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Mr Fogg's House of Botanicals, Fitzrovia, W1
W1
W1T 1QQ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 4½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Komakino . left this review about Mr Fogg's House of Botanicals
At the time of writing, one of four similarly-named establishments in Central London with a Victorian-era explorer bent (a drinks menu refers to cocktails as 'Compound Libations'). This former corner pub is open plan with herringbone tongue and groove wooden floor, high ceiling adorned with flora-filled bird cages, walls containing flora and fauna-related prints, drawings and specimens and shelving containing all sorts. A plant display in the midst of the room semi-divides it into two with high seats to the left and seats of a more standard height to the right, accompanied by some booth seating in one of the windows. A spiral staircase leads upstairs to a function room. I was greeted by a rather attractive Eastern European hostess (no, not like that) who offers table service (no, not like that either) and who I disappointed with my demand for a beer-only diet. Four keg taps offered four "Mr Fogg's" beers - a stout, a pale ale and two lagers. Pressing the two brace-wearing and waxed moustache-adorned barmen on the provenance of the beers, then having to explain that I meant who brewed the beers, they could only reply "London". A 'pale ale' was £5 for the privilege. Obviously not aimed at such a cultural dinosaur as myself, I'll leave them to it, but at least I gave it a go.
On 6th January 2019
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1074 recommendations about 1074 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Newman Street Tavern
As the Cambridge, this was an office hangout for me in the late 1980s. It was fairly typical of the type for the area with nothing to make it stand out.
Still, it's a shame to have lost it.
On 25th October 2017
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Newman Street Tavern
Very much a gastro-pub, with about half the tables laid up for dining, but slightly more inviting I thought for those just looking for a drink than when I've walked past previously. Restrained, semi-traditional furniture and decor. Background music. One real ale on handpump - Mauldon Gold (nice enough, albeit at a whopping £5.00) - plus beers such as Longhorn IPA and Whitstable Bay Pale on the keg taps.
On 26th July 2015
- rating: 5
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Newman Street Tavern
Enticed in by the sight of a pump clip I didn’t recognise, I had a swift half of Mighty Oak Oscar Wilde, which turned out to be a very nice mild. I see that HRH Prince Charles also enjoyed a drop of this ale when he visited The Purleigh Bell recently, but I bet that they didn’t charge him £2.60 (!!) for a half, which is what I got stung for in here.
This is really a restaurant (or perhaps an extreme example of a gastropub) with almost all tables laid for diners, except for a rectangular table (with some newspapers on it) in the centre of the room and a couple of tables near the staircase. This is one of those places where someone greets you as you enter – in this case a young lady, prowling around presumably ready to pounce on prospective diners to show them to a table. She got no joy in my case obviously, as of course I marched straight up to the bar to order my drink. I didn’t see a menu – I guess one is given to you after you’ve been shown to your table – but if the price of my half is anything to go by it won’t include any cheap pub grub.
There is an upstairs room, but I didn’t venture up there. There are loads of framed prints on the wall by the staircase, mainly featuring fish as far as I could tell. The disabled toilet is on the ground floor. My half of Oscar Wilde was pretty good (it was a new barrel as it was changed when I was there), but I’m very unlikely to re-visit a “pub” that charges £2.60 for a half.
On 7th March 2014
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
elizabeth mcgraw left this review about The Cambridge
CLOSED.NOW A RESTAURANT
On 10th February 2008
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 252 recommendations about 249 pubs]