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Old Red Cow, Smithfield, EC1

72 Long Lane
EC1
EC1A 9EJ
Phone: 02077262595

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


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Blue Scrumpy left this review about Old Red Cow

I have in my notes that I was last here in March 2013. 10 years on and I can honestly say that I don't remember my previous visit.

It's a noticeably small place with a tiny ground floor bar and further seating upstairs which I didn't investigate. The barman seemed on the grumpy side and served me a very cloudy Jimbo from Purity. I gave it a quick sniff and taste before walking away from the bar. It was still drinkable, but presumably coming to the end of the cask. A second cask beer was Mad Goose, also from Purity. Keg options included Fourpure IPA & Citrus Session, Magic Rock Murk-Life Balance, Lervig House Party, Purity Bunny Hop & Pulpt Flare.

One young customer was sat at the bar and another group of punters all seemed to be young shipping magnates. Alternatively they just happened to have an unhealthy obsession with the shipping industry.

I scored this pub a 7/10 on my last visit, but I'm not so impressed on this visit. Perhaps I'm getting harder to please as I get older?

On 2nd March 2023 - rating: 5
[User has posted 2442 recommendations about 2441 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Bucking Fastard left this review about Old Red Cow

Well known for carry a wide range of craft keg beers,the ground floor is quite small,square with few features and mainly high table seating options although bar stolls will get used and block bar access.The large staircase leads to a calmer dining room with another keg only bar,I expect you can escape up here to just drink but most folk will be eating from a menu long of pizze,pub grub and beer snacks.This will also be served in the bar and outside for vertical consumption.
There will always be 4 real ales,on my trip Redemption Pale,Twickenham Naked Ladies,Moor Raw and XT3 West Coast IPA (decent nick).The 12 keg taps offer produce from Kernel,Fourpure,Redchurch,Big Drop,Signature,Beavertown,Hackney and Five Points,so if you understand the London keg scene,this would be a good sampling target.
Lots of punters spill outside and there are drinking shelves to the front and in the archway,but the limited internal seating and short real ale menu may limit future trips to a swift one while passing.

On 2nd March 2019 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]


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hondo . left this review about Old Red Cow

Small bar area on the ground floor(didn’t visit upstairs). 12 keg and 4 real ale taps. Worth including on a crawl but maybe not for a sesh.

On 26th October 2018 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]


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Tris C left this review about Old Red Cow

A return visit and this place seems to have improved for the better. The too-cool-for-school barman wasn't in evidence and the pub was quieter than usual.
A very small bar with around three high tables and a further bar upstairs, unexplored. The place seems to be more functional than is usual, describing itself as "The 'Local Beer House' was born out of a love for 'nice pubs'"; ok, trumpet blown or kazoo? Little décor, with a crystal chandelier on high.
An aloof barman presiding over 12 keg taps, an unused pump, Oakham's Citra and Jeffrey Hudson Bitter and Gloucester Brewery's Cascade at £2.00 a half and nice.
Worth a look, but the Hand & Shears is just to the rear.

On 10th December 2017 - rating: 4
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


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Malden man left this review about Old Red Cow

A small pub opposite the back of the market, the ground floor room has exclusively high tables and stools/ high bench, presumably to save space, there is a second room up some stairs which at the time contained a party so I stuck my nose in and left not before noting it had its own keg only servery.
There is no doubt that this is a hipster type of joint, the white barman had dreadlocks and a beanie hat, beards were in abundance. It is however a good pub with a very decent range. There are four handpumps and twelve keykeg taps on the back wall, the cask options were Cottage Mosquito Best Bitter, Bad Co Love Over Gold, Belleville Northcote Blonde and Dark Star Hophead. Beers are listed on a chalkboard over the bar but only the keg varieties which are as usual priced simply only for the carefree.
Background eclectic music via the barman's Ipad was actually pretty laid back and enjoyable. A few beer books on a shelf included the GBG, no signs of a TV.
The pub is part of the "Local Beer House" group including the Dean Swift and Hack and Hop. A loyalty card offers discounts across the range.
We enjoyed it in here despite a few pretensions, the beer was good and the atmosphere pleasant.

On 10th September 2016 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]


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Danny O'Revey left this review about Old Red Cow

Small craft beer place near Smithfield Market and opposite part of the Crossrail development and on a busy street.

4 real ales as well as a number of craft, but the quality was poor.

On 2nd July 2015 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]


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Quinno _ left this review about Old Red Cow

A craft beer bar that was converted from a pretty bog-standard boozer a few years ago. Two small rooms over two floors with a bar on each, cask is available only downstairs. As mentioned below, the available beers are displayed on a large numbered menu to the left of the bar. An upmarket take on basic alehouse chic inside. Some window seating upstairs gives you a decent place to watch the comings and goings in the street and Smithfield Market opposite. Only three cask on offer mid-Thursday afternoon; Dark Star Art of Darkness, Arbor Motueka and W&E Guardsman. The Motueka was in decent form. As mentioned elsewhere, key keg beers are outrageously priced – eg £7.40 for a pint of Windsor & Eton Conqueror (I can get this for £4 in Reading). Still, if you’re a fool and have money etc. In summary, it’s fair enough as an occasional look-in but is hardly one of London's premier league boozers.

On 21st April 2015 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5050 recommendations about 5033 pubs]


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Moby Duck left this review about The Old Red Cow

Well I lied, I did return here despite my rant from three years ago,cask beer offerings were Windsor and Eton Guardsman, Burning Sky Plateau, Caveman Paleothic and Wharfbank Tether Blonde which was good,£2.10 a half,I did spot a keg version of Darkstar Hophead, £5.20 a pint, ridiculous.I have lightened up a bit about this place and actually quite like it but will avoid the silly priced things.

Visit Aug 2012.
Came here for a first visit since its rebirth with great anticipation after up to this point a successful days pubbing,first impressions on walking through the door were quite good, the place looked alright,as did the beer/craft beer selection, one of our number bypassed this pub so just the two pints ordered, we both chose the Jaipur IPA (keg) as it turned out an excellent choice,it was very good,but and there is a very big but,when charged £11.00 for two pints I had to do a double take,had I actually ordered three pints in error,alas no,£5.50 a pint,outrageous,having a look at their price list we decided what we had would be all we had here,nice though the pub and beer was won't be back,won't be ripped off more than once.

On 1st April 2015 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1868 recommendations about 1841 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


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

Traditional-looking pub, thoroughly revamped inside as a 'Local Beer House' by the small Pubs of Distinction chain. Retains the very compact bar, but now features fairly plain furniture and decor. Dining room upstairs (not visited), with a chalk board stating that it was fully booked. The ground floor was crowded too, with many more customers outside in the covered side alley. Four real ales on handpump, including Can't Stand the Rain from Wild Weather Ales (£4.20), plus 12 craft keg taps offering a wide variety of styles. So pretty good overall, but suffers slightly from not having larger premises to operate from.

On 4th December 2014 - rating: 7
[User has posted 8066 recommendations about 8066 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about The Old Red Cow

Close to Barbican tube station and Smithfield Market, the Old Red Cow is a very small, two storey bar, positioning itself in the ‘craft beer’ market. The downstairs bar is tiny, with bare floorboards, neutral coloured walls and high tables making it fairly unmemorable as well. The servery is on the back wall and, as you might expect in a specialist beer bar, it is decorated with various pump clips. A few enamel beer signs provide a bit of visual distraction, as does a picture of a red cow and I also spotted a juke box on one wall. Stairs lead up to a lounge bar which is comparatively spacious and has a much better range of seating options. Again, the room is bare boarded with the servery on the back wall and windows give a view out to the streets below on both sides of the pub. A decent soundtrack played in the background throughout my stay and blackboards listed a few food options, with main meals around the £15 mark.
Four hand pumps were dispensing Oldershaw Heavenly Blonde, Flipside Sterling Pale, Alchemy Five Sisters and Hand Drawn Monkey Malpa. I enjoyed a decent pint of the Heavenly Blonde and whilst I didn’t note down the price, I don’t recall it being particularly expensive. A box of London Glider Cider sat on the bar counter, but the star attraction for beer buffs is likely to be the twelve keg taps which, thanks to a helpful blackboard next to the bar, you can study in great detail before choosing. As mentioned below, these beers are not cheap, ranging from £3.90 for a pint of the house lager to some stronger brews which cost over £4 for a half pint.
I timed my visit here fairly well, as the post-work crowds had cleared by the time I arrived, leaving enough space to explore and grab a seat, but I imagine it can very quickly become oppressively crowded. The interesting beer range makes it worth at least a quick look, but the pricing of the keg beers will put off all but the most devoted (or rich) beer enthusiasts.

On 6th June 2013 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]

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