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The Porterhouse, Covent Garden, WC2
Covent Garden
WC2
WC2E 7NA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Porterhouse
A lot larger set up here than it's sister pub in Dublin. There was plenty of space in the front patio area and the interior was also a good size, with an impressive bar area as you step down into the pub. There was lots of copper ducting and piping all around the place and I asked one of the floor staff did they do any brewing in here. Apparently all their Porterhouse beers are brewed in Dublin and are shipped over. Apart from the extensive range of keg beers displayed on fish eyes along the centre of the bar, they also had a choice of two cask ales and one cider, which were doubled up. The choice was Sambrooke's Wandle and Purity Mad Goose and Monty's cider.
On 17th November 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Porterhouse
Many moons since I was last here and internally nothing much has changed, it’s still a fairly unique interior and worth a visit just for that. As mentioned below the acoustics are terrible in here, so expect to have to shout conversation if it’s busy. There is real ale now, 3 pumps. Also, they have dropped the bizarre claims about all foreign beer they had in the fridges but were rarely (if ever, in some cases) stocked. I went for the Porterhouse Oyster Stout, served up by a very engaging barman and got a pretty decent keg stout for my efforts. A good visit.
February 2008
An apparent re-creation of the Porterhouse establishment in Dublin. This bewildering pub is set over four levels and is pretty huge inside, fitted out in an industrial style with copper piping and various other brass and copper fixtures. There are also a number of display cabinets with various bottles of beer from around the world inside. The Porterhouse beers (Red, Oyster Stout, Chiller and Plain Porter) are kegged which is a shame as the Red does taste fairly good. Prices are steep but no worse than many other places within half a mile and at least you get something unique for your cash. However the place can often be a let-down. Half of the 'world beers' on the menu are never stocked, which is annoying when you’ve just traipsed over with an order for three of them from a distant table. Staff quality varies - I've had some excellent service punctuated with others who seem to busy chatting to their mates the other side of the bar or serving attractive girls before everyone else. Mrs Quinno also had an issue in here with the food and a surly bar manager here a while back. Novelty has worn off for me. Rated 6
On 11th July 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5081 recommendations about 5064 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Porterhouse
I came here once or twice around 20 years ago, not long after this pub conversion opened and at an age when this sort of thing had greater appeal.
Not quite as large as described and claiming to be an Irish bar, it is mulit-levelled (12 including mezzanines according to the website) with a huge amount of polished brass and copper handrails. It's dominated by office workers in suits and laadz in T-shirts, all of whom are in high spirits. A wooden floor and dark brown woodwork add to a degree of gloom in a pub which, with so many hard surfaces, has terrible acoustics and despite the lack of music, the noise of chatter was so great as to make conversation all but impossible.
Seemingly there were three ales at the lower bar but I couldn't reach it due to the midweek crush. A smaller bar upstairs offered around three craft ales at £5.00 a pint which is increasingly the norm in London and an absolute giveaway in Covent Garden.
Neither Covent Garden nor this kind of drinking establishment are my thing though it does have a soupçon of curiosity value, so I'll not be hastening back.
On 10th August 2018
- rating: 3
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about The Porterhouse
The best of the pubs on Maiden Lane, not that that's saying much. Real ale on offer, but not of any strength.
On 18th January 2017
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Porterhouse
The only bad thing about this place is overcrowding, both inside the various bars / seating areas on different levels and out on the front patio. It's not exactly a real ale stronghold (usually two, sometimes three, on handpump - and the Doom Bar ran out part-way through the session on this visit, but thankfully we were on the Windsor & Eton Windsor Knot (£4.60) which not only stayed on but which was in good form too - but it does have an excellent range of keg beers from Ireland's Porterhouse brewery plus one of the best selections of bottled beers in the country. Try to go at a quieter time of day, and you should have a great time.
On 7th February 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Porterhouse
Love the style of this pub.Always visit when in the area.Beer choice doesn,t change much but the Porterhouse beers are decent.Great pub to watch the football in.
On 20th May 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Porterhouse
This is an absolute TARDIS of a pub, with drinking areas stretching way back from the entrance, as well as up and down to four different levels. It’s a conversion from some old building, as there never was to be a pub on this site when I used to work in Whitehall. The interior decor is most unusual, the main feature being the copper piping, and handrails etc. It looks as if they have stuck some copper wherever it is conveivably possible to do so. The other overwhelming feature is the hundreds of beer bottles displayed in glass cabinets and on shelving all over the place. There’s all kinds of seating inside, as well as some covered outside seating at the front.
I reckon the main beer focus here is the range of unusual and superior keg lagers, but they did have on a couple of real ales – Purity Mad Goose, and the excellent Bath Gem (£3.85 a pint). Being so near to Covent Garden it obviously does food, and doesn’t seem overly expensive – for the area. As an example the pub staple of Cumberland sausages, two fried eggs and chips weighs in at £7.95.
This is nothing like a traditional pub, but nonetheless in a somewhat eccentric way it is a good pub. I would visit again, but it’s best visited at a quieter time if you can manage it.
On 16th October 2012
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Porterhouse
I quite often use this vast pub as a meeting point, given its location just a short walk away from Covent Garden, although despite its size (there are four floors), it tends to always be impossible to find somewhere to sit, such is the popularity of the place.
The pub is owned by the Porterhouse Brewing Co. of Dublin and the four bars all serve a good selection of their beers - most notable on my recent visit were Porterhouse Red, Oyster Stout, Chiller and Plain Porter. A couple of cask ales are often in evidence (Thwaites Bomber seems to be a regular fixture), but pump clips were all turned on this occasion. There is also a comprehensive bottled beer menu, but again I didn't have much luck here as the two that I asked for were both unavailable. There were posters and banners advertising all of the Oktoberfest beers over the coming month - two of which were on tap and I gave one a try, which was a little disappointing. I also had a pint of the Porterhouse Red, which is on draught and thus appeared very creamy and too cold.
The pub is fitted out with lots of copper piping and metallic fixtures in the style of a brewery. This doesn't exactly make for the cosiest environment, but it still kind of works. The look is aided by a number of large display cabinets which are full of beer bottles from around the world. The bar on the lower ground floor has a small stage behind it and it's not uncommon to find a band playing down there. Numerous TV screens are dotted around the place, showing all sorts of sports in the day and relaying footage of the band in the evening. Smokers can enjoy a large patio at the front of the pub - an area that is usually packed upon approach, giving a good indication of how busy things will be once inside.
I quite like this place, despite often being a little let down by the beer quality. But it's worth a try as it is something different and you'll struggle to find these beers elsewhere this side of the Irish Sea.
On 24th October 2010
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Mark Castro-Garcia left this review about The Porterhouse
I had high hopes about this place as I've heard it's a real ale mecca...
However, I only noticed 2 on tap; Twaites Bomber and Turners TSB
It was unexpectedly Irish instead of English, and the place was empty! Maybe it would be better on another visit when it's slightly busier
On 21st November 2009
- rating: 6
[User has posted 22 recommendations about 22 pubs]