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Picture of Cove Bar
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Submitted on Wednesday, 30th June 2010
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Requested be closed with reason - For sale: Cornish pasty shop and pub reported closed and up for sale.

Cove Bar, Covent Garden, WC2

Pub added by Graham Mason
1 The Plaza, Covent Garden
WC2
WC2E 8RA
Correct details

Served areas

Reviews of Cove Bar (Average Rating: of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve C left this review about Cove Bar

I've been to Covent Garden more times than I care to remember and I've not noticed this place before, which is a shame as even with its faults I really liked it. The bouncer on the door didn't seem that keen on letting me in, but once I had bought a pasty from the lovely girl in the attached shop he seemed to change his tune and welcomed me in. I've since gleaned that this place is the West Cornwall Pasty Co's Cove Bar, which explains a lot.

After scaling the stairs I found myself in what seemed like a loft with wooden beams and pillars and a few chairs and comfy stools placed for maximum capacity. It was comfortably busy unlike the upstairs area in the Punch and Judy which is always rammed solid. I think that the balcony area overlooking the piazza is smaller, but again it is much more comfortable as there are not people jostling for position.

The only ale that had not run out from the five hand pumps was Tribute, but I really enjoyed drinking this at a table whilst listening to the Gypsy Kings and eating my pasty. I didn't so much enjoy my visit to the toilet as there seems to only be a ladies and a gent's cubicle, which is not enough. I'd hate to imagine what the queue is like when it gets busy.

The next time I am up town and start to get the hunger pangs I will certainly make my way here again.

On 28th April 2009 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5178 recommendations about 5147 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Quinno _ left this review about Cove Bar

Entrance is up a set of stairs from the ground floor pasty shop. Upstairs contains a teeny bar area with a decent selection of Cornish ales, though the beer quality can be a bit hit-and-miss. The prices are reasonable for the area (£1.35 for a half; the Lamb & Flag down the road was £1.40). Bar staff are Portugese/Brazilian ‘lookers’ and often have little idea about how to serve people in turn – in here, you need to wave your money about and shout like Barry Stockbroker. There’s also the occasional attempt at a comedically short measure if one of the beers is being lively.

The place has a dark, cramped interior (trying to recreate a Cornish smugglers inn) which means that it's not great for meeting friends or for having relaxed chat - as the chances of getting a seat are slim, and the chances of keeping hold of any others that are free whilst your friends get lost on the Underground and turn up 20 minutes late are almost nil. The toilets are teeny and be a bit of a struggle as well. Basically, you want to be heading for the balcony area which holds a lovely view over the Covent Garden piazza. If you can get a ledge space on a sunny afternoon, this is a treat.

Re-reading the above I sound quite negative but overall it’s an enjoyable 'one-off' pub, worth sampling once for the balcony view. I wouldn’t necessarily return unless it was a particularly quiet time of the week/year.

On 10th September 2007 - rating: 6
[User has posted 5043 recommendations about 5026 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Roger Button left this review about Cove Bar

It should firstly be pointed out that the Cove is situated in Covent Garden, one of London's premier tourist areas. It should therefore be not be a surprise to note that the bar is a somewhat cynical touristy recreation of a traditional Cornish smugglers inn. The bar itself is accessed through a Cornish Pasty shop at ground level and is easy to miss (I have been walking past it for 18 months without giving it a second glance and only really found out about it from this web site). The Bar itself is made out to look like an old boat (maybe it was, but I doubt it) and leads to a further 2 small drinking. The surroundings may be fake but it is comfortable and they have done a good effort to try and make it feel authentic. Unfortunatley there is nothing that can be done to replace the local opera singers and street entertainers with the sound of the sea crashing over the rocks at Lizard Point so an amount of poetic imagination is required. The walls have a nautical theme with portholes, pictures of washed up ships and old sea captain murals. The seats are a strange combination of comfy chairs, cushioned cubes and sturdy low bar stools. There is an outside veranda overlooking the piazza where there is always a healthy throng of tourists watching the street entertainers. The big plus about this place is the beers. They have 5 Cornish Ales on hand pump (including a wheat beer) and they are reasonably priced considering you are in such a tourist trap. There are 2 or 3 standard lagers and Scrumpy Jack cider for the non Real Ale buffs. One small gripe is the annoying habit of bar staff handing your change over with a receipt on a plate expecting you to leave a tip. They wouldn't dream of it in Cormwall!

On 25th October 2005 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]

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Pub location see interactive map of local area
Map location corrected by Graham Mason
Latest updates View all updates for Cove Bar, WC2
27th Mar 2011, 22:16
Request to add pub to area Covent Garden by Old Blue approved
 
26th Mar 2011, 10:50
Request to add pub to area Covent Garden by Old Blue

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.

  • Real Ale : Yes last updated 30 September 2013 by Quinno _
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