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The Pavilion End, Mansion House, EC4
EC4
EC4M 9BR
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Steve of N21 left this review about The Pavilion End
I have to say this is my least favourite of the Mansion house pubs and give me the nearby Williamsons Tavern or Ye Olde Watling any day of the week and I only really stomach this one when it’s warm enough for alfresco pavement drinking, when the pub does at least benefit from a superb alleyway vista of St Pauls. But unfortunately it wasn’t my choice on the last two European Ropey League games for the serially underwhelming Tottingham, so inside it had to be and for reasons best known to themselves one of our party had chosen a trip here instead of our usual Mabel’s Tavern in Kings X for European away nights.
Internally this is a loud overbearing townhouse sports bar, which is a characterless barn when empty, and a loud, echoing one, to the extent that you can’t hear yourself think, when very busy, as it was on the first visit was on the Thursday before Easter. But it does have copious sports screens and the capacity to show all three British clubs in European action on that night. We tend to favour the downstairs room, which has its own bar, an equal amount or screens and a lower ceiling but somehow the acoustics are just as bad down here when busy.
The one saving grace for me is that it is a Fullers Pub usually with a couple of decent ales. But unfortunately not on that Easter weekend night as they had run out of ale by 8.45pm and despite our protestations that the nine of us would make a decent dent on a new barrel, the manager refused on the grounds he wouldn’t move the rest of it over an extended Easter bank holiday weekend. Se we had to join the rest of the city workers on the Neck Oil and a Tiny Rebel IPA, both of which were the wrong side of £7.40. Fortunately the situation was better on the return visit last week and the two downstairs pumps dispensing London Pride and St Austell Proper Job kept going all evening.
Now clearly this one appeals to the after work crowds who pack it and the external alleyway to bursting on a fine weather evening, but I think I’ve said enough for you to get the picture that it doesn’t do a lot for me.
On 13th May 2025
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2279 recommendations about 2135 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Brainy Pool left this review about The Pavilion End
a loud overbearing townhouse sports bar. Somehow I kind of liked it though. There’s no real pretence here, or any attempt to be anything else. Four real ales on. It was absolutely packed at 4 on Friday so god knows what it’s like later!
On 1st February 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1174 recommendations about 1136 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Komakino . left this review about The Pavilion End
This Fuller's pub closed for a brief refurb at the end of the summer of 2018 and now has a London townhouse vibe internally, although keeping the odd bit of framed cricketing paraphernalia dotted around. The bar is through a door to the right of the entrance up three steps and against the right-hand wall and offered London Pride, Oliver's Island, Gale's Seafarers and Darkstar Hophead (£4.50 for a pint of the latter). Various screens dotted around showed old Division 1 football matches as well as old England T20/ODI highlights on mute, with 70s/80s soul/disco muzak playing at a semi-palatable aural level. There are plenty of drinking options in and around here, and if Fuller's beers aren't your thing, you ain't gonna wanna drop in here. I thought it a pleasant enough stop-off based on this visit though.
On 15th January 2019
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1079 recommendations about 1079 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Pavilion End
As previously described .Featureless ,rammed,noisy,sky football and loud music.Fullers pub with Elgoods-cambridge bitter and Anams -mosaic.Not for the faint hearted but plenty of City workers like it.
On 13th April 2018
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about The Pavilion End
Featureless Fullers pub. No ESB. Full of afterwork drinkers. Not my cup of tea at all.
On 19th October 2016
- rating: 3
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Pavilion End
First re-visit to this modernised pub since the Fuller's takeover several years ago. Much the same inside, with lots of light wood in the main bar, except that the split-level rear patio beer garden - the previous main plus point - seems to have been lost to building work. Also has a Sports Bar downstairs and a smaller area down a few steps at the back. Several silent TVs showing live sport plus background music. The real ale choice on this visit was Pride, Seafarers and Oliver's Island (£3.95) with Adnams Ghost Ship as a guest. Rating reduced because of the beer garden loss.
On 13th September 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8813 recommendations about 8813 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Pavilion End
Fuller's pub with a split level interior. 4 real ales and food served.
On 19th November 2013
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2979 recommendations about 2912 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Pavilion End
Never used to bother with this place when it was a Marstons outlet as it was always well inferior to the nearby Ye Old Wattling and Williamson Tavern. But having seen that Fullers have taken it over, decided to pop by and take a look.
Glad we did , as we can continue to confine the Pavilion End to the pile not to bother with again.
I’m not sure Fullers will concern themselves over the loss of my custom from this one, as by the way the place was rammed at 6.00PM with the after work City crowd when I walked past and was still rammed some three hours later with the same crowd when I walked in I don’t think I am the target demographic for this conversion.
As mentioned below, it’s a modern, but largely soulless and characterless space and when busy , an extremely noisy environment. I couldn’t quite work out if the noise was caused by this open soulless space with high ceilings having bad acoustics which made people have to shout at their neighbours, or was due to the fact that it attracted those City workers for whom shouting loudly so that others could enjoy their opinions, was a normal mode of communication.
But the biggest disappointment was to come when we did eventually make it to the bar, in that the Fullers Ales served were shocking and mine was probably the worst pint of Fullers I have been served in London.
On 29th March 2012
- rating: 3
[User has posted 2279 recommendations about 2135 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Pavilion End
This is clearly a relatively recent conversion from what I would guess were business premises of some kind. It’s a Fuller’s house now, and is typical of a number of their conversion pubs that I’ve visited. There are tall upholstered benches, tall tables, tall stools and a smattering of standard issue tables and chairs. A separate area down a few steps at the rear is furnished with sofas, and this in turn leads to a rarely seen (for the City that is) outside drinking area, overshadowed by the neighbouring office blocks. There is no decor worthy of the name. The TVs were on but muted, and there was a newspaper rack, which is a nice touch. I saw the Times and the FT, but no Sun! There is a basement bar that you have to walk through to get to the gents, but is just as characterless as the ground floor bar.
I found this place to be charmless with no warmth. But the ESB was OK (not good, just OK); it was clean, and I suppose that it provides a service in catering for those denizens of the City who wouldn’t be interested in the few decent pubs in the area.
On 23rd November 2011
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2607 recommendations about 2521 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Strongers . left this review about The Pavilion End
The Pavilion End is a large modern pub that opens at 10am during the week and has a late license until midnight on Thursdays and Fridays. Surprisingly for the area it is also open from 11am until 17:00 on Saturdays, although it is closed on Sundays. It is a Marstons PLC pub that has four hand pumps that were drawing Brakspear, Pedigree, Bah Humbug and Christmas Cracker when visited just before Christmas. The barmaid was polite enough, but I must say that I thought the Guinness was below par. There is a basement bar that was closed for a private function and the sunken area that leads to a rarely seen in these parts beer garden had its four or five tables reserved.
I’ve been to worse places, but I prefer a more traditional pub and they are in abundance around this area so I cannot see a return visit.
On 3rd January 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 6168 recommendations about 6131 pubs]