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The Prince of Wales, Drury Lane, WC2
WC2
WC2B 5TB
Pub Type
Taylor Walker (Spirit Pubs)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 Prince of Wales
First revisit since 2009, but not a lot seems to have changed apart from the new Greene King branding. Otherwise, it remains a tourist-friendly semi-traditional London pub with a mix of furniture. Five real ales available from the handpumps, with the choice being IPA, Abbot, Tribute, Redemption Hopspur and Twin Spring from New Rivers (which at £4.80 was about what I was expecting to pay, given the location, but the quality was good).
On 28th October 2018
- 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 Prince of Wales
I came here once before and was discussing the then foot and mouth epidemic with an American friend, so this must have been in 2001. I recall that it wasn’t one of the best places then and today little has changed, although the carpet has disappeared.
Adjacent to Freemasons’ Hall, The Prince of Wales was built in 1850 but the current Portland stone incarnation dates from the early 20th century. Internally, it’s a bit fake old as mentioned earlier and is what you’d resigned yourself to, given the by-the-numbers Greene King central London pub experience, rendering a detailed description otiose.
There are plenty of young people in here which gives the impression of drinking in a student union bar – indeed there’s a branch of the LSE’s campus just down the road which may explain things.
Ales: St. Austell’s Tribute, Greene King’s IPA and London Glory, Twickenham Brewery’s Scrum Down (you can tell the rugby’s on) and Purity’s Mad Goose at a crippling £2.55 a half. It was good, but so it should be at this price.
I may return in another 17 years, but I doubt it. There are better pubs – just - in Covent Garden but I’d prefer to walk over Kingsway where there’s altogether better.
On 24th February 2018
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Prince of Wales
A decent enough central London Pub but the dull Greene King derived selection on the four handpumps will deter a further visit.
On 31st December 2017
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Prince of Wales
The exterior of this street corner pub close to the masonic HQ is quite grand,but that doesn't extend inside where it's quite small with a single square open plan room with pine flooring ,amplifying the sound to an unbearable cacophony when busy.It's branded as Greene King after the takeover of Spirit Pubco ,and the chain vibe is never far away.There are a series of high tables facing the bar,while below the front window and to one side there is bench seating running around the wall.Two large flatscreens were showing music vidoes ,and providing the soundtrack further increasing the noise.There is a standard pub grub menu but expect reserved signs to be placed on tables,at least indicating the time from which said table is reserved.
A saving grace is the real ale options from the 5 handpumps.Besides the dull house beers,on this occasion GK IPA and London Glory,the guests were Trumans Misseltoe Mild,St Austell Tribute and Twickenham Gothic Dark (decent but a rip off at £2.50 the half).Much too late did I notice a 10% CAMRA discount.
Apart from an unused fireplace to the left,this is a modern interior of little note,but at least has guest ales .I cant summons the enthusiasm to rush back.
On 22nd December 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Prince of Wales
By the numbers Taylor Walker pub 5 real ales and food.
On 9th October 2015
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Prince of Wales
Marketing itself as a traditional pub in the heart of Covent Garden, this place felt more like a typical city centre drinking barn when I arrived in the post-work crush of a pre-Christmas week day evening. The pub was originally built in the 1850’s, but was reconstructed in the early 1900’s as part of a street widening programme. The interior sees a roughly square, single room layout with the servery along the back wall and various tables and chairs laid out across a bare boarded space. Some attempt to define individual seating areas has been made by fencing spaces off with banister rails and having a split level seating section to one side, but in the crush of the crowd, such details were quickly lost. There is a fair bit of dark wood around the place and I spotted a few pleasant stained glass screens here and there, but having ordered a drink at the bar, I found my chances of properly exploring were severely hampered, so I decided to give up and propped myself against one of the high tables opposite the bar. The servery itself is an awkwardly angular affair, with the counter jutting out at one point and a fairly standard bar back which is done out in dark wood and boasts a vaguely decorative top.
The place was so rammed that I was also unable to figure out the entire ale range. Fullers London Pride, Adnams Ghost Ship and Wychwood Bah Humbug were all easily identifiable from afar and I managed to glean that the other two available beers were Christmas brews, one of which was from the Blindmans Brewery. I somehow ended up with a pint of the Blindmans, which wasn’t in the greatest of shape, although a friend had the Ghost Ship and said it was in much better condition.
I left this place feeling that I hadn’t really been given the chance to get to know it properly. There is definitely a lesson to be learnt about when to time a visit to this place, but despite the claustrophobic conditions, I still had the feeling that the pub probably has something to offer and I wouldn’t be averse to giving it another try the next time I’m passing.
On 28th January 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Prince of Wales
I don’t need to add much to the previous reviews which some up this place quite concisely. There were five handpumps on the counter: the inevitable GKIPA and London Pride; one pump had an Adnam’s clip reversed; one had a Christmas ale on; and a fifth was dispensing Brain’s Rev. James. The Rev. James cost £1.81 for a half (£3.60 a pint?), thus at the top of the range price-wise even for this normally expensive area. It tasted OK though.
This is a Punch Taverns pub, now branded as a Taylor Walker pub, like most of their ex Spirit Group estate it seems. The menu features the usual pubco pub grub offerings, with the steak and ale pie at £7.75, which is not too bad for this area. Essentially this is a typical Central London pubco pub. But it was open at 11.30 AM on a weekday, when many around here are not, and the barman did top up my half of Rev. James without being prompted. It’s nothing special, but another “OK for a pint” pub.
On 8th January 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Prince of Wales
A functional one room pub not far from Covent Garden and Theatreland. No obvious original features remain, the interior has that cheap wood panelled look, with a dark painted wood floor, and a slightly raised carpeted section, seperated by stained balustrading. The plethora of faux chalkboard menus and table numbers show that the pubs market is with tourists and passing trade. Traditional seating around the edges and a few high tables in the middle. Friendly enough service and a full pint to be fair, the choice was Pride, GK IPA, Adnams Bitter, Courage Directors and Brains Rev James. I opted for the Brains and it was ok.
An inoffensive if rather bland pub.
On 18th July 2010
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Prince of Wales
A decent enough looking pub situated on the corner of Drury Lane and Great Queen Street. Single room with the bar at the back and a raised dining area to the right. Obviously set up for the tourists and the theatre crowd it does have some mock dark wood decor added to try and give the impression that you are drinking somewhere traditional, but otherwise a largely forgettable place.
It does however benefit from a large outside pavement area which was heaving with drinkers on this glorious Friday evening.
Unfortunately the throng had obviously taken its toll on the available beers and of the five ale pumps on the bar only two were operational. And as all that was left was GK IPA and OSH, e.g. nothing special in a nothing special pub we decided to turn round and move on. Therefore I won’t leave a rating.
On 8th June 2010
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Prince of Wales
Nice enough boozer, well-located for a thirsty ale drinker on their way to the theatres on Drury Lane. A large mundane single room (probably used to be divided), with plenty of seats and a nice view from the window, though the atmosphere seemed slightly less buzzing than I would have expected given the amount of people in attendance. Something to do with the layout I think. Five ales on tonight, though all drawn from the usual suspects. I had a Winter Warmer which was the most interesting on offer and it was in good condition, with a nice cool temperature. Not cheap though (my half and a Baileys for Mrs Quinno came out at £4). Still, I guess that's par for the course in this area.
Never going to win any pub of the year awards, but good enough for me to pop back in again if passing with nowhere better to go.
On 10th January 2007
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5081 recommendations about 5064 pubs]