please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Good looking boozer near Temple station. Tiny ground floor room decorated with beer mats, cigarette adverts and, oddly, laundry soap boxes. Definitely eye catching. Good pour of St Austell's Proper Job. Bonus Food Special: Spam Croquettes. Had I the time, I would have tried them out on your behalf. That's my motto here at BITE: "trying out the dodge dishes so you don't have to!" A solid pub worth checking out.
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A rainy late November afternoon and I'd expected - thanks to the reviews below - to find the place jammed solid... but it wasn't. It was quiet, with plenty of space and an excellent range of beers available. The "Whatever" was spot on.
The interior resembles a (rather cluttered) museum of 60s and 70s advertising ephemera , which can be interesting for a while but depressing when you consider how much both advertising design and public attitudes have changed since.
Most depressing, however, was being ripped off during the course of a session there.
A pint costs £4.80 - yet a half costs £3.60: totally unjustifiable. Do not be a designated driver here. Worse, my companions, who were drinking wine, were charged an additional £23.90 for a bottle they didn't even have. Every other group in the pub were foreign tourists: to what extent they were ripped-off we'll never know.
They may look friendly. but that welcoming smile from the staff doesn't necessarily mean "Welcome, I hope you enjoy yourselves...". There's every chance they're thinking "Aha! Another sucker! Get ready to bleed them dry...". Make sure you pay attention if you find yourself here.
Extremely disappointing. Avoid.
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Known for its cluttered interior, this is quite a good pub to go in to get served, look around then drink outside. It's tiny!
Still, a good selection of real ales, just a tad difficult to get to the bar to get your paws on!
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There are two very good pubs near by however this is the best of the three. Excellent variation of beers and people. Every time I attend I see something new on the walls! Staff very good too. 9/10.
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Excellent pub and deservedly popular including with a younger crowd. Several beers on including Redemption Pale Ale. Quirky enough in a nice way to make it a pleasant end to the day's pub walk.
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This really is a proper pub. The staff are exceptionally helpful, informative and very good at their jobs. Some cracking beers - favourites like Crouch Vale and interesting less well known brews - and an interesting selection of vintage advertising on the walls. My friend got lost on the way there and the charming barman was so helpful - even giving excellent directions to her on my phone and then offering to go and fetch her when she was too stressed out to listen to him properly. He was sooo patient! Makes me proud to be a Londoner when you have little gems like the Edgar Wallace to go to!
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Following first visit a year ago, have visited several times for lunch since and always been impressed. The staff are very welcoming, the food is excellent (from a fairly small menu choice) and beers good. Can be a little busy at peak 1pm lunch time so best to go earlier or later if you can.
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Decent pub that deserves all the plaudits it gets.
8 pumps with 6 beers on during my visit...however there was a strange smell in the bar area. When we enquired what it was one of the bar maids said it was the Air con.... Air con my a**e
There's an excellent array of memorabilia and antique signs on display, giving the pub a real good feel about it.
Excellent in all ways except the strange smell !
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Great selection of ales, great food, great staff, great eccentric advertising-related decor. Great pub. Shame about the mainly legal clientele, though.
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Nice place this. Good choice of ales. Only stayed for one - a Theakstons 4 and 2 (I think) - but it was very good. The decor of retro beer & cigar adverts was enjoyably quirky too.
Well worth a visit if you're in the area.
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Had a wonderful beer from Pilgrim..Luperc Alia..fab pumpclip with a half naked wolfwoman on it..very tasteful as was the beer...would have had (even) more but they ran out almost as soon as it had been put on...incredible. barman said they'd order more..fingers crossed....fab pub as well...
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First visit last week and had lunch there. Atmospheric bar decorated with Advertisements from days gone by; interesting to see how many you can remember !
Between three of us we sampled all the bitters and all were average to good, not cheap but it is the West End. Food was good standard pub fare and arrived quickly (probably because they're used to dealing with customers who only have an hour for lunch)
Staff seemed welcoming and friendly.
Don't know how it would be in the evening but would recommend for a lunchtime pint and meal.
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Decent enough pub. Plenty of people eating. Friendly staff. Expensive mind you. A well kept Old Hooky at 3.90 a pint! Would go back though. 7/10
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A splendid pub - very inpressed with the selection of 5 or ales - had a couple of which one was the Red Squirrel London Porter. the beer was I think £3.90/pint but I had a sausage bap with chips which was extremely filling for £6. Beer expensive but rude not to have at least a couple.
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Excellent selection of beers, 8 different ones I think, all chalked on a blackboard, which is always good to see. (Including abv and price). Beer quality is high, but unfortunately so are the prices. I've been here a few times and have yet to be served a bad pint. I've only eaten once, but can recommend the Wallace Burger which was actually very good value. (If there's any wine drinkers reading this, if you don't mind sacrificing a bit of quality, make sure you specify you want the house wine. Much better value for money). I've no doubt I'll go to this pub again but sadly the prices mean that won't happen as often as it could.
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Unlike the last reviewer's experience, it sadly was not a lovely sunny day when me and a couple of work friends popped in last Friday evening. Mind you it was dark by the time we arrived, and the pub offered much to charm us once inside, so it hardly mattered.
A series of I believe 8 rather shiny chrome handpumps adorn the bar of the Edgar Wallace, which is significant because most of the accoutrements accompanying them are historical artefacts. The pumps are surely the newest addition to the pub's interior. Much is made of old memorabilia here; a lot of it breweriana but as mentioned below some intriguing old domestic adverts and, naturally, Wallace-related material. Whilst one could criticise for trying too hard, it would be somewhat churlish as there is a distinctive definable atmosphere evoked here, which many London pubs simply fail to muster regardless of how many pieces of history hang on walls, or for that matter how many beers they sell.
Returning to the cask ales, saldy 'only' 5 pumps were active on our visit, but again one would be a churl to be critical of that, as the 5 that were on were highly unusual brews to find in London, and the one I sampled was on strong form. I tried so hard to make a mental note of them all but alas just 3 days later my memory has failed me - the Edgar was preceded by 6 other pubs and a pint was enjoyed in each, so you'll forgive me for the lapse. Be assured the beers were noteworthy though, and varied: certainly one to sniff out if you're a cask aficionado - I couldn't believe I hadn't been here before (well, at least not in recent years anyway).
Not much more to say really - no food served as it was late-doors and don't know about clientele as there weren't many punters left, but previous reports suggest it can be busy, albeit convivial. It's got the perfect combination of being close-at-hand for many central city locations, and yet tucked-away enough to retain some individuality.
I rather think I'll have to get back here.
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Visited on Thursday 29 March, a lovely sunny day so plenty of people outside. Got very crowded as the evening after work rush began but we got in just before and bagged a table. Good range of beers quite a few golden ales � Dark Star American IPA which was good although the freshly washed glass was very warm, this was replaced by Maldon Gold also good, a best bitter George Best was good as was the Barrister�s brief despite the terrible name. My mate had the mild until this went off and he switched happily to the George Best despite being a Liverpool fan. Didn�t try the food so can�t comment on that, but very good beer, very good service for a busy pub, some great old posters and adverts, love the Double Diamond and Watney's Red pumps though thankfully those ghastly brews are million miles from what's served now, thoroughly recommended. 8/10
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Excellent cosy and atmospheric with an great selection of ales including 3 stouts/porters. Prices not too bad for the area. Lots of weird bric-a brac including old fag adverts , washing powder boxes!! and lots of Edgar Wallce stuff. Highly recommended.
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How I haven't drunk in here before, I don't know. Popper in last night before a theatre show, chatty but chilled atmosphere, 8 ales on tap with a range of light, pale, smoked and stouts on offer. Tried a taster of 4 at suggestion of friendly bar staff and settled on a pint of Rudgate Barristers Brief (which seemed appropriate, givem the locality).
Well kept beer, and we also ordered some food which was excellent value for money. Prices are reasonable given it's location, service was very good indeed, staff were helpful and happy and we'll definitely be visiting again in the near future. Lovely little pub, first class.
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Probably a fair comment about beer variety Steamer1; tend to drink Crouch Vale, Harveys etc. if in here, as they are the sort of beers I prefer, but if that sort of thing is not to your taste could see the range as being a bit samey.
Very good though all told; can get very busy first thing after work especially on a Thursday or Friday but usually quietens down after an hour or two.
mps77 - 16 Feb 2012 18:06 |
First time back here since the change of ownership. Still a great atmosphere. Might have been unlucky but the choice of ales was a bit samey with no mild/porter/old or stout on. Strange for this time of year.
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Great pub to be in between lunch and the evening commute home.
Lots of good ales and a treasure trove of Breweriana.
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visited on a tuesday, busy, good atmosphere, must have been 8 ales to chose from. not a cheap venue but different, tucked away and worth a visit.
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Great place, a lot of old favourites on the pump, Crouch Vale,Harveys Sussex etc etc. The staff are always friendly even the tubby little potboy/washer upper who is faaarrr too old to be doing this work.
Food is always hot, tasty and a little exxy but in that area you have to expect it.
Fishfinger sarnies are certainly different, atmosphere good, the decor is certainly original and this place is as close to a free house as you are going to get around here!
Give it a go if you are in the area, well worth a slight detour (20m) from the Strand.
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8 beers available yesterday at a rather expensive �3.65 a pint. Choice and quality were fine as was the service.
Open plan downstairs with a great collection of old beer and cigarette signs and posters. The upstairs room was closed for a function yesterday.
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Visited on a wet Thursday evening with three mates after work ( I am one of the �suits� whose presence seems to be resented by some reviewers!) We were quite surprised that the pub wasn�t crowded given the time of day and we snagged a large table. I tried the Woodforde�s Wherry, Edgar�s Pale Ale, Rebellion Cackhander and the Brewers Gold. All very different and all absolutely excellent .They also had Harvey�s best which was very good according to Bill; Pontypridd 4.0 and Jennings Cumberland, a couple changed during the evening so there was a good choice of ales on offer. Very efficient and friendly service � a great pub. An 8/10.
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Friday was my first visit to this pub. I'd always thought I'd been here before in the distant past. But I certainly didn't recognise it. Beers on were Crouch Vale Brewers Gold, Itchen Valley Godfathers, Ascot Single Hop & Penguin Porter, Rudgate Ruby Mild, Darkstar Hophead, St Peters Organic Best Bitter & Nethergate Edgar's Pale Ale. At ground level, there is one single bar. But there is also an upper level. Lots of pumpclips can be seen high on the walls. Elsewhere, there are old beer lamps behind the bar, including one advertising Mackeson and several advertising Double Diamond. Other old adverts for drinks such as Babycham line the lower walls. A blackboard displays beers that are coming soon, with an impressive range. Probably not my last visit. But a shame there is no real cider.
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Bit rough at the edges, decor wise, considering the area it is in. The beer on the 8 pulls was imaginative in choice and I overheard the gaffer talking about keeping the bigger brewers out (which you can get in most of London real ale pubs) in favour of the smaller guys - good for him! They have their own Edgar Wallace beer 3.5%, a good session beer brewed by Nethergate. Worth a re-visit.
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Mixed feelings about this place. Has a superb range of regularly changing ales from all over the UK, but the pub interior is a bit dull and featureless, just being one big square room. Not very homely and doesn't really invite you to relax and settle in for the night, which is a shame when there are so many great beers on offer.
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Maybe I was just unlucky on my very first visit yesterday, but the ale I had (one of the Gold ones) was beyond poor.
Only Wrongbow on draught, so nothing really to draw me back to this pub. Especially with The Black Friar not too far away.
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Good pub, best to go early as can get crowded.
8 pumps dispesing an ever changing range.
Had the Skinners tackle and Orkney Raven. Both in great condition.
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Great range of ales here, and friendly staff. Very much serves the local working population though so if possible best to avoid the early evening rush. Closed at weekends.
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First visit to the Edgar Wallace since the new Gaffer took over early last year. Was a bit concerned that the ale choice and quality may be down on previous experiences, but fortunately I need not have worried and I could find no discernable change and the pub still continues as a top class Real Ale establishment.
Still 8 hand pumps on the go dispensing mainly beers from smaller regional and micro breweries. These included Tirrill Barmans Massive Baubles, Salopian Firkin Freezin, Brewsters Summer down Under, Ascot Brewery Single Hop Summit, Oxfordshire Marshead, Harveys Sussex Best and Dark Star HopHead, most of which our group tried and all pints were well served and in top form, especially the Sussex Best and Hop Head
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I went there on Friday evening. There were lots of choices of unusual beers and the two I tried were excellent and in good condition.
I'd give this pub a rating higher than 8 if it hadn't been packed and difficult to find somewhere to stand.
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Seek this one out! 8 unusual ales on offer, all worth a try! Maybe 1/3 pint glasses would be useful?
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I've been coming here 2 or 3 times a month since John the Landlord moved down from The Devereux; all 8 real Ales are interesting & the food is good; yesterday had Ascot Penguin Porter, Rudgate Battleaxe, Plain Innocence & Arkells 3B, all excellent; no seats & bit more crowded than usual, due to the rain; noticed a few other regulars from The Devereux are drinking down here now too.
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checking out pub during GBBFweek,new licencee has carried on with great selection of beers and increased guests,didn't eat but by amount being taken to tables ,looked good value too
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I visited this pub on 26/6/2010, still seems to be up to the previous standard, full range of beers on including
Redemption Urban Dusk
Canary Pale Ale
Oakham Bishops Farewell
Acorn Old Moor Porter
Skinners Ginger Tosser
RingWood BoonDongle
Adnams Bitter
Cottage We'll Get It Right
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Visited earlier this week with some friends. Unchanged since my session in the summer of 2007. Very pleasant bustling atmosphere, it was early evening and many "suits" were in the pub. The two ales I had, Oakleaf Bitter and a dark 5% ale were on good form, and although I did not eat, food smelled good. It is a handy pub if you're in the area, and well worth more frequent visits.
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Smallish main bar, and surprisingly dark despite the high ceiling and large windows on two sides. There is also a smaller bar up the chunky wooden staircase that takes up one corner. If looking for real ale, you might initially think that you've entered the wrong pub as the handpumps are strangely hidden away round the back of a large pillar. However, once found, you will see an excellent array of eight beers from smaller breweries from around the U.K. On my last visit, I had an excellent pint of Bank Top Dark Mild at �3.25 but could happily have chosen any of those on offer as a change from the 'usual suspects'. Deservedly popular with local workers, this is slightly off the beaten track for most visitors to London but well worth a diversion.
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Pretty decent pub, got eight ales on, but not the most inspired range.... so many great brewers out there, be bold!
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8 excellent beers more than compensate for the very City crowd.
The theme is executed with great taste, and as a central London bolthole it has everything to recommend.
Beer fest pretty magnificent, too.
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Popped in here last night after work. Pub was fairly busy. Plenty of bar staff eager to serve you. Good atmosphere. No horrible gaming machines or music to distract you. A good range of beer to choose from all parts of the British Isles. When beers ran out they were replace quickly and efficiently by landlord. Well worth a visit if in this part of London. Shane the landlord runs a tight ship and runs an excellent pub..
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Went here last night to partake in their Beers from t'dark side festival. Lots of very well kept dark beers on hand pump and a huge selection more in the cellar which the staff were happy to serve and at �3.30 a pint pretty good for this part of London. Only problem was the food which was quite pricey and when it arrived was cold. To give the staff their dues, once they were made aware of this we got fresh food delivered and an apology from the bar staff and manager. Having said that the food itself was akin to that found in a Little Chef and not particularly generous in size. So definitely worth a visit for the beer but eat elsewhere
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Smallish single bar pub close to the Law Courts and several Inns of Court and hence popular with legal people. The pub interior is rather unremarkable and featureless, mainly dominated by tables and chairs, but with several sofas against the far wall. There's further seating in the upstairs bar, but with no beer pumps and, on my recent early evening visit, no staff. The staircase walls are covered in Rugby memorabilia, which includes a London Irish scarf and a number of framed rugby programmes.
The pub is named after Edgar Wallace, a famous writer, and a bust, presumably of him stands proudly on the end of the bar. The main attraction here is the beer range - 8 handpumps - oddly hidden away behind a pillar - serving, on my recent visit, a variety of micro brewerybeers mainly, with Adnams being the only beer immediately recognisable. Prices range from � 3 to � 3.30 depending on gravity. Both beers sampled by me - Brentwood Hope and Glory and Williams Gold - were excellent pints.
The pub has been in the CAMRA GBG for the last 4 years now and the stickers are proudly displayed on the entrance door. Occasional beer festivals are held.
The pub is worth seeking out for its range of micro brewery beers which takes some beating in this area of London - it even beats The Harp in this respect. However its popularity and central location means its likely to be standing room only - particularly when the legal crowd come out to play after work.
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A slightly strange place this - I found the interior less welcoming than the Deveruex, Cheshire Cheese or Milfords but the ale selection trumps all of them - 8 pumps (although they are tucked away behind a pillar at one end of the bar) and other than Adnams and Brakspears all relatively uncommon.
This was busier than any of the other pubs the evening I visited - a fact I suspect driven by the ale selection as most people seemed to be drinking that. Consequently the pub was quite male dominated.
Not a bad place but not one I'd return to in the area unless with an ale loving colleague.
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Welcome to beerhunters city central headquarters. Great selection, plenty of banter (a politcal debate between 8 students way above my head) , a couple of notebooks getting beer updates. The loos are upstairs, bit of a pain but then I supose alot of other london boozers usually have the gents in the basement down some creaky stairs. Good pub.
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Popped in here on Friday last at lunchtime intending to only stop for one as i was on a bit of a reviewing crawl. However best laid plans and all that got chatting to a couple of regulars and that was that. Had pint of Buffys Norwich Terrier at �3.05 which was very pleasant followed that with in-house brew Edgars Pale Ale at �3.00. The landlord Shane and barman Ollie made my first visit to this pub a very pleasant experience. Had heard good things about this pub and these two guys epitomised all that. Will definitely be back with a few mates who will be pleasantly surprised.
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This place has no TV or music, but I did spot eight ales all from different breweries and none of the usual suspects. There are some standard and premium lagers for the non ale drinker and my Guinness was spot on.
I found the staff to be pleasant and I would highly recommend this pub to others.
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Popped in for a quick pint today. Finished spending over 3 hours at this wonderful place.....expert staff, superb choice and quality of ales and reasonably priced food.
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Great selection of ales, putting it in the top 5 for London. Handy location too.
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Paid a visit last night and what an excellant little pub. 6 real ales on and the ones tried were in tip top condition. Staff are friendly, efficient. The landlord has a good knowledge about the beers he sells. Excellent food available at reasonable prices. Can't wait till my next visit.
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the edgar wallace is a fantastic little pub not a real ale drinker but the guinness is great and the landlord very friendly. Can be busy in the evening but not a problem getting served.
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Top notch pub, this one. Great ale selections and the food looks rather nice. Does obstruct the public highway rather during the summer months. Def worth a visit - and better (if busier ergo less seats going) than the more-than-reasonable (minus the food) Devereux.
gcc24 - 12 Apr 2009 20:34 |
Hadn't been here for a couple of months until my latest visit last week - and I was pleased to find that nothing had changed. An excellent selection of well-kept ales served by friendly staff. If you're a real ale fan then it's definitely worth going out of your way to pay a visit here
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A nifty ale pub, tucked away just off the Strand.
There's two floors; comfortable drinking on the bottom floor whilst the upper area is set for diners. As the pub floorspace is limited I found myself upstairs, which was lacking a bit in atmosphere.
As noted elsewhere, there's a really good selection of unusual ales (8 if I recall) which were served well. The prices weren't too bad for the area.
There's a lot of old rugby memorabilia dotted around the walls and the place is clean and tidy.
Recommended for a good session but I'd like to see a bit more life about the place...perhaps I caught it on a quiet afternoon.
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What a find, 8 real ales on, all (that I tasted) in good condition, friendly staff good basic food and a relaxed atmosphere. A must to visit.
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Visited as part of a branch CAMRA tour on Thursday. Winter Ale beer festival was on with at least 7 available. I tried the Grafton Dark Lady and the Elgoods Wisbech Winter Ale which were excellent. There were some light beers, had a sip of a friend's B & T Bedfordshire Clanger which was wonderfully hoppy. Festival on until the beer runs out.
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We had our work Chrismas lunch there yesterday. The food, service and the beer were all spot on. i would recommend this pud as one you must visit.
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Outstanding selection of ales available.
Service was friendly.
The Edgar as you may wish to call it should you feel informal, has a slightly oppressive feel to it which is no doubt in keeping with its namesake But a smart enough hostelry well worth a visit for its ales and character.
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Good selection of real ales on offer. It was a shame we were only stopping briefly on the way somewhere else. But we sampled enough to know we'll be back.
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Excellent pub. 8 real ales on, food looked really good too. Staff were very polite and friendly. Will certainly return soon.
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I endorse all that has been said about the beer especially the EPA. The food though is good too. try the burger. Homemade from good qaulity beef. The brunch is great too especially with extra chorizo (supplied, the landlord told me by Brindisia)
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On the corner of an atmospheric street in the Temple area, the Edgar Wallace is a bit of a gem. 6 beers on offer when I was in. The Edgars PA was in excellent form.
The interior is relatively spacious given the smallish nature of the pub, with plenty of comfortable low level seating around the room.
Pleasant bar staff only add to the atmosphere and enjoyment of the good beer.
mrse1 - 29 Aug 2008 11:17 |
In here on 22 August. Nethergate Edgars Pale Ale (same as Nethergate IPA according to Ratebeer), Oakham White Dwarf, Bushy's Shuttleworth Snap, Williams Brothers Roisin and Grindleton Ribble Rouser, a couple of pumps not used. Main bar downstairs, looked like there was an upstairs room. Worth a visit.
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Very nice comfortable pub with a superb range of ales-(about 8 I think) although these tended to be on the lighter side with not a stout or mild in evidence which is a pity. Expect to pay �3+ for a pint,so rather than stay for several I stayed for two.
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Only found the pub literally by accident having seen a flyer for the pub at the Great British Beer Festival...and, wow...What have I been missing!
Not only were their 8 (Yes, eight) top class real ales plus some fantastic food but equally impressive was the barman (landlord?) who seemed very knowledgable, friendly and curteous.
When in the Chancery Lane area I usually venture to The Castle and Spoons' Knights Templar (which are a copule of minutes walk from each other)...I'll certainly be stopping in the Edgar Wallace too from now on - Definitely a pub to recommend
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Visited for the 3rd time on Friday evening. Great line up of ales and really enjoyed the EPA, Badger Tanglefoot and Rebellion Mutiny. The landlord has a true passion for his beer, and it shows. Without doubt one of London's top 5 pubs if you like spot on ale.
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Popped in for a quick pint yesterday afternoon. Still had a little bit of beer left in my glass when I nipped upstairs to the bog and found that it had been mistakenly taken away when I came back downstairs. However, I was given a half as replacement with no fuss or argument - enhancing my opinion of this pub as one of my favourites. Must try the food sometime as well - looks good. Will continue to be a fan
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Great line up of 8 real ales, Adnams Bitter, Archers Golden, Elgoods Double Swan,Titanic Anchor, St George Dragons Blood and two from Moorhouse, Black Cat and Blond Witch. The Edgars Pale Ale I believe is from Vale and not a special for the pub, unless anyone knows better?? The area above the bar is covered in beer mats from previous guest ales.
Comfortable rectangular room downstairs with a mix of seating including bar stools and a chesterfield sofa. Large plasma TV over the rear door switched off at the time of this visit.
Food looked good and included a "fish butty" which looked like a big chunk of battered haddock/cod in a bun with salad and chips for �6-95.
Very pleasant, beer perfectly kept, fairly quiet of an afternoon but I bet it fills up later. Wish these places opened at weekends.
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Still shut on Saturdays.
Luckily the George was open.
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Visited after work on a sunny Friday evening. Busy, but the weather pulled most of the punters out onto the street, so wasn't too crowded inside. Reasonable sized, open interior, and the building istelf dates back several hundred years.
Only intended to stay for one, but was so impressed that I had to stay on for a second. 8 real ales on I think, and the two I had were very well kept. Service quick and efficient, and the barman was friendly and knowledgeable. They even had pork scratching along with the crisps, not something you see so much these days.
Like the Castle a few minutes walk away, a huge selection of beer, but nothing over 5%. I rate both pubs quite highly, but on the evening, I preferred the Wallace.
Recommended, and will certainly pay a return visit.
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Pub 4 of a Friday night crawl. This was the undoubted star of the night. Stopped for two and they were the best two points of the night. Good service and great beer on a lovely sunny Friday night. Heaven!!!
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Excellent spot, in an area full of cracking pubs- 8 real ales as advertised. Deservedly in the Camra 2008 guide.
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Very good pub, one of these nice pubs off the beaten track that�s not crowded, you can relax on one of the sofa�s with pint.
With a wide selection of 8 real ales on I could have spent all day in there going through them all.
Most definitely worth a visit.
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Now firmly placed in my list of favourite London boozers. Took a colleague in there the other day and he was impressed too. They usually have 8 real ales on and Shane the Landlord is always happy to have a crack about the beer. The staff in general here are very good too. A pub that's maybe slightly off the beaten track so to speak but worth seeking out. The food looks good too so I'll have to give it a go sometime. All in all a top place. Keep up the good work!
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I totally agree with all the positive comments about this pub. I visited on Friday night and it was great. It was very busy but with a a good atmosphere and fast, efficient service. The bar staff and landlord were very friendly and one barmaid even delivered our Guinnesses to our table.
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How on earth has this place escaped the radar for so long? Possibly as its never occurred to me to use �Temple� as a location search, but it�s on my map now. By far the best choice of beers I have found anywhere near here; yesterday Adnams, Edgar�s Pale Ale (by Nethergate), Brewers Gold, Cottage Swordfish, Rebellion Smuggler, Banks&Taylor Shefford bitter, 1648 Hop Pocket, Nethergate Augustinian, and all well kept. Plenty of old pumpclips around the bar � always a good sign of willingness from the pub to provide changing & interesting ales. Food looked good too & if I hadn�t been moving on I could easily have been tempted by the day�s special of seared swordfish sarnie with pancetta, tartare, salad, & skin-on chips (�8.50), or chicken & chorizo skewers with jalapeno coleslaw from the typed menu (�5). Very friendly guv�nor who chatted about the beers & brewing & suggested reading microbrewers� handbook, Ted Bruning. A real shame that part of the pub�s appeal in a �hidden� location also contributed to a failed recent attempt to support weekend opening � apparently they�ll give it another go in the summer.
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Having been here several times now I can testify that the quality of the real ale is usually excellent and the staff spot on. Visited with a friend last Friday and the same applied. Pubs like this that make an effort with on the beer front should definitely be encouraged. Well done.
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This is a lovely pub with a very pleasant, clean and relaxed atmosphere, and a great range of exceptionally well kept ales. I've never had a better pint of Harveys, anywhere.
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Went on a Friday lunch time, and it was busy, but not unpleasantly so. The landlord is a very friendly chap and found time to chat about the beers.
I will definitely visit again!
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Paid another visit yesterday - had a pint of the E.P.A. which was quite palatable, and served by the Landlord himself who seemed like a very pleasant chap. My initial impressions of the place suggest that it might well become a regular haunt when I'm in London.
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Had a great pint of moorhouse ale in here the other night, then later went in the harp and got talking to a bloke who turned out to be the landlord of the Edgar Wallace, had a great chat with him and was promised a pint on the house next time we buy one in the Wallace, unfortunately, it will be a year before we are back in London...I wonder if he will remember!
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Paid my first visit here with some friends yesterday and was quite impressed - the pub itself is a clean, tidy place, the barman was friendly and helpful and there were 8 real ales on handpump. Only had time for one pint of Castle Rock Harvest Pale but it was good nevertheless! First impressions were very favourable and I'm looking forward to my next visit.
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I haven't posted anything here before now as I am the owner of the Edgar Wallace, and I don't think that this forum is the right place for me to comment, but I just had to let everyone know that we will be trialling opening on weekends, from 6th October until just before Christmas. To begin, we will open from 11am to 5pm.
If this is a success, we will extend the hours and continue to open on weekends indefinitely.
Thanks to everyone for their comments.
See you for a pint soon.
PS I have not put a rating in as that would be cheating.
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Most pubs in the city and surrounding areas are shut on Saturdays
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It was shut a 1:30 on a Saturday afternoon. Huh!
anonymous - 24 Sep 2007 11:05 |
My favourite pub to visit for a pint and a bite to eat when in London. Food served all day, and an astonishing range of EIGHT real ales since the refit.
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good points - wide range of beer, interesting decor; bad point - v v studenty clientele
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Visited last night for the first time. Impressive pub with a good range at face value (six real ales). Pleasant, friendly staff offer tasters.
I had a pint of Edgar's Pale Ale (EPA) which I believe to come from Nethergate. This was not too bad and I could have easily finished it had I not been in company, anxious to move on to the next pub.
The Woodforde's Wherry was also tasted but seemed to lack some of the aromatic, herby and hoppy notes it has when served in pubs like the Cambridge Blue.
The food menu reads well, I did not eat here as I had done so earlier in another pub.
I will visit again independently as this hostelry certainly has a lot of promise.
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Having heard a few whispers about this pub being one of the best within walking distance of my office, I paid it a visit on Friday night and wasn't disappointed - as other reviewers have noted, it's an uninspiring space but an impressive number of guest ales, and the ones I sampled were lovely. I'm sure I'll be back.
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Always a good selection of beers and a friendly welcome too. Best pub in the area!
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In here last Wednesday lunchtime for a swift one. Pretty simple one-room pub with nothing exceptional about it - except the fact that there were 6 real ales on. I had a Wooden Hand Brewery Cornish ale, which was excellent. Barmaid was very friendly, and service was quick. Definitely worth going back to for the beer alone.
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I assume that the 'lovely expert beer man' was not the landlord who would probably prefer to drink his own urine rather than wreck a decent ale with lemonade.
This is an excellent pub both for beer choice and quality Frightening mirror that does a performance in the Gents - even before I've had a pint. Useful function room upstairs for 20 or so
mally - 17 Feb 2007 14:09 |
In this pub lovely expert beer man say to me putting lemonade (only little) into bitter, really help with flavour. I try and see what he means,..help bring out hopey taste of beers!! The best with best bitter!!! Try it!!!! 7/10
anonymous - 29 Jan 2007 16:26 |
A good selection of 5 real ales available here on Friday night (08/12/06) - Belhaven Fruit beer, 2 from Grand Union, a Cottage beer and EPA - a house beer brewed for them by Nethergate. Tried a Grand Union and Belhaven both of which were fine.
As a pub, the decor isn't very inspiring and a large screen TV somehat dominates, but it's worth a visit for the beer.
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It lacks in interior design but it has more than the 'obvious' beers to offer. If you like English beer, or Real ale, it is worth coming here because it is one of the few places where you can try interesting different ales. Try before you buy too! It's in legal land so you can't complain about the people that may turn up at lunchtime or after work if you go. definitely one for a pub crawl.
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Another favourite hostelry of mine prior to a trip to the India Club! Great selection of ales and all well-kept. Landlord very friendly and knowledgeable. Pub populated by legal-eagles from the Temple nearby.
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Nothing really special inside but being down a quiet corner makes it better than some of the other choices around here. Decent selection of beer in good nick even on a baking hot day.
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Nice outside ok inside. helpful barman. Had 6 beers on that i'd never heard of. Was able to do a taste test before buying. It was a lovely wash but I can't remember what it was! Robin Hood's Septic toe or something like that!
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Sadly, the British Tapas for which the Edgar was noted are no more. A new menu (which looks decent enough) will be up and running within the next week or two, according to Shane the landlord. It seems that the idea of fish finger sandwiches, black pudding & bubble'n'squeak stack, etc. garnered praise from punters, but this didn't translate into enough sales, hence the enforced menu change.
Hopefully the real ale selection will stay as eclectic and inspired as I'm used to it being. Can't wait for their next beer festival - a World Cup-themed one maybe?
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I like the Edgar Wallace a lot - excellent range of ales and top notch food (bubble & squeak/black pudding stack matched with a pint of Old Growler is ambrosia indeed.
Friendly staff and less of an irritating crowd than in the wine bars nearby.
Agree that it's difficult to leave once you're sat down - a quick half turned into a whole evening session recently.
Do give it a try (but not too many of you, please - I want to be able to get to the bar myself)
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Bland, large roomed corner pub. The main interest here is the six different cask ales and the British Tapas of mini pork pies and fish finger sandwiches. A sort of pub version of a Happy Meal. Worth nipping in to see what ales they have on, but the Devereux next door is a more pub like place and also does guest ales.
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Cheeky little pubby pub we dropped into before going to a gig at Kings College SU. Good range of beer and nice atmos. They do 'English Tapas' which we didn't try but looks funny, like 'mini fry up' and 'mini plouighmans'.
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an excellent pub. went there for a few lunchtime drinks. the good range of well-kept real ales made it hard to leave! nice interior, friendly staff. looking forward to returning for an evening session.
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This fast became my favorite pub on my recent trip to the UK. Real ales are well kept and rotate frequently. Great food and top notch staff. I hope a high rating doesn't ruin a good thing as this is a well kept gem. Real Ale aficionados will NOT be disappointed. Just steps from Temple tube stop it is worth the extra effort to stop in.
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Hidden away amongst other pretentious pubs which have loud people flashing wallets oustide. Beers include Sussex, Adnams and Tiger beer. Tried the food which arrived quickly, suspected microwave, but good nevertheless. Staff were friendly and efficient without being overbearing.
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Where would we be without it? Fun to be gawped at by tourists whilst trying to relax after work.
Shame they only share an half.
Friendly staff, great beer, avoid the wine...
Oliver - 19 Jun 2004 16:31 |
Excellent and unpertentious haunt for barristers who want a pint and peanuts. Basic facilities and excellent staff. A bit more homely than the nearby Devereux and not as pricey/poncey as Daley's, this is the place to go for a swift half after Court. Standing outside in Summer is a highlight
Stephen - 25 Nov 2003 17:22 |
