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Detail Pages
The Old Crown, WC1
WC1
WC1A 1BH
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Old Crown
Looks like a traditional corner pub, but the interior presents more of a light and modern feel (aided by the largish windows). Claims to have been 'reimagined' since my first visit some four years ago, but the furniture and decor in the compact bar seem similar. Also has a few small tables out on the pavement. Just the 'house' OC Pale Ale from Hertfordshire (and served in a McMullen glass, £4.80) from the pair of handpumps. However, despite this, I certainly enjoyed this visit rather more than my previous one (when all the tables were booked for non-existent groups and the place was rammed after work on a Friday by a rather obnoxious crowd) so rating increased accordingly.
On 25th June 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Old Crown
The Crown, rebuilt in 1849 as The Old Crown and rather a hip place with a bit of a rustic - and rather dated - interior. There are conventional chairs, but the chunky tables look like they've been assembled from old railway sleepers; they wouldn't have looked out of place in The Flintstones. They are topped with wax-encrusted bottles containing candles. Note to management: the 1970s ended 36 years ago. Music was muted and surprisingly there are no TVs - result!
The barman was very friendly and it seems that the ales come courtesy of McMullen's: Old Crown, Bitter, IPA and Pale Ale. Oddly they are all priced at a steep £4.80 a pint but my half of very nice Pale Ale cost £2.35 - steep, but for some reason less than half the price of a pint?
This isn't a bad place and I'd probably come here again, but only as part of a crawl.
On 30th April 2016
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Old Crown
Not sure about this place. I popped in here whilst trying to find the Sam Smiths Crown around the corner as there’s no obvious signage on this one except for some faint naming in the black exterior paintwork.
I guess it was a traditional pub once, but is now trying to be a trendy modern elegant bar. Plenty of minimalist modern decor with exposed brick walls, dark wood floor and bar area, and modern design seating which looked more modernistic than comfortable.
The bar back area seems to be made with railway sleepers and the supported spirit bottles are then back lit with spot lights giving the place more of a night club bar feel.
The outside had several solid oak seating tables and these were full on my visit.
There were two handpumps on the bar, Youngs Ordinary which was off and Spitfire, which you can find anywhere, so I didn’t bother.
So a bar which seems to aiming to be trendy and elegant. I found it boring, but then I guess I’m not the target demographic. Plenty of others were enjoying it though.
On 27th June 2010
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]