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Disappointment of the week with Mobyduck
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Detail Pages
Marlborough Head, Mayfair, W1
W1
W1K 6WY
Pub Type
Taylor Walker (Spirit Pubs)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about Marlborough Head
A late 19th century rebuild has resulted in this quite commanding corner pub, just off Oxford Street.
This is a Greene King joint, so surprises aren’t expected: it just looks pretty much like every one of their other places, the only difference here is that there’s a choice of ales which aren’t GK. Generally, there’s a ‘Victorian’ interior, provenance unknown, with some rather extravagant crystal chandeliers. It’s split level, with normal low furniture to the rear, tall more modern furniture to the front, with lovely laminated menus and sauce bottles on tables by way of décor; TVs showed the footie , which no one was watching, sound down so as not to interfere with the banal mood music. Customers, as Rex has already written, have probably stumbled in here, thinking it’s a traditional London pub; more fool them.
Ales on offer included the usual GK contributions, but also Landlord, Old Golden Hen and Tribute at a steep £2.70 a half but nice.
This place is ok for a swift pint and some fish ‘n’ chips after a shopping spree, but otherwise it’s a bit of a dud.
On 28th October 2021
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1983 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Marlborough Head
Quite a substantial brick building, with an imposing sign on the corner above the main door. Inside, it is a fairly standard-issue London pub with a raised area at the far end of the main bar. Also has another, larger and much quieter bar downstairs, with a notional snug, alcoves labelled The Duchess, The Earl and The Duke, two shuffleboards and another counter with three more handpumps (although this was closed on this visit). Now a Greene King house, with IPA, Abbot, the seasonal Rocking Rudolph (£4.95) and Old Mulled Hen available with Black Sheep 'coming soon' from the five handpumps in the main bar.
On 27th December 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about The Marlborough Head
Greene King pub which extended back quite a bit. Quite full for a mid afternoon Tuesday visit. Seemed to be full of diners. Five real ales, two of which were coming soon.
On 7th June 2017
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Marlborough Head
This pub was very busy with shopping bag laden refugees seeking escape, however briefly, from the hell of pre-Christmas Oxford Street when I was in there at 12.10 PM on Monday. It's another typical Taylor Walker pub catering for transient shoopers. It had the usual TW furnishings - a mix of tall tables/tall stools and normal dark varnished tables and chairs. The room stretches back a fair way, with the servery on the left, and leading to a raised area at the back. Young children aren’t permitted in the ground floor bar, but they are permitted in the downstairs room. The toilets are also located down here.
The ales on were Jennings Cumberland (£1.95 a half), Black Sheep Bitter, Tribute and Adnam’s Christmas Cheer. That selection’s not too shabby. The food’s the usual Taylor Walker pub grub.
This place is characterless, but functional. It does what it says on the tin – provide reasonably priced food and drink for those lucky enough to win a respite from the shopping madness round the corner. I feel sorry for any foreign tourists who stumble upon this pub and think they’ve found a traditional London pub. But it’s a product of its surroundings, like most pubs in this area, and does provide a useful service for tourists.
On 18th December 2013
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]