Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Random news of the day with Komakino
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Savoy Tap, Strand, WC2
WC2
WC2R 0BA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Nick Davies left this review about Savoy Tap
Remains much as below, quite busy when we visited on a midweek afternoon, indeed the staff said it wasn't usually like this. Which meant the usable seating had been cornered by a noisy group and we were left to a stretch of banquette without tables. Naturally most of the rest of the furniture, all annoying sodding posing tables, and useless for those in our group physically unable to climb onto the stools, were unused.
The beer situation is as described by Tris. One pump labelled Masterbrew, the other "Bottled Real Ales". Asking for a pint of "Bottled Real Ales" failed to raise a smile. Be that as it may, the Masterbrew was OK. There was another beer on, I forget what, when the first of our party got there but was rejected as sour at first sip and the clip commendably removed.
It's alright for a quick one away from the tourists, but that's about the best I can say for it. And avoid if you are going to need the loos and aren't good at stairs.
On 8th December 2022
- rating: 4
[User has posted 567 recommendations about 559 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about Savoy Tap
Just off the Strand (have a banana!), this was the New Savoy Tavern upon building in 1926, later the Savoy Tup now Savoy Tap, this is a Shep’s pub, so how it can be a ‘tap’ is puzzling.
It has what appears to be a traditional interior, despite the age, with dark lacquered wood panelling, otherwise tedious smoky blue and white paint with ordinary drinking ledges, high furniture or fawn banquettes with Victorian-style lighting and brass hanging ‘porthole’-style lamps over the bar; there’s a shiny tiled bar back, with square section tubular steel shelving. Décor is in the form of framed prints of luminaries who may have had some connection with the vaguely local area and reasonable music played over the stereo. Customers included women who could outsquawk those in the George up the road.
Being a Shep’s pub, it came as no great surprise that there were no ales, with four unused pumps, unused pumps in their pubs being not uncommon pre-pandemic. I plumped for a half of yet more Neck Oil at a painful £3.30 a half, which tasted mainly of line cleaner; I couldn’t finish it.
This is by no means a great pub, so a return visit won’t be in the offing.
On 3rd November 2021
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1995 recommendations about 1961 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about Savoy Tap
Passed this many a time so decided to give it a try.Small but busy bar with an upstairs area.Sheperd Neame Whitstable Bay and Spitfire on cask ruined the ambiance.
On 11th October 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Savoy Tup
Side-street drinking hole of the sort that is difficult to spot unless you know exactly where to look. Housed under a tall office block, the compact bar has limited furniture and sparse, light decor. Two of four handpumps in operation, offering Sharp's Atlantic and Pilgrim Surrey pale ale (£3.85). Also had a few less-usual keg beers including Chieftain from Franciscan Well and Freedom 'authentic lager'. Also has an upstairs bar of similar size, but I have yet to find that open.
On 15th April 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about Savoy Tup
This is a small pub with nothing much to it apart from some halfway decent real ale.
On 1st February 2017
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about Savoy Tup
Small bar tucked away on a side street. Quite a plain interior serving 4 real ales.
On 9th October 2015
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about Savoy Tup
A pleasant oasis of sanity in the seething cesspit of strife that is The Strand. Easy to miss, so not overrun with tourists, it offers decent beer and friendly conversation. It's a proper pub whose only nod to modernity is the flat screens in the corners, which were thankfully mute on this latest visit. There is the bar and a function room, basic seating, pleasant atmosphere and, in case you feel the need, a good selection of wines. There were 3 ales on – I had a pint of Nelson IPA which was definitely on the turn, still drinkable, but it wouldn't have been the next day. Worth a visit, but check first as they sometimes rent the whole place out for private functions.
On 3rd December 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3289 recommendations about 3254 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about Savoy Tup
The Tup was once my local being 20 yards from my office but at the time I rarely used it due to indifferent staff and a dull choice of beers.
The pub is little more than a small, simple, single room with plain décor and a shiny black floor polished almost to ice rink standards. The beers are almost as unadventurous as I remembered with Greene King IPA, London Pride (off for my latest visit) and a slightly redeemeing Greene King St Edmunds Ale but hardly a selection worthy of having a “Coming Soon” board behind the bar (which didn’t contain any entries anyway!). Prices appear more reasonable than I previously recall with the St Edmunds clocking up £3.10 and the quality was very good.
There is a flat screen in one corner with Sky Sports and a more basic TV the other side of the bar. Upstairs is a free to hire function room that hosts a Comedy Club every Saturday night. I understand there is also a pool table and dart board but again, there is nothing to say as much and I didn’t wander that far.
A sign outside does mention a friendly welcome, something that wasn’t always the case but I’m pleased to say the current staff were cheerful, welcoming and far more efficient than their predecessors. They used to operate a bring your own food scheme but there was nothing obvious to indicate that this is still the case.
It will never be among my or probably anyone’s favourite pubs in the area but I do now have a slightly better opinion of it following my latest visit than when I worked here some 5 years ago.
On 30th September 2010
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about Savoy Tup
This used to be called The Savoy Tavern before it became a “Tup” pub. There were two real ales on when I visited late afternoon during the week – London Pride and Bombardier (£3.00 a pint), plus a third handpump was unused. This is a pretty small one-room pub at ground floor level, although I understand that there is a pool table in an upstairs room. There was a mixed bag of furnishings, including metal framed tables, settles, normal chairs, a sofa, and what looked like re-cycled church pews. It’s bare-boarded, there’s no decor worth mentioning, there was some pop music being played, and the TV on the wall was showing Sky Sports (but muted, presumably so that we could “enjoy” the pop music). The walls are cream painted, including some wood panelling on the walls, which makes the interior seem brighter. This wood panelling looks quite ancient (as far as one can tell under the paint), and in days past retained its natural appearance of dark wood. There is no bar gantry, which (in my view) tends to lessen the appearance of separation between bar staff and customers for some reason. This is a surprisingly light pub, with the open space of the churchyard of the Savoy Chapel opposite allowing the sun to stream in unhindered by the many other tall buildings in the road. This is a decent enough little pub for anyone to visit who is anxious to escape from the bustle of The Strand a few feet away, although I accept that at busier times it would be less comfortable than during my visit. One thing is for certain though, and that is that there has been an improvement in the bar staff since Roger’s visit a few years ago, as they were friendly and attentive when I was in there the other day.
On 16th April 2010
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about Savoy Tup
This pub must have the most unwelcoming bar staff in London. I work 20 yards away so we use it for leaving dos etc - I certainly don't go in there by choice. When quiet, the barmaid will sit at the end of the bar reading a paper and woe betide if you dare to ask for a pint during this period. If there are 2 behind the bar they will more than likely be busy chatting than serving. The pub itself is OK but nothing special, a single room with a separate upstairs bar. TV's for sport and a weekly quiz night. 3 overpriced and not particular good ales (£2.80 for Greene King IPA is a bit much) On the plus side, they don't do food (it would probably be overpriced and served with a grimace anyway) but they let you bring in your own. The sign outside says friendly welcome. Don't believe it.
On 4th November 2005
- rating: 3
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]