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Disappointment of the week with Gann
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The Footman, Mayfair, W1
W1
W1J 5DE
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Footman
Situated just off Berkeley Square, this is a posh local for posh locals. It has a very un-publike front door and minimalist interior decor: dark wood to waist level and white paint above. I won't mention the prices - oh, I just did - but don't plan on having a session here. Ales on were TT Landlord, Portobello Star and a house beer of unknown origin but presumably something from Greene King.
On 4th February 2023
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Footman
Dating from 1749, this was originally the Running Footman, named after the footmen who ran in front of coaches to act as some sort of advance warning. Rebuilt in 1937, this has undergone an assortment of footman-themed names since the original: I Am The Only Running Footman, Only Running Footman and now just Footman – may I suggest just Foot for the next round?
It’s a strange-looking building, with five floors and shutters. Now under the Metropolitan Pub Co. banner and visited once around five years ago, I can remember little of the place other than that it was packed due to the small bar area, so my friends and I spent the evening outside.
I don’t recall an enjoyable experience, visiting only as it was a friend’s choice of destination; there are better pubs in Mayfair.
On 16th November 2020
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1983 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Footman
This Mayfair establishment promotes itself as a pub and dining rooms. I just hope the Footman performs better as a restaurant upstairs than it does as a pub downstairs.
The true test of any central London pub is how it performs for drinkers during the busy few after work hours on a Thursday or Friday and this one didn’t.
Firstly as described by others the downstairs bar area is not the biggest space and despite the front section being for vertical drinking the back section is packed with tables to maximise the food trade and whereas it’s probably OK on a quiet early afternoon, with the after work crowd in situ it becomes an uncomfortable and noisy space to try and enjoy a pint.
I can always live with this and turn a blind eye if the ale is good. As previously mentioned this is a Greene King owned house under the Metropolitan pub company with four ale hand pumps on the bar and to walk in a find the two Green King ales of IPA and Abbott not available should have been in hindsight a big clue to what was to follow. Alongside the house Footmans Best was a guest ale of Sambrooks Wandle. This started off OK but by the second round was clearly reaching the end of the barrel resulting in returned pints to be replaced by the Footmans Best, which being another boring GK brew was a bit of an oxymoron on the naming front. Infuriatingly we also experience some shocking short pulling and for the second round of seven pints, five had to be returned to be topped up to a full pint, something you should bloody well get when it’s costing you £5.10 a pint. Then by the time of the next round the Footman’s Best was clearly going off as well, although it continued to be poured by the staff. At this point we cut our losses and headed to the pubs in Shepherds Market. It’s lazy cellar work and lazy bar work like this that gives real ale a bad name.
This pub is famed for its gastro food and I guess those who come here for that don’t care about the state or quantity of the pint served.
On 29th February 2020
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Footman
Sadly the original pub name has been shortened,with the loss of some historic interest.It's a 30's building owned by Greene King,while the interior is now open plan with a large drinking shelf running along the bay window and other front window with bar stools offering a street view.There is also a fitted bench seating area to the rear ,but clearly the open area around the bar is designed for verticle drinking at busy times.A roped off area on the front pavements is another option at busy times.
There is a first floor restaurant ,and further rooms for hire higher up,but the menu looked very expensive to me ,with mains starting at £15.
Four handpumps were delivering GK IPA and Abbott,plus a house Footmans Best (no provenance but likely a GK horror story ) with a guest Southwark London Pale Ale (tepid,on the turn).
I used to work next door but it's not improved over the last 15 years and I can see no reason to rush back.
On 8th March 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Mark Davey left this review about The Only Running Footman
We called here for a pre dinner drink on a Sunday lunch. The pub is about 2/3 dining but there are stools in the window and by the bar for drinkers, as well as tables outside and a reasonable amount of standing room. We sampled beers from Youngs and GK, the only other was Bombardier, but it had gone when I asked for a pint. Good beer spot in Mayfair, selling quality beer at (London) reasonable prices. Not really a destination pub, but if you are lost in Mayfair, worth dropping in to get your bearings.
On 28th May 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 292 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Running Footman
About two-thirds of this pub is set aside for diners, meaning that there is very little space left for those just having a drink (who were in the majority, when I visited). The bar staff are also clothed in butchers' aprons, which makes for a curious sight in a British pub. However, it does offer three real ales - Old Speckled Hen, Youngs Ordinary and Bombardier (an eye-watering £3.80, but thankfully in good shape).
On 8th January 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8092 recommendations about 8092 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Running Footman
They had Young’s Bitter and Old Speckled Hen on handpump. There was a third pump bearing a Bombardier clip, but this one had a toilet roll draped over the top of the pump. I’m not sure whether this was a subtle comment as to the quality of the ale, or a novel way of indicating that the ale was off. Anyway, I had the OSH which was OK (i.e. it tasted like OSH usually tastes). I only had time for a quick half, which was just as well as at £1.80 (£3.60 a pint presumably) it was an over the top price.
I remember when this was a real pub, but sadly it’s not really one now. Frankly I hardly recognised it as the same pub. The main part of the room consists of tables set for diners, with some stools at the bar and at ledges round the sides for the use of drinkers. According to the menu it’s a Meredith Group pub, which I have to admit is a new one on me. There is no decoration on the walls other than a chalkboard in the dining area advertising the day’s specials. There are hundreds of these minimalist overly made-over pubs in London now. I can’t see me returning – unless I’m again meeting friends in the area and arrive too early for the Coach & Horses to be open.
On 23rd November 2009
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Running Footman
This is a small pub that has been ruined by reserving the larger rear area of the pub for dining. The Old Speckled Hen, Bombardier and Ordinary are tucked away behind the entrance door that had people standing in it waiting to get to the badly placed bar.
I didn't find the staff to be that welcoming and I wouldn't bother returning if I was to walk past.
On 1st September 2009
- rating: 4
[User has posted 5233 recommendations about 5201 pubs]