please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Gets very busy with all the events at Olympia and was hopping at 11.30am on a weekday. It's a Fullers pub and therefore boring although they did have Dark Star Hophead as a guest. Gnocchi with various vegetables actually bordered on the dire though although my companion's chicken Caesar sarnie looked good.
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What is the point in showing football matches when they won't let you hear the commentary?
If you want to watch football I suggest you would be better off finding somewhere else to watch.
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Went to the GBBF @ Olympia to find I was too early! It being 'Trade Only' session. So took advice on a decent nearby boozer. Had 4 pints of Fullers 1845 and very good it was too. Pleasant setting - I can remember this pub from about 35 years ago when I was a telephone engineer in the area. Much improved! Ordered some food to complement the beer. The pate and melba toast was excellent. And I told the staff so on3 times that they checked! Actually, the staff were very good. A thought - why don't they also ask how the drinks are in the same fashion?
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Frustrated ESB off but only after i took my clloudy pint back please get it managed bar staff didn't have a clue
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Much improved, if a smidge on the bland side for a refurb. Bit inhospitable to turn the music off, lights full on at bang on 11pm, mind!
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Just been bought by Fullers
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Popped in for a quick one whist researching some drinking holes round Kensington for a forthcoming extended stay in London whilst working there.
Not a bad Marstons chain pub, nice pint of Cumberland, comfey sofas and relaxed locals. (think the drugs might have helped).
Not really a place to spend the entire evening, there are better pubs locally.
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Has a a chain pub feel to it - probably whatever Marstons pubco is as it serves two of their ales regularly and Brakspears. Pleasant enough service (after the barman had finished his phonecall) and a drinkable enough pint of Marstons EPA. Handy for Olympia, though the Cumberland around the corner would be preferable for both ambience and beer.
anonymous - 15 Jul 2010 17:43 |
My recent visit to this pub was the first for many many years when it was still called Harvey Floorbangers and to be honest it hasn�t really changed that much, which isn�t such a bad thing. I say this as I always enjoyed an early evening beer in here after work before jumping on the Silverlink to go home.
The staff also seem to be of the same ilk, friendly yet not really up to speed on service or attentiveness. This was highlighted when, being the only customer, I had to wait a while at the bar for some very polite service. Unfortunately the barmaid forgot that my pint of Guinness was pouring and as I was talking to my brother I also didn�t notice it overflowing. She rushed over and thankfully, unlike many other pubs, I wasn�t fobbed off with it and a new one was poured. I wouldn�t normally mention this, but she did it again on the second pint, but I leant over and stopped it being another write-off. I was thanked and given the overflow for free, which was a nice gesture.
Along with the standard and premium lager selection was an ale selection of two Marstons, a Jennings and a Brakspear. There is also a basic food menu which is pretty good value for the area, unless you choose to go to the sandwich bar over the way!
Whilst having a cigarette outside I noticed a sign by the door stating that there are extended opening hours on a Thursday and Saturday until 12am and on Fridays until 1am, not that I would be that keen on drinking here until the early hours.
This style of pub isn�t the sort that I really go for, but I like it in here and would go back.
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Was quiet and unobtrusive on a Sunday afternoon. �2.80 for a bitter is decent for the area (choice of 3 real ales, nothing exciting though). Better than I expected
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This pub has the potential to be very good with super space inside and good beers on offer.. most importantly, they carry Hoegaarden on draught and it's pretty damn good here. The management/staff need a shake up however as they insist on calling last orders and shutting the pub usually an hour before the times displayed on the outside signage. What's going on ? I was there on thursday 12th Feb and the staff called last orders at 10pm. 10pm ? There were still punters there to be served and everyone seemed a bit bewildered. In these times, is it smart to be turning business away ? Come on Hand&Flower, get your act together.. stick to the advertised opening times, get rid of the loud out-of-date and out-of-place music and you could be a great local pub. (FYI In case you don't know already, you could have a monopoly on late opening in the area if you just stuck to the times posted on the door!!)
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Went there for a drink just before Christmas. Large very noisy Victorian style pub - unremarkable decor. A glass of wine costs �5.50 which is over the top even by London standards. Not very restful and not really recommended if you want a quiet drink as it is hard to hear yourself speak.
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Quite busy when I visited with painfully slow service. If you don't mind waiting 10+ minutes to buy an expensive pint it's worth a visit. I wonder why they don't employ more bar staff?
anonymous - 18 Dec 2007 11:54 |
Went there for Sunday lunch with a couple of friends two weeks ago, and to say we were disappointed would be an understatement. �9.00 for 3 small slices of beef, a handful of sliced potatoes and a few overcooked carrots!! You get more in a Birds Eye microwave meal. It didn't taste too bad though which is something, however, the girl who served us was most unpleasant - snapping in a very sarcastic way at an 80 year old man who is just recovering from cancer is just not on. OK, she wasn't to know he had been so ill, but you just shouldn't treat ANY customer like that.
We decided to stay for dessert and all chose the nicely named fresh fruit and cream meringue explosion. The fresh fruit was two slices of a strawberry and 4 - yes, FOUR blueberries. A plate full of cream and a bit of meringue thrown in.
Yes, Disappointing doesn't even begin to cover this place!!
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Quite busy and loud - full of people shouting at each other when they could have sat down and talked... Smartened up a bit since my last visit a few years ago, but nothing special.
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Only reason I went in here was due to its proximity to Olympia. I see that it's a Wolverhampton & Dudley (Marstons) pub so they have the usual W&D rather boring beers (but of course not at Midlands prices!). Okay but I wouldn't want to stay on for long.
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In reality a typical example of the 'boozer near a train station,' genre. It does however have pretentions to grandeur that it can't quite live up to.
Ordinary in the extreeme. There are plenty of better places locally (C & S, Radnor,)
Oh in the background of the photo you can see the office where I wasted 10 years of my life!
anonymous - 24 Nov 2006 15:49 |
Refurb nice but this pub is designed to serve Olympia trade shows and you get that feeling from the staff and the price list! The Crown & Sceptre is actually closer to the train station and has better beer by far. Try the radnor as well. Not bad but victim of its own location really not a local nor a venue pub nor much at all.
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Nice pub - my sister had her wedding reception upstairs. Staff generally pleasant until about midnight when trying in vain to get rid of my 30 plastered Irish uncles. Can't really blame them though, they were annoying me as well.
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I had a fun time in here. Spacious, airy. The staff are really nice, make you feel welcome, food was good, music was good. I'll definately be giving it a visit over the summer months.
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went to watch england match at last the place is clean what a difference food was good service fine big screen not worth having though the best it has been for a lot of years well done to the new manager
anonymous - 7 Sep 2005 13:52 |
a sympathetically restored Victorian pub??? Yes it is, with a cool, relaxed atmosphere and pleasant staff.
A joy to discover boozers like this.
evers - 29 Aug 2005 15:19 |
Has got a new manager. the real ale is back to standard and there is lots of home cooked food on the menu. its a must try!!
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Hangover-calming fry up proved a life saver on Sunday. Excellent screen for the footy as well. I'd give it the thumbs up...
PaulyH - 17 May 2004 13:43 |
I really like this well-appointed pub. Large, airy, high ceilings, comfortable furnishings, big tables - and plenty of space. The bar staff are friendly, laid back, with a sense of humour. Great music too - rock, blues, indie, and pop - played at just the right volume. Altogether a good experience.
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A good chain pub, the barstaff have an Attitude (they seem to be enjoying themselves and like human beings), beer is well kept and reasonably priced.
Good to start a crawl via Radnor & Britannia (avoid one in between).
Tim C - 16 Oct 2003 17:55 |
good pub, nice people (a few whacky characters in the pub, but that makes a London Pub), food not bad for a chain pub.
mike - 18 Sep 2003 12:15 |
Used to be Harvey Floorbangers, now is an Aussie influenced pub. Beer is reasonable for London. Impressed with service, when I asked for food at about 19:15 Sunday barman explained that cook was off at 19:00 so no food.
Cook came over and made food for me. THANKS.
TC - 13 Aug 2003 19:05 |
pukka mate
anonymous - 2 Jun 2003 09:25 |
