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Detail Pages
Dame Alice Owen, EC1
EC1
EC1V 4PA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about Dame Alice Owen
As is always the case theres not much to add if anything when following a thorough Pub SignMan review.The tiling is impressive the ambiance less so although I was there early doors midweek.The beer on was Salopian Shropshire gold which the barman made a point of pulling a pint through before serving mine being first of the day, Butcombe Haka was tagged up as coming soon and Rosies Pig was the Cider. The pub beagan to fill a little as lunchtime approached possibly attracted by the Pizza menu. I didn't find it as dreary as Tris did back in 2015 but I'm unlikely to rush back.
On 3rd November 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Dame Alice Owen
Came here on an unplanned visit, after the pub I had hoped to visit turned out to be closed for a refurb. It’s a large two room pub in a fairly quiet part of the city, seemingly drawing local residents as much as the usual post-work crowd or tourists. The pub is pretty striking on approach, thanks to a great glazed tile exterior, and a large pavement seating area outside, allows you to get a better view of it all. The main bar area sees the servery down the left-hand side, in an area with a nice terracotta tiled floor. Large windows down two sides of the room, allow plenty of light in and there’s a good amount of table and chair seating, including some around a nice fireplace with a smart glazed tile surround. The anaglypta ceiling has been painted in a very dark shade, which contrasts nicely with the cream palette used through the remainder of the room. The servery has an impressive dark wood bar back, which has retained some old Watney’s branding, and large blackboards have been used to detail the wine list and various other items of interest. Perhaps most unusually, there is an upright piano in the far corner, and a bloke was bashing out a bunch of popular tunes, such as Bowie’s ‘Life On Mars’, whilst I was there, to a wholly indifferent audience. An opening to the rear, leads you through into a side room with white wall panels beneath a huge skylight, and another fireplace on the back wall. There’s also an open kitchen in here, implying that the room - empty on this visit - might be used more for diners. The room is decorated with a few large art prints and uses an open backed bookcase as a form of partitioning from the bar area. A lack of soft furnishings meant that despite the modest crowd - most punters were sat outside - the pub was insanely noisy, although the piano was able to cut through this without much trouble.
There are five handpulls on the bar, but two were unclipped and another two were dispensing Rosie’s ciders, leaving Marstons 61 Deep as the sole ale option (£4.80). I was served by a very smiley barmaid and thought the beer was in decent enough condition, although not one I’d rush back to have a second pint of.
I thought this was a fairly unremarkable place, with little character beyond the external tiling, a noisy interior and too much empty open space. The beer was in good nick, but the range was a little lacking and whilst I was perfectly happy sat here for my 30 minute visit, I can’t say there was all that much that makes me want to return.
On 30th October 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Blacksmith and the Toffeemaker
Dating back over 200 years in some form, this pub was until fairly recently trading under its original name of the [New] Red Lion and acquired its current stupid name in 2012.
We arrived mid-evening and mid-week to find an empty pub, bar a rather noisy seemingly student party in the rear bar; a gastropub this is not as there was no-one dining and the menu is far from gastro, seemingly drawn in part from a Jewish deli. There are some nice glazed tiles to the exterior which are mirrored in the interior and look rather good; an old roundel above the hanging sign - sadly painted over - indicates that this was once a Watney Combe Reid pub and this information has been retained in the form of an illuminated parapet to the bar back which reads 'Welcome to this Watney's House'. These are about all that remains of this commanding corner pub. Today, there are unnecessary 'trendy' modern touches, a tiled floor and ugly ventilation ducts. Furniture in the middle bar comprises ridiculously high tables and stools with spindly metal legs; absolutely awful!
The barman didn't seem interested in his work and English wasn't his strong point. Ales on offer were Deuchars IPA and Caledonian Flying Scotsman (I'm not a fan of either) as well as Blacksmith's Golden Ale and Sheppard Neame's Spitfire which was fine.
This is a dreary place and I can't see myself returning - The Peasant down the road is marginally preferable.
On 13th March 2016
- rating: 3
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Blacksmith and the Toffeemaker
Tiled exterior and interior. 4 real ales and food served.
On 20th March 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about Boadicea
Now a gastropub called 'The Blacksmith and the Toffeemaker'
On 16th March 2012
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Boadicea
Formerly the Queen Boadicea, this place initially looks like its now called "BC" from the initials on the awnings and the pub sign (although this appreviation appears to stand for 'Boadicea Clerkenwell'). One is then struck by the plain dark red tiling on the ground floor walls, an impression which is then reinforced as you step inside as the floors and walls are decorated in the same manner which gives a very harsh look. The windows are quite large and appear to be modern, as does the patterned metal grill false ceiling. The furniture in the bar area - with its signage saying "Welcome to this Watneys house" - and corner lounge are a bit gastro-pub style, unlike the clientele which mainly seems to comprise students from the nearby City University (and who were displaying a distinct lack of interest in the chap trying to run a quiz night). Two beers on handpump - Deuchards IPA and the seasonal Caledonian Oktoberbest (tasty enough, but very expensive at £3.80).
On 6th November 2010
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]