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The Sir John Oldcastle (JD Wetherspoon), EC1
EC1
EC1M 3JF
Pub Type
J D WetherspoonReviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Sir John Oldcastle (JD Wetherspoon)
Fairly busy branch of Wetherspoon's just across the Farringdon Road from Farringdon station. Bar staff didn't exactly look busy, but it did seem to take a while to get served. Regular beers here are Greene King Abbot & IPA & Sharp's Doom Bar. Guest beers were Loddon Dragonfly, Brain's St David's Ale & Cairngorm Wildcat. There is no real cider in this branch.
I managed to bag a table by the windows, which was a nice place for a bit of people watching. My St David's Ale was in a good condition, but a dark beer or a cider would have been preferable.
On 2nd March 2023
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2454 recommendations about 2453 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Sir John Oldcastle (JD Wetherspoon)
A city Spoons, handy for Farringdon station, with a wood interior dating from the 'library' period which has actually weathered in quite pleasantly. It is not over-large, with just the one L-shaped room with L-shaped bar at the back. The beer was a little disappointing, with just Old Hooky, Maxim Maximus and Batemans XXXB alongside the usuals. Sadly the Batemans was approaching vinegar and the replacement Hooky was not a great deal better ("well they've been drinking it ok all day..."). It would be a tolerable pub if they got the beer right
On 28th June 2022
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Sir John Oldcastle (JD Wetherspoon)
Located just up from Farringdon station. Quite a plain L shaped interior. Maybe not one to seek out but does the job as a pit stop on a crawl.
On 8th October 2019
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Sir John Oldcastle (JD Wetherspoon)
A very run of the mill paint by numbers ‘Spoons that is fairly close to Farringdon station and as referred to by a previous reviewer handy if you need some breakfast and the loo, which is exactly what we utilised it for post emergence at the nearby station.
Fairly standard offerings on the pumps as well but this being the festive season there was a reasonably well kept Butcombe Chris Moose which was fairly understated for a winter ale, but you can’t blame the pub for that. However, it did take a lot longer to reach me than it should have as I got the trainee barmaid on her first day, which again I guess I can’t blame the pub for as that’s something you should expect as part of the potential package when you walk through the door of a ‘spoons..
Also for me, not one I would make an effort to rush back to.
On 5th December 2018
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Delboy 20 left this review about Sir John Oldcastle (JD Wetherspoon)
Run of the mill Spoons handy for the station. My pint of Acorn pale was in excellent shape.
On 7th June 2018
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1656 recommendations about 1556 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Sir John Oldcastle (JD Wetherspoon)
Standard-issue Wetherspoons, with a large 'L'-shaped bar. Used to have a reasonable range of beer from the banks of six handpumps, but I have found a disappointing selection in more recent visits, with a total of seven different beers on this occasion, and only the Welton's Hurricane and Itchen Valley New Hampshire (expensive for the chain at £3.40) being of much interest.
On 18th August 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about Sir John Oldcastle (JD Wetherspoon)
This pub is named after the eponymous 14th and 15th century lollard who came to a sticky end at St. Giles' Fields in 1417. This pub has been constructed within what today would be Oldcastle's estate; he is said to have been the inspiration for Shakespeare's Falstaff.
This is a slightly sub-standard 'spoons in the ground floor of an old office block, overlooking Farringdon station and the crossrail development. You probably know what to expect so an in-depth description is unwarranted.
Ales: six, including Adnam's Ghost Ship and Fuller's London Pride at £1.93 a half and fine.
I can't think of any compelling reason to return, save for the very early opening times (if you need some breakfast and the loo) and weekend openings when this area is otherwise dead.
Damn fine chips though...
On 11th February 2017
- rating: 3
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about Sir John Oldcastle (JD Wetherspoon)
This is a routine 'spoons situated on a corner plot close to Farringdon Station. Large full height windows on two elevations provide good natural light, a quality lacking in many of the brand's shop conversions, there are also rather spectacular external floral displays. Carpeted as they all are, a diamond pattern here, walls and columns are wood panelled. The usual write ups were abundant in here, amongst others there were eulogies to the River Fleet, Fleet Prison, Smithfield Market, Little Italy and someone called the Duchess of Newcastle aka "Mad Marge"....pretty sure I've met her.
Two banks of pumps on the L-shaped bar, one with the usual suspects, the other was rather cider heavy with a cider festival due to commence. Adnam's Juniper Saison was viewed with deep suspicion, the only other guest ale was Welton's English Pride. After a much screwed up train journey taking over an hour I plumped for a nice calming 7% cider which started to make it all worthwhile.
On 8th July 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Sir John Oldcastle (JD Wetherspoon)
Large L-shaped Spoons with a mid-90’s catalogue interior at the base of an uninspiring office block, almost next door to Farringdon station. Plate glass on two sides mean that the interior is at least bright and cheery, rather than the nocturnal gloom of some other office/shop conversion JDWs. Absolutely rammed on my Easter Thursday evening visit, so much so that there were only three ales left – unsurprisingly those were GK IPA, Pride and a high abv Chilli beer (Wentworth I think – the sign clip was a handwritten scrawl). The latter was in decent shape but hard-going over the course of a pint. Seemingly no effort made over the course of my hour-long stay to get the other pumps up and running. Despite the scrum, our food came out quick and was in good order. Whilst it was hardly a mind-blowing experience, it’s useful to know that an oasis of cheapness exists in this over-priced part of the capital.
On 21st April 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about Sir John Oldcastle (JD Wetherspoon)
This 'spoons occupies a large corner site at the bottom end of Farringdon Road. Inside it's typical of the breed, being effectively a large drinking barn furnished with some tall tables/tall stools in the middle of the room, but with the majority of the furnishings being normal tables and chairs crammed into the remaining area. It still being the 'spoons spring ale festival, there were more ales on than you could shake a stick at, spread over two banks of handpumps on either side of the L shaped counter. I went for the Phoenix Play It Again Sam, a light straw coloured ale with a pleasantly bitter aftertaste. The prices here are at the top end of the 'spoons pricing range, with festival ales rocking in at £2.99 a pint. I somehow managed to resist the temptation of the Doom Bar at over £3 a pint.
You usually know what you're going to get with a 'spoons, and here I got the traditional breakfast that I was looking for.
On 25th March 2015
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]