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Detail Pages
The Old Tea Warehouse, Aldgate, EC3
EC3
EC3A 5AY
Pub Type
Metropolitan Pub Co (Greene King)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Pub SignMan left this review about The Old Tea Warehouse
This is an unusual courtyard pub, hidden away down a small side street that I think I could've lived an entire lifetime without discovering by chance. You enter via the courtyard, which was absolutely packed on my mid-week, post work, evening visit, with several tables available, some under giant umbrellas, and plenty of standing room in between. Moving into the main bar, you discover a fairly compact room with bare floorboards, plain painted walls and one wall clad with full height panels painted in a beige shade. The servery runs along the back wall and has a modern, blocky counter and uninteresting bar back dominated by two centrally positioned blackboards listing drink and pizza options. High tables and stools can be found to the front and left, whilst there are a couple of mid-height banquette booths to the right. Decor is limited to a few retro posters and a TV screen on the back wall was showing muted rolling news with an awful pop soundtrack playing over the top. Stairs to the left lead down to an overspill bar and stairs to the right take you into what is promoted as a darts venue, although I failed to explore either of these areas due to the crowds. It was as loud as hell in the main bar, despite most punters being outside, thanks to a defiant lack of soft furnishings to absorb any of the noise generated by punters coming and going.
There were two ales on handpull - Black Sheep Bitter at £5.35 a pint and sadly past its best, and a house beer called Old Tea Clipper Ale from an unknown brewery. The staff were a bit of a mixed bunch but my barman was friendly enough. The crammed courtyard meant that customers were forced to head inside, which made for a better atmosphere than a lot of Central London mid-week pub visits.
I was looking forward to checking this place out, but came away feeling a little disappointed due to the bland interior, poor beer and cursory service. The courtyard would be nice on a summer day, but obviously gets busy quickly and your experience may depend on how you time your visit.
Date of visit - 6th September 2023
On 1st January 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Old Tea Warehouse
Located through a small courtyard, this is a two-roomed pub with a rather unusual dip tunnel linking the two bars. Whilst the place looks alright from the outside the interior is little to shout about. Six pumps in the RHS bar with 3x GK, 2x Wimbledon and what looked like a house beer of unknown provenance. Served by a cheery barman but unfortunately my Wimbledon Common was well past its best (NBSS 1.5). Popped into the other bar which was smaller with two of GK ales and the house beer at the bar. A big disappointment, a better operator with a bit of gumption could make this a must-do pub. 5.5
On 1st April 2019
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Old Tea Warehouse
A courtyard bar hidden away down a side street,The main bar is modern, clean and smart with some high seating around the outside edges,there are six hand pumps in here ,only three beers on, on a Tuesday afternoon,Southwark Bankside Blonde and Bermondsy Bitter along with Trumans Swift. There is another bar area to your left through an open doorway down and back up a couple of steps, in here is some comfortable sofa style seating and a further small area for dining, I discovered three more handpulls in here, Greene King IPA and another Trumans Swift with one blank. Back in the main bar to your right are some stairs leading down to an air conditioned basement games room with two pool tables, the toilets are to the rear of this.There is also plenty of outside seating to the front of the pub,well used on my visit with plenty of suits in evidence. Not a place I would linger too long but certainly worth a look.
On 10th August 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Old Tea Warehouse
This is a nicy busy pub hidden away on a side st.Comfortably furnished.large outside space.3 beers on inc Twickenham -strange brew and my choice Signature -black vynal which was very good.
On 21st November 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Old Tea Warehouse
Converted as the name suggests, and set back from the road by a courtyard (very busy on a Thursday after work). Alehouse-style bar, with indications of another room or bar further on (not visited) plus the East India Room downstairs with two pool tables. Efficient bar staff. Six handpumps, offering the 'house' Old Tea Clipper Ale, Greene King IPA, Truman's Swift, Sambrook's Pumphouse Pale, Windsor & Eton Windsor Knot and London Fields Black Path porter (£4.00). Part of the Metropolitan Pub Company chain.
On 16th April 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Old Tea Warehouse
Located in EC3 just inside the original Square Mile, The Old Tea Warehouse was converted into a pub in 1996 from an East India Tea Company Warehouse. You approach through a courtyard into the pub outside patio drinking area which is equipped with standing and seating areas under large green Jumbrellas.
Inside the bar area is a modern light wood décor with wooden tables and chairs.
Downstairs there is a larger space with big comfy settees. Nice enough place to sit, except for the fact that you are passed by a steady stream of people back and forth to the toilets.
There is also a second ground level room, but this doubles as a function room and has always been used for city firm gatherings during my visits.
It’s a GK house with the standard Greene King fair of the ubiquitous IPA and Speckled Hen. But they do usually have a seasonal beer on from one of the GK stables on to supplement this.
Due to its location it does tend to get packed out at lunchtime and early evening and on these days the outside patio area is the best bet.
On 26th September 2008
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about The Old Tea Warehouse
The Old Tea Wharehouse is tucked away in a courtyard just off leadenhall street.
This is quite a large pub which is a good job as it gets very busy with suits,there is an outside drinking area in the courtyard and once inside there was one large room that i noticed this had bare boards and large chunky wooden tables,the room was very busy on my visit.
Pub visited 21/8/2008
This is a Greene King tied house and there were three real ales on the bar i had a drink of GK IPA and this was nothing special there was also Abbot and Old Speckled Hen.
This is not really my sort of pub,but it does make up for the loss of some of the older pubs in this area.
On 21st August 2008
- rating: 6
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]