Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 28th April 2024) with rpadam
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Cafe Rouge, WC2
WC2
WC2N 6NA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 4½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about Cafe Rouge
This is now a restaurant.
On 16th February 2017
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Bell & Compass
Fairly characterless modernised pub with those annoying high tables, but continues to improve (slowly). Nothing wrong with the beer from the Marston's real ale stable - usually EPA and Pedigree plus a couple of seasonal or less usual offerings from Ringwood, Banks's or Jennings. Also has an even less characterful room downstairs that is opened up when things get busy. Overall, OK for a quick one before catching the train from Charing Cross or as a place to meet before swiftly moving on.
On 9th May 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Bell & Compass
This pub will be well known to commuters using the adjacent Charing Cross station. It was previously known as the Griffin and was in those days a fairly basic and not particularly interesting place. A major refurb and name change about 5 years ago didn’t really make much of an improvement with my initial post-refurb visit finding just one ale (Marstons Pedigree) unavailable despite being badged across 4 pump clips, poor service and I vowed never to return but recent reports of some half decent beers has led me make a fresh visit after a lengthy absence
The odd shaped hotchpotch of an interior is still as faceless as ever and lacking any charm or warmth with high brass top tables, ambient background music, modern artwork and arty spotlights. The beers however were indeed a pleasant surprise. 3 ales available (Hobson’s Mild, Brakspear Oxford Gold and Shepherd Neame Top Hat) with 1 pump off. The quality was very good and even the prices seemed slightly better than I was expecting for the area. Food was also reasonably priced with a selection of snacks at £4.95 and main courses around £8/9.
My visit coincided with the World Cup but despite the “Watch the World Cup Here” posters, the badly placed screen in a blind side of the bar wouldn’t have made it quite awkward. On the subject of football, it should be noted that football colours are not allowed although international shirts are OK.
I can’t say that there is a great deal about the place that would make me want to spend a night here but it is certainly a vast improvemenmt on the beer front from my previous experiences and I may make the odd sporadic visit when time is to hand out of curiosity for the beers than anything else.
On 1st September 2010
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Bell & Compass
Several real ales on when I was in on – Brakspear’s Bitter; Jennings Redbreast; Marston’s Pedigree; and Marston’s Ugly Sisters. I went for the Ugly Sisters. It was OK, but hard work for the barmaid to pour a pint as all the ales were dispensed through sparklers. She was unwilling to remove the sparkler, because “without it the beer would be flat” – but admitted that she didn’t know anything about such things. The trouble is, unless you are really on the ball, by the time you realise that a sparkler is being used it’s usually too late to do anything about it.
Anyway, I found the pub itself to have less character than the average Wetherspoons. Furnishings are mainly high stools and tables, many of the tables having metallic, faux copper, tops. I sat on something that I would guess is supposed to be banquette seat, but again was so high that you had to lean forward and put your feet on the bar at the bottom to stop yourself from sliding off. This is probably the pub with the most uncomfortable furnishings I have been in. I would normally turn round and walk out of such a place, but decided to give it a go having seen the couple of Christmas ales on offer. It has the Spirit Group style faux chalkboards on display all over the place. This is a classic pubco wasteland of a pub that has been made over to death, with no endearing features that I could discern. It’s nothing like the old Griffin that I recall going back to the 60s – even though that wasn’t a brilliant pub, it’s a darn sight better than its successor. I doubt whether I shall be back.
On 16th December 2009
- rating: 3
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Bell & Compass
I found this pub lacked character with tables crammed everywhere so that no matter where you sit you feel like you are encroaching on another group of people. I found the staff to be nonchalant and I'll let the barman off that served me as he was new, but his colleagues just stood around watching him struggle. The first pint of Pedigree was OK, but my half for the road was served up in an orange juice glass.
Huffkin, Jennings Swan Lake and Marstons were the other 3 ales and there is a variety off premium and standard lagers.
On 24th October 2008
- rating: 4
[User has posted 5263 recommendations about 5231 pubs]