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Beer of the Week (w/e 15th June 2025) with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Old Red Cow, Smithfield, EC1
EC1
EC1A 9EJ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Will Larter left this review about Old Red Cow
Not my first visit, though I didn't write a review in 2014 as I was in company. My solo visit 10 years on found the place much as I had retained in my memory, which makes a pleasant change. (Both with regards to the continuity of the pub and the continuing existence of parts, at least, of my memory.) There are two hand pumps squashed into a corner, Purity Mad Goose and Five Points Best. My half of the latter was a well deserved NBSS 4 and cost £2.95, which is quite reasonable for this area. Most other customers - no, scrub that - all the people present were on anything but cask beer, though to be fair there's an upstairs room and I might have missed a few who arrived before me, but it doesn't seem likely. I'm always amazed that pubs like this are able to sustain good quality cask beers when the vast majority of their customers are drinking something else. (I can't claim to have much knowledge of the craft beer scene, but with reference to the review below of 2019, the only keg or cask beers I could identify among the 12 keg and two cask on the bar that were not now owned by multinationals or venture capitalists were just four from Verdant and Five Points. On mentioning this to a long time member of staff, we concluded that this was a triumph of capitalism.)
On 7th November 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 4349 recommendations about 3997 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Old Red Cow
I have in my notes that I was last here in March 2013. 10 years on and I can honestly say that I don't remember my previous visit.
It's a noticeably small place with a tiny ground floor bar and further seating upstairs which I didn't investigate. The barman seemed on the grumpy side and served me a very cloudy Jimbo from Purity. I gave it a quick sniff and taste before walking away from the bar. It was still drinkable, but presumably coming to the end of the cask. A second cask beer was Mad Goose, also from Purity. Keg options included Fourpure IPA & Citrus Session, Magic Rock Murk-Life Balance, Lervig House Party, Purity Bunny Hop & Pulpt Flare.
One young customer was sat at the bar and another group of punters all seemed to be young shipping magnates. Alternatively they just happened to have an unhealthy obsession with the shipping industry.
I scored this pub a 7/10 on my last visit, but I'm not so impressed on this visit. Perhaps I'm getting harder to please as I get older?
On 2nd March 2023
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3111 recommendations about 3109 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Old Red Cow
Well known for carry a wide range of craft keg beers,the ground floor is quite small,square with few features and mainly high table seating options although bar stolls will get used and block bar access.The large staircase leads to a calmer dining room with another keg only bar,I expect you can escape up here to just drink but most folk will be eating from a menu long of pizze,pub grub and beer snacks.This will also be served in the bar and outside for vertical consumption.
There will always be 4 real ales,on my trip Redemption Pale,Twickenham Naked Ladies,Moor Raw and XT3 West Coast IPA (decent nick).The 12 keg taps offer produce from Kernel,Fourpure,Redchurch,Big Drop,Signature,Beavertown,Hackney and Five Points,so if you understand the London keg scene,this would be a good sampling target.
Lots of punters spill outside and there are drinking shelves to the front and in the archway,but the limited internal seating and short real ale menu may limit future trips to a swift one while passing.
On 2nd March 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2971 recommendations about 2971 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about Old Red Cow
Small bar area on the ground floor(didn’t visit upstairs). 12 keg and 4 real ale taps. Worth including on a crawl but maybe not for a sesh.
On 26th October 2018
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2945 recommendations about 2878 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about Old Red Cow
A return visit and this place seems to have improved for the better. The too-cool-for-school barman wasn't in evidence and the pub was quieter than usual.
A very small bar with around three high tables and a further bar upstairs, unexplored. The place seems to be more functional than is usual, describing itself as "The 'Local Beer House' was born out of a love for 'nice pubs'"; ok, trumpet blown or kazoo? Little décor, with a crystal chandelier on high.
An aloof barman presiding over 12 keg taps, an unused pump, Oakham's Citra and Jeffrey Hudson Bitter and Gloucester Brewery's Cascade at £2.00 a half and nice.
Worth a look, but the Hand & Shears is just to the rear.
On 10th December 2017
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2243 recommendations about 2200 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about Old Red Cow
A small pub opposite the back of the market, the ground floor room has exclusively high tables and stools/ high bench, presumably to save space, there is a second room up some stairs which at the time contained a party so I stuck my nose in and left not before noting it had its own keg only servery.
There is no doubt that this is a hipster type of joint, the white barman had dreadlocks and a beanie hat, beards were in abundance. It is however a good pub with a very decent range. There are four handpumps and twelve keykeg taps on the back wall, the cask options were Cottage Mosquito Best Bitter, Bad Co Love Over Gold, Belleville Northcote Blonde and Dark Star Hophead. Beers are listed on a chalkboard over the bar but only the keg varieties which are as usual priced simply only for the carefree.
Background eclectic music via the barman's Ipad was actually pretty laid back and enjoyable. A few beer books on a shelf included the GBG, no signs of a TV.
The pub is part of the "Local Beer House" group including the Dean Swift and Hack and Hop. A loyalty card offers discounts across the range.
We enjoyed it in here despite a few pretensions, the beer was good and the atmosphere pleasant.
On 10th September 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1710 recommendations about 1683 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about Old Red Cow
Small craft beer place near Smithfield Market and opposite part of the Crossrail development and on a busy street.
4 real ales as well as a number of craft, but the quality was poor.
On 2nd July 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1556 recommendations about 1533 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Old Red Cow
A craft beer bar that was converted from a pretty bog-standard boozer a few years ago. Two small rooms over two floors with a bar on each, cask is available only downstairs. As mentioned below, the available beers are displayed on a large numbered menu to the left of the bar. An upmarket take on basic alehouse chic inside. Some window seating upstairs gives you a decent place to watch the comings and goings in the street and Smithfield Market opposite. Only three cask on offer mid-Thursday afternoon; Dark Star Art of Darkness, Arbor Motueka and W&E Guardsman. The Motueka was in decent form. As mentioned elsewhere, key keg beers are outrageously priced – eg £7.40 for a pint of Windsor & Eton Conqueror (I can get this for £4 in Reading). Still, if you’re a fool and have money etc. In summary, it’s fair enough as an occasional look-in but is hardly one of London's premier league boozers.
On 21st April 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5589 recommendations about 5570 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Old Red Cow
Well I lied, I did return here despite my rant from three years ago,cask beer offerings were Windsor and Eton Guardsman, Burning Sky Plateau, Caveman Paleothic and Wharfbank Tether Blonde which was good,£2.10 a half,I did spot a keg version of Darkstar Hophead, £5.20 a pint, ridiculous.I have lightened up a bit about this place and actually quite like it but will avoid the silly priced things.
Visit Aug 2012.
Came here for a first visit since its rebirth with great anticipation after up to this point a successful days pubbing,first impressions on walking through the door were quite good, the place looked alright,as did the beer/craft beer selection, one of our number bypassed this pub so just the two pints ordered, we both chose the Jaipur IPA (keg) as it turned out an excellent choice,it was very good,but and there is a very big but,when charged £11.00 for two pints I had to do a double take,had I actually ordered three pints in error,alas no,£5.50 a pint,outrageous,having a look at their price list we decided what we had would be all we had here,nice though the pub and beer was won't be back,won't be ripped off more than once.
On 1st April 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2183 recommendations about 2150 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Old Red Cow
Traditional-looking pub, thoroughly revamped inside as a 'Local Beer House' by the small Pubs of Distinction chain. Retains the very compact bar, but now features fairly plain furniture and decor. Dining room upstairs (not visited), with a chalk board stating that it was fully booked. The ground floor was crowded too, with many more customers outside in the covered side alley. Four real ales on handpump, including Can't Stand the Rain from Wild Weather Ales (£4.20), plus 12 craft keg taps offering a wide variety of styles. So pretty good overall, but suffers slightly from not having larger premises to operate from.
On 4th December 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8733 recommendations about 8733 pubs]