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Detail Pages
Ye Olde London, EC4
EC4
EC4M 7JU
Pub Type
Taylor Walker (Spirit Pubs)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Ye Olde London
Even without the stereotypical name, just what you would expect an ex-Spirit, formerly Taylor Walker, now Greene King pub in close proximity to St Pauls Cathedral to be: all dark-wood panelling and semi-traditional furniture. 'Main' bar at street level, but also features a surprisingly rather larger bar and side patio beer garden downstairs. Four real ales on handpump upstairs: IPA, the seasonal Scrum Down and Woodforde's Wherry plus Wimbledon Windmill spring ale (£4.85) as guest beers. Same selection from the further six handpumps down below, supplemented by Band of Brothers and another guest - Black Sheep.
On 30th March 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8092 recommendations about 8092 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about Ye Olde London
I came here once about ten years ago and hadn't been back since. This is a tourist pub for those in perpetual search of the Best Fish 'n' Chips in London. Around 2014 the Wm Younger's stained glass was ripped out and replaced with plain glass (this pub was established here as the London Coffee House Tavern in 1749 and rebuilt I don't know when, but it looks 19th century). Sadly, this pub is now owned by Taylor Walker which - you guessed it - means TV sport, sauce bottles on tables, laminate pictorial menus and a games machine. Naturally, there's the ubiquitous TW part bare boarded and part flagstone floor; music was muted for a pleasant change. Somewhat incongruously, there were Christmas decorations in late September.
Downstairs there's a huge bar with a pool table and courtyard/garden beyond.
The lavs were a disgrace with one cubicle out of order, the other, with a door that would barely open, had a broken flush and was spattered with faeces.
Ales: Greene King's Abott, IPA and London Glory as well as Taylor Walker's 1730 which was ok and a pricey £2.35.
I don't like TW pubs at the best of times and this is the worst I've yet encountered.
On 30th September 2016
- rating: 2
[User has posted 1983 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about Ye Olde London
At street level is a fairly average sort of city bar, but downstairs is a much larger bar with a much more welcoming feel, better range of beers, separate seating areas and a pool table. It even has an outdoor courtyard area. Usual Taylor Walker beer range, with the occasional interesting guest. Prices as might be expected in the City, but a reasonable place to drink if you are in the area.
On 10th September 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about Ye Olde London
2 floor Taylor Walker pub serving 3 real ales and food.
On 19th November 2013
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Blue left this review about Ye Olde London
Promising looking pub a stone’s throw from St Paul’s cathedral, with leaded windows bearing the familiar ‘Wm Younger Est 1749’ stained glass, now a Taylor Walker house. The street level bar has bar height tables with bar stools, more stools round the sides and around everything else to which it’s possible to affix a ledge, and a slightly raised area at the front with tables and chairs, and is surrounded by traditional 1970s pub red and gold print wallpaper. There were two ale pumps at the bar, sporting Young’s London Gold and Hobgoblin. The barmaid asked me to pay £3.60 for my rather mediocre Hobgoblin, hence I was surprised to receive £1.03 change from a fiver, and on querying this to be told that the price was in fact £3.97. I then noticed that Old Golden Hen and Pride were advertised as also available in the cellar bar.
Downstairs you can’t miss the fake book spines stuck to the walls as you enter the cellar bar, which goes back about twice as far as the street level bar. To the right is a beer patio with tables and chairs, and a couple of gargoyles and four large mid-19th century tombstones for some reason. Mains on the pub menu start at £8.25 for a lasagne.
Astute readers may sense that I found lots of things I didn’t like about this pub. From a promising start I just felt it got progressively more tacky. I doubt I will visit it again, though I can’t say there’s anything actually wrong with the pub, and daresay some local workers will like it as well as the inevitable tourist trade.
On 3rd November 2011
- rating: 4
[User has posted 271 recommendations about 270 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Ye Olde London
Nice looking pub from the outside with lots of leaded glass windows and hanging baskets, but nothing particularly Olde on the inside. Went through some strange gothic decor period a while back but now reverted to a normal but nothing very spectacular traditional pub decor.
Fairly small street level bar and then a bigger area downstairs as reported below. The street level bar can get a bit busy with tourists visiting the nearby St Pauls.
Two beers on at the time of my visit, which were Doombar and Youngs Ordinary.
On 17th July 2010
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about Ye Olde London
This place is a little deceptive as the public bar is on street level and it isn’t the biggest or most atmospheric, but a quick walk downstairs takes one to a much larger bar that has seating for 120 people. I stayed up in the front public bar where I found the lager to be good and the service to be friendly and although I wouldn’t stay all night I will pop in again when next passing.
On 18th June 2007
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5233 recommendations about 5201 pubs]