Bat & Ball, WC2

I visit Belgo Centraal on Saturday evening a couple of weeks ago for a birthday party. I spent almost 15 minutes queuing at the upstairs bar only to be greeted by a curt barman. The downstairs beer hall that we were seated in was not fit for purpose as the staff could not get to everyone. There were also not enough seats so I had to cut up my food before holding my plate to eat. Thankfully it didn’t take me long because the portions were very small. I found the staff to be rude and we refused to pay the £90 service charge. On a positive note the Belgian beers are excellent and £8.20 for a two-pint stein of Leffe is good value for the Covent Garden area.

Had a Leffe Blonde in the basement bar. £3.50. Could be worse. Not one I'll be returning to - more a place for diners, I'd have thought.

JAQPTIO is correct about the pokey bar on the ground floor,it's uninviting and sterile in a faux metal/industrial style .However if you are eating,the double sided basement restaurant is much more fun,there is a fine brickwork arch and a very buzzy atmosphere.The food is basically moules & frites , rotisserie chicken and chips or other grilled meats from the open plan kitchen in the centre of the space.Most diners select from the bottled Belgian selection,although the draught kegs are also available down here.A selection of decent bottles and some scoff made for a very enjoyable evening,and quite reasonable for the area,£25 pp will get you a decent fill. My advice,avoid the bar,go for something to eat and a different kind of drinking experience.No real ale anywhere.

Small bar at street level beside / above the main restaurant areas. Limited furniture and shiny industrial decor. No real ale of course, so just three keg offerings: Belgo Pils and Wit (£3.07, half) plus Fruli. NB - All halves considerably more than 50% the cost of a pint.