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Disappointment of the week with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Hicce Hart, N1
N1
N1 9PZ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about The Joker of Penton Street
Reasonable selection of (expensive) craft ales but not as good as the Craft Bar round the corner.
On 19th January 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Joker of Penton Street
Over the last six years or so this pub has gone from being called the Salmon and Compasses, Salmon and Compass, Compass, Hundred Crows Rising and as of 2014, the Joker of Penton Street. I came here about six years ago when it was called...well, one of the above and it seems that little if anything has changed. Canteen furniture, pink tea light holders on tables, a hot and noisy open kitchen. Décor includes the likes of heavy duty industrial hanging lights and oddities like the lamp array from an operating theatre, an optician's illuminated test chart and a 1960s' hairdresser's beehive dryer with perspex hood.
Lighting is very gloomy; the interior is very dark. The music is also very loud - the only other drinker on our Monday mid-evening visit asked the barman if he could turn it down.
Ales: three blank pumps, which I was informed had been mothballed in favour of the oh-so-fashionable 'beer wall tap'; so no real ale then.
I opted for a half of Laines IPA from keg which weighed in at a mighty £5.40 a pint (£2.70 a half). It was served in a wineglass.
The gloom, lack of atmosphere, lack of real ale, outrageous prices and loud music results in a pub which is really very poor and I shan't be returning. Fortunately the local Craft Beer Co. is just around the corner.
On 14th September 2016
- rating: 3
[User has posted 1983 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Joker of Penton Street
The pub was surprisingly quiet on our Friday eve visit, six people in all, who had called in as a group to sample the craft beers, dispensed from taps from a wall behind the bar. The pub does have late licensing hours, 1am mid week and 3am on Fri and Sat nights, so maybe the pub fills up later on in the evening. There were two ales on handpump on our visit, so we went for the Laines 48 at £4.15 a pint, which was considerably dearer than Craft Islington, which is just on the next corner. Their craft beers on tap, were very pricey as one would expect for this area.
On 14th August 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Joker of Penton Street
A spacious contemporary pub,although quiet early on a Saturday afternoon there was a decent feel about the pub,four cask beers were available, I settled for a very good pint of Kings Northern Lights.Nice place.
On 15th November 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1871 recommendations about 1844 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Joker of Penton Street
Standard-issue gastro-pub, with wood-effect canteen furniture and mixed decor including a giant clock-face. Four real ales available on handpump: Laines Best Bitter (£4.00), something from Hackney with a generic clip, Truman's Swift and Kings Evolution Black Symphony.
On 24th January 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Joker of Penton Street
This attractive glazed tiled street-corner pub has gone through a number of incarnations in recent years, but has now been taken over by the people behind Brighton's Laine Brewery, creating a modest environment in which to showcase their beers to the capital. The exterior is certainly striking with the tiles complimented by a large Courage Ales sign on the front wall. Once inside, a simple, rectangular single room layout becomes apparent, with the servery running along most of the back wall. The room is painted in dark red, with a dark wood servery, bare floorboards and an exposed brick bar back all lit by muted lights in huge bell-shaped lightshades and exposed naked bulbs caged in quirky whisk shaped fittings. There are some button backed sofas and a solitary pew running along the front wall in arguably the comfiest section of the pub. Elsewhere, reclaimed tables and chairs fill the open space, each table set out with a lit candle and a clipboard detailing the simple burger menu. There are some large paintings of jesters on the walls plus lots of smaller photos of more contemporary comedians. A huge, almost floor to ceiling, clock stands on the back wall with its hands racing around in an anti-clockwise motion. The servery is in two parts, with the bar occupying the right hand half and an open kitchen sited in the left hand section with a couple of huge theatre masks above. A sign pointed out additional seating available upstairs, but the place was pretty quiet on my Tuesday evening visit, so I didn't explore. Music played quietly in the background throughout my stay and I thought the general ambiance was quite nice and that it was a shame there wasn't a livelier crowd in to generate more atmosphere.
Two ales were available at the bar - Laines Angel RPA and Angel Porter - with a third handpull displaying a turned clip. The final pump had a handwritten clip for something called Heart Breaker Welsh Cider. I gave the porter a try and was pleased to find it in great shape. The barmaid who served me was very prompt and friendly and I felt a bit sorry that she didn't have more customers to keep her busy.
I quite enjoyed this place without being able to put my finger on exactly why that was. Whilst not really being a pub for the traditionalist, it still felt warm and welcoming, perhaps because it doesn't seem to have the pretensions of some other N1 bars. This, coupled with the excellent pint I enjoyed, would be enough for me to consider another visit, perhaps as a double header with the nearby Craft Beer Co.
On 4th March 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Joker of Penton Street
They haven't done much to change this pub décor wise. Couple of masks hung above the kitchen area and a large clock with the minute hand going anti-clockwise at a tremendous rate.(Apparently this is the clock that featured on Oasis -Be Here Now tour).Gone are the Old Dairy beers and now 3 beers brewed at Laines brewpub in Hackney. Porter-pale ale and a really good English hopped 5.0 ipa.
On 2nd February 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about Hundred Crows Rising
Despite the previous reviewer's reservations about the beer quality, my chum and I decided to risk a half in here as I really like Old Dairy ales. They had on what must be their house ale – Murder a Crow – and Red Top. I have to say that the Red Top was in fine shape, at £2 for a half. Maybe we were in on a good day.
The pub is as described previously, with crow-themed decor all over the place. I reckon this is more a cafe/restaurant that does beer rather than a pub that does food. The daily special was advertised on a paper roller device near the door – you tear off yesterday’s special, roll the paper down and write on today’s. Saves the effort of rubbing off a chalkboard I suppose, although the economy doesn’t stretch to food prices, with Friday’s special being fish & chips plus peas and tartare sauce at £14. It’s worth dropping in here in the hope rather than expectation of getting a decent drop of Old Dairy ale I guess, but I can’t imagine wanting to stay here any length of time if you just want a drink or two.
On 3rd June 2013
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about Hundred Crows Rising
The place is very Islington, gastro heavy and minimalist inside with most surfaces painted in different shades of grey. Stuffed crows abound, there are murals of them on the walls too both in flight and in one case of one having shuffled off this coil, laid back down against a skirting board (a grey one). The bar runs along the back wall and seamlessly becomes an open kitchen and servery. The exterior is very attractive with well preserved brown tiling, hanging baskets plus a large tiled panel marked "Courage's Ales and Stout".
I looked forward to visiting this pub having read that they serve beer from the Old Dairy brewery. So they do, four handpumps, two on, one unclipped, one reversed (Red Top). Initially I tried the pub branded Crow something beer which came up murky and totally undrinkable despite the assertions of the management that it "tasted ok" and "the barrel is still pretty full", he actually went downstairs to check this! I declined his idea of trying it (£4) and instead had the Copper Top. This was just passable. I note that despite this the clip remained on show and was not returned. Very disappointed with the beer quality especially as I had headed there to seek them out.
Foodwise sandwiches start at £7 up to £9.50, mains are £12.50-£19.60.
Inside is bare boarded, high ceilings, long scrubbed wooden tables. There are a few picnic benches on the pavement outside.
Not what I expected, poor beer quality and a clear lack of understanding about what is acceptable or not. Not what I'd expect to find in a pub showcasing a micro brewery beers, maybe I was just unlucky. Just a bloody good job the nearby Craft Beer Co was there to rescue my afternoon.
On 26th April 2013
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about Hundred Crows Rising
Nice gastro -pub but with good beer.They have 4 beers from the Old Dairy brewery inc the house beer.Never overly busy when i have visited but the beer has been in good condition.Didn,t try the Moose burgers on my last visit, much prefer horse.
On 17th February 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]