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Submitted on Tuesday, 12^th November 2024
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The Blue Stoops, Kensington, W8

Pub added by Graham Mason

127-129 Kensington Church Street
W8
W8 7LP

Phone: 02077278142

Correct details

Served areas

Kensington

Reviews of The Blue Stoops (Average Rating: 7½ of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Will Larter left this review about The Blue Stoops

A brilliant recreation of what an Allsopps pub might have been like. It reminds me a lot of the attention to detail in the Kirkstall/Five Points projects in Leeds, the Tetley and the Three Swords, and even the Kirkstall Brewery Tap. The blue ceramic bar front has to be seen to be believed (see photo) and the same attention to detail is there in the beers too. My half of Allsopp's Best Bitter tasted so authentic it just had to be true, and my half of Timothy Taylor Dark Mild was very good in a more subtle way (NBSS 4). Having scored the Best NBSS 4.5 I was obliged, under the terms of the scoring system, to have another. This was hard work, as the specially designed high pour swan neck hand pumps allowed me to see every detail of the failure to pour half a pint of beer into a half pint glass. Maybe it works out in a way, as this seems to be one of those beers that tastes better with a loose, frothy head, but in that case why pour it with a swan neck?

On 10^th April 2025 - rating: 8
[User has posted 4273 recommendations about 3935 pubs]

Moby Duck left this review about The Blue Stoops

A nice newish pub separated into a couple of areas with the rear section more of a dining area, the front is more pub with some attractive features, all be they modern takes as described by Tris previously. Beers on cask were Best, Pale and IPA from Allsopp's plus a guest of Heritage Masterpiece, on keg the aforementioned Double Diamond which is more akin to Neck Oil nowadays than the infamous original, other keg were from the likes of Kirkstall and Anspach & Hobday, so decent.
Nice Pub.

On 10^th March 2025 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2151 recommendations about 2118 pubs]

Tris C left this review about The Blue Stoops

This is a mid-19th century pub, originally the McCauley Arms until 2009 when it became a wine bar called the Kensington Wine Rooms. The place is the brainchild of American Charlie McVeigh, the man behind the Draft House chain (probably explains the American spelling of ‘draught’) and Jamie Allsopp, a scion of the family and cousin of TV’s Kirsty.
The pub opened two days ago; I’ll leave the history of Allsopp’s Burton brewery to their website and CAMRA, but it claims to have invented IPA, which I’ve tried before and found to be very good.
The interior is largely a modern take on a Victorian pub, with a modern boarded floor (chequerboard tiled to the bar area), mirrored Victorian-style bar back, with lapis lazuli mezzo-relievo tiling to the front with repeated trademark Allsopp’s ‘hand’ device. Walls are either natural wood field panelled, then two tone royal blue and cream with an ochre ceiling. Furniture is conventional, with fluted fawn banquettes to the periphery, lighting from hanging spun copper shades; no TVs were spotted. Décor – unsurprisingly – is a veritable cornucopia of Allsopp’s brewery memorabilia from yesteryear, including an extravagant retro mirror to the rear dining area. Customers were mixed: some locals, quite a few looking like tourists (unsurprising given the proximity to Portobello Road and Kensington Palace), some with a baby and young child in tow, one schoolgirl using a scooter; another customer attired in powder blue looked suspiciously like Jamie himself; still, at least le patron mange ici.
Aside from Allsopp’s revived Double Diamond, there were four ales on the go, with a guest ale – Kirkstall Three Swords – then three from Allsopp’s: Best, IPA and Pale at a charitable – especially considering the area – £2.75 a half and on excellent form, served by a very friendly and engaging barman.
This place is certainly a bonus for the area, making for an interesting addition to the W8 crawl scene, but I do hope young children won’t be in evidence once the sun is over the yardarm.

On 11^th October 2024 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2207 recommendations about 2164 pubs]

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