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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
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Detail Pages
The Wenlock Arms, Hoxton, N1
N1
N1 7TA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Wenlock Arms
This area has become a real soulless part of town, lots of new flats and cold streets. The pub is a little run down and in need of attention, saved by the beer choice and quality
On 2nd December 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1542 recommendations about 1519 pubs]
The Chairman left this review about The Wenlock Arms
I have visited a couple of times in the last few months and am unconvinced whether it is what I regard as a good pub. On the fuirst visit it was a Saturday evening and the pub was very busy with loud music being played, so I only had a quick half. I then visited again on a weekday afternoon, with much more time and space available. I tried a couple of beers: Gun Scaramanga extra pale ale was probably a lovely beer but was served too cold to really enjoy, and Beerblefish Blackbeerble stout had slightly too much of a sharp fruit taste for my liking. One of those is definitely the fault of the pub. Given the location is a bit off the beaten track, I can't see that I shall be rushing to return when there are better options not too far away.
On 31st May 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 49 recommendations about 49 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Wenlock Arms
Having trudged over to find the place firmly closed and shuttered 15 minutes after its supposed opening time, we wandered back at 2pm to find the place open. Been many a year since I last visited and to be honest it’s not the place it was. A bit monoculture now. Plenty of beers and a good range but the prices...basically 6 quid or above. The quality wasn’t all that either - Titanic Mild (NBSS 3) was slightly warm whilst the Five Points Derailed lived-up to its name (2.5). All served-up by a mute barman (he literally said nothing throughout two transactions) in his 50s but dressed like he was in his 20s. One upside was the presence of gratis roasties at the bar. When compared to the Old Fountain, the gulf is wide. 6.5
June 2013
First visit to the revamped Wenlock which was still shrouded in scaffolding as work continues upstairs. The bar itself is seemingly unaltered whilst the room has had a deep clean, lick of paint, seats have been re-upholstered and there’s new downstairs loos (the gents is ridiculously tight though). 10 ales on with an impressive selection alongside some craft kegs and real cider. Beer-wise, my Clarence & Fredericks Strong Mild was in decent nick with the Tiny Rebel IPA perhaps a little under-par. Enjoyably eclectic music (Swing and Big Bands through to Simon & Garfunkel and Cure in 30 minutes). If there was a 10% CAMRA discount, no mention of it was made to me and I didn’t see it advertised. Maybe the staff should be a bit more pro-active pushing it. Note to the blackboard scribe: it’s “Sambrooks” not “Sam Brooks”…anyway a decent start. Rated 8
March 2012
Bade this place a farewell last night. The Brewers Gold, Acorn Porter and St Peters Mild were on great form. We are assured that the pub will re-open imminently with the same ethos but with a general clean-up and upgrades. We shall see. Rating 8
November 2010
A renowned ale pub in a frankly odd location (must've been the only bit the Luftwaffe didn't hit judging by the less-than-salubrious surroundings you need to trudge through to get here), this a classic Victorian corner local standing proud in a sea of redevelopment and poorly-constructed 1960’s flats. A large selection (9, is it?) of well-kept ales from a variety of microbreweries are on offer, along with a real cider. The quality is usually pretty good, though they have been known serve the odd poor one and been less than helpful when you politely tell them. The range of previously served ales is evident by the collection old pump clips festooned around the bar. Prices are very competitive given the postcode. Basic pub grub is available - the doorstep wedge sarnies are very good. Music is quietly piped and there’s live Jazz on a Friday evening.
The interior is the weak point – it’s small and cramped (OK, not much you can do there) and often feels quite grubby and dingy; indeed the gents loos are little more than a smelly wall to go against. The brewery mirrors add a little extra light, but frankly higher wattage light bulbs would be just as useful. Service too can sometimes be rather brusque. The pub’s clientèle is generally quite mixed; students, office workers, posties and CAMRA stereotypes all mingle at the bar, generating a good atmosphere inside. Beware that the regulars can be very vociferous at times.
As stated elsewhere, this place is under threat of closure and demolition in the very near future, so get down there while you can. Overall, a classic ale pub that demands a visit but it’s not without fault. Rating 8
On 20th February 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5552 recommendations about 5533 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Wenlock Arms
Having been coming here for many years, the Wenlock always used to be known as the best real ale pub in central London. Along with the area itself, it has been gentrified a little these days. It feels a little more like a hipster hangout now.
There is still a half decent range of 6 real ales. These were Five Points Pale & Railway Porter, Mighty Oak Saxon Strong, Redemption Hopspur, Gun Project Bablylon & Purity Jimbo. But there was no sign of the Mighty Oak Oscar Wilde this time and the huge range of decent ciders they used to stock is also gone. Instead I was offered a Cidre Breton in a bottle from the fridge. I stuck to the cask ales!
The bar sits in the middle of the pub. You used to be able to walk right around, but an extra gents toilets with urinals only has been built on one side of the room to block the corridor.
Still well worthy of a visit, but has lost the slightly edgy side it once had, attracts a slightly different clientele and the lack of real cider is a definite shortfall in my book.
On 3rd March 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3040 recommendations about 3038 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Wenlock Arms
Taking its name from the adjacent Wenlock Basin, this was the tap for the eponymous brewery, long closed and demolished. CAMRA's North London Pub of the Year 2017, my first visit to this Georgian - just - pub was made about eight years ago when it was inexplicably out of the GBG from 2010 until 2015, though in my opinion the beer was great. What wasn't so great was the appalling grot: a pot shelf where glasses hadn't been cleaned since the pub was built and the terrible lavatories; the barmaid, who I think was a co-landlord, wasn't the most welcoming of people either; the old custodians having long moved on.
A third return visit and of course there's more real ale, real cider and perry and keg options than you can shake a stick at, which of course is what makes this pub so well-known in what is an otherwise rather dreary N1 Hackney/Islington hinterland. This is still a place that attracts an extremely mixed and at some times boisterous crowd presided over by friendly staff. What baffles the most is the ultra-modern men's lavatories. As mentioned below, two urinals and a basin in what is in effect a cupboard under the stairs; where is the gent's cubicle?
Music played at a sensible level and a dartboard was on display; hot bar snacks though not conventional food was available. My half of Purity's Longhorn IPA was naturally on excellent form and at £2.10 a half, good value for the area.
This is of course a drinker's Mecca (forgive the obvious contradiction), and is worth a substantial detour to get here.
On 17th August 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2208 recommendations about 2165 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Wenlock Arms
Not quite as basic as it used to be and now nicely done up.Still seems to be quiet on my visits.Good selection of cask beers.Salopian -choir porter was good.New micro brewery in the basement so worth a return visit.
On 27th December 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 Wenlock Arms
Quite a basic pub but it does it's job serving good beer. 10 real ales and "craft keg" served. Real fire was a bonus on a cold night.
On 20th November 2016
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2933 recommendations about 2866 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about The Wenlock Arms
Very well reviewed so I'll only add opinion and list the beers on when we visited.
This felt to me like a very comfortable, street corner local which are rare enough in Central London but I was astonished by it given the location five minutes to both the City and the Regents Canal. I'm not sure how I've missed this before and am very disappointed to have done so.
Beers on were: Dark Star Hophead, The Original and APA, Green Jack Lurcher Stout, Great Heck Apocalypse Brau, Salopian Hop Twister, Vale Red Kite and Sambrooks Pumphouse Pale Ale and Junction. One handpump was unused. That's a very good selection and the only beers I'd have been less than enthusiastic about would have been the Sambrooks. As it was, all that we tried was good and I'd have happily spent the evening here trying the rest.
My favourite London pub currently.
On 7th October 2016
- rating: 10
[User has posted 683 recommendations about 682 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Wenlock Arms
A decent corner street boozer, that attracts a mixed clientele seeking out a good and reasonably priced pint of ale. We called on a Friday eve and London temperatures were on the hot side to say the least, so I presumed I would be sinking down a refreshing golden ale or an IPA, only to find the majority of their beers across the ten handpumps were all dark or brown. We did manage to spot Redemption Hopspur, which sufficed. Maybe on a winter visit, I might find some refreshing light summer beers.
On 15th August 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3645 recommendations about 3645 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Wenlock Arms
Update
Still very much alive and kicking,it was buzzing Saturday evening and I enjoyed two very good beers,ELB Orchid and Sirencraft Broken Dream,upgraded to 9/10.
16 June 2013
As Will intimates below the Wenlock is alive and extremely well.Much brighter and cleaner than before, this for me has taken away a little of its charm, I'm sure there are some who disagree with this though. It has however not lost an ounce of its atmosphere and was buzzing early Saturday evening, all ten pumps were on and all being well used.My two choices of ale were both in good health and both enjoyable, Portabello Market Porter and Franklins Grumpy Governor. The fact the Wenlock is thriving is a great boost to the local ale scene.I see many more visits in the future.
On 15th November 2015
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2151 recommendations about 2118 pubs]