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Detail Pages
The Barley Mow, Marylebone, W1
Marylebone
W1
W1U 6QW
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Barley Mow
This pub is in the Camra Guide of National Heritage Pub Interiors, so well worth a visit. The main attraction here is the two drinking boxes attached the bar on the left hand side and the small snug at the rear. The pub interior is small, but the added tables and chairs out front adds the space. We went for the West Berks Mister Chubbs and the Fullers Olivers Island, which were well kept.
On 4th August 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Barley Mow
A pleasant enough pub a couple of blocks away from Marylebone High Street, it doesn’t have quite the Victorian grandeur of some other central London hostelries, but is nonetheless quite traditional and has no doubt remained unchanged for some time. It has an attractive appearance with a number of hanging baskets outside, and there is also some outside seating although according to a notice on the door the times that this can be used has recently been restricted due to complaints from local residents.
The pub consists of a larger bar at the front and a small snug at the rear. The front bar has wood flooring and two tone wood panelling on the walls, along with a number of beer mats and an old Fuller’s, Smith & Turner mirror. An interesting feature was two enclosed wooden booths to the left of the bar counter where you could sit in private but still access the bar to get your drinks refilled. The snug at the rear had a carpeted floor and included a couple of shelves of books that could be swapped. A notice advertised a Saturday quiz night, although by the time we arrived at 9:30pm there was no sign of it and the pub was fairly quiet. Food is apparently offered on lunch times and a small board offered a selection of burgers, wraps, chilli and pies at around a fiver.
Beers on tap were London Pride, Kings, Dark Star Festival, Oscar Wilde and Gale’s Spring Sprinter. The solitary cider was Aspall’s Suffolk.
On 2nd April 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1949 recommendations about 1862 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Barley Mow
Nice traditional pub if you like this style.Weird Tardis style wooden boxes dominate the left of the bar.Grotty toilets.The beer choice makes up for faults with 5 handpumps and the 2 beers I had from Mighty Oak and Sharps were good.Friendly staff.Worth a revisit soon.
On 21st December 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Barley Mow
Located down a small road off Baker Street, this is worth a visit to see the two unique wooden Victorian drinking boxes attached to the bar counter, both with little doors affording almost complete privacy. Externally the pub is also nicely kitted-out, with an impressive floral arrangement and some outside seating which is pleasant; you feel quite removed from the bustle of central London. Other parts of the interior are perhaps less historic and are more straightforward and unmemorable. Five ales on at the bar which was a bonus, including two from Mauldon and a Dark Star seasonal. Both of my ales were in good shape and service was fairly good. There’s a collection of old pump clips displayed which indicates a good ale rotation and selection policy (I’m led to believe that this pub is free-of-tie). There’s enough here to make me mark this one down for a revisit sooner rather than later.
On 4th July 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Barley Mow
A small side street pub just off the southern section of Baker Street, the bar is immediately ahead on entering the centre and only remaining set of doors. Two sets remain unused suggesting that once this small room was divided into three, like many London pubs were but three tiny spaces they would've been. The drinking boxes to the left on entering are a fascinating relic of a byegone age, I took a peek inside, leather benches and apart from a direct approach to the bar, total privacy, an important aspect of Victorian drinking. The walls are almost completely boarded in tongue and grooved style, upper portions light coloured, darker below. Wood flooring to the front of the bar with the wing areas carpeted. Seating has none of the modern foibles, wooden pew style benches, banquettes and small and larger bar stools. Décor includes a large Fuller Smith and Turner mirror and a few tin beer trays hanging off the panelled walls. Loads of pump clips from previous guests on the right hand side wall.
The pub claims to be Marylebone's oldest, not convinced, pub claims are ten a penny (usually ghost related) but this part of town has been around a long time so I'm taking it with a pinch of salt. Food is served, I didn't spot any formal menus but a chalkboard listed lunchtime snacks of the proper old pub staples of pies (ok posh Pieminister ones at least with gravy), toasties and hot dogs plus home made hot pot for just £4.50, sadly not available today, I half expected to see Betty Turpin from the Rovers Return around the back when I saw that listed.
The beer range is decent and on this visit from my experience well kept, Hop Back Summer Lightning plus their Crop Circle, Dark Star Sunburst, Mighty Oak Back of the Net plus two clipped with Fuller's London Pride.
Outdoor seating to the pavement, there is a regular Saturday evening quiz, and they have a telly, showing tennis at the time. A decent spot well worthy of a punt and seems miles away from busy Marylebone Rd and Baker St.
On 27th May 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Sir Tubbs left this review about The Barley Mow
Lovely pub off Baker Street. A brief visit on May Day Bank Holiday monday revealed little to add from the previous review other than that the menu was distinctly Borough Market with Pieminster pies & Ginger Pig sausages. However, the usual menu was abandoned for this BH and a barbecue was put on instead which went down well in the sunshine with locals and tourists alike. Shabby chic would best describe the decor, although to me it was bordeline grubby. However, the staff were very friendly and the atmosphere was relaxed. Only three ales on: Dark Star APA, London Pride & Mighty Oak Captain Bob in excellent form.
On 21st May 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2 recommendations about 2 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Barley Mow
This pub re-opened a little while ago, after having been closed for some three years. It’s a CAMRA Heritage pub, due to the presence of the small “drinking boxes” to the left of the bar counter. The boxes in this pub are now unique in London, the other examples all in pubs now demolished or converted to other use. The chatty barman told me that someone had told him that The Beatles drank in the front box. Anyway, without the boxes there is nothing out of the ordinary about this pub. There are three separate entrances (with only the central one still in use), indicating that even a pub as small as this one would have been divided up into three separate rooms, in addition to the drinking boxes. The walls are pine clad; the floors are bare-boarded; and seating is a few normal tables and chairs.
There were six handpumps on the bar counter, but only three in use during my visit, dispensing London Pride; Fuller’s seasonal Red Fox; and Sharp’s Red Ale (£3.40 a pint). I had the latter which was in good nick, if served a little too cold. The barman told me that the other three pumps would normally be in use – the Doom Bar; Butcombe’s Bitter; and a 3.7% Lancaster session ale had recently finished. Apparently it’s a genuine free house. I didn’t see anything in the way of food, but a chalkboard on the bar advertised toasties at £2.50 a throw, and sausage “subs” for a bit more than this. I found this to be a friendly and welcoming pub, and would be very happy to pay a return visit.
On 23rd October 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about The Barley Mow
CLOSED. A sad loss of a CAMRA Inventory pub (14/04/08)
On 14th April 2008
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]