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Disappointment of the week with Quinno
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The Jackalope, W1
W1
W1G 7EH
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Will Larter left this review about The Jackalope
A mews pub, as has been mentioned by previous reviewers, but it's only a step off New Cavendish Street so not all that hard to find. And definitely worth the effort. Surprising to find all three beers on this Monday night from my part of the country (if I'm allowed to include Bakewell, Keighley and Salford): Thornbridge Knack, Landlord Dark (or Ram Tam) and - Glory Be - Joseph Holt's Bitter! So good I drank it twice, despite this being my 8th and subsequently 10th beer of the day. There is a heaven after all, and it's here in Weymouth Mews.
On 8th January 2024
- rating: 10
[User has posted 3733 recommendations about 3470 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Jackalope
Not been here since 2008 when it was a Sam Smiths pub, and it's tucked away in a mews near Harley Street so not the sort of place you would walk past very often. Still very traditional in the main bar area and two side rooms, but given a makeover by the new owners and there is a dining room with an open kitchen downstairs. Slightly surprised to find just four handpumps, and only three of those in use with Adnams Southwold, Five Points XPA and East London Cowcatcher (reasonably priced for the area at £4.40).
On 20th April 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Jackalope
As has been said recently, this is a mews pub that you'd have to know about in advance in order to locate. We walked up to it from Oxford Circus and along Regent Street, past Broadcasting House.
The location is quite serene and the interior certainly has a bit of character. However, it had quite an empty feel about it. Whether tables and chairs have been removed during the pandemic and not yet replaced, I'm not sure, but something didn't feel quite right.
The main bar area is quite small, whilst there is an adjoining seating area to the side which is equally small. A larger room can be found behind the bar, with toilets down some stairs in between. There is also some kind of oriental food place downstairs. You could certainly smell the food, but there was no sign of any life.
The 2 cask ales were Redemption American Pale Ale & Thornbridge Astryd. There was also a much more extensive craft beer selection - Howling Hops Pale Ale, Hawkshead Route 590, Peckham Pale Ale, Thornbridge Green Mountain, East London Brew American Pale Ale, Siren Lumina & Northern Monk Hazy Pale Ale.
Opening hours have stopped me from visiting here previously, with the pub not opening until 4pm on a Monday and closing all weekend. However, now I know it's here, I may just give it another go if in these parts again.
On 4th February 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Jackalope
Situated in a mews and not a place to be stumbled on by accident, this is situated in an area dominated by embassies and BBC Broadcasting House. Etched glass to the picture windows indicates that this late 18th-century pub was originally the Dover Castle, the current stupid name dating from 2018 and featuring on CAMRA’s list of pubs with historic interiors, this rated as being of Regional Importance.
There are some good heritage items in here, notably the woodwork and especially the glass fronted cupboard, inset into the wall to the left of the bar. There’s a blackboard listing the pub’s wares, though not matching that available at the bar and likewise, not on the pub’s website. At the time of arrival, the pub was fairly full of very raucous young people. The clueless barman served someone who was about three places behind me in the queue; another barman plonked a stack of used glasses on my table as if I weren’t there. Poor acoustics didn’t help any, seemingly only amplifying the sound. It did empty out not long after my arrival, though hopefully not because of. I chatted to a much older regular who seemed knowledgeable about London pubs and made for good company during my brief stay, much improved for the drop in customer numbers. There’s a dining room downstairs, which I didn’t view and the pub is closed at weekends when the whole thing can be hired out.
Ales: Peckham Pale, Thornbridge Lord Marples, Redemption Kazbek and Pale Ale at the very cheap price of just £4.20 and very good shape it was in too.
When less busy, this is a very nice pub, serving a decent choice of ales and at decent prices; definitely worth a visit.
On 9th October 2021 - rating: 7
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A revisit last night and the four pumps were down to just two, dispensing Five Points XPA and Howard Town's Dark Peak at just £4.20 a pint and in good shape. This is still of course the same pub, but just two pumps operating reduces the incentive to visit; marked down accordingly.
On 12th January 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1983 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Jackalope
A revisit to this place – now run by the people behind the ‘Tap’ pubs (Euston Tap, York Tap etc…) although more in line with their non-station venues such as the Resting Hare – found things, on first glance at least, looking much as they did when Sam Smith’s owned the pub. The first notable difference is, of course, at the bar, where the Sam Smith’s brews have been replaced in favour of four handpulls which offered Five Points XPA (£4.10), ELB Pale Ale, Redemption Rock The Kazbek and Adnams Southwold Bitter, with the XPA being in fine condition. The dark wood panelling is still the predominant feature, but this has been infiltrated by some ‘Jackalope’ themed wallpaper, which cheapens the effect somewhat. Meanwhile, the seating has been modernised and there’s a room to the rear left, behind the bar, which I don’t recall being open previously. Pop music plays in the background and the lack of soft furnishing has left the place loud and echoey when there’s a decent sized crowd in. Overall, I thought the pub had made some gains in terms of the diversified beer selection and additional seating area but taken a step back when it came to the décor and acoustics. Still a good bet for this part of town though.
Original review from 18th May 2012 - Rated: 7
Hidden away down a quiet mews close to Regents Park tube station, this is an attractive Grade II listed Sam Smith’s pub. The interior is very smart and clean with plenty of dark wood, a nice carpet and some comfortable banquettes and leather upholstered low stools. The overall effect is of an upmarket traditional pub and judging by the posh clientele and lack of modern day distractions such as TV screens and games machines, that is exactly what this pub is. The front windows have nice etched designs bearing the pub’s name and although the main room is now mostly opened out into one area, the positioning of the previous partitioning is still fairly apparent. The bar, with its small curved counter, is over to the left hand side where a few display cabinets display various artefacts, but for me, the right hand side of the room is the more pleasant space to enjoy a pint. There is a nice fireplace on the far wall and there are a number of old pictures of sportsmen hung above the banquettes. A few high shelves display various bottles and jugs, but overall the place feels very simple and uncluttered. There is one separate room to the rear right with lots of dark panelling and furnishings including some very smart looking banquettes that run around the entire room.
As a Sam Smith’s house there are no surprises at the bar, with their normal range of keg products on offer. Thankfully the Old Brewery Bitter is served on hand pump and my pint set me back £2.90 – a price rise of 96p since Malden Man’s visit just over two years ago, but still a competitive price in this part of London.
I never feel all that comfortable in this sort of posh mews pub for some reason, but I thought that the Dover Castle was a friendly enough place. It’s certainly worth a look for the warm traditional interior and a comparatively cheap pint of beer.
On 28th October 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Jackalope
Tucked away on a quiet mews the pub is part is the group that includes the Euston tap. Old style multi roomed interior serving 3 real ales and 11 keg taps. Well worth seeking out if in the area.
On 3rd October 2019
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Jackalope
First time to visit this one in its new guise and new name since the former Sam Smiths days and was pleased to find the wonderful dark wood heritage interior largely unchanged and I still found it a good pub.
This was one of the SS houses that used to have OBB on pump so clearly three operating Ale pumps with a decent Adnams Mosaic, 5 Points Best and one other I didn’t note provides more choice that those days. But as mentioned below there is more of a focus on Keg craft here and the nine taps had a decent range of styles and the Siren Porter I also tried was very good.
There is a Thai kitchen in the downstairs room with its own tables, but you can order down there and they will bring it up to the upstairs pub section.
I do like London mews pubs and it was good to find this classic pub still in operation.
On 7th August 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Jackalope
Rather quiet on a midweek daytime trip last month, the pub is well described by BF recently below. Three cask beers were on, Adnams Old Ale, Redemption Trinity and Five Points Pale the latter beer proving to be a decent pint. Maybe my visit was a bit early in the day but I found it difficult to warm to the place.
On 3rd March 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1871 recommendations about 1844 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Jackalope
ORIGINAL REVIEW December 2018.
A classic London mews pub,tucked away from Harley Street and recently reopened by the folks from the Euston Tap.Such a shame that the old Dover Castle name hasn't been maintained as the 30's etched glass windows still carry it,while the pub facia board has been removed to expose an old sign that this was a Mitchell's pub in the day.Only an A board and a handwritten note stuck to the door mention The Jackalope.
There is a classic interior ,with the tap room to the left and three other seperate rooms off a central corridor.There is fine wood panelling everywhere,a wooden floor and where more modern furniture has been installed it's all very classy,with two fine banquettes in the larger rear room.
There was a friendly welcome from the barman ,yet the chalk board was unclear noting only the beer's name and ABV and not the brewer.The offering here is from 9 kegs (Continental lager x2,Siren Soundwave IPA and Breakfast Stout and other brews I didn't recognise,while there will be only 4 real ales ,which seems to be the trend in a lot of hipster establishments.The choice facing me was just 3 namely Redemption Trinity and Five Points Green Hop Golding and XPA (very good nick and at £4 wallet pleasing in these upmarket surroundings ) .If there was more cask ale this would be an absolute destination pub,it falls just short.It's certainly worth a look for a great interior and maybe next time I will have to diversify onto the keg.
UPDATE
A more recent Friday evening visit uncovered a worrying trend of real ale running dry without any replacement,which is poor practice.Once the Adnams Ghost Ship and Five Points XPA had gone only Redemption Trinity 3% was left .So we went as well.Downgrade despite the signage improvement.
On 24th February 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Dover Castle
Reported as due for closure on September 23rd, according to West London CAMRA.
October 2015
A revisit found this place the same as previous, though a lot more livelier as it was Friday evening. Perhaps rather too lively, as a bunch of well-oiled beefcake types were shouting, effing, jeffing and generally tainting the atmosphere (which was much improved after their exit). The licensee should really have had a word. Anyway, decided to give the OBB a swerve and went through the Sams lager range, deciding ultimately that Man in a Box is the one I’d go for next time.
May 2014
A quiet Sam Smiths outlet in a very upmarket area, located in an H-shaped cobbled mews a few minutes from Oxford Street. Dating from 1777, it’s quite characterful inside with lots of floor-to-ceiling dark wood and aged carpet. A main bar on entry with a knocked-through room to the right and another separate walled room further back through a sliding door (reserved on my visit – is an upstairs room also accessible from there?). As mentioned elsewhere, there’s a glass display case containing enough bits of silver to get Gollum salivating. Also etched windows denoting the old bottle and retail entrances. Usual SS stuff at the bar including OBB on handpull (cold but decent). Mrs Quinno’s stout was topped up immediately on return when its head settled somewhat larger than acceptable. A sign advertising board games was up but I didn’t see any. Very quiet on our afternoon visit, you could’ve heard a pin drop. Overall, worth popping in once to sample the interior. Whether you’d choose to go again depends on your view of Sam Smiths I suppose. Rated 7
On 19th September 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]