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The Old Eagle, NW1

251 Royal College Street
NW1
NW1 9LU

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Pub Type

Greene King

Reviews (Current Rating Average: of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Bucking Fastard left this review about The Old Eagle

The heart always sinks when you see Greene King external signage,but be brave as it's worth popping in.On a street corner,the interior is L shaped with a wooden clad bar on both arms and traditional furniture.Wooden floor and open plan,there is a small conservatory roof at the far end with an impressive stained glass Eagle motif and a hanging collection of shoe lasts.The french windows here lead to a patio garden.
However the finer collection is of hanging musical instruments in the large plate glass picture windows to the front,there is an Irish feel to the pub and the welcomw was friendly.Thai food is also available and adds to the attraction.
Just two handpumps offering the dreaded GK IPA and a very decent St Austell Tribute (NBSS 3.5,£5).If only the ale range was more exciting,higher marks would have been awarded to this decent local.

On 8th January 2022 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rex Rattus left this review about The Old Eagle

It's still much as described by the previous reviewer, and although the Gaelic script is still present, I detected no Irish lilt in the accents of the staff. Anyway, it's furnished with settles, large chunky tables and normal chairs - that's all fine by me. There are still plenty of knick-knacks around the place, being predominently musical instruments and shoes, or clogs maybe, hanging from the ceiling at the back. It's sort of L-shaped, with the servery facing you as you enter, and with the room continuing beyond the servery on the right, leading to a small conservatory area with decorated glazed roof featuring an eagle obviously, and leaf-themed glazing in the upper windows. This leads to an outside seating area.

Some of the bar back is very old - Victorian possibly, as one of the staff claimed the pub was built in the 1860s - but some of the other fittings, such as the bar counter, look inter-war. Two entrances have mosaic flooring; one just saying "The Old Eagle", and the other a depiction of the eponymous bird, which is replicated in the pub sign.

There are three handpumps on the counter facing you as you enter, and two more on the counter around to the right. Unfortunately only one was in operation, dispensing the 4% Morlands Original at £4.10 a pint. It was in good shape though. There's a sign outside saying that they serve authentic Thai food, but I didn't see any sign of it when I visited at early doors on a Monday.

I found this a friendly and welcoming little pub when I visited. But it was very quiet, with only me and a chum, plus another old boy, in there so the landlady had time to chat to us. I would be very happy to visit again, although a better ale selection would be a massive improvement. But as this is a Greene King house I wouldn't hold out much hope of an interesting ale selection.

On 7th September 2018 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Tris C left this review about The Old Eagle

I hadn't been to this former Hoare's house for around 25 years when they had a pool table so a return visit was long overdue.
A conventional interior with an eclectic mix of furniture and knick-knacks with a slight Irish flavour as evinced from the name in Gaelic script and lilt to the senior staffs' accents. Inside there's a myriad musical instruments hanging in the front window and to the rear dangles a plethora of shoe lasts, under which you pass on the way to the rear patio. To the walls are some amateur oil paintings and there's an attractive mirrored bar back. Lighting is pleasant, with candles to the tables. Muted Ella Fitzgerald wafted at an agreeable volume over the gramophone and one TV was spotted, off. There's an attractive mosaic floor to each entrance, one with the pub name, the other with an eagle motif.
There's a mixed generally older (but not old) crowd in here and as mentioned, it's satisfactorily far enough from the massed ranks of Camden's barbarian hordes.
The barman was very friendly and ales on offer constituted two unused pumps, Greene King's IPA, Okell's Bitter at a decent £2.00 a half and fine, as well as Woodforde's Nelson's Revenge at an agreeable £4.00 a pint which was fine but rather boring.
I'd be very happy to come here again and spend time with friends if in the area and it makes for a great double with the Colonel Fawcett over the road. A larger and less dull range of ales would have resulted in an appreciably higher score.

On 13th October 2016 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Old Eagle

Attractive 'L'-shaped pub with traditional furniture but it is the fine display of old guitars and other stringed instruments along the front and side windows that is particularly notable. Also has a small patio area to the rear. Good music being played at a sensible volume. Has a total of five handpumps, but only Greene King IPA and Ossett Silver King (£4.00) available. Far enough away from Camden Town to be rather civilised on a sunny summer Saturday evening.

On 23rd August 2015 - rating: 7
[User has posted 8066 recommendations about 8066 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve C left this review about Old Eagle

I found the locals in here to be very friendly and the barmaid that served me was hospitable, if maybe a little crazy.

Ruddles, Greene King IPA and Old Speckled Hen were all available alongside a standard selection of lager and the Guinness which was well served.

The décor is a little quirky and I'm not so sure about the red light district illuminations. The background music comprised a good selection of old songs, although they could hardly be heard over the chatter of the masses – some would say that this is a good thing.

There is a decked area out the back with a barn that houses a table tennis table to keep the kids amused, which was a first for me.

I would go back to this pub and I would rate it up there with the best in Camden.

On 8th July 2009 - rating: 8
[User has posted 5179 recommendations about 5148 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Quinno _ left this review about Old Eagle

Very strange, this one. The outside looks like a regular boozer and that impression extends until the bar where you begin to notice the “Trad-pub-meets-latin-vibe” which awaits within this high-ceiling L-shaped pub.

Two Greene King ales (OSH and IPA) on offer and a friendly greeting from the Irish landlady and a couple of the punters, who were proper old-skool Mockneys (loud, brash, opinionated but ostensibly friendly). My OSH was OK, not the best but I've had a lot worse when it comes to GK beer. I then made my way out to the small decked patio area to catch the last few rays of summer sunshine for the day which was nice and relaxed. I also stopped off in the conservatory for a bit to admire the weird paintings plus fantastically mis-matched sofas (avoid the orange one as you might get a spring up your pipe).

Whilst I wouldn't say it's worth a significant detour to come here, I would say it was worth a quick walk for a half if you're in the immediate area.

On 5th June 2009 - rating: 6
[User has posted 5050 recommendations about 5033 pubs]