Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Detail Pages
The Two Chairmen, SW1
SW1
SW1H 9BP
Pub Type
Taylor Walker (Spirit Pubs)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Strongers . left this review about The Two Chairmen
This place is ok, but nothing special in an area full of real ale boozers. The barman was friendly enough and he was dishing out Pride, Bombardier, 6X, Greene King IPA and Deuchars along with Guinness, Strongbow and three standard lagers.
There is a small TV set up in the corner, but I got the feeling that it is only turned on for royal weddings and funerals. There is some pew seating jutting out either side of the fireplace as to face it at 30 degrees and this does drastically cut down the standing room of the pub, but it looks quite cool and it wasn't very busy when I visited anyway.
I would go back here if passing.
On 25th March 2009
- rating: 6
[User has posted 6829 recommendations about 6790 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Two Chairmen
This being one of the closest pubs to my office, I have tried hard to get to like this place. It has all the ingredients of a decent pub but somehow it just lacks anything to make it stand out. Dating from 1756, it stands in a grand street where every other building seems to have a blue plaque. The alley that runs down the side, now called Lewisham Street, was once a major thoroughfare linking St James to the Houses of Parliament and was a base for operators of sedan chairs and the pub name is derived from this trade. The interior of the pub is quite cosy but rather dimly lit and with little natural light to lift the gloom. The décor is fairly dated with old fashioned wallpaper, dark paneling and a dark patterned papered ceiling. The central area is divided by 2 low angled wooden screens with pew seating and a tiled fireplace in a wood panel surround. At the back is more pew seating and 3 fading murals depicting 18th century scenes but these are badly lit and best observed from distance. They do a decent range of Real Ales, usually 6 at any one time although the guest beers generally tend to be rather unadventurous. Quality is usually OK and they have Cask Marque accreditation. Food is reasonably priced and looks fine but the choice is standard pub fare. There is an upstairs “Sedan” bar into which I have yet to venture. It can also be very smoky although this will thankfully be a thing of the past come July. I can't help feel that this pub is a bit of an underachiever given its location and targeted customer base and whilst the cornerstones are in place to make this place become one of the best in the vicinity, it really needs a bit of brightening up.
On 17th January 2007
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]