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The Penderel's Oak (JD Wetherspoon), Holborn, WC1

283-288 High Holborn
WC1
WC1V 7HJ
Phone: 02072425669

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


Quinno _ left this review about The Penderel's Oak (JD Wetherspoon)

A large and tidy Spoons with a relatively modern feel (1998 opener), situated below an office block nestling close to the legal district of Lincolns Inn. Three guests, my Brightside Time Bandit didn't fully clear (NBSS 1.5) and I abandoned it halfway down. I suppose it doesn’t need to particularly impress to retain customers, given the location. A better beer would have seen a better score – I’d be tempted to give it another try in a year or so to see; although I note that Timbo has put the place up for sale as of pretty much my visit so this one was likely my last.

On 21st November 2023 - rating: 5
[User has posted 5043 recommendations about 5026 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Bucking Fastard left this review about The Penderel's Oak (JD Wetherspoon)

This is a very large 'spoons below an office block.On entering there is a sea of pine tables,a slightly raised section by the windows with the bar along a rear side wall.There is lots of room for vertical drinking infront of the bar,opposite which there is a library section with seating booths,while a further rear section leads to a small coutyard.The 12 handpumps are split into the dreaded regulars on one set namely London Pride and Doom Bar (both doubled up) along with GK IPA and Abbott.The 6 guest taps were offering Strathaven Old Mortality,Ilkley Mary Jane,Maxim Double Maxim,Twickenham Honey Dark and Naked Ladies (NBSS 1.5) and a real cider.
I visited the Cellar Bar which just has the 6 handpumps with the same ghastly regulars as upstairs.Down here the back lit bar in a pleasing curve gives a bit more character,while the furniture and fittings are a bit more plush.However the low ceiling focusses attention on the two flatscreen with BBC News 24 on mute.
My fish was soggy ,my pint was in poor nick and for me this felt like a 'spoons for which a revisit is not called for.

On 29th February 2020 - rating: 5
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Brainy Pool left this review about The Penderel's Oak (JD Wetherspoon)

an enormous, and enormously dull city centre Wetherspoons. Modern interior upstairs and down with no character at all of note. Downstairs the choice of real ale was very dull indeed and the London Pride, the best option, was well over £4. Not too impressed with it really.

On 16th May 2019 - rating: 4
[User has posted 1051 recommendations about 1016 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


hondo . left this review about The Penderel's Oak (JD Wetherspoon)

Large L shaped ground floor didn’t visit the cellar bar. Maybe not one for a session but does the job on a crawl.

On 25th October 2018 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Tris C left this review about The Penderel's Oak (JD Wetherspoon)

Named after Richard Penderel who aided Charles II when he fled from Cromwell's troops; he hid Chaz in the Royal Oak tree in Boscobel Wood, Shropshire.
I've been coming here sporadically since around the time it opened, solely because we meet here on occasion and a friend of mine (who earns a packet) loves 'spoons, unlike me.
A return trip after quite a while in a group of about 10 but solely because a group this size - it could've been a lot larger - can be guaranteed a table. I don't think it's changed much if at all over the years: it's a 'spoons so you know exactly what to expect though it is in a largely commercial area and is therefore in a more affluent drinking zone but benefitting the drinker in that because of the location, there's virtually nothing else open around here at weekends.
So a 'spoons indeed with very bright lighting. Ales: about 10, though less inspiring than most branches and probably at the more expensive end of the 'spoons chain, my pints of Mine Beer costing £3.45 each which is near charitable by London standards.
Good lavatories and a small, attractive rear patio with illuminated [royal?] oak motif are probably the only reasons to visit unless, unlike me, you are a fan of the breed.

On 8th October 2017 - rating: 3
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


E TA left this review about The Penderel's Oak (JD Wetherspoon)

A fairly standard London 'Spoons set on the ground floor of a modern building which is mostly office block, comprising a single L-shaped bar and a small outside terrace at the back. Nine ales on draft and one 'Coming Soon'. I had a pint of Brewster's Et Citra, which wasn't to my taste particularly, but it was in good condition and served at a decent temperature, ironic considering this is one ale that possibly could benefit from being a bit cooler. It's a contrast to the other local pubs in that it isn't as pretentious, and the clientele are a fairly ordinary bunch. The staff were OK but notably foreign, and the WiFi worked. I'd be happy to drop in again for a pint when passing and I'd include on a crawl.

On 6th November 2015 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3272 recommendations about 3237 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


john mcgraw left this review about The Penderel's Oak (JD Wetherspoon)

Large Wetherspoon's with a cellar bar. There always seems to be a fair selection of real ales but none seem to be very inspiring,just the run of the mill stuff.

On 2nd March 2014 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Moby Duck left this review about The Penderel's Oak (JD Wetherspoon)

I am not known for my love of Wetherspoons establishments and to be honest the only reason I dashed through the doors was I didn't think I would make my next planned pub before my bladder burst.Having used the facility's I thought it only fair I should purchase at least a half of something as I would anywhere If I popped in to use the loo,expecting to find something of interest I was very wrong, I have never seen such a bland collection of pump clips,London Pride, Courage Directors, Green King IPA and Abbot, Bombadier and something from Adnams I think,I'm afraid I left without having a drink. I will still give it a rating of 3 for the experience, 2.5 of which is for the toilets.

On 30th December 2013 - rating: 3
[User has posted 1868 recommendations about 1841 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Aqualung . left this review about The Penderel's Oak (JD Wetherspoon)

This pub is made up of the Ground Floor and Basement of an office block named after some bloke who hid someone in a tree a very long time ago. It is actually a Lloyds No 1 which presumably means there is music in the evening.
I arrived just before 11:00 on a Friday morning, when despite the Central London location and higher prices there was still the odd daytime Spoons type present. The building is well described previously and I thought was wholly uninspiring. The twelve pumps had GK IPA and Abbot, two London Pride, Adnam's Broadside, six festival beers, unusually a perry and Adnam's / Pretty Things Jack D'Or. I went for the "American" Jack D'Or (£3.35) which was rather cloudy and certainly not at it's best. The pub has been GBG listed for many years and is in the 2014 edition. The beer quality was totally disappointing for a GBG listed pub.
It seems to me that despite the much higher prices Central London Spoons are inferior to their suburban equivalent, maybe they are just too busy to cope with everything that needs to be done.

On 10th November 2013 - rating: 4
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Malden man left this review about The Penderel's Oak (JD Wetherspoon)

A large rambling JDW, vaguely L-shaped and with a few booths and small changes in level. The side walls and indeed part of the rear are lined with bookcases furnished with dubious old volumes, to the front there is a long curved drinking shelf which effectively separates a small raised section from the main body of the pub. Curiously, plastic foliage extends up a pillar and across an area of ceiling, some windows and rooflights are in thick glass blocks resulting in a seriously dismal interior even by this chain's standards. There is also lots of wood panelling and a wood burner in a large fireplace, to the rear is a smallish beer garden, unusual for this part of town. The separate cellar bar was closed at the time so unseen by me.
Five guests on at the time however being central London the prices are much higher than usual in a 'spoons, my mediocre Wooden Hand Cornish Mutiny was £3.05; when I got it that is, really slow service, two on today, one training evidenced by the badge on her shirt and no fault of her own, clearly requiring supervision. Twelve waiting at the bar, my single pint order took more than ten minutes. I nearly walked out. Every visit to any pub is different, this one, my first here, was poor.

On 14th September 2013 - rating: 4
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]

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