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Chat about:
Disappointment of the week with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Graham Coombs
Submitted on Tuesday, 2nd October 2018
With picture contributions to 5136 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (27 more images)
Detail Pages
The Bear & Staff, Leicester Square, WC2
WC2
WC2H 7AX
the Bear and Staff
Just posted a photo @ The Bear and Staff https://t.co/DZg0fJoP3x
4:18 PM Apr 27th 2022 from Instagram
Reviews of The Bear & Staff (Average Rating: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Bear & Staff
My final pub before heading to Kings Cross for my train, but this is not the high note I was hoping to end on. Another quite small Nicholsons pub (see White Swan, Covent Garden for the other), but this one not only afflicted by the delivery snafu (only London Pride and Titanic Plum Porter on, out of six hand pumps) but also a smell, which I ascribed to mould. My notes made at the time mention "pretty dreadful background music" too, but fortunately both that and the smell have slipped from my memory, along with the London Pride, which was apparently "fine". My second foray into the Leicester Square area (see also the Salisbury), and I think the only good thing I've got to say for it is that there's a rapid tube connection via the Piccadilly line to Kings Cross and the North.
On 2nd February 2022
- rating: 4
[User has posted 3733 recommendations about 3470 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Bear & Staff
Dating from 1714 but rebuilt in 1878, the name is taken from the Neville family’s crest; Charlie Chaplin supposedly came here.
I came here once before around 1985, probably after taking in a film in neighbouring Leicester Square. This is a Nicholson’s pub with Nicholson’s nods; pseudo-Victorian, but with a fine bar back, tall furniture, smoky blue or white walls with a glossy chocolate brown Anaglypta ceiling and Victorian-style lamps and sconces, mainly tall furniture, all geared towards tourists and theatregoers.
Ales: Pride ‘coming soon’, Doom, Ghost Ship ‘coming soon’ and Nicholson’s Pale Ale at £2.55 a half and pleasant.
This isn’t a bad pub, but given the location, it’s not worth making a special effort to reach it, but it was interesting to be back after 36 years.
On 4th November 2021
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1983 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Bear & Staff
Usually busy, as one would expect from a well-placed Theatreland pub, with a small bar at street level supplemented by a side room and the Chaplin Bar (dining area) upstairs. As a Nicholson's, I found the 'house' Pale Ale on one of the six handpumps on this visit, together with Doom Bar, London Pride, Brick Field Brown from Five Points, St Austell Mandarina Bavaria and Wild Beer's Pogo. In my experience you get prompt and efficient service by the bar staff, and with the beers kept in good condition this is definitely one of the better pubs in the area.
On 8th November 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
View more reviews of The Bear & Staff (16)
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- Official page of the Bear & Staff, contains menu and real ale details - www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk
- Facebook - The Bear and Staff
- Twitter - the Bear and Staff
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Bear & Staff - whatpub.com
London Waterloo, 1.15 miles, 22 min walk (show)
London Blackfriars, 2.01 miles, 38 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 02 October 2018 by Graham Coombs
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 02 October 2018 by Graham Coombs
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 04 November 2021 by Tris C
- Beer Garden : No last updated 02 October 2018 by Graham Coombs
- Car Park : No last updated 02 October 2018 by Graham Coombs
- Darts : No last updated 02 October 2018 by Graham Coombs
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 10 October 2019 by hondo .
- Jukebox : No last updated 02 October 2018 by Graham Coombs
- Karaoke : No last updated 02 October 2018 by Graham Coombs
- Live Music : No last updated 02 October 2018 by Graham Coombs
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 02 October 2018 by Graham Coombs
- Micropub : No last updated 02 October 2018 by Graham Coombs
- Pinball : No last updated 02 October 2018 by Graham Coombs
- Pool Table : No last updated 02 October 2018 by Graham Coombs
- Quiz Night : No last updated 04 November 2021 by Tris C
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 10 October 2019 by hondo .
- Real Cider : No last updated 02 October 2018 by Graham Coombs
- Wheelchair Access : No - WCs downstairs. - last updated 04 November 2021 by Tris C
- WiFi : Yes last updated 10 October 2019 by hondo .
