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Cambridge PuG Crawl, Friday 5th April 2024 with Gann on the Pub Forum

The Nags Head, Belgravia, SW1

53 Kinnerton Street
Belgravia
SW1
SW1X 8ED

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Ian Mapp left this review about The Nags Head

Not really sure where to start here, I had no preconceived ideas about what to expect. Unsure whether I should trust a pub where the landlords name is more prominent than the name of the pub.

So, used to be Londons smallest pub before they opened the bottom room. More facts? That photo of our non sweating nonce, 8th in line to the throne, with his arm draped around a girl the same age of his daughter? Taken at #44 over the road.

Back to the pub. I queued behind a group of bemused Italian tourists who got the "treatment".

Card transations have to be more than £15
All beers are £8
Short measures
Rude service
Beers slopped in any old receptacle - Bitburger into a Guinness glass, if you please.

This meant I could be treated with the knowledge, and I swear I got a smile from the Irish Bar Lady.

I loved everything about it. Such an interesting, eccentric place that you wonder why anyone would come to spend (so much) money.

Will I be back - maybe to take disbelieving friends.

On 20th February 2024 - rating: 10
[User has posted 1329 recommendations about 1315 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Brainy Pool left this review about The Nags Head

No changes here - still a slightly intimidating old creaky place, with Sinatra crooning in the background and Kevin just the same as ever. it’s enjoyable just to listen to him and the regulars, or observe the reactions of the many befuddled tourists that enter. £6 for a sublime Ghost Ship, still a minimum of £15 for card payment. suffice to say there are not many true eccentric pubs like this left, catch it while you can.

On 27th September 2022 - rating: 9
[User has posted 1051 recommendations about 1016 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Old Boots left this review about The Nags Head

When I was told the rules, no cards (under £15) and strictly no mobile phones I thought it was going to be a Sam Smith’s pub but no it’s an eccentric, madly decorated place over three slightly different floor levels, the low counter has been described well before. It has a bit of an Irish vibe, the owners name appears on the front of the building in that style and there’s a possibly mad Irish barmaid/ landlady who rules the place with a rod of iron. My Ghost Ship was excellent and sadly it was £6 a pint. As you might guess it’s a gem.

On 25th July 2022 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 3209 recommendations about 2920 pubs]


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Will Larter left this review about The Nags Head

A narrow-fronted pub in one of Belgravia's smaller streets, and the front room is small and a little cramped, with a small bar counter protruding into the space. There's an impressive fireplace which I found difficult to photograph as another customer was sitting almost in it, but I managed to edit here out eventually. There's another small room downstairs, and the toilets are upstairs, with some seats on the landing which may be for the purpose of forming an orderly queue, or perhaps sitting and drinking your beer in anticipation of future needs. The walls and ceilings are covered with a huge variety of pictures, and there's a collection of slot machines that used to sell things like cigarettes and chewing gum. The sound system was putting out some fairly obscure jazz, and the hand pumps delivered the beer without sparkler and in superb condition. I had Adnams Southwold Bitter and was charged £3 for a half, though whether this was a rounding up of a price below £6 I couldn't tell. And didn't care all that much, as it was such a good beer in such stimulating surroundings.

Date of visit: 2nd May 2022

On 9th July 2022 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3699 recommendations about 3440 pubs]


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Tris C left this review about The Nags Head

I last came here in the late summer of 1986, so thought a repeat visit should be made after more than 35 years, to this CAMRA inventory pub, having an interior of Some Regional Importance, best appreciated from the photos on display on both CAMRA’s and this site.
The layout is quite quaint, with a lower bar dating from 1947, meaning that punters drinking at the bar are at two levels, those on the lower level on high stools, ones in the upper level essentially drinking on a toadstool; when ordering a drink, the barmaid’s head was about level with my knee.
The small space is an Aladdin’s cave of bric-a-brac and knickknacks with some autographed photos of celebrities and also signs banning the use of mobile phones. Customers are a very broad bunch with some probably regular northerners, some local geezers and some very Sloaney types, one in morning dress and all getting along without any friction, cajoled along by a Geordie(?) landlady, resulting in much banter, some quite lewd.
The beer range is quite pedestrian, but my pint of Ghost Ship (£5.50), cash only and somewhat cheaper than many a pub in inner-city Hackney; this is Belgravia. It was on fine form too, served by a very friendly and helpful barmaid who was charm personified.
This is without question a must-visit pub in SW1 and probably in the whole of Westminster itself, a far cry from the air of despondency at the pub next door.

On 27th September 2021 - rating: 8
[User has posted 1955 recommendations about 1922 pubs]


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Bucking Fastard left this review about The Nags Head

Tucked away mews pub ,it's quite small and very charming.There was no attempt at T&T and I got the impression that such rules are not welcome here.If paying by card there is a £15 minimum,so cash it was.You enter into the bar room with an unusually low serving bar,barely a counter.A real fire was burning and some traditional furniture was dotted about,below the copious wood panelling.To the side,down some stairs is a lower room with it's own bar,flag stone floor and another charming spot.The small range in the fireplace is gas but was kindly lit by the guv'nor .A light jazz soundtrack was well judged for a sunday lunchtime.
There are cuttings pasted to the ceiling giving an avante guarde feeling and a huge collection of bric a brac on the picture rail hight ledge.Again more trad furniture and windows opening onto the passage way down the side of the building.
There were quite a few tables outside,Kinnereton Street is quiet at this point.
The ale selection was Adnams Southwold Bitter and Ghostship (£5 ,NBSS 3.5) while a third was reversed.Real ciders also available.Snacks and sandwiches only,but £6.50 for a tuna sarnie reflects the upmarket surrounding.Good to find a proper boozer however,it's worth a squint for it's charm.

On 11th October 2020 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]


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Blackthorn _ left this review about The Nags Head

Tucked away down a private mews, this isn’t somewhere you’re likely to stumble across by accident, but it was worth preserving though and seemed to be very popular with more punters outside than in on our recent Saturday evening visit. The landlady was very efficient and certainly took no messing, giving short shrift to a rather boisterous Hooray Henry type trying to order both a bottle of champagne and a round of brandies.

The street level bar is quite small with only a limited amount of seating at the front and the bar counter taking up a good proportion of the space at the rear. Dark wood panelling was on much of the walls with some type of lino on the floor, and every square was covered with something, numerous photographs, portraits and posters but also all sorts of other bits and bobs including a bugle, wooden model aeroplanes, miner’s lamps, old bottles…..the list is endless. An old sewing machine table was off to one side as well as a couple of old fireplaces with wooden surrounds. One of these contained an old iron stove of some sort and was liberally adorned with horse brasses. A shelf above the bar contained a large collection of peaked caps, all piled up one on top another. A further bar down a few steps at the rear had flagstones on the floor but was otherwise broadly similar in terms of décor. Another bar was up a few steps, although we did not investigate this.

Beers on tap were all from Adnams with their Southwold, Lighthouse and Ghost Ship, whilst the ciders were Wild Wave from the same brewery which is a new one on me, and Aspall’s Suffolk. All in all, a great little pub and well worth taking the effort to track it down.

On 17th September 2019 - rating: 8
[User has posted 1937 recommendations about 1850 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Graham Coombs left this review about The Nags Head

Splendid little pub of character with a strong local following and which has changed little over many years. As mentioned before, the surprisingly-low bar in the front room is because the serving side is even lower, although it does boast a splendid brass beer engine. Down some narrow steps behind the bar is a lower room, while there is a another corner up a step or two by the toilets, generally =giving the impression that every space has been pressed into use. The aged wooden panelling throughout is liberally covered in pictures and assorted bric-a-brac. Fine weather outdoor drinking is provided by some tables (literally) in the road. Draught beers are from Adnams, with Bitter, Ghost Ship and Lighthouse available at time of visit. Alcohol-free Ghost Ship and Dry-hopped Lager were also badged but were on keg. Oh, and be warned, mobile phone users are not favoured.

On 25th May 2019 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3322 recommendations about 3259 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


custodian 42 left this review about The Nags Head

Pleasing pub which had the bar staff on a lower level than me. The pub was also on various levels and the walls were crammed with memorabilia. Adnam's beer on hand pump. There was a nice fire which wasn't lit.

On 17th May 2017 - rating: 5
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve C left this review about The Nags Head

The first thing I noticed as I entered the Nags Head was the waist high bar which threw me off kilter. The second surprise was when I was charged £2.50 for half an Adnams Ghost Ship. I know this is Belgravia, but the other pubs in the area do not charge this extraordinary amount. Two other ales were available alongside Carlsberg and Guinness, if I am not mistaken. The limited ‘lite bites’ menu in operation during my recent Friday afternoon visit seemed to consist of sandwiches and cheese etc. which were priced at £7.90.

The interior of this pub consists of the street level seating area where the aforementioned low bar is found and a downstairs seating area that is accessed by a staircase to the left of the bar. The walls throughout are adorned with old pictures, caricatures and photographs and the ceiling has old cartoons and newspaper clippings stuck to it. There is no television, but there was some 1940s music playing which sat well in the surroundings. Out the front by the entrance are a couple of high tables for plotting pints during pavement drinking.

I can see the appeal because this quirky pub is unique, but I couldn’t afford to stay too long and I’m not sure that I would want to. This is the sort of pub that I like to have a look at, but once I’ve been I’m not that bothered in returning.

On 14th October 2015 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5179 recommendations about 5148 pubs]

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