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Detail Pages
The Black Friar, Blackfriars, EC4
EC4
EC4V 4EG
Pub Type
Nicholsons (Mitchells & Butlers)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Black Friar
A well deserved ten. Where else would you walk around a corner and see a stunning pub like this. Also had a good range of ales on our visit, plus the service was excellent. We went for the Sunny Republic Brewery Huna Red. A Camra Inventory pub of Historic Interiors.
On 12th January 2014
- rating: 10
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about The Black Friar
This was a lovely pub with it's large Black Friar above the door and the interesting interior is well described by Quinno below. There was a good selection of ales here as the beer festival being held by the Nicholson chain was drawing to a close, and we enjoyed Milestone Olde English, Jarrow Westoe IPA and Ramsgate Gadds Rye Pale. After exploring the interior we sat outside in the lovely seated area as it was so sunny yesterday. Downstairs toilets.
On 16th November 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Black Friar
One of London's spectacular interiors, and a fine exterior as well.
Now a Nicholsons so the beer is excellent. Shame Nicholsons insist on certain areas for diners only.
On 4th June 2013
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Black Friar
One of London's finest pub interiors can be found in this strange wedge shaped building opposite Blackfriars station. The main bar area displays some excellent metal reliefs including one over the grand fireplace. Most of these images show the friars, after whom the pub takes its name, engaging in various pursuits such as eating, singing and even seemingly gardening. The right hand bar is a bit lighter than the rest of the pub thanks in part to the fine leaded windows. There was loud music playing in here on my recent Friday night visit, so I moved into the more peaceful main bar having failed to secure a seat in the pub's finest area - a small, almost snug-like room behind the three marble archways to the left hand side of the bar. This section contains the most amazing mosaic ceiling, which is vaulted presumably due to the train line running over it, as well as some more depictions of life in the friary. A large patio area is available outside the front of the pub for those who would prefer to view the building work over the road rather than the splendour within.
A good range of ales awaited me on my recent visit, with Sharp's Doom Bar, Fullers Summer Ale and London Pride, Vale Black Beauty (£3.50), St Austell Tribute and Nethergate Umbel Ale on offer. The Black Beauty was in good shape, although the barmaid initially served me the wrong drink after a communication mix up caused by the aforementioned loud music.
A must see pub for anyone remotely interested in pub heritage or wanting to visit a unique building. The decent beer is a definite bonus and it is only the popularity of the place that presents a potential downside.
On 12th September 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
BobOs . left this review about The Black Friar
Worth a trip just for the interior designed by sculptors Nathaniel Hitch, Frederick T. Callcott and Henry Poole in 1904. The well kept ales (all eight of 'em) are also worth a visit as are the pies - I love pies - which is just as well as every dish offered is a pie of one sort or another - great!! Naturally a tad touristy and often crowded to capacity but well above average.
On 11th July 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 370 recommendations about 355 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Black Friar
The Black Friar stands at the northern end of Blackfriars Bridge looking like the pub world equivalent to New York’s Flat Iron building. This wedge shaped masterpiece looks seemingly awkward against a backdrop of 60’s redevelopment and, but for the intervention of Sir John Betjamin (who was as well known for saving some of London’s finest architecture as he was for his poetry), it would have joined its neighbours under the wrecking ball. One visit to what must be one of the country’s most unique pubs only serves to underline what a huge loss it would have been.
The exterior is striking enough with its large friar statue perched prominently at the pointy end beneath an impressive golden clockface and the pub name depicted down the sides in mosaic. Although the building dates from 1875, it is the magnificent art nouveau interior added in 1905 that justifiably makes the pub so special, a mass of inlaid marble walls and pillars, sweeping arches, an impressive fireplace, beamed ceilings and an array of Monastic freizes that pay homage to the Dominican Friary that once stood on this site and gave the area (and pub) its name.
Given the awkward shape, the pub would seem to be a bit tricky to furnish but the interior is quite well laid out with a long central bar that starts at the pointy bit and curves around in the main body of the pub. A marble archway leads from the main bar to a small mosaic barrel ceiling room with a few gargoyles peeking from the corners.
Being part of the Nicholons chain, there is a good range of ales with 7 available on my latest visit, 4 regulars (Youngs, London Pride, Doom Bar and Tribute) supplemented by 3 guests (Sharps Atlantic IPA, Acorn Barnsley Gold and Caledonian Flying Dutchman). Prices range from £2.85 (Doom Bar) to £3.50 (the guests). Quality was very good although the woefully short measure conjured up for my first pint was aggrevated by the barmaid’s quick disappearing act before I had a chance to request a top up. Food is typical Nicholsons pub grub with the main course prices ranging around £7-11. The pub does get uncomfortably busy at times and seats hard to come by at peak times although if the weather allows, there are quiet a few seats and patio tables outside.
Any visitor to London looking for an unusual pub experience should make this one of the first ports of call and just the occasional lapse in service and at times uncomfortable crowds stop me giving it a top rating.
On 24th May 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Black Friar
This is a must visit unique pub. Built on the site of a former Dominican Friary, the pub is wedge shaped, like a flat iron, and both inside and out are decorated in opulent Art Nouveau style using mosaic, marble, alabaster, brass and dark wood. On approaching look up above the now disused door in the thin end to see a Black Friar standing guard under the clock. The pub name, saloon bar and street number are made up of thousands of mosaic tiles and brass plates have jolly friars directing the drinker to the bar. Inside the marble topped bar curves around the main space which is now one room. There are friezes everywhere of friars fishing, collecting fruit and generally having fun. The large fireplace has a couple of goblin like creatures on the end, pity though that the fire these days is electric. The best area however is the arched rear room, entered via three archways and being completely faced in various hues of marble, although sadly a couple of bits have been damaged. The walls in here are lined with mirrors, and there are inscriptions around the cornice level such as "Silence is Golden", "Wisdom is Rare" and "Finery is Foolish".
The pub windows are leaded with some good quality stained glass scenes incorporated.
Carpeted in the arched room with wood flooring elsewhere, seating is conventional with banquettes, stools and chairs.
Nicholson's run the place so expect a reasonable if often rather mainstream selection. My visit had Doom Bar x2, Taylor's Landlord and Golden Best, Pride, Adnam's Broadside, White Shield, and one pump was unclipped.
There is also a large amount of exterior seating, some covered, if you can tolerate the traffic thundering past.
On 19th January 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Black Friar
To say that the interior of the Black Friar is interesting would be somewhat of an understatement and this Nicholsons pub is worth a visit just to have a nose around, but I would avoid lunchtimes and office kicking out times as it gets very busy. Traditional pub food is served and I spotted about eight hand pumps that were drawing Pride, Landlord, Reverend James, Doom Bar and at least four guest ales. There is also a range of standard and premium draught products and I found the Guinness to be perfectly acceptable.
The toilet is located downstairs and there is some covered seating on the extended path outside this pub.
I will make a point of visiting here again as I visited at a busy time and didn’t get to see as much of the pub as I would have liked to.
On 7th January 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5254 recommendations about 5222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Black Friar
Another Nicholson’s establishment in the area of Blackfriars Bridge but one worth searching out for the fantastic decor as well described by the previous posters.
The pub location also benefits from a fairly large pavement area out front, which means that on hot evenings, most of the regular punters from nearby offices are drinking outside.
As it was last week which enabled me to get a seat in the cloistered area described by Rex.
The beer range has been improved since I last visited and there are in the range of seven or eight ale pumps going now. Very nice pint of Harveys Best, very nice pub with a bit of character.
On 8th August 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Black Friar
As others before me have intimated, this pub boasts some of the most spectacular, and probably expensive, pub interiors around. The pub itself dates from around 1875, but the remodelled interior of around 1905 is what makes it so special. This was hailed as one of the new breed of pub, being light and humorous and the sort of place a gentleman could bring his wife, in contrast to the perceived decadence of its Victorian predecessors. It didn’t really catch on though, which is why there are so few of these sorts of places around; in fact the Black Friar is largely unique. The marble cladding of the cloistered drinking area at the back of the main bar would effectively be prohibitively expensive nowadays. It was threatened with demolition back in the 60s, but a campaign, led by John Betjeman, that champion of our architectural heritage, achieved its salvation.
I know others have been a bit unimpressed by its ale selection, but whenever I have visited I have found something worth drinking. I think it’s a comfortable enough place to stop off for a pint, but it does get busy at times, so choose your time well if you want to have the freedom to have a good look at the interior.
On 22nd July 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]