please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Camden Hills stout was surprisingly pleasant nay superior as a stand-in for Guinness.
Apparently the Sunday jazz went pre-COVID.
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I visited with five others on a Wednesday evening in July 2015. I ordered a bottle of ginger beer. It was a small bottle and relatively expensive. For some reason when I compared the amount in the glass with that of my companion it was significantly less (ice was not a factor). I returned to the bar, received no apology simply a replacement. The member of staff then poured the contents of the deficient glass away. Under the circumstances better to offer it to the customer I'd have thought. All of us were separately of the opinion that the staff were disinterested to the point of being ill-mannered. The space was cramped and the music so loud it was difficult to have a conversation. For me there were no redeeming features of this establishment - none of us will be returnng.
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Once was my local but visited for the first time in several years and am gutted.
Refurbished as a gastropub they have sucked all character and life out of it with the dredging of all the homely and comfortable fittings : now we have pompous yet thick bar staff, over priced but average food etc etc. What do i expect it is Primrose Hill after all, but i would have loved to have sat reading a paper in the pub it once was, the old jazz guys with a great tasty pie and homemade chips of a few years ago. How times have changed for the worse, avoid this place like the plague now or stick to all bar one or some dreary identikit establishment.
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Really lovely pub serving delicious food and with a great selection of craft beers and cocktails! Went for a meal last night and had such a great time. Staff all lovely too. Looking forward to going on a Sunday to try the roast!
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ameliegells: you fool no-one and are clearly a member of the management. I claim my £10!
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Celebrated with 6 people a 75th birthday party here last Friday and was very surprised how quiet it was,but had a good time.
The only problem is there doesnt seem to be any staff leadership as the service was haphazard at best.
After spending 5 hours drinking and eating and spending a lot of money,we were hustled out (The barman even put the screwtop back on the bottle) at 11.20 .We were about to go anyway but found all this unnessasary. All the staff Knew the Birthday boy so was also surprised that the pub did not offer him a birthday drink,which would have been a nice touch.
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All the character has been sucked out of it after the refurb. The wallpaper is bordering on pure comedy and the once cosy bar area is now a hollow cavern with too much space.
After being a fairly regular visitor for the last three years I'll not be returning.
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Great Great Night!!!
This newly refurbished pub is a breath of fresh air! The food was superb. I shared the meat platter and it was delicious. The service was good and we loved the atmosphere.
Looking forward to going again next Sunday for a roast and a bit of Jazz!
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Before: homely and traditional.
Now: just another aspirational gastropub, like all the others, but perhaps a little more gaudy than others in the area.
In summary: fucking ruined
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Just two handpumps since the refurb, on my Sunday lunchtime visit there were Greene King IPA and Jennings Cumberland Ale available, although I stuck to the Beck's Blue (0.5% ish) as I hadn't been well (nothing to do with drink, I hasten to add).
London Pride was the only ale the previous time we visited in June � and is listed on the menu at not a bad price for the area, so I'd imagine the other ales are priced likewise.
Jazz fans may be interested to note that the Sunday session is now 2-5pm (previously 2-4) and there is an advert for soul-jazz-funk (no band name) for an early evening residency (worth phoning as I can't remember exactly when it is).
No problem with any of the staff. Food we have tried recently: Fish Pie, Fish Fingers, Beefburger were all enjoyed.
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I went to this pub last night as I have recently moved into Primrose Hill. The atmosphere was cold and it seemed to have a real unwelcoming vibe. I ordered the drinks for my friend and I. It took a while for the lady behind the bar to sort out the change and when she did she avoided my open hand and put the change on the bar. I looked at her and was speechless. She just looked at my as if to say 'what?'.
We went down the road to another bar which was amazingly friendly, comfortable and served beautiful drinks. I'll review that place next. It will be my local and the Princess will be avoided forever. I just found it rude, uncomfortable and - one last thing - recently decorated downstairs and the smell of fresh cut wood was overpowering...........it's the sort of thing that can be fixed if people make the effort...it's just not a pub for me...sorry.
I've given it 1/10 just to be polite. It would have had 0/10 were it not for the really nice beer garden - but then again what is the point in having a nice beer garden if you employ rude staff?
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Yep, as another reviewer suggested: the fairly recent installation of the mega screen has destroyed the character of the place.
Pubs ain't what they used to be.
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Place definitely has ambience, with friendly atmosphere, but the accent is on selling food, perhaps now a commercial imperative.
Hope they don't do anything else like the fairly recent installation of the mega screen because it's going to destroy the character of the place, and not necessarily bring in any more custom - or at least, custom that's wanted.
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I took my friend here for Sunday dinner. At �12 for a roast I expected it to be quite special. Unfortunately it was quite the opposite. The two slices of roast beef were dry, over cooked and chewy. When pointed out, the waitress offered to replace the burnt Yorkshire pud that accompanied it, but it never arrived. We also had to wait for another table to be served in-between receiving our dinner and the cutlery. There was no diet coke (by pump or bottle) or any substitute for it. The place had a lovely feel to it and both the menu and specials board looked delicious. It�s such a shame the service and products didn�t accompany it.
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Cavernous dog friendly pub tucked away on a side street off Primrose Hill. Spent a few hours in there for New Year's Eve and had a thoroughly nice evening. Friendly staff and customers, no issues getting a seat and a choice of three ales - Pride, Chiswick and Adnams. Extensive food menu too. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.
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First visit to this lovely pub last night. I wanted to escape Camden Town & found this gem. Bar staff were very friendly & there was no problem getting served. We tried out the pizza menu & it was fabulous. I loved the decor & all the local history on the walls, nicely laid out, cosy & comfortable. I will definately return.
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Pleased to report that nothing much has changed. The best jazz musicians in Great Britain � Jim Mullen, Art Themen, Terry Smith � backed by a serious quality house trio on Sunday afternoons. Pride a v reasonable �3 (for London). Changes since my last visit seem to be that Italian food is a speciality and the staff are now all in black. Like the Double Deckers (ft Brinsley Forde) used to say, SEE YOU NEXT WEEK! (and the week after)
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Freehold up for auction according to Evening Standard, also noting that the 'Banksy' in the yard is probably a fake. Fingers crossed that it remains an ale and jazz pub.
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Didn't have a problem getting a table on a Sunday lunchtime. The pub is larger than appears from the photos, since there is more space in the basement and a courtyard behind the pub too. Smarter than most pubs, nicely done out without losing its 'pubiness' (yes, I mean pub-iness, not pube-iness).
I would heartily recommend the roast dinners; roasties not all that, but the rest was fantastic. No major complaints about the beer; averagely expensive for the area.
Main disappointment was the staff. Generally inattentive (you may need to raise your voice to get noticed, even when no other customers at the bar) and woefully incompetent when trying to move customers and tables so the jazz band could set-up in the corner of the bar. I dread to think how they cope when it's busy...
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It seemed rather more a "local's" pub than you would expect for the area, though not unfriendly. Bar staff seemed fine, though perhaps not so good as to rave about. I tried the Tiger (the guest ale) which was good, and the Pride which was average.
I would agree the place has been "talked up" somewhat. It is a perfectly decent local, and that in itself is quite something in this part of London. I wouldn't go out of my way to go back though. 7/10 for me, though I could just as easily have given it a 6.
mps77 - 11 Dec 2009 11:17 |
Reasonably traditional ungentrified, but slightly upmarket, street corner local in a back street of Primrose HILL.
It's a single bar pub with the bar centally situated, but with a couple of cosy alcoves at the side and back.
On my recent Sunday early afternoon visit, it was standing room only as a jazz band were playing in one corner of the pub, but it empted out a bit after 4 pm when the jazz band finished.
The pub is well decorated, but the large plain glass windows and pot plants make the experience a bit like drinking in a conservatory and it's a bit offputting being gawped at by the passers by outside.
Beers on were Adnams, London Pride and Brains SA. The Adnams - � 2.90p - was not particularly good.
I didn't dislike this pub particularly,but, rather like a certain pub in Pimlico that hardly needs naming, the POW seems to be a pub that has been "talked up" out of all proportion and its current BITE rating is distinctly out of kilter.
I may pop in again if passing through, but this is not a pub worth going out of your way to get to
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This is a light, clean, refreshing sort of pub. It looks a bit like upmarket tea rooms in a funny sort of way. It has tall windows on two sides (it�s on a corner) providing a lot of light. In the main part of the pub seating is provided by metal framed wicker chairs and normal round tables, but in a raised area at the back on the right there is a more comfortable, but perhaps less minimalist, seating area. It has a central island bar with a floral display on the stillion in middle, and a pine clad bar counter. I suppose I would say that for a pub it�s a bit chintzy. But it has a rather nice fireplace, with a fire on the go, which gave it a much warmer feel than it would otherwise have had. I also liked the delft style pottery on display on a shelf above the windows, as well as all the photographs and other assorted clutter on the walls.
Ales on were Adnam�s Broadside, London Pride and a guest of Darling Bud, plus Weston�s Vintage Organic Still Cider on pump. I had the Darling Bud of course, which I rather enjoyed, at the usual sort of price of �3.05 a pint. The food menu was to be found on separate chalkboards around the place, with a third chalkboard outside one of the doors displaying the sandwich menu. Personally I think they would do better to have a printed menu so that customers can be sure of seeing everything on offer in one hit, as it were. This is another pub in this area that was clearly a traditional backstreet boozer at some stage, but which has intentionally moved upmarket. But the longer I stayed the more I liked it. I would be happy to drop in for another pint or two if I was in the area, but I really don�t think that it deserves to be at No 4 in the BITE rankings.
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Oh Planner, we have to meet and go for a drink we could talk and argue all night.
festy - 19 Sep 2009 01:25 |
Er...it seems you indeed struggle to read. Or recall your own words, even though they're on this very page. You definitely wrote "...all your reviews on this site are negative". Hey, its even in quotes.
Note the three dots, indicating a truncated quotation. Whether it "seems" as if all my reviews are negative or not, the numbers indicate they're not. Proven incorrect you then get into pointless (and incorrect) semantics.
In conclusion to this, note what it says above: "reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously." And as I said before, this is not a tit-for-tat chat room.
And, lets be clear here. I like this pub. I've given it a 7/10. But like you, I am allowed my opinions.
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Best pub North of Regent's park.
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I think if you reread my comment it says "It seems all your comments....." I think you struggle with anyone that has an opinion that contrasts with yours, Planner, and I'm the one that can't read?
festy - 16 Sep 2009 23:24 |
A quick tally of my reviews shows thus:
33 Negative
49 Postitive
Plus a small bunch of other non-review comments
Yet you say: "...all your reviews on this site are negative"
I think what it shows, festy, is you struggle to count or read very well.
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Planner, it seems all your reviews on this site are negetive, that sums it up really.
festy - 13 Sep 2009 22:07 |
Now now festy, take a deep breath. There are no chips on shoulders here, just - as you say - opinions. Your original review did rather sound like you were in the pay of the new owners, to be honest. It was in a similar style of those which have been, you see. When you've been on BITE a bit more, you'll see what I mean.
And it's somewhat ironic to accuse me of being defensive. Ce la vie in the world of internet opinions, I suppose.
In summary, BITE is not the place for tit-for-tat conversations so I suggest to the admins that this comment (and festy's below) are removed.
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Well excuse me Planner for having an opinion that conflicts with yours, are you the ex landlord or something as you seem so defensive? I was adding a fair comment about my experience at the Princess of Wales, which I am allowed to do. I have had a few lovely meals there, and, contrary to what you think I had been there previously and waited a long time to get served, and did not enjoy my meal, I never had the 'eight veg' sunday roast, but quantity does not mean quality to me. I have also been to alot of pubs and my opinion is just as valued as yours, I just happen not to have a chip on my shoulder like you.
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Let�s put it this way - the old landlords were equally keeping the family run business thing alive too. It's disingenuous to be grateful that its' not a chain, as it's leased pub.
Not that I want to get bogged down in food issues Festy (this is beerintheevening after all) but If you disagree that prices have gone up and food portions down that I forward the idea you didn't eat here (or visit) before the refurb. The Sunday Roast was the best in London (trust me, I've eaten in many, many places). The price has gone up (not ridiculously, granted) and the portion down (it used to come with 8 vegetables, for example). It might not serve frozen food now, but it didn't before.
And that mirrored wall in the garden. What were they thinking? I guess attempting to appeal to one-review commentators like festy.
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I have to say that I love what the new landlords are doing, for somewhere like Primrose hill it is so refreshing to see a family run business, it keeps the ethics of the island alive, and keeps it from turning into some terribly run, impersonal chain. I disagree with the prices gone up, food sizes down. I had a portion of spaghetti meat balls, my wife the seafood spaghetti- both collosal, we could not finish them, the flavours were outstanding, and the ingredients fresh., and at �6 a pop I could not faulter it in any way. It is so nice to go to pub which doesnt serve frozen food. I was also suprised to see that they kept on the old staff, they are all nice chaps, but it just proved the point that the new landlords care about the pub. I for one am extremley happy with the changes, and love that we can now actually sit in the garden and enjoy it, and think that the mirrored wall is a lovely touch, and a perfect place to have a drink and cigerette in the evening.
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It has indeed changed hands. Food prices up, portion sizes down. The garden has been transformed, (it needed work, to be honest) but if they carry on the same theme inside (there are rumours of a refub) then its gonna end up looking like a ladies hairdresser.
Long standing staff seem less happy, too. I'm currently fearing for the place; hopefully the hardcore regulars will kick up a massive stink if the new owners try to do a "Lansdowne" on the place.
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Am given to understand there was some publicity indicating management (or ownership?) had just changed hands... if so then here's hoping the new regime don't turn it into a brasserie, sanitise it or otherwise try to be creative and 'improve' the place...
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Came in for 1 as passing - have drunk in here laast time round here. A friendly feel to the place, a touch of French brasserie to it in the main bar - but very pubish overall, and there are distinct 'areas' to try each time. I like the little 'library' bit with a window looking out into the greenery. Dark and bookish. Easily spend an afternoon reading with beer!
L Pride, Adnams and lagers of course. Always the local characters round the bar holdng court. a village pub - in one of London's 'villages'. Do try.
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A proper pub - friendly service, a decent pint of Pride and the pizzas were awesome!!
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I will agree with the previous posts saying that this is a very nice pub. Pride, Directors and Adnams were all available alongside some standard and premium lagers and Westons Organic Cider.
The barman was nice enough, as were the other customers, and I will return when next in the area, if only to check out the cellar bar and �secret garden�.
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In light of the demise of the Monday night Jazz at the nearby Steele's, it's heartening that the PoW continues with its programme of Sunday lunchtime/afternoon Jazz and also the Thursday night Dave Chandler swing Jazz.
Only crit is that getting served reasonably promptly on a Sunday afternoon can be quite hard sometimes. But that's a reflection of the popularity of the place, nothing more.
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This is an anti-Camden / anti-Primrose Hill pub. Back in the day most pubs used to be like this and the Princess of Wales would have been nothing out of the ordinary. Nowadays it is a tiny island between the of gastropubs in Primrose Hill and the oceans of dj bars / venues / clubs / pubs that want to be one of the other 3.
The Princess is quiet and laid back and a great place to wind down gently after work. If you're of the "work hard play hard" persuasion don't bother. If you're looking for a quiet place near Camden to caress your worn soul on a Saturday night - this is it. Pub gold.
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Smashing. A proper pub. Good vibe.Central servery, nooks all round; bright, cheerful pub. Just the ticket for me, in this pretentious neighbourhood. Can't rember the exact beer I had to drink, the day was getting on, but it was one of they Cornish brews and it was in tip top nick. Will be back.
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Recently moved nearbyish (more camden than primrose hill) and was well recomended this place. Really good friendly staff and locals along with a nice range of beer. On my last trip staff told me the cellar cooler was playing up so the beer wasnt quite up to standard. Cant beat a bit of honesty better than someone just handing you a crap pint and saying nothing.
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does anybody remember"good fee mon?"Ilived and worked there quite a while and spend with you guys some hours of drinking beers,eating roasts,listenning jazz and and...(go 8 years back in memory!)my love to evereone who does,would be interesting to see the "POW" again,jane and tom and all the lokals I used to say good by at 11p.m(or much later!)for so many nights!
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Proper pub; South London feel to it. Decent interesting beer, teriffic interior.
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Probably the only pub in Primrose Hill to have a 'local feel' to it. Three reasonably well kept ales on offer with London Pride and Adnams Bitter being regulars plus one regularly rotating guest. Worth a visit if you're in the area, but don't make any specific effort to get here.
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Fantastic pub!
This is the only place in Primrose Hill to have the feel of a proper local. The local folk drinking here are not the assholes you find everywhere else in this area; They're real people. The only barstaff in the area to not take the "o" out of "country"...
Reasonably well kept beer, always with a guest ale. Not always the standard stuff either; They've surprised me a few times with crazy brews from Devon, Cornwall, etc that I've never seen anywhere else in London (not even the Wenlock!)
No obnoxious music, no constant football. There's a couple of nasty fruit machines, but nobody's perfect.
Proper food as well. Good home cooking style at decent prices (egg and chips, sausage and egg etc), which is a combination sadly lacking in this part of town.
I've been drinking here for about six or seven years now, on and off, and it's the only place in the area where the staff a)stick around for more than a month and b)give a shit. The landlady, Jane, is a legend. She truly cares about the place of the local pub in the community, which is worth a fair bit in my book.
Truly a five star pub. Go there, but please, for Christ's sake, don't let your lager-lout mates know how good it is.
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Still the best pub in the area by a country mile. 3 Ales always on, pride, adnams and a guest.. excellent food and staff.
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Returned here yesterday. Jazz band playing, well staffed who went about their jobs quietly and efficiently. Had the ploughmans again for �6. Mixture of locals, woolie hats and tourists. Very pleasant. Someone asked for chips on their own but apparently that's a no no.
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This is a great pub full of friendly locales and nice bar staff. Good bar food, very cheap for the area, though not the best range of beers. Excellent live old school jazz on Thursday and Sunday. Highly recommended...
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I spent quite a few nights in this pub back when I lived on Finchley Road--it was a bit of a walk, but the atmosphere made it worth it. One of the most relaxing places to have a argument about a good book or just sit around and talk about sport. Certainly the best pub in an area surprisingly short on serious competition.
I admit to never having been blown away by their beer (either in selection or in quality), but I've never had a truly bad pint there either. Nice (and fairly-priced) pub food as well.
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Lovely interior, average beer selection. Seems to be the best in the immediate area. A pair of grim chavs (seemed to be pals with the barman) put me and the girlfriend off a little thoughbut.
anonymous - 30 Dec 2005 13:26 |
The best pub in the area by far. Brazilian boys behind the bar very friendly and show the meaning of quality service, food excellent and good value, nice clientele, always 3 ales on - generally, Adnams, London Pride and one guest : good beer guide regular.
Forget the poncey media bars near by (there isnt a mullet insight within the Princess !, well, not in a retro sense) , come in, get warm by the fire, put your feet up, and drift off with a decent pint.
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to the person who described this pub as rough. Where do you normaly drink????? This is one of the most relaxing pubs in the area with great food and drink live jazz and a fantastic atmosphere usually so hard to find in Candem
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Rough. Avoid it.
anonymous - 25 Nov 2005 12:33 |
The only authentic pub in Primrose Hill. Fantastic food, good beer, live jazz and interesting company. Highly recommended.
gjs34 - 31 Oct 2005 10:17 |
Loved it, loved it, loved it - a welcome haven at the end of camden town. Bit hard to find but well worth the walk. Wine is fab and the roasts are fantastic!!! Will definetly visit again!
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I too think this is a smashing pub. Good, inexpensive food, quiet in a good way (as in no posey tw*ts), lots of light in summer and a cosey fire in winter. As someone posted under The Lansdown, walk straight past it and come in here - it is everything The Lansdown isn't, thankfully!!
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Aweful place...would be better situated in the middle of a council estate. Rough clientele...dissapointed
guy - 18 Oct 2004 14:57 |
A genuine London pub. Friendly, lots of history and atmosphere, no loud music, but good live jazz on Thursday and Sunday. Food and wine excellent. My husband says the beer's good too.
Ann - 6 Oct 2004 15:59 |
Great friendly pub with live good quality jazz on Sundays. Fantastic Sunday lunches with at least 8 vegetables. Decent real ales and a nice cellar bar. Only possible criticism is that the toilets are pretty small and a bit worn.
Chris P. - 1 Sep 2004 13:36 |
i worked there 2 month, and i can tell you its a nice place where you can meet very friendly people.
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Went in on a saturday night once and it was pretty dead. Pleasant enough pub though.
Daivd Vernon - 10 Mar 2004 13:07 |
My favourite pub in the area, good for food and drink, a couple of real ales on, though it can be very very quiet. Some sort of function room downstairs.
Pauly - 22 Sep 2003 12:44 |
