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I've only just noticed this... with sheffield hatter
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Blackthorn _
Submitted on Tuesday, 2nd May 2023
With picture contributions to 5781 other pubs
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Detail Pages
Old Red Cow, Smithfield, EC1
EC1
EC1A 9EJ
Served areas
Reviews of Old Red Cow (Average Rating: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Steve of N21 left this review about Old Red Cow
I have to fess up and admit that I have probably not been back to this pub since my last review some thirteen years ago. Well, I rectified that the other evening and a couple of things have changed since I last visited. One key one is how you potentially get here. It used to be a walk from Moorgate or Barbican stations for me, but in the interim period the Elizabeth line entrance and exit for Farringdon station has appeared almost opposite the pub.
Internally it is unchanged from remembrances, being a small square downstairs bar and additional seating in a room above. Still the focus on craft ales but post pandemic there is now only two real ale pumps on the bar, almost apologetically squashed into the corner of the bar top as Will describes below.
On entering there was a bit of a queue at the bar, so I read through the large chalk board on the wall behind the bar as I waited and got quite excited until it was my turn, when I realised that it was only the two options right at the bottom that were on cask. Therse were Purity Mad Goose and Five Points XPA, and despite the much more interesting keg options I went for the XPA and it was in very good condition.
So perhaps not the Ale house it was pre pandemic, but still a very decent pub with a good range of beer options.
On 28th October 2025
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2287 recommendations about 2139 pubs]
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 4491 recommendations about 4122 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 3245 recommendations about 3243 pubs]
View more reviews of Old Red Cow (15)
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- Official site of Old Red Cow - www.oldredcow.co.uk
- CAMRA WhatPub :: Old Red Cow - whatpub.com
City Thameslink, 0.39 miles, 7 min walk (show)
Moorgate, 0.62 miles, 11 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 04 March 2020 by Komakino .
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 06 August 2013 by Pub SignMan
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 04 March 2020 by Komakino .
- Beer Garden : No last updated 06 August 2013 by Pub SignMan
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 04 March 2020 by Komakino .
- Car Park : No last updated 06 August 2013 by Pub SignMan
- Child Friendly : No last updated 04 March 2020 by Komakino .
- Darts : No last updated 06 August 2013 by Pub SignMan
- Dog Friendly : No last updated 04 March 2020 by Komakino .
- Function Room : Yes last updated 04 March 2020 by Komakino .
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 26 October 2018 by hondo .
- Jukebox : Yes last updated 06 August 2013 by Pub SignMan
- Karaoke : No last updated 04 March 2020 by Komakino .
- Live Music : No last updated 04 March 2020 by Komakino .
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 04 March 2020 by Komakino .
- Micropub : No last updated 28 September 2019 by Tris C
- Pinball : No last updated 06 August 2013 by Pub SignMan
- Pool Table : No last updated 06 August 2013 by Pub SignMan
- Quiz Night : Yes last updated 04 March 2020 by Komakino .
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 18 November 2021 by Tris C
- Real Cider : No last updated 18 November 2021 by Tris C
- Wheelchair Access : No - Steep stairs to toilets - last updated 07 November 2024 by Will Larter
- WiFi : Yes last updated 26 October 2018 by hondo .
