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Detail Pages
The Blue Posts, W1
W1
W1D 6DW
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Blue Posts
There’s a clear pattern that Soho pubs date from the mid/early 18th century to be rebuilt at the end of the 19th, this being no exception, dating from 1900 and grade II-listed.
The previous pub I’d visited had also been called the Blue Posts; I bet not many can boast visiting two by this name in a row. The most interesting thing which alerts the visitor to the fact that this isn’t going to be an identikit GK outlet, is the fretted front door, which looks like an Islamic lattice mashrabiya. The interior has obviously been hipsterfied, as this is no typical area pub, rather it’s a craft outlet, as evidenced by the beer board advertising the current range of 15 craft beers, ciders and real ales on offer; the possibly modern Victorian-style pot shelf is crammed with craft cans and adorned with dozens of clip faces. The bar top is metal and judging by its condition, may be of some vintage. The bar itself is dark field panelled. The floor is bare boarded, though the interior is quite plain, lit by spun brass sconces and quite cramped, hence furniture is sparse and tall; customers seemed mixed and quite loud jazz played over the gramophone.
There’s a micro restaurant in the basement and cocktail bar on the first floor.
The older Scottish member of staff seemed knowledgeable and was polite. Three pumps, two dispensing SeaCider then just the one ale, ELB’s Nightwatchman at £2.85, dark and mellow.
This is worlds away from other Soho pubs; I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the only craft outlet in the whole of W1. The lack of real ale choice lets the place down though.
On 14th October 2021
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about The Blue Posts
Smallish pub with one room and the bar to the left. Three weak real ales on offer. Also has an upstairs room which I didn't visit, but it seemed to be popular with the locals.
On 22nd August 2018
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Blue Posts
Compact pub, with limited room around the bar plus a few more tables in a space to one side. Slightly odd decor, and look out for waving cats on bar back. The small upstairs room features another (although generally non-functioning) bar which is used for live jazz on Sundays. More standing space outside in the covered alleyway. Three of the four handpumps were working on my latest visit, with Doom Bar, Hobgoblin and Summer Lightning (£3.95) available.
On 8th October 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Blue Posts
Traditional Soho boozer, with two small rooms on the ground floor and a separate bar, quite small, on the first floor, reached by scaling treacherously slippery and twisting stairs. The first floor bar contains an electric piano but it was thankfully mute when we visited. Four ales on – I reverted to Hobgoblin, one of my favourites, and found it in very good condition but only just. It's a friendly pub with a nice crowd, a bit studenty though, pleasant (albeit a little odd) staff, decent beer and a reasonably priced bar menu. Well worth including on a crawl.
On 26th November 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3286 recommendations about 3251 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Blue Posts
A popular pub just a short stroll from Leicester Square, it’s a traditional street corner boozer that was full to capacity on a recent Thursday evening visit, with little standing room never mind anywhere to sit. The barman was unusual being of Oriental extraction and having a Mohican haircut and lots of body piercings (not that any of those are especially unusual in themselves, but it’s an unusual combination).
The main bar area has old wooden boards on the floor and a continuous run of windows that run along two sides right around the corner. There are a few tables and chairs around the perimeter and some high stools at the bar, but otherwise seating options are fairly limited. Plenty of wooden shelves and an old brick arch formed a backdrop to the bar and there was a large mirror at one end. I believe there may have been further seating upstairs, although we did not investigate this.
The menu looked to be a typical “pub grub” affair with various jackets, omelettes and salads to choose from as well as a good selection of sandwiches. Most of the mains were around the £5 - £6 mark which seems reasonable given the location, but we didn’t sample anything so can’t comment on the quality.
Beers on tap were a little disappointing with just Summer Lightning and London Pride. A further two pumps were unused. Ciders fared slightly better, although the choice was still fairly uninspiring - Strongbow, Magners Golden Draught and Symonds Founders Reserve.
On 19th February 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1949 recommendations about 1862 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Blue Posts
This is a simple, small pub down a little alleyway close to Piccadilly Circus tube station and Chinatown. You enter into a compact wooden floored room which has limited seating due to the space constraints, although they have done well to squeeze in as many tables as they have. A lot of old photographs line the walls and there is a collection of mugs, many with amusing slogans, behind the bar. To the right of the servery the room extends slightly, creating room for a couple more tables and what looked to me like a topiary Womble. Stairs lead up to a square dining room with some standard tables and chairs and one long banquette running under the windows which are blocked by a row of large plants. Some Asian style tapestries are hung on the walls, but can’t quite brighten up what is essentially a drab room. There is a bar upstairs but without hand pulls, although the barmaid was prepared to take orders for ale and have them sent up in the dumb waiter. Music was playing quietly in the background whilst I was there but I didn’t spot any TV screens or slot machines.
The four hand pulls downstairs were conspicuously bare save for one badged with a London Pride clip. Having said that, there were plenty of pump clips dotted around the bar back which suggests that there is usually a better selection. This was confirmed by a blackboard upstairs which noted that Hop Back Summer Lightning and Taylor Landlord had been on recently. The Pride, priced at £3.60 a pint, was pretty disappointing and my half was more than enough.
I’m not sure if I caught this place at the wrong time but I didn’t really enjoy my visit. The lack of space meant that the bar was blocked by people on bar stools and having managed to get a drink, it was poor enough to make me wish I hadn’t bothered. The ground floor room does have a certain degree of charm but I’m not sure I’d seek this place out again.
On 7th August 2012
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Blue Posts
One of a number of similarly-monikered outlets in the area which, as noted below, are purportedly named after the boundary markers of an old hunting ground. Tidy-looking from the outside with attractive windows, the small ground floor interior is a fairly basic wood-heavy affair though with an interesting bar back which is home to a variety of Oriental nik-naks (the waving shiny cat figurines were a source of amusement for Mrs Quinno) giving the place a quirky twist. The long suspended lamps above the bar are an attractive feature too. There’s quite a ‘locals’ feel to the pub which is unusual for the area although one or two of said locals are little more than soaks. Three ales on (Pride, TT Landlord and Hobgoblin) with one off, presumably Summer Lightning judging by comments elsewhere. My Landlord was in good form and not too badly priced for the area. There were also some interesting keg choices (either Leffe or Hoegaarden!) and bottles. Basic food (salt beef sandwiches and the like) on offer, with live music and pub quiz advertised. There’s a larger upstairs area that I only briefly saw but looked like the place to go to get out of the downstairs scrum as seats were still available. The green man at the top of the basement staircase was an unusual touch. One annoyance was the line of people sat in the front of the bar making it difficult to order and the barman (who looked like Joe Cole dressed as a roadie) then failing to actually pass over our drinks or asking them to shift so we could reach over; poor service. Not bad overall given the area - if there were half marks available I’d give it 6.5, but there isn’t so I can’t.
On 28th February 2012
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Blue Posts
The ground floor bar is wooden floored and has the bar along a side wall. The bar back contains some shelving which has a number of cat figures as well as miniature spirit bottles and various other bits and pieces and there is a collection of whisky boxes on top. A small and intimate room with a row of seating opposite the bar at cushion seated benches at small square tables. There are also a row of bar stools which were occupied by a mixed selection of what seemed to be regulars as they knew the staff.
I didn't visit the upstairs bar, but I imagine it provides welcome additional seating as the ground floor is easily filled. I did however visit the gents and for reasons I can't fathom there is a full size figure of a bear outside which is made up of conifer tree clippings. I didn't enquire.
Four handpumps, three on the choice being Pride, Tim Taylors Landlord and Hop Back Summer Lightning (£3.50). Not a bad selection. Food advertised looked to be simple fare and well priced, eg salt beef sarnie £4.95, beef and tomato soup £3.45, bacon and brie sandwich £3.90.
Live jazz takes place on Sunday afternoons but as for other entertainment I didn't see a TV although there was a radio playing with the irritation of the advert breaks.
Entrance was via a side door with the front door open but blocked off which although allowing for some air also let in second hand smoke from the people sitting at the couple of outdoor tables.
All in all not a bad Soho pub with a local feel and seemingly free of tourists on my Saturday afternoon visit.
On 22nd May 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
very wellinformed left this review about The Blue Posts
I have to disagree with the Rattus on this one, they have an outstanding swing band on a Sunday afternoon, worth visiting for that alone although i have never had a bad pint in there.
Ok, nothing unusual or outstanding either but in central London consistancy is pretty rare.
So pop in on a Sunday, get there early, it gets packed and enjoy !!!
On 9th December 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 30 recommendations about 19 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Blue Posts
This is one of five pubs with this name in Central London – and there used to be at least one more – apparently named after the boundary markers of the ancient Soho hunting ground. They had three ales on when I was in; Timothy Taylor Landlord, Hobgoblin, and London Pride (£3.20 a pint). The food looked to be basic and fairly cheap – e.g. Cottage Pie at £3.95, but I didn’t sample it.
This is a small, one-room bar downstairs, but there was a sign for an upstairs bar, but I didn’t investigate it. The windows are an attractive feature, being comprised of many small panes of glass, giving something of a Dickensian look to it. It’s bare-boarded with green upholstered benches on the right hand side, with a few stools, a couple of chairs, and a few normal tables. There was a radio being played. I suppose this is not too bad when music is on (although I would gladly do without it), but the seemingly incessant advertisements are annoying. There was a distinctly unpleasant, perhaps musty, smell when I was in there. There’s nothing really to recommend this pub that makes it stand out from its peers – it’s distinctly average, and not really worth the effort of seeking out.
On 23rd September 2010
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]