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The Bree Louise, NW1
NW1
NW1 2HH
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Bree Louise
ORIGINAL REVIEW August 2011
The interior has been described as having the charm of an Eastern Bloc consulate ,it is certainly overlit and the furniture is well worn and showing it's age.This open plan ale house is dedicated to real ale but sadly the chalk board listing the beers is rarely kept up to date,and by the time I popped in at 8.30pm the selection was well down.The nearby Euston Tap has created real competition and judging by my visit the Bree Louise has not responded very well,which is a great shame given the high standards of past visits.
I will pop in again to see what's on behind the bar,the CAMRA discount is still very welcome but the crown as one of the capital must visit ale houses is slipping a bit.
UPDATE
The Emperor has no clothes.Sad to say beer quality has gone from bad to worse.We tried a variety from the stillage and most were in poor condition,not undrinkable or tangy,just lifeless and tasteless.The handpump selection usually features two from Windsor and Eton Brewery and two from Redemption which is the best bet but due to demand the Redemption Big Chief ran out quickly and was not replaced.I have decided to give this place the carte rouge and will now concentrate on the two other ale houses around Euston Station.What a shame after many years of outstanding service to real ale drinkers .
On 29th October 2011
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Bree Louise
An excellent ale house a couple of minutes walk from Euston station.
Classic traditional London pub inside, its not over comfortable but feels excellent for drinking or talking (or both)or meeting. Some of the tables were reserved during my visit which limits space, but well worth the effort of a visit.
6 real ales on handpull, 7 on gravity, with real cider as well. Local beers , such as Camden Town.
On 9th May 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Bree Louise
Excellent real ale pub close to euston station. Website gives up to date beer listings. The pub makes a good tripleheader with the doric arch & the euston tap.
On 22nd February 2011
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Chris 87 left this review about The Bree Louise
Quinno's review is pretty comprehensive so I won't try to top it - a Saturday evening visit was unfortunately brief but definitely worthwhile; Pints of Redemption Pale Ale (£3.20 - less if you have a CAMRA card) went down a treat. Despite its fame it was by no means boasting lots of beardy ticker types. Interior could perhaps do with some smartening up but that's probably part of the reason why lots of drinkers love it. I'd return when in the area, certainly.
On 10th January 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 179 recommendations about 179 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Bree Louise
This freehouse on a backstreet off Euston railway station has gained a particular popularity with ale tickers as well as the general beer drinker in an area of London where quality pubs were, until recently, few and far between.
The pub now boasts a maximum of 15 cask ales, with five on handpull and the rest on stillage. There’s usually four or five ‘proper’ ciders too, along with quite a lot of tequila. The quality, whilst usually good on handpull (check first as dud handpulls are used on the right side of the bar to advertise stillage), can be a bit hit and miss on the stillage – beer can come out a little too warm for my liking and lack condition, as if it’s been hanging around too long. The ale is usually £3.40 but CAMRA members who have their card get 50p off and the staff, to their credit, usually remind you of that fact when it would a be a lot easier to keep schtum. You also get a choice between a straight or handled glass.
The interior is essentially a small painted single room (salmon pink - eurgh) with a bar all along one wall, split by a pillar in the middle; not particularly alluring. This theme is extended to the basic wooden furnishings (pews and stools). A better bet is sit outside, when the weather permits. There are a couple of TV’s that I never usually notice being on. Food is available (advertised as ‘pies’ but the more anal should be forewarned that it’s a bowl of stew with a puff pastry lid) which are a fiver if you’re a CAMRA member.
If you’re a cider drinker it’s worth a visit and it's worth seeing what ale's on (with quality caveats as noted above) but the average punter might struggle to garner much enthusiasm.
On 1st January 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5081 recommendations about 5064 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
I L left this review about The Bree Louise
A very handy traditional boozer that has been opened out into one large room with the bar along one elevation but split into two sections. One has the usual hand pulls and keg beers whilst the other section has the barrels of real ale racked up. A good selection of ales are always available with one of our favourites Downton chocolate Orange Stout often on gravity. Always been served with a top notch pint on our numerous visits but it can get very busy in the evening but can normally find a place to sit or stand unless we are passing though with bags on our travels in which case there just isn't room in here for them. They do tend to reserve tables in here which is a pet hate of mine but the landlord does keep an eye on 'no show' reservations and soon let's others sit there.
On 30th December 2010
- rating: 9
[User has posted 287 recommendations about 284 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Bree Louise
As a non-Londoner, and visiting the Bree Louise for the first time, I found an oasis of sanity in a deset of mediocrity, and only a stone's throw from Euston Station. It was averagely busy, but there was room to sit, read the newspaper and enjoy conversation with other visitors and a decent lunch. There were 17 ales and 11 ciders on served by charming, helpful staff. Three pints later, all in excellent condition, I was on my way promising myself I would come back next time I'm passing.
On 9th December 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3283 recommendations about 3248 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Bree Louise
Visited in May 2010
Situated in a side street little more than a stone's throw from Euston Station, the Bree Louise can rightly be described as one of London's best known specialist real ale pubs.
Externally, it's a rather unremarkable back street pub and the interior is also distinctly uninspiring with tables and chairs packed closely together in a rather featureless single room. Leaded frosted windows and a carpet do help contribute towards a reasonably traditional and comfortable ambience, however.
The serving area is split into two separate sections either side of a pillar - on one side there's 5 handpumps and, on the other, a further 11 ales are served on gravity direct from the barrel.
There's flags on the ceiling - ostensibly of the Six Nations rugby teams, although I only actually recollect seeing five and I was unable to decide if it was France or Italy that was missing. Also notable is an old framed photo of The Euston Arch, now sadly no longer with us. There's a TV screen, but, otherwise it's a quiet pub.
Perhaps unusually for a pub with a distinct real ale emphasis and which appears to have a more mature customer base, there was an excess of signs telling me that I was on CCTV. Perhaps the proximity to a main line station counts against it.
The pub describes itself as "A Pie, Ale and Cider Emporium" in its leatherbound menu and the pies that I saw arriving on the next table looked appetising and substantial.
On the real ale front, on my lunchtime visit, beers on from the pump were Sambrooks Junction , Wandle, Redemption Urban Dusk and a beer from Batemans. Beers on gravity included Triple FFF Alton Pride, together with beers from Itchen, Dark Star and Nethergate. A blackboard lists the beers on at any particular time and, notably, there's a similar blackboard on the pub wall outside.
Both the beers that I had - Sambrooks Junction and Redemption Urban Dusk - were in good condition. The pub is a CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular and is currently CAMRA North London Pub of the Year for 2009/10.
I've had several visits in here previously where beer quality has been disappointing - particularly those on gravity - but, on balance, I think this pub is well worth seeking out. Finally, do remember to bring your CAMRA membership card with you if you've got one and claim your 50p per pint discount.
On 21st October 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Manky Badger left this review about The Bree Louise
17 ales and 10 ciders were on when I visited on a Tuesday lunchtime. A friendly pub, not overly busy, and light enough so you can see what you are doing. Handy for the station; I shall be back!!
On 20th July 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 155 recommendations about 154 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Bree Louise
16 Real Ales and 8 cask Ciders were on the other evening, 5 Ales on pump and 11 on gravity and the ciders were from polypins on the bar area.
I tried the Dark Star Over the Moon and Downtons Nelsons Delight and Dark Delight, all very good.
And the wife had a couple of the Ciders. I can’t remember what they were, except for the fact that they were both over 6.0% as it wasn’t long before it looked like she’d swallowed a coat hanger.
Nothing to add to all the previous reviews below and if you haven’t got it by now, it’s like a permanent mini beer festival in decent pub surroundings.
Marvellous
On 17th July 2010
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]