BITE user comments - alemeetagain
Comments by alemeetagain
This is an unusually good pub. The beer is kept very well and to call the food "gastropub" food is an insult. The food is simple, fresh, seasonal and the menu changes frequently. It would not be out of place in a more expensive bistro or restraunt. The service is superb. My personal highlight is the bread, which is made fresh and is out of this world. There are cheaper places but it's a first rate venue in a wealthy part of west london, you can't expect them to give the food away. I think it's good value.
20 Mar 2008 16:44
I like this place but it's not without its' faults. Firstly, it's got a great Jazz affiliation (being a renowned venue in the back room.) The biggest downside is that it's a bit big, which tends to take away from the intimacy most great pubs have in common. This can be got around by using clever design and lighting, but there is no evidence of that here. The food is decent and honest; you can have either Thai or "traditional" whatever that means these days. Anyone who slates the landlord whould be taken outside and thrashed with the Cat O' Nine tails. He's not grumpy, he's human, which means you don't get the cheap smiles and easy wisecracks you might associate with someone who has been trained in customer service. But what you do get is the feeling that you are dealing with a man whose business this is. And frankly, that's fine by me. Sort out the "feel" and this would be a cracking place. As it is, it's merely very decent!
24 Sep 2007 18:00
I've been to worse pubs but this is a rather pretensious place really. The place is very self consciously designed in the style known in common parlance as "shabby chic". On paper it sounds great: antiques, old books, a stash of magazines, etc, but to the discerning eye one gets the distinct impression that this place is a phoney. The food is rather fitting to the venue: decent enough but a bit too selfconscious. Oh, and it's expensive too, even by SW13 standards.
24 Sep 2007 17:53
The reality is that this pub has altered very little since Norman left. You'd certainly only find this place in Soho. It's averagely priced for the area, the staff in my experience are actually very jovial and the toilets are no worse than an average pub. I haven't tried the food and personally wouldn't; this is certainly a drinkers pub. The age range is totally mixed and yes, there are probably a few more middle aged Soho types in here than most pubs, but quite frankly, if a youthful crowd is your main reason (or even A reason)for visiting a pub, you should be delighted witih 95% of the pubs in the West-end and go and drink in one of them instead. I'm 28 and I've never been the youngest in the C&H whenever I've been in, so ignore the old man stories. I would certainly concede that this is a love it or hate it type place though, and it's also fairly exclusive, in it's own odd way. I'm definately in the "love it" group.
24 Sep 2007 17:28
The Seven Stars, Chancery Lane
I had a superb boozy lunch here last Saturday; some great ale, good food prepared by Roxy herself (who was on fine form), all polished off with a very strong well mixed Martini and a Cuban cigar. And the sun was shining! What more can a man ask for?
31 Aug 2007 10:14
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The Seven Stars, Chancery Lane
Went again last night - had the corned beef hash. Full credit to the cook here: food is systemtically of the same good standard. Beers consumed included Wandle and Adnams, both absolutely top notch. Love this place!
26 Aug 2011 15:19