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The Three Cranes Tavern, EC4
EC4
EC4V 2BA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Three Cranes Tavern
This is a tiny place with Charrington's leaded lights as the only indication that this was once a pub - emphasis on the 'was'.
Inside, the walls are clad with dark wood veneer, punctuated with brass trim and modern sconce lights. The overall effect is like that of a corridor in a swish restaurant on the way to the lavs, rather than the main venue itself. The floor is modern herringbone parquet and the ceiling is clad with silver tiles. There's nothing in the way of décor and for that matter, little in the way of furniture, just a few small high semi-circular pale grey marble table/ledges projecting from the walls with conventional high stools around which are clustered small groups of braying City types.
It's the lavatories though that are most likely to raise eyebrows. The basins are unisex and are open to the rear bar room - you can literally talk to your friends in the rear room whilst washing your hands. Thereafter there are two doors to either the men's and women's facilities, not explored for obvious reasons. The men's is microscopic with two urinals so close together that both couldn't comfortably be used simultaneously. Behind them is a sliding door to the crapper which can't be entered if the urinals are being used and more worryingly, couldn't be vacated if the urinals are in use - you could be stuck in there for hours at busy times.
Ales: there's a small bar with neither pumps nor founts. Instead, there are a few chrome taps to the wall with names written in felt tip, too small to read and no discernible sign of any real ale. I asked for "...a half of lager." which set me back £2.50 which I suppose is what you pay in these parts.
I shan't be returning and for once, come back Greene King - all is forgiven.
On 4th November 2016
- rating: 2
[User has posted 1983 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about Three Cranes Tavern
2 roomed bar next to mansion house underground station. 2 real ales served.Review 19/11/13
now under new ownership
On 6th September 2016
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Hatchet
If you look carefully at the pub sign hanging above this compact pub almost opposite one of the exits from Mansion House station, you see a small crown indicating that this is a Greene King house. Inside, the tidy little bar offers two real ales - usually IPA (£3.60) and Abbot. There is also another small but comfortable room at the back with walls displaying a variety of framed pictures (a feature which is repeated up the stairs leading to the toilets). As on my previous visit a couple of years ago, I called in at the busiest time of the week (i.e. office closing time on a Friday afternoon) and again found the atmosphere to be relatively calm and relaxed and thus this must be one of the better places in the area for a civilised pint.
On 7th July 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Hatchet
In a side street little more than a stone’s throw away from Mansion House Tube Station is The Hatchet, a small traditional relatively unspoilt City pub.
The main bar area is a typical stand up to drink bare boarded City bar with much woodwork in evidence and bar stools and ledges around the perimeter of the room. Pleasingly, there was no sign of that awful golf gaming machine that was here on my last visit several years ago.
At the far end is a more comfortable, carpeted room with half height wood panelling and upholstered seating. Several large plain mirrors make the room feel a bit larger than it actually is. There’s some elegant cornicing where the walls meet the ceiling and a fine tiled fireplace. The walls are decorated with framed photos of old London street scenes. I was looking for something that might indicate why the pub is so called, but to no avail.
On my recent early evening visit, the pub was quite busy with both the pavement outside and the main bar area quite full up with the after work office crowd. Notably, the back room was virtually deserted and I was able to sit and enjoy my pint in some comfort, not an experience often encountered in City pubs in the early evening.
The green tinged windows would indicate that this was once a Charringtons house. It’s now a Greene King pub which was offering Abbott and IPA. I didn’t see anything to indicate that any guest beers are ever offered.
I like small traditional old fashioned City watering holes like this. If they were to start offering a guest beer, I could easily get into the habit of coming here more often
On 20th January 2012
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Hatchet
This is a pub of two halves – but as it’s so small maybe it should be a pub of two quarters. The front room is bare-boarded, with only a few tall stools at the bar and at a ledge by the window. Vertical drinking seems to be the order of the day in here. However, through a door at the back on the left is another room, this one carpeted, with some banquette seating, normal tables and chairs, plus a couple of bucket armchairs. There’s also a nice fireplace in this room, with traditional tiling at the sides, plus a couple of mirrors (one of which has seen much better days) and a number of black and white prints of the City of years past. This is easily the more comfortable of the two rooms.
The windows at the front look pretty ancient, with the green banding in the glass suggesting a former life as a Charrington’s pub. But it’s now a Greene King house, with just IPA and Abbot on when I visited. The food looks very reasonably priced (for the City of London) with staples such as bangers and mash for £5.25, and sandwiches for £4. For the City this is an excellent little pub, as long as you’re happy with Greene King ales. I’d be happy to drop in again, but it would be improved immensely with a guest ale although I realise that it’s probably too small to sustain one.
On 22nd November 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Hatchet
The Hatchet is literally spitting distance from Mansion House Tube Station and it is a typical small London Boozer. It is run by an old school governor and owned by Greene King so the two hand pumps were drawing Abbot and IPA. The draught choice isn’t huge, but the Guinness was spot on and I enjoyed supping it in the back room that was away from the office crowds in attendance. There are a couple of screens in the small bar area, but I didn’t spot any advertisements for Sky Sports. Noticed a bar menu offering baguettes and bar snacks, but I didn’t spot any hearty main meals, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are not available as there is a proper kitchen upstairs by the toilets.
The pub is located on a narrow back street so there isn’t the greatest room for people to spill out onto the path, but there are a couple of beer shelves outside for the smokers to rest their pints upon.
I’d have no problem visiting this pub again if I was using the tube station, but I wouldn’t make it my end destination.
On 27th December 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5228 recommendations about 5196 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Hatchet
I have frequented most of the decent pubs around Mansion House but have missed out The Hatchet before, as it is a smallish GK house in an area where there is a lot of different choice.
But I decided to drop in and give it a go the other evening whilst on my way down to the Banker at Cannon Street.
Have to say I was impressed. It's a small two-room pub, with the bar in the front room mainly for standing with a tele for the sport, and a back room with a fireplace and tables.
Nice congenial atmosphere and although quite busy on this early evening the main barman (not sure if it was the Landlord) was making sure people got served in the order they approached the bar. And have to say the pint of IPA was one of the best kept I've had.
On 2nd August 2009
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]