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The Pembroke Castle, NW1
NW1
NW1 8JA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Pembroke Castle
A large Victorian building near the pedestrian bridge over the railway lines,the front entrances gives way to an open plan interior with lots of high tables and a raised section to the left with more trad furniture.The thick columns are a feature as is the entrance to the staircase to the private,bookable upstairs room.Decent cornicing and the bar along the right wall. There is a large walled beer garden on two levels to the side of the building with jumberellas as covering for inclement weather.
Lots of handpumps but some ales "coming soon" aaarrrgghh,leaving a choice of Doom Bar and St Austell Tribute (warm ,tangy ,NBSS 1.5 ). Mindless muzak,pub grub at expensive prices (median main £17) so despite some worthy features this won't be a pub I would return to.Sweary blokes sat near the bar who knew the manager didn't help.
On 7th March 2024
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2728 recommendations about 2728 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Pembroke Castle
I was in here on a weekday lunchtime recently and was pleasantly surprised by a more down to earth ambience than I expected in this part of the world. I guess it hasn't changed much since the previous reviewers' visits; there's still the replacement bare boarded flooring; one or two tall tables/tall stools but mainly normal tables and chairs some on a raised area at the back on the left. I don't much care for the black plastic upholstered chairs, but nowhere's perfect (apart from the Kelham Island Tavern apparently). I too spotted the higher than usual bar counter, which as Tris says possibly deters bar hogs. Tall bar counters are no problem for me, but one young lady ordering at the bar decided to stand on the brass footrail to get herself on a more level playing field with the barman.
It's been opened up so any internal divisions seem long gone, but I did like the vestibule with the clock surmounting it, as well as the very attractive leaded stained glass windows at the back, and the cornicing on the ceilings. A large TV was on (but muted) at the back showing motorsports and basketball, with nobody seemingly remotely interested in watching it. I didn't notice the sound of the trains, but no doubt they would be more noticeable if you are enjoying the outside seating area during the warmer weather.
The ales on were Doom Bar, plus a Fuller's pair of Oliver's Island and Front Row. Another pump had a London Pride clip on it, but the barman informed me that it wasn't on (in which case why the clip?). Old Rosie Cider was also available. They do a very reasonable meal deal on weekday lunchtimes (12 - 3). For £6.50 you get a choice of main courses - e.g. burger and chips, macaroni cheese - plus a soft drink, including tea or coffee. For an additional quid you can upgrade the drink to a pint of sub 4.5% real ale. £7.50 for a decent pint and a meal anywhere in London is good going. Obviously I had ordered a pint before I sat down to scrutinise the menu, so naturally I had to have a second pint in order to benefit fully from the meal deal.
Both pints of the fhe Fuller's Front Row that I had were in excellent condition, and I would certainly drop in here again if I was looking for a bit of scran in this area.
On 10th March 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 Pembroke Castle
A large two-tiered open plan interior with some remaining Victorian features. The full-width bar is to the right as you enter and is strangely rather high, which deters bar hogs; why don't more pubs raise their bars? There's a spacious and heated beer garden and food is offered. Unlike the reviewer below, I've never noticed the trains so perhaps quieter rolling stock is now employed.
Service here is very friendly and efficient and a table is almost always easy to come by except on Saturday (probably Friday too) when the 12.00 am licence and loud music draws in the crowd. A plus is that dogs are expressly barred (take note neighbouring Albert, Lansdowne and Queens). Patrons are a pleasantly mixed crowd who probably live fairly locally.
With its original name reinstated, this pub reopened on 7th August 2014 after some much needed renovation; the pub was a little dilapidated. The interior is now less traditional and far more Farrow & Ball gastro: the lower half of the walls have been painted battleship grey (mauve to the rear), with the upper half white. The once black lacquered floor has been replaced with a pale wood affair and to the rear some rather incongruous enormous chess pieces occupy the window reveal; a bit naff. The games machine to the rear has been removed to create more seating; furniture is now less traditional and more twee with soft seat backs. A couple of high tables have appeared which I don't like as due to their high centre of gravity, they wobble and these are no exception. Pitching like galleons in a storm, sitting at one is like drinking aboard the Onedin Line. Overall it's a good look - and an improvement on the preceding russet baroque - if a little identikit.
As for dining, pizzas are the mainstay here. As for drinks, the selection is rather poor. On the ale front there's just Old Speckled Hen, Sharp's Doom Bar or Wadsworth's 6X and frequently two or even all of these are off. There are some premium lagers, Guinness, Strongbow, Stowford Press and Weston's Old Rosie in case you have a Space Shuttle to refuel. On the plus side, prices here are probably the lowest in the immediate area.
Overall this is a good pub, probably the best in Primrose Hill. It's also your best bet for a drink before or after a show at the Roundhouse unless Camden Town's banging sweatboxes are your thing.
On 26th April 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Pembroke
This is a street corner pub situated next to the foot bridge that connects Chalk Farm and Primrose Hill. The interior has been opened up to create a large, open plan room with the bar running along the right hand wall. There is a lot of dark wood throughout and the place has rather bland gastro style decor which fails to set it apart from other pubs of its ilk. There is a good supply of seating, including on the cosy looking split level area to the left of the room, with ample space for vertical drinking nearer the bar, should it get very busy. A TV screen was on, showing what appeared to be a DIY programme, but it was muted and no-one appeared to be paying it the slightest bit of attention. A door on the left hand side of the room leads out to a sizable garden area which has been well stocked with seats, including a few sofas which are sheltered by a small awning.
There was a choice of three beers when I visited - Adnams Explorer, Wadworth 6X and Butcombe Bitter (£3.60). I gave the Butcombe a try and thought it was in pretty good shape. The barmaid who served me was very prompt, if a little on the brusque side. A good proportion of people here seemed to be eating which suggests that the food might be okay, but I didn't get to see the menu myself.
As the previous reviewer says, this pub offers a rather unmemorable drinking experience, but I found that it did a decent enough job as somewhere for a swift pint and it may well be that I would have found it more memorable had I been looking for a place to eat.
On 28th October 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Pembroke
I found the crowd in here to be nice enough, although there were a few wannabees that were trying a little too hard to be cool. The staff were nice and polite and the Tribute was on top form. Bombardier was also available from the bar alongside a selection of standard and premium lagers.
There is a dining room downstairs and a room that is available for hire upstairs, where the Hampstead Comedy Club now resides. I remember going to a few of their comedy nights some years ago when they used the Flask in Hampstead and I remember them being very good. There is a reasonably sized beer garden at the side of the pub next to a quiet enough road, but the trains that pass on their way to Euston are very loud.
I'd drink here if I was a local.
On 17th April 2009
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5254 recommendations about 5222 pubs]