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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
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Detail Pages
The Clachan, Soho, W1
W1
W1B 5QH
Pub Type
Nicholsons (Mitchells & Butlers)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Pub SignMan left this review about The Clachan
Tucked away behind the iconic Liberty's, this is a nice, ornate Nicholson's pub with a notional two bar interior. You enter through an attractive porch with a sadly damaged mosaic tile floor, into the front bar area, which is bare boarded with dark painted walls and some low level panelling. Large windows let plenty of light in to a room furnished with high tables and stools at the front and some regular tables and chairs to the side. The room is dominated by a very large island servery with an attractive, curved, dark wood counter and a matching bar back, which has some intricate carved features, a few etched glass mirrors and a central clock. The bar has been decorated with potted plants and various random ornaments, and has a central doorway through to the rear part of the servery, which faces a small seating area with more high tables and stools, plus a raised, snug-like space at the back. Here you'll find a large board on the wall giving the pub's history, a long button backed banquette and lots of police themed memorabilia on display. Elsewhere, the decor is more in the standard Nicholson's vein, such as plain mirrors and local black and white photos. A door to the rear was signposted for the Liberty Bar, which I didnt manage to explore. Loud music was playing on my Thursday evening visit and a decent post-work crowd were creating a bit of atmosphere.
Like most Nicholson's pubs, a reasonable ale range is assured, with options on this visit amounting to Fullers London Pride, Sharps Doom Bar, Oakham Citra (£6.65 a pint), Taylors Landlord and St Austell Tribute, Proper Job and Nicholson's Pale Ale. The Oakham was in good nick and the service was prompt, if a little bit more functional than friendly.
I thought this was a modest branch of this chain, with a broad but ininspiring ale range, a pleasant but modernised interior and some half-decent service. It's a good option to have in mind if you need a bolthole from the misery of Oxford Street, but probably won't be somewhere I'd seek out again in a hurry.
Date of visit - 2nd May 2024
On 24th August 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3350 recommendations about 3350 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Clachan
Street corner Nicholson's house with a good looking exterior and some fine mosaic on the way in.There is an island bar with traditional tables and chairs all the way around in different sections,towards the rear there is a raised seating area.The ceiling is ornate,there are large mirrors on one wall and the feeling is traditional,which brings in the dining tourists.
The bank of handpumps at the front gives the full range.On my trip St Austell Tribute,Proper Job (substandard ,NBSS 2) and Nicholsons Pale,Adnams Eastern Edge,London Pride,Doom Bar,with the TT Landlord being change diligently.I may have been unlucky with my ale choice,the range is superior to many Nicholsons but the transient nature of the client base didn't inspire me to target this pub for a revisit.
On 1st August 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2936 recommendations about 2936 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Brainy Pool left this review about The Clachan
Rather typical of a Nicholson’s historic city pub, a single ornate room with some original features, professional and smart but unexciting. Certainly very corporate and I was struck by how extortionate these places are these days - over £20 for a pie and pint! That said, the staff were friendly and I chose a decent Proper Job from a wide range of standard national ales.
On 10th May 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1174 recommendations about 1136 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Clachan
Described as ‘Renaissance’, the pub dates from 1898, rebuilt on the site of the Bricklayers Arms (c. 1750) and has a CAMRA listed inventory interior of Regional Importance.
Certainly, there’s much of heritage value in here, in the form of elaborate woodwork and etched glass. There’s a raised area to the rear and furniture is dark wood conventional. The floor is part mosaic, the ceiling Lincrusta; all about shows a good patina of age, with lighting coming from Victorian-style glass and brass lamps. There are tea lights in holders to tables, along with little glass salt filled bottles and silk flowers; décor comes in the form of knickknacks in a glass fronted cupboard; framed prints adorn the walls. Music played at a decent level and The Antiques Roadshow played silently on a TV; the efficient staff were transfixed.
Ales: Doom, Pride, Nicholson’s Pale and Proper Job at £2.70 a half and nice.
This is a pleasant place to spend some time, not appearing to be at the epicentre of ‘nightlife’ Soho.
On 11th October 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2208 recommendations about 2165 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Clachan
An impressive looking pub, which still retains some interesting features, I especially liked the mosaics found outside the right hand side door entrance, with the pubs name inscribed. These tiles also continue into the pub, and can be just made out under the row of small tables along the wall. Another main feature was the patterned ceilings which had the shape of flower heads, made up of concentric petals. The ceilings were either painted in a deep brown colour or had aged from many years of tobacco smoke. Seven ales on handpump, with many usual suspects, so we went for the Trumans Zephyr, which was decent enough.
On 8th January 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3645 recommendations about 3645 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Clachan
Typical Nicolson pub with smart interior.Busy. 10 beers on cask and my Hopstuff -1888 was good.
On 11th February 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Clachan
Nicholson's pub with a central island bar serving 8 real ales and food. Didn't visit upstairs (dark interior on ground floor).
On 16th October 2015
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2933 recommendations about 2866 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Clachan
Nice looking pub but on my visit there was a very ordinary beer choice of usual suspect beer including London Pride ,Doombar ,St Austell Pale and Adnams Broadside, couple of more interesting looking beers had coming soon tags on, so not really impressed.
On 30th December 2014
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2151 recommendations about 2118 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Mark Davey left this review about The Clachan
Fine old pub now part of the Nicholsons group. 8 handpulls on the bar, usually have Pride and a couple of Nicholsons brews plus several rotating guest beers. Always good for a pre dinner pint would reccommend to anyone.
On 10th February 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 292 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
BobOs . left this review about The Clachan
Decent Nicholson's corner-site pub with fine Victorian exterior and many good Victorian fittings inside - carved wood, mirrors, tiles, etc. The original subdivisions have been removed to form a single, large room with a central bar retaining much of its carving. The normal decent range of well-kept ales you expect of the chain, together with its less impressive menu (although I must say that the scampi and chips was really good). Overall a decent experience of ale, food and ambience.
On 23rd March 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 370 recommendations about 355 pubs]