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Sports Bar & Grill, Old Street, EC1

174-180 Old Street
EC1
EC1V 9BP
Phone: 02073368310

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 4 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Tris C left this review about The William Blake

Ditto.

On 8th June 2018 - rating: 3
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


custodian 42 left this review about The William Blake

Didn't go in this place much as the Spoons next door is far better but the time I did go in it had ESB on draught which was a welcome surprise.

On 19th January 2017 - rating: 5
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about The William Blake

The Town and City pub company have recently revamped a lot of their old Litten Tree pubs, giving them new individual identities and smartening up the interiors, without really changing their ethos too much. The William Blake is the result of such a makeover and it now comes across as a shinier, sleeker (and more expensive) version of the Wetherspoons pub next door.
The pub is essentially at the more respectable end of the ‘drinking barn’ phenomenon, with one large, open plan room, full of plush leather furnishings, high stools and tables and bare floorboards. There was a row of large TV screens, all showing sports channels on a Saturday lunchtime, whilst a second room to the rear had a huge screen projecting six nations rugby to nobody. Fruit machines and an odd electronic pinball machine were flashing away silently and signs advertised live music and swing dancing nights among other things. There was already one stag party in by 3pm and I can see that this is exactly the sort of crowd the pub is looking to attract, with VIP areas already roped off in readiness for the evening.
There were six hand pumps dispensing Wells Bombardier, Sambrooks Wandle and Junction and Timothy Taylor Landlord. I tried the Junction and found it to be in decent condition – perhaps just a little too cold.
Whilst I don’t see myself coming back to this place, I can see that it does have a degree of appeal and I can’t really complain at being served decent beer, sitting on a comfy chair and watching live rugby, but for me the place lacked any character and I would be more inclined to use the ‘Spoons next door the next time I want a quick stop before jumping on the tube, which is saying something.

On 13th March 2011 - rating: 4
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve of N21 left this review about The William Blake

Fortunately we hadn’t visited here before and didn’t realise its past identity when we decamped here after getting fed up waiting to be served in the ‘spoons a few doors up. But after being fully refurbished in summer 2010 this former Litten Tree has been rebadged and renamed as The William Blake, after the 18th Century English Poet who is buried in Bunhill Fields round the corner from Old Street station. The Town and City Pub Company blurb will give you some old horse shit that they have renamed it as part of their new policy of identifying pubs whose market and location have a strong local identity. So nothing to do with the fact that the Litten Tree brand has a reputation that stinks more that a 50 day old kipper then.
Actually our experience of this new guise was not bad, probably helped by the fact that we went straight up the bar and got served almost straight away by a friendly, bubbly barmaid. And as well as all the usual gleaming Lager taps there are two banks of three handpumps on the bar which were dispensing 4 ales. As well as CW Bombardier and TT Landlord, the two Sambrook Brewery beers , Wandel and Junction were on and both were good pints.
It’s still very much got a chain pub feel about it with a focus on the usual plastic cheep food menu and cheep drinks, but it’s nicely laid out and there is plenty of very comfortable leather sofa seating around the edges arranged in the form of individual alcove areas. Seems to be a place to watch the sport as there are five plasma screens dotted about and what looked like a couple projectors and pull down screens.
Also appeared to be a second section beyond a set of dividing doors with its own bar beyond the toilets, but this seemed to be in use for a private function and we didn’t venture into here.
It’s still not the type of place I personally would choose to spend an evening, but seemed perfectly OK for somewhere to grab a pint very close to Old Street station if you haven’t got the time to search out one of the far superior traditional pubs a short walk away.

On 3rd November 2010 - rating: 5
[User has posted 2094 recommendations about 1985 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve C left this review about The Litten Tree

My recent visit here was my first for many years and apart from the staff seeming a little friendlier it was pretty much how I remember with cheap booze and a clientele of basic education. There are a couple of small projector screens at the rear of this large pub and also some plasma screens dotted about for showing the football.

The many hand pumps found amongst the standard draught taps were all dispensing Bombardier and the Guinness was cheap at £2.25, but I would rather pay the extra for a decent pint. Obviously there were several standard lagers available and deals on shots can be found, which may explain why the doorman was having a little trouble ejecting a plastered young lad.

The Litten Tree name hardly feels me with excitement and I’m afraid that this place is no exception.

On 3rd February 2010 - rating: 4
[User has posted 5179 recommendations about 5148 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


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

I very rarely consider a pint in any pub with bouncers on the door, but I realised walking from the tube station that I probably didn't have time to reach the Artillery Arms (my intended destination) for a quick pint whilst passing through. On my previous visit, all six handpumps had London Pride clips - this time they were all for Bombardier. Busy, but I got served reasonably quickly and found a free seat by the front windows. There is no way you could call this a good pub, but its a bit better than the Litten Tree name might suggest.

27 June 2007
Nothing special, but I obviously picked a better time to visit that those described below. Some reasonable window seats, but most of the interior looks very gloomy. Six hand pumps, but all had London Pride clips!

On 7th March 2009 - rating: 4
[User has posted 8061 recommendations about 8061 pubs]