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

Image posted by Blackthorn _
Submitted on Tuesday, 2nd May 2023
With picture contributions to 5578 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (32 more images)
Detail Pages
Butchers Hook & Cleaver, Smithfield, EC1
EC1
EC1A 9DY
Reviews of Butchers Hook & Cleaver (Average Rating: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Will Larter left this review about Butchers Hook & Cleaver
Sumptuous building, which has had a recent refurb according to the lad who served me, though it predates his employment here so he couldn't specify any details. The bar counter has green tiles, a dark wooden top and gleaming copper taps (or copper-coloured). There's a mezzanine with fairly steep stairs and an attractive balustrade. On the left wall - which is a part of the pub that was originally a different building - there's a plethora of paintings in many different styles. The four hand pumps had three Fullers beers plus a guest from Salopian. My half of Red Fox was ok (NBSS 3 or possibly 2.5) and a fairly standard (for the area) £6.50/pint.
On 7th November 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 4273 recommendations about 3935 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Butchers Hook & Cleaver
A traditional looking and substantial street corner pub located just across the road from Smithfield Market, the signage outside describes it as a Fuller’s Ale & Pie House so presumably there is some emphasis on the food, although on my sunny Tuesday evening visit there were probably more people stood drinking on the pavement outside than there were inside.
Internally it’s a good size, and is quite elegant in style, perhaps it could even be described as grand. There was much elaborate cornice work on the ceiling with much of the inset panelling being painted a deep shade of maroon. Elsewhere was a pleasant mid-green paintwork, both on the walls and further parts of the ceiling. The flooring was predominantly wood strip with some chequered black and white tiling around the wood panelled bar counter. A mezzanine floor was off to the right, with wrought iron balustrade overlooking the lower part of the pub. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling and there were some large stencilled cartoon style drawings on one wall. Wood partitioning with etched glass inserts broke up the space a little, and in a nod to the pubs name, both a butcher’s hook and a cleaver were displayed in a glass case.
Despite being described as a pie house, there was only one pie option on the menu as far as I could see, with other choices including a burger, fish & chips, chicken Kiev, scampi and so on, with most of the main courses being somewhere around £15 - £20. My broccoli, squash and tomato linguine was a decent enough dish, although did seem a little expensive at £14.95 given the portion size and the lack of any meat or fish.
Beers on tap were London pride, Seafarer’s Ale, Dark Star Hophead and Coronation King’s Ale. The solitary cider meanwhile was Sanford Orchards. Overall, I thought this was a decent enough pub, and certainly worth checking out if in the area.
On 26th May 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2060 recommendations about 1962 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about Butchers Hook & Cleaver
A fairly attractive Fullers pub with the expected Fullers beer range. Very busy on a lunchtime so I didn't hang around too long.Not really my kind of place but certainly worth a look,
On 28th April 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2151 recommendations about 2118 pubs]
View more reviews of Butchers Hook & Cleaver (13)
Pubs Galore is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
- Official site of Butchers Hook & Cleaver - www.butchershookandcleaver.co.uk
- Randomness Guide to London - Butchers Hook And Cleaver entry
- Facebook - Butchers Hook & Cleaver
- Twitter - Butcher's Hook
- CAMRA WhatPub :: Butchers Hook & Cleaver - whatpub.com
City Thameslink, 0.31 miles, 5 min walk (show)
Moorgate, 0.72 miles, 13 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 05 April 2016 by Tris C
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 05 April 2016 by Tris C
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 05 April 2016 by Tris C
- Beer Garden : No last updated 05 April 2016 by Tris C
- Car Park : No last updated 05 April 2016 by Tris C
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 09 April 2016 by Tris C
- Darts : No last updated 05 April 2016 by Tris C
- Dog Friendly : No - Guide dogs only. - last updated 09 April 2016 by Tris C
- Function Room : Yes - Mezzanine. - last updated 09 April 2016 by Tris C
- Hot Food : Yes - Pie-orientated. - last updated 05 April 2016 by Tris C
- Jukebox : No last updated 05 April 2016 by Tris C
- Karaoke : No last updated 05 April 2016 by Tris C
- Live Music : No last updated 05 April 2016 by Tris C
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 05 April 2016 by Tris C
- Micropub : No last updated 05 April 2016 by Tris C
- Pinball : No last updated 05 April 2016 by Tris C
- Pool Table : No last updated 05 April 2016 by Tris C
- Real Ale : Yes - Fuller's. - last updated 05 April 2016 by Tris C
- Wheelchair Access : Yes - Disabled WC available also to non-customers - last updated 07 November 2024 by Will Larter
- WiFi : Yes last updated 09 April 2016 by Tris C
Le Bar
Balfour at St. Barts
Rising Sun
Smithfield Tap
The Bishops Finger
Simmons
Be At One
Old Red Cow
Recently Viewed: