The Carlisle Arms, Soho

Went to this pub with a group of 5 friends at 10pm. Pub pretty empty and got a table inside easily enough.

Not impressed from the start. I ordered a bitter and was given a lager. Ordinarily a forgivable mistake but unfortunately transpired to be symptomatic.

We were sold a second round at 10:59. I thought it was a bit odd to be given plastic glasses this time around, I can understand in Soho that they want to keep glass off the street but if you've just been sold a drink you expect to have time to drink it inside. If I don't finish in a reasonable drinking up time I have no problem in being offered a plastic glass as I leave. In the event, they didn't give us reasonable drinking up time. At 11:06 we were told to leave and drink outside. We pointed out politely that this was unreasonable and in the event we were allowed to stay but only at the expense of constant rude remarks from the bar staff - "don't throw the book at me." etc. Don't mind being asked to leave at 11:06 but not if I've been sold 5 drinks 8 minutes earlier.

We were told if we didn't like it we didn't have to come back. We won't.

17 Sep 2009 12:04