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Chat about:
Yet another list with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Blackthorn _
Submitted on Sunday, 5th May 2019
With picture contributions to 5857 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (16 more images)
Detail Pages
The Dovetail, Clerkenwell, EC1
EC1
EC1V 4JP
Served areas
Reviews of The Dovetail (Average Rating: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Strongers . left this review about The Dovetail
The Dovetail is a stone floored Belgian beer bar with seating up the long left-hand wall and snug seating in the front right corner adjacent to the counter up the right. There’s Belgian beer ephemera on the walls and unsurprisingly the draught options are mostly Belgian beers. The friendly barman let me try a fruit beer, but it didn’t go down well after all the dross I’d been drinking over the previous few hours, so I settled for a Campus. The visit here made a change from the traditional Victorian pubs in the area, but I don’t think I’d ever stay for more than a pint.
On 12th May 2026
- rating: 6
[User has posted 6673 recommendations about 6635 pubs]
Old Boots left this review about The Dovetail
Small specialist Belgian beer cafe with 14 taps in two banks and lots of bottles in the fridges behind. It was possibly two smaller shops knocked into one as there’s a residual wall by the entrance. The counter is further back to the right and is L shaped, tables and chairs are spread down the front and side of the long thin room. Every table had a reserved sign but no indication of what time, fortunately I got a stool by a drinking shelf next to the front door (Friday pm visit). It is popular so I suppose booking is best. Decor is allegedly based on something to do with the Order of St John - their old gateway is nearby, the stone floor is certainly nice. Other bits and pieces are ecclesiastical or small blackboards or both plus a few European brewery ad’s.
On 12th January 2026
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 4096 recommendations about 3757 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Dovetail
Looks like a quaint old hostelry in an olde worlde pedestrianised passageway, so it is quite a surprise to find a specialist Belgian beer bar inside. Having said that, the interior is more alehouse than continental café in appearance until you start to note the breweriana and Tintin posters. Total of 14 keg taps with a decent selection of Flemish and Walloon offerings, and I was pleased to find the excellent La Chouffe as the current guest (albeit at £3.95 for a half of this 8% beer).
On 25th November 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 9165 recommendations about 9165 pubs]
View more reviews of The Dovetail (5)
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- Official page of the Dovetail Bar - www.dovepubs.co.uk
- Randomness Guide to London - Dovetail entry
- Facebook - The Dovetail
- Twitter - The Dovetail
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Dovetail - whatpub.com
City Thameslink, 0.67 miles, 12 min walk (show)
Old Street, 0.79 miles, 15 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.
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 29 September 2013 by Quinno _
- Car Park : No last updated 29 September 2013 by Quinno _
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 29 September 2013 by Quinno _
- Karaoke : No last updated 29 September 2013 by Quinno _
- Pinball : No last updated 29 September 2013 by Quinno _
- Pool Table : No last updated 29 September 2013 by Quinno _
- Real Ale : No - Belgian beer available - last updated 29 September 2013 by Quinno _
- Real Cider : No last updated 29 September 2013 by Quinno _
