please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Such a shame, This was always my go to pub, reasonably priced food and beer...
Looks like management has changed, Food is no longer served and the price of two pints of Shepherd Neame left no change from a tenner, plus as we were the first ones there the first pint (mine) was flat and warm...
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The Tom Cribb is possibly the best pub in the whole of London!
I have had nothing but pleasure, magical times & fun there, & the beer is always fine & not too over-priced.
One should go to a boozer to drink & socialise, not display 'colours'/be sectarian/go on marches & all that crap.
Many thanks to the management for their sound attitude.
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Popped in late Satrurday afternoon after the theatre opposite. Had heard good things about the pub and I wasn't disappointed. Lovely little boozer which hasn't been ruined (Shepherd Neame are not beyond ruining good pubs. The Master Brew was good and there was a good cross section of customers which is exactly what you should find in a decent pub. I noticed speakers around the wall so i wonder if, later in the evening, the dreaded, loud "background" music comes on. As it was there was some low music coming from the speakers -totally unnecessary in a pub like that. Will definitely be back.
Tewin - 21 Jan 2013 14:18 |
Sitting in the pub right now, before the cinema. Tiny place, solid beer selection. Two barstaff, the young man was well-informed on the best choice for a bitter shandy, young lady made a little bit of a mess when pouring it - quite common. All good except she have me a glass covered in sticky shady :) I very politely asked if they could just wash the glass off with their soda hose. She looked a tad askew and reluctantly headed for the napkins, but the chap did helpfully wash it and voila, all good. So, nice pub, staff 50% professional and friendly, 50% not. (I usually expect a 'good evening' greeting if I offer one :)
But a solidly decent pub, especially in this neck of the woods.
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Decent pint of Shepherd Neame Whitstable Bay here. Nice looking pub with ornate interior - didn't see much though as there was 9 of us so we drank the beer outside. A better prospect than some of the rowdier pubs in the vicinity.
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Mbarry, I can only apologise for you experience and ask that you fgive the pub a second chance. There is a strict "no colours" rule in place at the pub. I can only think this was a misunderstanding. I can however see how this would be such a bad experience for you. On remembrance Sunday, every year, the pub lays on a buffet, free of charge, for all ex servicemen and is regularly frequented by many ex service personel.
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Ultra tiny, lovely little Shepherd Neame pub just a few seconds from Piccadilly Circus. Masterbrew tasted fine. All the others were on, but no time to try out!
It felt like a real local to me, which is very unusual for Central London. Definitely worth a quick visit if you're passing this way. 7/10
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I like this small Pub and I've been in there lots of times over the years. I enjoy the history of the place and the story of Tom Cribb makes it all real. Even if I was on my own, I've found I've met some nice, friendly people there.
I once had a bad experience with a surly bar-maid who claimed I hadn't said "please"! When I said it was the third time I'd asked for the drink she turned really sour! Thankfully, she's gone now though.
GMann - 29 Dec 2011 16:20 |
Mbarry, I can only take your word as I obviously was not there.
If that is the sort of treatment they dish out then this ex-squaddie will not be frequenting the pub.
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Unbelievable. Saturday night before remembrance Sunday I was in London as an ex serviceman. I was refused a beer in this pub because it looked like a had an England badge on my shirt under my jacket. I showed it was not and offered to keep my jacket on anyway.I was Still refused. I was wearing an RAF baseball cap, but took this off. So disgusted. Please do not use this pub
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Not bad, just too small, be nice if fosters was on the tap too
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Given its location in the centre of touristown, this pub manages quite well to to keep its charactor and a mainly local trade. Food is OK, and at reasonable prices.
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The lumpen proletariat need to understand they are not welcome in civilised society; that's why Wetherspoon pubs exist.
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This soulless central London pub refused to serve ANYONE who had marched against the government's ideological assault on the public sector on 26/3/11. We arrived at 3p.m., sober, well-dressed and orderly (and long before a small minority began causing trouble in other parts of the city) and were told by a particularly charmless bar maid to go away. Principled and decent people will know to take their business elsewhere
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Nice pub, friendly staff and beer ok. Will be back.
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The wife an I visited this place last sunday afternoon, just after 12ish. The pub is Shepard Neame and offers the usual ales (Bishops Finger, Master Brew etc). The wife an I opted for the Late Red. Maybe it was the first drink to be pulled through that day but the ale wasn't very nice. I'd return, just to give the place another chance because it is a very nice quaint pub. I'd visit a bit later in the afternoon though.
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I like the way theskull writes !
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The skull clearly does not realise that irish gangsters (ie the IRA) blew this pub up in the 1990's even though the manageress at the time was herself Irish although not stupid enough to be a republican
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The previous reveiwer got it so wrong,they probably were real gangsters .he seems to forget that this is london,not some wishy washy suburban backwater. He also neglects to remember that these so called gangsters gave london the kudos that brings people to its doors.However having drank in Michaels for many years I can only assume that he did not become
one of the longest serving landlords thru pandering to the status quo.
If one requires so called normal pubs stick to the suburbs,then you should not be dissapointed,however to see the real world and experience a well run pub,Harris's is not so bad. doug !!
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Nice enough place - quite small. There were a bunch of Irish-gangster types in suits pretending to the Krays in one corner, and some bemused tourists in another corner. Not too bad - but other pubs preferable nearby.
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A bit of a gem, this pub. Only a small place, but amazingly clean, well kept place, complete with a welcoming landlord. If you like Shepherd Neame, then you're on to a sure fire winner. Well worth a visit, on a pub tour of our brilliant capital city.
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Two minutes walk but a world away from the madness of Leicester Square - a compact but decent 'wooden' pub with a good selection of beers served efficiently, if not smilingly! Bagged a table but you only need a couple of offices to turn out and it's a bit squeezy. Toilets ripe and hand dryer busted. Staggering distance to the West End Kitchen across the road - cheap, good quality food / escape.
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Oh yes I just did - apparently he's a bare-knuckle boxer. Shows how observant I am then; I barely noticed the boxing memorabilia!
Just goes to show how partial even the most dedicated of BITE reviewers can be!
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Dropped by before moving on to the nearby Moroccan restuarant (well, one can't live on pub grub every night can one?!), and was pleasantly surprised not only by the generally clean, ordered and as rpadam says civilised interior of this pub, but also it being a London-based Sheps outlet bothering to serve the maximum range available. All ales were on, and those sampled were in bloom. Marked-up of course, but then consider what the rent or mortgage and general overheads on a property off Piccadilly must cost nowadays. Even Sheps can't be blase about these sort of business rates.
I would disagree with the previous suggestion that it isn't spacious; we found it reasonable enough, if perhaps a little smaller than one might expect from the exterior. Seating availability was limited but it was a busy Saturday evening, and frankly finding a seat in most Central London quaffholes is always an arduous mission.
At the risk of betraying my ignorance (or maybe not reading earlier reviews if someone has been kind enough to explain already), I am curious to know who Tom Cribb was and why he gave his name to this pub - and as far as I can make out this pub alone?
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Given how close this place is to Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus, it is a relatively calm and civilised spot for a pint. However, you'll probably be pushing your luck if you expect to find enough table space for food as this single-bar pub isn't exactly spacious. Five handpumps - all with Shepherd Neame beers - but they will usually have a seasonal choice (such as the Amber Ale 'winter warmer' at �3.30, about par for the course in this area).
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Smallish single bar Sheps pub situated in the heart of the West End, close to Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square.
A fine tiled exterior leads into a pleasant, but rather unremarkable, interior with comfortable padded seating and round tables, but little if anything of particular note.
Tom Cribb was a famous bare knuckle boxer and the boxing theme is maintained by various boxing prints and photos on the walls, including Lennox Lewis and Henry Cooper.
Notably, the pub appears to have a good core of regulars - perhaps staff from the Prince of Wales Theatre opposite - but, not surprisingly, its clearly hedging its bets by offering a reasonably extensive food menu geared towards tourists and visitors.
The Kents Best - � 3.15p - was in fine form when I dropped in recently.
This is not a must visit pub by any stretch of the imagination, but I echo the generally positive comments on here and, if you're looking for a quiet relaxing pint or two in decent surroundings with a good atmosphere, away from the hustle and bustle of Piccadilly Circus, you could do a lot worse than seek this one out.
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Lovely pub good friendly staff,does help if your a Shep/Neame fan which I am,beer clear and on top form. Nice relaxing London boozer.
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Nice little pub. Good Shepherd Neame beers too!
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I've been to this pub several times with my wife for a quiet drink on a saturday afternoon and always enjoyed the ale and atmosphere. Only downside was visiting with friends at the weekend and were refused service because we were a 'big group' (5). I was slightly stunned as the place wasn't heaving; I even offered to buy the drinks and take them outside to drink, but to no avail.
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I've been visiting The Tom Cribb for several years now, & the beer is always top notch, the staff attentive & friendly, & the general atmosphere excellent. If I had to quibble- which I don't, really!-, I'd say an improvement might be that food could be served on Sundays, or that it could be more plainly advertised that none is. Many tourists inspect the menu on the wall thoroughly, choose, but are then disappointed when they try to order.
This is a brilliant pub, though, & I wouldn't change anything!
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Friendly enough and a good pint of Early Bird. Actually very good. Not sure why but I didn't seem to feel totally comfortable whilst I was in here. Don't really know why but thats how I felt.
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Many thanks to all the previous postings as I was staying in Piccadilly for a couple of nights and the BITE score highlighted The Tom Cribb. Cannot disagree with any of the comments below. A really nice back street pub oozing with character and very good Bishops Finger and Spitfire from the Sheps stable. Yes it is a bit small, but wasn�t a problem when we visited yesterday on a mid Monday afternoon. Was also good to see it much more lively with the after work crowd when we passed again a few hours later on the way to the theatre.
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Shepherd Neame traditional pub in the centre of London, unspoiled as people have said and yet of course busy in the evening with the many afterworking it in London and also people up for the theatre.
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Good little traditional pub. One of the last in the West End. Traditional old Guv'nor too, also one of the last in the West End, God bless him.
Visit while you can, and you will begin to understand what we vandal English have lost.
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Tucked away just beyond Leicester Square and conveniently situated opposite the Trafalgar Studios theatre, The Tom CribB is indeed ideal for a pre or post show tipple. A Shepherd Neame house (formerly Nicholson�s-owned), this tiny Victorian pub has a delightfully periodic exterior which leads into a quaint, homely, though be it, pokey, bar area. A boxing theme dominates the wall by the entrance and the traditional fixtures and fittings made the homely experience inside this old and unspoilt pub. The real ales on offer were the standard Spitfire and a very rare outing for Canterbury Jack. Service was seemingly attentive enough, although perhaps, the member of staff serving yours truly, was ever-so slightly dour. Pleasingly, here also is a pub which serves up good old fare and not bloody pasta and meatballs. I recommend a stop.
HTM69 - 26 Sep 2008 18:14 |
Friendly, tiny, and well kept; during the daytime it's entirely possible to find a cozy spot and read the news. Certainly has its memorable aspects.
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Super little Sheps pub, once a local of mine, always good fun spotting the luvvies in between performances and some cracking beer. A real oasis in the West End
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Wasn't this pub bombed by the IRA sometime in the early 90's ?
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Went in on a Saturday lunchtime for a pre-theatre lunch. Staff were resonably friendly and the beer was very good, although a little pricey - but then what do you expect for this neighbourhood. My sandwich was fine and others said their jacket potatoes were good. Nice pub considering its in a rather tacky neck of the woods.
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Originally known as Cribbs Parlour, the pub name honours an early 19th Century bare knuckle boxer (a.k.a. the Black Diamond) who later became a publican in the area. The current building dates from the early 1900�s and for the literarature fans, featured in novels by William Makepiece Thackery (Vanity Fair) and Arthur Conan Doyle (Rodney Stone). A select range of Shepheard Neame beers (Masterbrew + Spitfire as standards supplemented by one other from the range � Porter on my recent visit) at reasonable prices bearing in mind you are yards from Leicester Square. The exterior has some nice old tiling whilst the interior is a bit of an odd mix with polished wooden floor, padded seats, fairly dated wallpaper but modern doors and windows. The angled beam across the bright red painted ceiling suggests that there were once a few odd shaped rooms within the building. There are some interesting old London photos as well as a varied selection of boxing portraits. It tends to have more of a locals feel than being touristy and is a pleasant enough pub for a few beers if you can grab a seat but overall not a place that lingers as being particularly memorable.
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Nice little pub with good beer and good food. Friendly staff too.
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Great little pub Shep Neame ales and lagers and food at non West End prices.Only downside smokers roll on July 1st!
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Yes a nice small pub with a very nice interior. Staff were friendly and beer was great. They had 3 or 4 shepherd neame beers inc spitfire which I must add was very nice.
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OK little pub, if this is your sort of thing. Staff are friendly enough, but I paid �4.20 for a bottle of Bulmers in here. I know this is London, but �4.20?!? It wasn't even (dare-I-say-it...) Magners. Admittedly I perhaps shouldn't have been drinking said product, but what can I say, the feeling took me. Biggest problems are the prices and the size of the place.
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The lager selection has improved recently, with Oranjebloom and Asahi on tap amongst others. Also had several ales. One of the better places to drink locally.
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Nowt wrong with the "Tom Cribb".When it's boiling hot in the middle of summer I always head there.Got great air con.Great boozer.
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decent little boozer.
never seems too busy not sure why
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Small but ok particularly for the area - always sneak in here for a quick one if meeting someone in the area
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Always friendly but the beer isn't consistantly good. The mens toilet is the smallest ever, and when in the ladies the hand drier goes on while your sat on the toilet.Apart form that...
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I popped in after work on a Monday night; the pub appeared to be unusually empty. There were three real ales available, I had the Master Brew which was superbly kept. Ordered the pie of the day and was pleasantly surprised that this tasted �home cooked� rather than straight from the freezer - into the microwave like so many other pubs. The pub had friendly service and a congenial ambience � recommended.
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Now a Shepherd Neame - pub! Quality beer in a friendly pub now available near the Haymarket and Piccadily Circus. Great! 8/10.
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Too small, if you smoke and don't get a seat you're fcked.
"No smoking at the bar" means you are effectively constrained in a "one by five" metre space, in the hinterland between the bar and the tables - nowhere to rest your pint,.you end up as part of a queue of people standing in a line down the centre of the pub,..holding pints in one hand,..fag in the other,..mobile phone under your armpit,..newspaper atween your legs,...looks like some kind of sex offender registery,.......you may as well ban smoking all together here and be done with it..........cack
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I've been to this pub a couple of times now, and it's invariably crowded but friendly, with locals and tourists mixing at the tables and the bar. If you ignore the signs plastered everywhere warning about bag thieves, you might forget you're right between Piccadilly and Leicester Square. Of course, ignore those signs at your own risk...
The beer is consistently good, and the staff clearly cares about giving satisfaction--I've seen the middle-aged man at the pumps toss out a Guinness he'd just poured that wasn't to his own standard. A rare sort in the heart of the city. Definitely worth stopping in if you're in the area and thirsty.
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Great place to get absolutely hammered before steaming into Tiger Tiger and having a massive old-school bundle on dance floor (whilst everyone else is talking about their babies). Garton can be ring leader.
anonymous - 17 Nov 2005 10:21 |
Such a handy location: returning to Charring Cross from shopping expeditions. Good selection of beers; comfortable seats; polite service. What more could you ask.
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Nice little boozer that I warmed up to the longer I was there. Decent interior and friendly enough staff.
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Nice little 'real' boozer. A dying breed.
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Great little boozer in the heart of London. Very friendly bar staff, Great food and managed to watch an F1 GP on the telly. More importantly, a GOOD clean pint.
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Nice to find a proper pub near Leicester Square, not an area noted for quality drinking establishments. Beer fine, food fine, service fine.
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To Bob Barnes. William Purkis owner of the Holborn Empire was my great grandfather. Sadly my grandfather was disowned by the family for marrying a performer. Still beer tastes better than champagne - so who cares.
Maurice Buxton
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It's like stepping back it time, in a good way. A real boozer with a Landlord or someone who behaves like one. A refreshing change from all the Aussie staffed chained pubs who call last orders at twenty to eleven.
anonymous - 20 Jan 2005 14:06 |
Waan't that impressed. More atmosphere on the moon. Didn't stay too long and certainly didn't order another. Toilets appeared flooded.
anonymous - 7 Dec 2004 21:03 |
Old skool no nonsence boozer run by a gentleman by the name of Michael whom has been a publican in the West End for over twenty years so you can believe that this pub is run like clockwork.The pub has many regulars and is small so space quickly goes.
Nick Hamer - 20 Aug 2004 18:53 |
The only pub I went to on my only visit to London (so far). I loved it. But I have no other pubs to compare it to. My future visits to that wonderful city will surely expand my pub experiences.
Gary - 11 Apr 2004 02:47 |
To Larry Gardner,
I believe my great great great grandfather, William Pukiss, the ex owner of the Royal Music Hall (which became the Holborn Empire) sold the Union Arms in Panton Street to Tom Cribb (same pub)
Bob Barnes - 20 Feb 2004 16:08 |
I've walked past the place a dozen times on my way into Leicester Square and it didn't look like the sort of place that had food. Today I was hungry and went there cause it was so close. :)
There were 4 or 5 people in the pub which made it seem half filled already. I ordered 'pie of the day' which was steak and guiness. Then sat at the only empty table with my cider (strongbow.) I checked my pocketpc to see if there was a signal in the area, and then looked up to find one of the guys at the bar staring at me while he picked his teeth. I thought maybe he was looking out the window behind me, but its not on ground level, its too high up to see anything but the wall of the building across the street. He soon looked away and I sipped at my cider for a few more minutes till my food came out. There's two bartenders, one about 30ish, and one about 50ish. The younger of them served me and they both stood there and watched me while I ate my meal. I don't know what was so damned facinating. They weren't smirking or winking at each other like some do when serving foreigners. A few other people came in, but even when the postman came in, the older one was watching me over his shoulder. Everytime I lifted my glass up, they were looking my way, then they would quickly look somewhere else, then look back when I was eating. I haven't felt that out of place in a pub since first arriving here 3 years ago.
I don't know if it was the novelty of someone actually ordering food in there, or that they were just bored, or possibly they were all really hungry. But apparently the three of them found every single move I made facinating. It felt like being in a crowded slow elevator where no one looks at anyone, but everyone's watching each other in the reflections on the wall. I still have the willys! I kept looking at my shirt or coat thinking I'd spilled something on it.
Richard - 7 Dec 2003 21:40 |
I used to work there 1998-99 the manager at the time took great care to serve excellent guinness
b - 15 Oct 2003 12:44 |
Tom Cribb is my Great, great, great grandfather
Larry Gardner - 25 Apr 2003 18:28 |
Friendly barstaff
Guiness was the best i've tasted in London
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