Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 15th June 2025) with Mobyduck
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Masque Haunt (JD Wetherspoon), Old Street, EC1
EC1
EC1V 9BP
Pub Type
J D WetherspoonReviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Masque Haunt (JD Wetherspoon)
A classic JDW conversion, this is a weird one due it being essentially a very long shallow room with a raised seating area. The vast amount of glass frontage can't compensate for a lack of natural light due to high surrounding buildings. Kitted out in the mid-90’s Spoons catalogue, this one appears to be a lot more looked-after (or simply has less damaging patrons) than most of that period’s output 20 years on. In fact it felt almost plush in places despite a particularly pungent ‘Wetherspoons whiff’. Twelve handpumps with a decent guest list (only one of which was off) including two from the nearby Hackney brewery, I tried a hefty abv Hackney IPA and it was in excellent shape; I was almost tempted to delay my onward march to the Wenlock for another. The barmaid perhaps should leave the comedy wind-ups for regulars (“we don’t sell that in halves, only in pints…ha haaaa”) - as a new visitor it was hardly welcoming. Despite her best efforts there was an unusually mixed clientèle, with professional drinkers from the local estates mixing with a number of fairly well-to-do young professionals and a smattering of students. Hardly a destination venue but if you’re in the area it’s worth popping in to see what’s on. I might well alight here again.
On 4th July 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5589 recommendations about 5570 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Masque Haunt (JD Wetherspoon)
Elongated, 'L'-shaped bar with a raised seating area at the far end. 12 handpumps available, and the previously poor choice seeming to have improved quite a lot recently. On my last visit, my pint of the curious cherry-flavoured Christmas Cracker from Weltons was in good condition (normally priced at £2.79, but effectively free with my Curry Club meal). My brief stay was enlivened by a group of old codgers singing some traditional London songs (very well). Overall, an improvement so rating increased by a point.
On 1st December 2012
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8733 recommendations about 8733 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Masque Haunt (JD Wetherspoon)
This is a typical ‘spoons, but handily placed on the direct route from The Artillery Arms to the Old Fountain, thus providing an opportunity for my companions and I to offload our remaining CAMRA vouchers on the last day of their validity. It has a long frontage, and with little depth, that it seems a bit like drinking in a corrider. The beer selection wasn’t great (by ‘spoons’ standards) but we did enjoy a good pint of Itchen Valley Winchester Ale. This pub is not worth going out of your way to visit; but it’s a ‘spoons and does what it says on the tin – provide cheap beer and food.
On 4th December 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Masque Haunt (JD Wetherspoon)
Long, narrow Wetherspoons pub just a short walk from Old Street tube station. The interior is typical ‘Spoons, with a small seating area at the front, a narrow section with limited seating opposite the bar counter and then a larger, split level area to the rear, including the family seating section at the very back. Large windows along the entire length of the pub allow for plenty light during the daytime. There were a couple of TV screens on showing muted six nations rugby, but otherwise it all felt a bit bland an uninteresting.
Beer choice was also a bit of a let down. ‘Spoons standards such as Greene King IPA, Abbot and Ruddles, Wells Bombardier and Fullers London Pride were supplemented only by Adnams Oyster Stout and Red Castle Cream. My Oyster Stout was very nice, but I thought it was a bit of a poor guest selection, especially as there seemed to be four or five guest ale clips all marked as ‘Coming Soon’. I had a bite to eat here as well, and as expected, the food was edible, but not exactly inspiring. Service was prompt despite a bit of a crowd developing and the barman who served me was very polite.
Not one of my favourite ‘Spoons pubs, but it can be a useful addition to a crawl of the area.
On 13th March 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3361 recommendations about 3361 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Masque Haunt (JD Wetherspoon)
I hope I caught this particular member of Tim’s expanding empire on a bad day because my experience of woefully short staffed service doesn’t seem to have been shared by the reviewers below.
On the positive side, although being the standard ‘spoons fit out, its long rectangular corner shape is made use of by having a large family area at the far end of the pub, thus freeing the front of the pub by the bar area for people free from having kids in tow. The bar supports two banks of six handpumps and there was a good collection of different ales on. These included a good representation from the current festival collection (Shep Neame Cinque Ale, Hook Norton Easy Weasel and Woodforde’s Once Bitten), although ironically the best beer tried was Springhead Liberty, one not in the festival.
Unfortunately all this was largely undone by not having enough staff to deal with the throng on this particular evening. On entering nearly every free surface was covered in dead glasses and empty food plates which remained until customers got fed up and moved them onto the bar area. And although the two bar tenders were hard working this was woefully short of what was needed to service the bar area and led to significant waits to be served. And in fact come the proposed fourth round we gave up and went next door.
On 3rd November 2010
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2245 recommendations about 2105 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Strongers . left this review about The Masque Haunt (JD Wetherspoon)
This is a large Spoons pub with the usual array of ales and standard draught products. During my short stay there was a mixture of office workers tucking into the cheap food and professional drinkers propping up the bar.
I wouldn't plan to go in here again as there are far better pubs in the area.
On 28th August 2009
- rating: 4
[User has posted 6134 recommendations about 6100 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about The Masque Haunt
Large Wetherspoon's pub with the usual selection of real ales.The one I tried was very good.Packed lunch time and evening.5 mins from Old Street Station.
On 23rd November 2006
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]