise and pretty much blamed me for it being there.
Avoid!
|
This was a great pub, now its just another pub. When the landlady started believing her own press it turned her eccentricity into arrogance, and many like me simply walked away. I went back recently to see what had happened to the place, and its sad to see where it is now. More sad was to hear that the landlord Dennis had passed away, as despite his 'old fashioned views', he was a good guy at heart. Many people will remember the old Golden Heart before the press spoiled it and, regardless of what its become now, the landlady and her family should feel proud to have been part of a great period of time in East London's history, which is sadly now lost.
|
Dennis the Lanlord sadly passed away last Sunday after a 6 month battle with Cancer.
My deepest sympathy to Sandra , Katie and all the Family.
30 years In The Heart this year a great pub .
Dennis was old school London "One of your own"
RIP
|
It retains a number of its original Victorian features, including separate saloon and public bars, plus wood-panelled walls. There was a fire blazing away (gas-fired I suppose) with a dog in front of it, giving the place a somewhat rustic effect � false of course, with the frenetic Commercial Road outside. They had Adnam�s Bitter and Broadside on, but no idea what they were like as no-one appeared to serve me in the saloon bar, so I left. It�s a nice enough pub, but low marks for service.
|
very poor beer
|
Had to reassess myt view of Sandra....I was recently inbibing in the Golden Heart only to be confronted by what appeared to be quite a drunken Landlady. To my, my mate's and if I'm not mistaken the landladies daughter's embarrassment I was told I was a bully and to leave as I was barred!
It's safe to say I wasn't expecting that!! I have no idea whatsoever about what was going on and a strong urge to find out what it is she thought was going on, I won't, I will take my custom else where! Maybe I'm not trendy enough!
|
I agree with other users that the service can be very slow when its busy. This pub has been run by the same couple Sandra and Dennis for many years (early 80's) and they have weathered the storm since the market closed and turned the business into a profitable concern through hard work.
I love going in there to people watch because you never know whats going to happen one minute to the next.....with all the local freaks and floppies coming in there to try and meet their heroes smelly pete Doherty et al ... makes it far more interesting than a all bar one and other shite chain pubs with their sterile, boring sameness.
its a different kind of pub .... visit it and try it out for yourself ...
|
On a recent visit to this pub my friend was served a pint of lager that had a very strong metallic taste. Not uncommon I acknowledge but whenever I have had an unpleasant drink before, bar staff are always willing to change the drink.
Not here! Instead the woman behind the bar literally shouted at us and told us there was nothing wrong with it. Another member of staff appeared from the other side of the bar looking like he was about to offer an apology for his colleagues attitude.
Unfortunately not ! He told us if we didn't like the lager to get out.
If you like lager that tastes like copper and bar staff that would rather fight you than serve you a drink then this is the place for you.
|
Bar service - is like something devised in the novels of the great Russian surrealists - where the main character is sent on wild goose chases and up blind alleys only to end up hours later back where he started!
Instead, I recommend the 1 ltr bottles of Budvar which can be bought at the Tesco 24hr shop a few doors along, and opened by the security guard! We did this and had a good couple of hours drinking outside. The pavement is all public highway, the barstaff can't cope - so everyone's a winner here?
|
Thw wind blows hot and the wind blows cold, I really dont know what to make of this place, I've had a couple of good nights in here, other times it's so full of 'pretentious music journalist' types.
|
I was in this pub only last weekend. gets quite busy and can take a while to get served; why don't these places employ more staff? great jukebox, young crowd ('til we walked in) and a friendly atmosphere.
One thing to be aware of: we were stood outside as there's little room inside, and I've never been so hassled by bums/drunks/spongers in all my life. amusing at first but soon grows tiresome. even saw stupid old pete doherty outside later, and yes, he was being hassled by the bums!
|
This is a pub that really polarises opinion, judging by these reviews and the differing opinions of myself and my flatmate. My flatmate rates this pub as one of his favourites, I cannot stand the place.
The landlady (I take it her name is Sandra) and the rest of the staff are the slowest of any I have ever encountered, the atmosphere is none existent and the beer is poor (on a good day).
|
was a great pub a few years ago. Now - as is always the case, it has been ravaged by pretencious wannabes. Sandra seems to like them though and tends to forget where all the custom has come from over the years. Still worth a visit, but find a more loyal publican as you local pint puller
|
I live down the road from this pub and spend a lot of time and money there. The interior is great, the beer's okay, it's always lively and they show sport. The girls behind the bar are pleasant, and after going there for a year they finally know my drink! However, the landlady seems to disapprove of me, which takes the edge of things a little.
Mind you, I suppose with the amount of trade the place does she can pick and choose her clientele.
|
Great pub. Sandra's alright, always been kind to me. Great juke box, often topped up by Sandra. Beer in good nick, fresh flowers everywhere and loads of silly looking wallybags to point at and discuss loudly and openly without fear of assault.
|
Quite busy for a Tuesday night. It was like being on the set of a Nathan Barley shoot. Lots of daft haircuts & mad clothes.
That being said, I thought the Guiness was good & the barstaff were efficient and friendly. It had a game on as well.
No sign of the landlady which disappointed me. I was looking forward to watching her in action.
|
I like the pub, good guinness!! Lots of moaning about Sandra, if you don't like it leave! Found her generally hungover but on good form. Dougie seems to keep a good pint. If you want the slug and lettuce then you know what to do, the wife and I like it!!!
|
Miserable landlady, waited ages for adnams to be changed and then she says 'I'm too busy you'll av to av John Smiths'.....
|
Trouble with this place is the clientel - obnoxious mockney types. That and the fact that the unpleasant landlady can'y be bothered keeping a decent pint makes this one to avoid.
|
used to be one of the best pubs in the area, now full of typical shoreditch brigade. Landlady Sandra (whilst longstanding) has to be one of the rudest people on the face of this earth, beer is shit, pull it down.
anonymous - 23 Aug 2006 12:24 |
Nice street corner pub - can't really call it a local with all that passing trade. Intact Trumans interior in both bars, Adnams ales, and a good place to sit and watch people go by. Dog which could at first blush be mistaken for an ambulatory mop likes to sniff around.
Music was too loud for 6 of a summer afternoon though!
|
Amazing! Visited here after a few years absence and it's virtually unchanged. Just what a pub used to be like in my youth. The survival of the Trumans woodwork and mirror is remarkable. Interesting customers and a highly individual landlady. Go there!
|
Fine East End local with splendidly intact Trumans interior. Recommended
|
The best pub in London, many drunken fun evenings.... Sandra's fantastic. Just don't be rude, then you might be in trouble. She's got the most loyal regulars in london. cheers sandra x
|
Awash with Nathan Barley and his bubbleheaded mates. This was one fine boozer back in the day, before the trustafarians moved in. Still worth a visit if only to see the (almost) uniquely intact panelled Truman/Hanbury interior.
|
Possibly the rudest Landlady in London. She asked me and two freinds to leave after only our second drink, as "we were quite clearly drunk". Obviously our faces did not fit with the crowd in there, and we left immediately. DO NOT BOTHER WITH THIS PUB.
|
Hmmmm it's a bit scabby though , well unless they've renovated in the last decade, and the beer wasn't very cold when i was in (2002).
Stuart - 15 Jun 2004 16:38 |
Singing and dancing and laughing and drinking...Sandra's Golden Heart is a beacon of good beer and good fun on the Commercial Road. With its smashing interior, singalonga jukebox and crazy landlady, there really isn't a better pub in London. If only there were a few more pubs like this, maybe we'd all be slightly better people.
Seb - 11 Jun 2004 14:28 |
BLINKIN MARVELLOUS! Real open fire in the winter. Landlady is very charming and perfectly mad. Good range of beers, proper old Truman/Hanbury panelled interior. Love it.
Dan - 14 May 2004 11:11 |
A fantastic pub with an authentically 'local' atmosphere (despite its trendy placing) and very friendly service (although MissyMary is right about the landlady..). Apologies to Tracey for cornering her for an ART DISCUSSION when my friend and I were wasted. There's no excuse for that sort of behaviour.
K - 28 Jan 2004 13:20 |
this is the pub where you will find the original brit art crowd. i have often seen tracey emin rolling around on the pavement outside, and would also reccommend this boozer on a sunday afternoon. ferocious landlady, and well worth a visit.
missymary - 6 Jan 2004 19:20 |
