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 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Captain Flinders (JD Wetherspoon), NW1
NW1
NW1 1DA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Delboy 20 left this review about The Captain Flinders (JD Wetherspoon)
Small and fairly new Spoons right by Euston station. Well described below. We had a pint of Granny Wouldn't Like It from Wolf Brewery which was fine. Handy if you a little time to kill waiting for a train but there are better options nearby.
On 10th April 2025
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1821 recommendations about 1692 pubs]
Strongers . left this review about The Captain Flinders (JD Wetherspoon)
I had half an hour to kill on a recent midweek afternoon while waiting for my train at Euston so I decided to tick off the Captain Flinders, which is a very small Wetherspoons that has been open now for about a year. Through the central tiled entrance are high tables across the front windows and then high and standard tables sit either side of the central walkway that runs to the serving counter across the rear. Five of the six hand pumps were in operation drawing the usual three plus East London Brewing’s Cowcatcher and Burton bridge’s Santi Freeze. The service wasn’t the most welcoming, but this was my first trip to London in a while so expect it was just the usual capital charm. The disabled toilets to the left of the counter were spotless, and very welcome before embarking on the next leg of my journey.
On 16th December 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5965 recommendations about 5931 pubs]
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Captain Flinders (JD Wetherspoon)
As a regular user of Euston station, I've been aware of the opening of this branch of Wetherspoon's for some time. However, I've often checked their app and found no particular beers that interest me and also a lack of ciders.
However earlier today after an aborted train journey from Euston due to the storm, we returned to the station and with few other venues open at 9am in the morning, we were obliged to try the Captain Flinders.
Once again this morning, the Wetherspoon's app didn't reveal anything too promising on the beer and cider front. Regular beers are Sharp's Doom Bar & Greene King Abbot & IPA. Guests shown on the app were Sambrook's Wandle & Powerhouse Porter. However, we arrived to find a third guest- Twickenham Cinnamon Swirl Stout and also a cider in a box in the fridge - Weston's Old Rosie. Neither had been available on the app, which proves that you should never trust it. I was happy to try both, along with the porter.
These premises used to be a seedy lap dancing club, a place we used to pass by on the way to breakfast before catching a train. These days, this branch of 'spoon's is one of their smaller ones, with a single room and downstairs toilets. The gents seemed far too small for the volume of customers on our Saturday morning visit. Just a couple of cubicles in the gents means queues at peak times.
Being so close to the station, the pub inevitable attracts football fans such as ourselves, coming too and from games on matchdays. There were at least 6 different teams represented during our visit, with all getting on happily, both eating and drinking. Even a visit from the special branch couldn't find anything untoward. However, I suspect things can turn sour at times.
Nevertheless I was pleasantly surprised by this branch, but will still probably only call in on irregular occasions, despite my regular visits to Euston station. Unfortunately there are still far better pickings, not only in the vicinity, but in the plethora of destinations that Euston offers.
On 7th December 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3040 recommendations about 3038 pubs]
Pub SignMan left this review about The Captain Flinders (JD Wetherspoon)
This is a surprisingly small, brand new branch of the Wetherspoons chain, conveniently located next to Euston station. A sloping, bare boarded floor leads from the entrance to the servery, which occupies most of the rear wall. Carpeted seating areas can be found either side of this walkway and have been filled with efficiently arranged tables and chairs, whilst some high stools run around drinking shelves attached to sections of partitioning wall, with more high stools in the space opposite the bar and down the left-hand wall. The pub is a little plain, even by Wetherspoons standards, with the most striking features being the likes of the modern wood panelled walls and a few bits of smart tiling, especially to the left, where the tiles surround a set of bold paintings. Quotes from a biography of Matthew Flinders have been painted along the ceiling beams, alongside some fancy modern light fixtures. The bar has a counter with the same panelling as the rest of the pub, a modern metal frame gantry and basic mirrored bar back. The place wasn't too busy on my post-work visit, which was a surprise considering how packed the nearby St Pancras branch can get at the same time of day. TV screens were showing some sort of muted sports channel but I couldn't see which channel or sport was being broadcast from my vantage point.
They had two of the regular 'Spoons ales on handpull along with four guest beers. I tried the Mauldons Black Adder at a rather expensive by 'Spoons' standards, £4.68 a pint. It was in excellent shape though and served to me by the prompt, if rather gruff, bar team.
This is a bit of a strange place, feeling much more like an old school 'Spoons than anything they've opened this decade, but its location was obviously the primary motivation for operating here and I imagine it'll do a solid trade as a result I was happy with my excellent pint but would probably plump for the Barrel Vault at St Pancras if I wanted a 'Spoons stop in this part of town.
Date of visit - 12th June 2024
On 22nd October 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3350 recommendations about 3350 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Captain Flinders (JD Wetherspoon)
The brand newest Spoons in the estate, opening in early January 2024. As others have mentioned, it is really rather small for the brand and is more toping shed than drinking barn, the tables are rammed-in to the extent a battery hen would go on strike. Décor is JDW middle ground, with some teak effect panelling and the usual pub carpet. Of genuine interest is the wall to the left which displays polychromatic (had to look that up) tiles with paintings depicting an odd mix of Renaissance and travel scenes. I assume that the Watford Wizard thought that most punters in here would be quick turnover train travellers; well if so he got that wrong as at least 50% looked like they were settled in for the afternoon, with the classic codger collective having already made themselves comfortable (with one fast asleep), joined by a smattering of students and some bunking workers (me). I could only ID three people who were definitely travelling. Perhaps due to the small size there were just four ales featuring a solitary guest, an excellent drop of Wimbledon Norma (NBSS 3.5) at prices that were close to par with their airport outlets, pleased that I could give my Timbo Token over. I was initially disappointed by this one and was expecting something much bigger and grander. But the quality of the cask and the pubby atmosphere made me feel a bit more disposed to it after a while.
On 23rd February 2024
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5552 recommendations about 5533 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
David Walton left this review about The Captain Flinders (JD Wetherspoon)
Not much to add to the comprehensive summaries of this new JDW venue. Rammed on my arrival just now at 7pm and nothing but the three “staples” as not even the TW NL (or anything remotely good) was on offer. Selected the Ruddles (nothing wrong with it) and supped up quite quickly as the noise was insufferable in a pub with a lower ceiling than any property I have ever owned. Most noise emanating by a party of what looked like estate agents celebrating the sale of their first maisonette of the year with what ever fizzy wine stuff JDW sells these days. Unlikely to return as many better offerings, as most know, nearby.
On 15th January 2024
- rating: 3
[User has posted 631 recommendations about 631 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Captain Flinders (JD Wetherspoon)
Surprisingly small new 'spoons conversion close by Euston station so could easily get overcrowded at times? However, after work on a Thursday evening during its opening week, it was just busy but not uncomfortably so. Seating is quite tightly arranged around the square bar, and the relatively compact feel is enhanced by the noticeably low ceiling. Finding only four handpumps on the counter does seem a bit of a departure, offering the expected Ruddles, Doom Bar and Abbot plus an admittedly excellent Naked Ladies from Twickenham (£4.68) as a guest.
On 11th January 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8679 recommendations about 8678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Captain Flinders (JD Wetherspoon)
This is a 19th century building situated along Somertown’s none too appealing Eversholt Street, formerly SophistiCats, Camden’s last ‘adult-themed’ club and next door, specialising in selling ‘used magazines’ (luverly), is the euphemistically named ‘Euston Bookshop’. This place has been comprehensibly ‘spoonified, the name taken from naval captain Matthew Flinders, whose remains were uncovered during work on nearby HS2; Flinders was responsible for circumnavigating, mapping and naming Australia; a statue of him can be seen in Euston station’s piazza with his cat, Trim; it’s also the second recent opening of the branch on this strip serving a railway station, the Barrel Vault having opened in October 2018.
As mentioned by the previous reviewer, there’s just lavs and the kitchen downstairs as this was apparently where the strip club was, not that I ever visited it. Size wise, compared to some barn-like offerings, this is a teaspoon and not large by Victorian pub standards either. The floor has a tiled bar apron, then pale pine boards which delineate a custom weaved carpet exhibiting nods to the original ceiling above Euston’s Great Hall and hidden motifs relating to cats’ eyes, a reference to Trim. The wall to the left displays polychromatic tiles with paintings seemingly depicting either travel or Renaissance allegorical figures; otherwise, walls are full-height field panelled with teak effect wood, the whole smelling like a lumber yard. The surprisingly low ceiling is white with recessed up lit coffering painted salmon pink (see photo), with ambient lighting that’s painfully bright. Furniture is tall and traditional in the main, normal height to the front. There are a couple of games machines, rolling silent news and a real-time railway departure board. Packed to the rafters, customers were a mix of older locals, then plenty of students, obviously from nearby UCL, no doubt drawn by the competitive pricing.
On the ale front there are as mentioned, just four pumps and all at different prices per pint: Ruddles Best (£3.24), Doom (£4.63), Abbot (£4.89) and Twickenham’s Naked Ladies (£4.68), 14p a pint less than at the Barrel Vault and on perfect form, served by a friendly barman who retracted my pint for a top-up without me asking.
Unless you suffer from koutaliaphobia, this place isn’t too bad for the breed, but just one ale I’d eagerly drink is a bit of a meagre offering. If you need ‘spoon feeding locally, the Barrel Vault is a better bet, with seven pumps apart from the usual Gloom/GK stuff and 14p a pint dearer, though the less pubby of the two. And it’s not freezing cold in here either.
On 11th January 2024
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2208 recommendations about 2165 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Captain Flinders (JD Wetherspoon)
A brand new Spoons in a conversion of shops and a club right outside Euston station. Surprisingly the pub is confined to street level so is disappointingly small, with toilets, kitchens etc. in the larger old club area below. The low ceiling and big pillars make it even more constrained - with most small branches being phased out this will surely rate as one of the littlest Spoons. Even more disappointing is that they have only found space for 4 handpumps, offering the trio of doom and one guest, being Twickenham Naked Ladies at £4.68. Decor and furnishings are as you might expect, with a few pavement tables outside. I suppose it will still be a useful refreshment stop for Euston, but it could have been much better.
On 10th January 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3641 recommendations about 3576 pubs]