The Pavilion End, Mansion House, EC4

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 13^th May 2025 - rating: 5
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