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Detail Pages
The Windmill, Mayfair, W1
W1
W1S 2AZ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Windmill
Decent Young's pub in the heart of Mayfair, just far enough west of Regents Street to offer respite from the crowds. The main bar is to be found in a small but richly decorated room at the front, with a fine moulded ceiling and gilded panels on the walls. A slightly larger seating area with plainer decor is located to one side, with the 'Pie Room' dining area upstairs and another room (formerly a bar, but now the 'Pie Room Too') down a few steps at the back. Also has a compact roof terrace. Disappointingly, just Original (£5.40) and Special, plus Proper Job as a guest, from the various handpumps spread across the two counters on this latest revisit.
On 26th September 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Windmill
A first in here the other night, ostensibly for a meal with drinks in the upstairs dining room and something I rarely do in a pub. It's also hard to believe that this is a modern conversion - 1988 - which in part was an escort agency! The interior is moderately deceptive in that it does look as though it's always been a pub but there's much modern clinical tiling and acres of tedious blue/grey gastropaint. The ale range was obviously from Young's with a couple of guests such as Truman's Zephyr and Doom(?).
Absolutely packed, a meal it was in the upstairs dining room with food that revolves around the humble pie and a darn good steak and mushroom pie it was too with every indication that it was handmade. The mash wasn't quite so successful being a bit gluey but overall it was much appreciated along with a couple of pints of very well kept Special served by a couple of charming and friendly waitresses.
This isn't a bad place though it's very pricey but that's only to be expected if you venture out for a drink in the world's most expensive residential area and I wouldn't make an effort to return.
On 23rd November 2018
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1982 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Windmill
Side street Youngs pub. A partial remodelling of the two buildings knocked together to create the place in the 1980’s has created a dog leg interior with some points of passing interest amongst the corporate fittings, including some intricate ceiling mouldings and (presumed modern) tiled wall. Upstairs is a bijou roof terrace. Eight pumps with two off and a cider, leaving 3x Youngs, Sambrooks Wandle and Twickenham Grandstand. I went for the Youngs Special which failed to live up to its moniker, being warm and pump tired. I didn’t see much to make me want to reappear at a future date, really. 5.5
On 13th June 2018
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Windmill
Moderately busy on our visit, so managed to grab a small table near the bar. It then became apparent why this table was empty, as I had to keep both feet on the base to keep it level. Eight handpumps with five on, three of which were Youngs Special, Winter Warmer and their bitter. We went for the guest beer, which was Five Points Extra Pale Ale, which was decent. Glad we went for a couple of halves, as it was £4.90 a pint.
On 8th January 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about The Windmill
One downstairs room and a Pie Room upstairs. Young's pub with their usual selection of real ales. Nothing above 4.5% ABV.
On 24th May 2017
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Windmill
Just a short distance from Regents Street, you'd be forgiven for thinking that this Youngs pub is a typical old London hostelry, but in fact it only became a pub back in the 1980's, having previously been a nightclub with an adjoining escort agency. The pub nowadays presents a simple front bar of the type found throughout the capital, with two additional rooms used for diners. You enter past a lovely stained glass panel depicting a colourful windmill, into the bare boarded main bar which, despite being rather compact, is split into two distinct areas by a section of dividing wall. The servery is located in the left hand side, on the rear wall, and has a dark wood counter and rather plain bar back. Walls are half panelled with predictable pastel shaded uppers and have been decorated with mirrors, photos and various wall lamps. Standard seating is arranged under the huge feature chandelier which is the centrepiece of a nicely decorated ceiling. The right hand side of the room has a mix of bench and tub chair seating under more mirrors and the famous picture of the Queen Mother pouring a pint of Youngs Special. A door to the rear leads you into a relatively new second dining room, clumsily titled 'Pie Room Too' in order to distinguish it from the original 'Pie Room' upstairs. Both of these dining rooms have smart, well upholstered furnishings and set tables. The staircase also leads you to an unexpected roof terrace, offering a rare opportunity for some Central London al-fresco drinking that isn't pavement based. Despite the pub's obvious leaning towards the food market, I thought the bar area was very much in the 'proper pub' mould and there was notably no TV or piped music to distract from conversation.
The pub has expanded its ale range in recent years, seemingly without compromising on quality, as recent Good Beer Guide listings will testify. Options on this visit were Youngs Ordinary, Special and Autumn Gold, Southwark LPA and Bermondsey Best, Sharps Cornish Coaster and Hackney Golden with a real cider on the last pump. I had a pint of the LPA, served to me by one of the very competent barmen on duty, and thought it was in fine shape - possibly the best I've encountered from this brewery outside their own taproom.
I tend to approach Youngs pubs with more that a touch of trepidation, but I thought this was a good little pub offering some interesting local beer in comfortable surrounds. I didn't try the food, but the place seemed fairly popular with diners and drinkers alike and should you find yourself in the area wanting some proper pub food, I'm sure you could do a lot worse. A good place to know about in an area that struggles to produce excellent pubs.
On 16th October 2016
- 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 Windmill
Young's pub serving 8 real ales. Split level interior didn't venture past the bar.
On 16th October 2015
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Windmill
Split level Youngs pub with sun terrace, opened out in the front area in green and cream, traditional pictures on the walls as well as two large screen TVs. 3 real ales available
On 2nd July 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Windmill
Busy but cosy Young,s pub.Seemed to be an older crowd probably attracted by the Youngs beer.Lots of handpumps with Youngs ,Wells and Courage beers all brewed at Wells.Luckily they had Twickenham -Grandstand.
On 7th March 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Windmill
A good sized pub that seems to specialise in pie based food offerings, it doesn’t have quite the same charm that many other nearby establishments do, but is nonetheless pleasant enough. It looks as though it may have had a makeover at some point, and perhaps lost some of it’s traditional character in the process.
The pub is carpeted throughout which seems to be coming something of a rarity these days, has chocolate brown paintwork on the ceiling and is broadly one open room with a few partitions to break up the space a bit, and a separate room down a couple of steps at the rear. This is known as “Pie Room Too” and featured a large pie painting on one wall with dark wood panelling on another and another picture of an old windmill which is appropriate enough given the pub’s name.
As mentioned, the menu is very pie orientated with most of them priced around the £10 mark. A chalkboard listed another five or six “Today’s Pies” options but if that’s not your thing the menu also offered a good choice of burgers and other pub staples such as Ham Egg & Chips, Sausage & Mash, etc.
Good choice of beers on tap with Twickenham Naked Ladies, Doom Bar, Sambrooks Wandle, Young’s Bitter, Young’s Special, Directors and Bombardier. A specials board also listed Deuchars and Twickenham Grandstand, although I didn’t spot these on the bar. After such a good selection of ales, I was especially disappointed with the fact that they only had Strongbow on offer for the cider drinkers, unless you count a mulled option.
On 12th February 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1945 recommendations about 1858 pubs]