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William IV, N1

7 Shepherdess Walk
N1
N1 7QE
Phone: 02074903283

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


Moby Duck left this review about William IV

Surprisingly I'd never been in here before despite multiple visits to the nearby Wenlock Arms. It's basically a square room with a central three sided bar. The three handpumps had London Pride, Dark Star Hophead and Burning Sky Plateau on, a mix of craft and lager on keg. Music was playing on a low setting whilst the chatter was loud. Not a bad place but would only merit an occasional visit.

On 17th March 2024 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1868 recommendations about 1841 pubs]


Bucking Fastard left this review about William IV

This pub has had a chequered past with several periods of closure.However things are looking up,this street corner pub has a decent exterior but has been stripped out inside to a large square room with the bar along the far wall and extending into the body of the building.Wooden floor,large picture windows all round so few wall covering nor features,the large modern mirrored bar back is the highlight,although there is some faint traces of wood panelling.
The funiture is trad but standard,while there is a first floor restaurant,keeping the ground floor for drinking.The target audience are the under 30's,hence the stupid loud muzak which makes it difficult to think. However I spotted three handpumps lurking down the short side of the bar which on my trip were drawing the ubiquitous Fullers London Pride and Hophead along with ,to my surprise,a very decent Cloudwater Fuzzy (£6,NBSS 4).
This pub will never outcompete the nearby Wenlock ,but if they can maintain interesting ales in good nick and turn down the volume,a higher mark would be appropriate.Friendly and helpful bar staff too.

On 22nd December 2023 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]


Tris C left this review about William IV

This is a mid-19th century pub, once a Wenlock’s house unsurprisingly, though still displaying some later Charrington’s lanterns.
Reopened on 29th August having been closed for almost exactly three years and what a change: the interior and furniture is no longer deathly white, rather a boarded floor, black three-quarter-height field panelling then white Anaglypta up to a similar ceiling. Lighting comes from hanging translucent white spherical lamps, filament sconces and a large mediaeval-style wrought iron chandelier above the new enlarged staple-shaped bar with traditional front then wood and mirrored back. As yet, there’s no real décor to speak of except for a notional Guinness mirror. Furniture is traditional with some pews to the periphery, sat on by young professional types, all to a rather loud soundtrack.
A partially decent ale front amounted to Pride (reversed), then Hophead and the less common though welcome Allsopp’s IPA at a very reasonable £2.50 a half, a proper, good IPA on good form, served by two barmaids, on best behaviour so as to make a good impression in the opening days.
This is a better offering than the Eagle and makes for a credible alternative to the Wenlock, but the music really needs to be turned down a bit.

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20th April 2016:

Largely as described below, this pub's interior is less ghostly grey than it was when I last visited about 6 years ago. There's some but not as much. The furniture is basic and tables are large which militates against intimacy. Four pumps with only two on: Timothy Taylor's Landlord at a very reasonable - for the area - £4.05 a pint and decent it was too. Also available was Greene King's Marmalade On Toast; the name is somewhat self-explanatory.
This pub isn't too bad but the awful pounding reggae soundtrack's bass line was making me feel ill - it was like being at the Notting Hill Carnival. Also somewhat ominous was the projector for TV sports. We left and made our way to the much improved Eagle around the corner.

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19th October 2016:

A return visit and although the pounding reggae wasn't on, the place had virtually all the lights out giving the initial impression that it was closed. Amid the gloom we spotted a silhouette so realised that if this was a customer, then the pub must be open. The barman was slumped in a chair by the lavatory and got up to serve us. The only ale choice was Landlord which had rocketed in price to £4.50 a pint which is outrageous for the area and wasn't great; four pumps were unused.
I wonder if this pub is being run down as a prelude to closing, as the Eagle and Wenlock Arms were doing a fine trade at this hour.

Score reduced from 4 to 3.

On 3rd September 2023 - rating: 5
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about William IV

A rather strange mixture of upmarket and basic, with a light 'distressed' colour scheme and a right mix of dark furniture within the square main bar. Another room upstairs (not visited). Young clientele. Four of five handpumps on, offering Harveys, ELB Jamboree and two from Hackney - Bitter (£3.50) and American Pale Ale. Overall, not really my kind of place but pleasant enough.

On 5th March 2014 - rating: 7
[User has posted 8061 recommendations about 8061 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


john gray left this review about William IV

Very bland interior to this one room pub.4 handpumps but only one beer on a very average Harveys -Sussex best but there again does it get above average in other pubs.Very quiet on my visit but dj equipment set up in the corner so maybe gets busy later.

On 4th January 2014 - rating: 5
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve C left this review about William IV

My first beef with this place is why do pubs use these stupid metal handles on their pumps that have the name of the drink etched into them so that you can only see what drinks are on offer if you are standing directly in front of the pump. You end up having to ask the barman who resents being asked what drinks are available every time someone who has not been into the pub before walks in. I did manage to find out that one ale was off, but Landlord and Pride were available alongside a selection of standard and premium lagers.

The target market seems to be the young middle class professional who likes playing board games whilst sitting on cheap looking furniture.

There is a lounge and cocktail bar upstairs, but I didn't investigate as I decided that I had seen enough and moved on.

On 3rd September 2009 - rating: 5
[User has posted 5179 recommendations about 5148 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Quinno _ left this review about William IV

Plodded in like a drowned rat just before Xmas when trying to find the Wenlock without a map and needed a pints worth of splash-and-dash. A couple of decent ales on, Black Sheep was good, and served in a handled glass as well. They didn't look too put out when I asked where the Wenlock was either, so extra mark there. Inside was all boho-gentrification; white-painted wood, 30-watt bulb lighting and a particular kind of ‘distressed' look, probably added at great expense I imagine. Some nice glasswork along the pubs frontage and a few old oil portraits of long-dead Georgian nobodies along the walls. Looked like food was a high priority here, took a quick look at the menu which looked fairly reasonable in price. Not necessarily a place I’d rush to come back to but it was reasonable enough given the circumstances.

On 2nd January 2008 - rating: 6
[User has posted 5043 recommendations about 5026 pubs]