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Disappointment of the week with Tris39
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Detail Pages
The Albany, Fitzrovia, W1
W1
W1W 5QU
Pub Type
Castle (Mitchells & Butlers)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 Albany
Originally Reviewed: 1st March 2018.
Now painted dark grey at the time of our first visit the other day, though otherwise the descriptions below still hold sway.
Fortunately, the pub wasn't as busy as we'd expected at the time of our visit around 9.00 pm, probably because people were leaving the office early to reduce the impact caused by the cold brought to us by the Beast from the East.
It's quite a large pub inside with the bar to the rear. There's much dark wood, the floor is of course bare boarded and muted music played over the gramophone. Furniture is conventional but it's a bit gloomy in here, but not so stygian that the barman - who clearly has impeccable taste - complemented me on my scarf.
Ales: one pump not recorded, the awful Doom, Thornbridge's Jaipur and St. Austell's Proper Job which tasted uncommonly good but was £2.40 a half.
Not a bad place with a minimum midnight licence, rising to 2.00 am Friday to Saturday, but I suspect we caught it at a quiet time. Either way, it's certainly better than the Greene Man next door - would return if in the area or needed a late drink but would otherwise walk a couple of hundred yards north up Albany Street to the Queen's Head & Artichoke. The outstanding barman has also contributed to this pub's score.
Originally Rated: 6.
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A return last night and what a change. The furniture is now all tall stuff, there was loud, dull, repetitive music, a huge projector screen with at least two other large TVs showing the sport, ductwork snaking across the bar from a huge Meantime vat, with squawking young people giving the impression of drinking in a student union bar, with just Doom flanked by two reversed clips; one now to avoid.
On 17th October 2021
- rating: 3
[User has posted 1982 recommendations about 1948 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Albany
A street corner pub around the back of Great Portland Street tube in battleship dark grey,it's been opened out inside and is popular with the young.The bar runs along the rear wall,opposite which are a series of high tables with more traditional seating crammed under the large plate glass windows.There is a basement which doubles up as a performance area and live events are advertised.To one side there is a silver tank for Meantime beer with piping leading directly to a bar tap,which is novel and is this a possible return to the 70's "tanked "beers delivered by road tankers in industrial volume to Working Mens Clubs ? I think not.
There are 4 handpumps with three working on my trip selling Doom Bar,London Pride and a decent Five Points Pale Ale,which saved the visit.There were some craft keg options.
Noisy and with tables reserved for afterwork parties,this was a brief crawl visit with little to recommend a revisit apart from a decent pint.
On 27th July 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Albany
Smaller than I remembered it, this pub has had a slightly more upmarket facelift, featuring chandeliers along with a gastropub feel. Four handpumps offered Doom Bar, Proper Job, a strong IPA I hadn't heard of and a winter beer which was off, but the barman was at least interested in the beers (Cask Marque listing). Also has a tank of Meantime dispensing 'brewery-fresh' beer and sundry craft beers on tap. Upstairs there is another room which hosts various live entertainments or is available for hire. Quite a pleasant feel to it, although not visited at a busy time and would be happy to return.
On 14th December 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Albany
Corner pub, forming part of M&B's unbranded Castle chain. A bit difficult to navigate to and from the bar due to the amount of furniture squeezed into the square bar (part raised). Quite light inside due to the large windows and a high ceiling. Fairly plain decor and furniture of the gastro-pub variety. Four real ales on handpump (which is an improvement on my last visit nearly three years ago): Doom Bar, Purity Pure UBU, Oakham Scarlet Macaw and Truman's Zephyr. Pretty decent selection of craft keg beers too, including Siren Under Current plus two from Lost and Grounded - No Rest for Dancers and Running with Sceptres - as well as the Meantime 'tank fresh Lager'.
On 20th May 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Albany
This is a smart street corner pub next to Great Portland Street tube station and therefore just a short walk from Regent’s Park. The place was absolutely packed when I arrived on a Friday evening, making it fairly difficult to explore and almost impossible to get to and from the bar. The layout is fairly simple – just a single open plan room with a row of support pillars running down the middle where there was presumably once a partitioning wall. There are large windows on two sides of the pub which allow a good amount of natural light in, even in the pouring rain which I had just escaped. There are bare floorboards throughout and the seating is mostly standard tables and chairs with the odd drinking ledge and high stool here and there. Annoyingly there was one very long table positioned a relatively short distance from the bar, which forced customers to approach the bar from either side, blocking in those who were at the bar and creating long queues to get anywhere near it. The people sat at the table probably arranged the furniture that way themselves as they were a large group, but it was very annoying nonetheless. The décor tries to create a chic, contemporary look without completely trashing the traditional feel of the pub, so we find an attractive patterned ceiling enhanced with a few low hanging lamps and a row of mini chandeliers above the servery. A blackboard explained that the downstairs bar was being refitted and would soon be opening as a lounge with lots of comfy sofas.
It was very difficult to see what was on the bar, despite blackboards listing the offerings. I noted four hand pumps in operation dispensing Adnams Topaz Gold, Sharp’s Doom Bar, Windsor and Eton Knight of the Garter and something from Batemans. There are apparently thirteen ‘craft’ keg beers and I spotted Sierra Nevada and Brooklyn among others. A fridge near the front door, of all places, was stocked with a decent range of predominantly Belgian and American bottles. Despite the crush at the bar, the staff dealt with customers very efficiently and once I got within shouting range of the bar, someone was there to take my order. Food is served and I had a quick look at the specials listed on a blackboard which were priced at around a tenner
There’s no doubt that I called in here at a bad time, but even so I thought that this was a pretty decent pub which deserves to be popular. For me, the beer selection is the biggest draw as it’s not really a place for the traditionalist, and so I imagine I’ll return, preferably when it’s a bit calmer at the bar.
On 10th October 2012
- 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 Albany
Excellent worldwide range of beers and lagers. Very handy for great portland street underground station. Food served.
On 13th June 2012
- 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 Albany
Large corner pub round the back of Great Portland Street tube Station.
Quite a shocking purple colour from the outside and from that point of view not very welcoming. But it improves when you move inside and has plenty of comfortable seating and an OK space for standing round the bar.
But the single area inside and high ceiling does make it quite cavernous and when busy, as it was went I popped in early evening, it was like drinking in a noisy barn. So not an ideal place for a relaxing beer.
Beer was OK though. Plenty of foreign lagers for those who like that sort of thing and a decent pint of St Austell's Tribute for me.
Good enough place for a meeting point around the GPS area, but I wouldn't like to spend an evening here ..
On 29th August 2009
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Albany
On my recent visit Pride, Youngs Ordinary and Piddle Artist were all available alongside a selection of premium lagers. The staff were nice enough, but there large groups of students screaming at each other across the tables so I decided not to stay very long.
I will give this pub another go when next in the area as I liked it and would have stayed longer if not for the din.
On 10th June 2009
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5233 recommendations about 5201 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Philip Carter left this review about The Albany
Large pub lots of tables crammed in. Smoking throughout, it seemed. Friendly and helpful staff at the bar. Real ale on sale, I tried Landlord, it seemed gassy, like lager, not sure if that's what it's supossed to be.
On 1st March 2007
- rating: 6
[User has posted 757 recommendations about 720 pubs]