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Bag O' Nails, Victoria, SW1
Westminster
SW1
SW1W 0PP
Pub Type
Taylor Walker (Spirit Pubs)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about Bag O' Nails
Grade II-listed and originally the Devil & Bag o’ Nails, this appears to have been mucked about with since the previous review, with typical Victorian-style Greene King predictability, but with a part carpeted floor and tourists, given its proximity to Buckingham Palace.
The main novelties here are Christmas decorations in early November and the enormous invisible rip in the oxblood peripheral banquette, which almost swallowed me whole on sitting down; another portion nearby was visibly ripped and poorly repaired with Sellotape; customers appeared to be undiscerning office types and young.
Ales offered amounted to Abbot, GK IPA, Rocking Rudolph, London Glory and Black Sheep Best at £2.80 a half and fine, served by a weird barman who insisted on addressing me from the far end of the bar.
This pub may get an extra point for having a drinkable non-GK beer, or for that matter Pride or Doom, but the utter predictability of the place and the couldn’t care less air of the brand around Victoria, ensures I won’t return. It’s a bag o’ something, but whatever it is, it’s less preferable than nails.
On 17th November 2021
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Bag O' Nails
This pub is also now part of the Green King empire and again its one they haven’t mucked about with so the interior remains the previous old world character with its red ceiling and wood panelling throughout. A tourist haunt during the day it was city workers only late on when we popped in for a last one of the evening after visiting the newly opened newest member of the Flight Club chain on the ground floor of one of the new Victoria tall glass buildings nearby.
As to be expected the six handpumps were dominated by GK brews with IPA, Abbott and London Glory on three and then Doombar and Black sheep on two more with the last one unused. As there were eight of us we covered all the available beers between us except for the Abbott. The problem was a more insipid collection of boring brown bitters you could not have experienced to the extent that we began to think something funny was going on with the cellar pipe work. The Black sheep certainly didn’t taste anything like Black Sheep, the IPA tasted more Like Black Sheep, the London Glory did look like London Glory and the Doombar was pretty indescribable.
I don’t think we will be rushing back to this one.
On 13th June 2019
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about Bag O' Nails
GK pub with no real ale of any strength. Standard kegs including Punk IPA. Also an upstairs diner but nothing to entice me back.
On 8th March 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 Bag O' Nails
Popular with the tourists during the day, but this Taylor Walker outlet is one of the quieter pubs within a few minutes walk of Victoria station if waiting for a train later on. Traditional-style furniture and decor, with a lot of dark-wood and some chequer-board tiling along the bar counter. Upstairs dining room). On the real ale front, 1730, IPA and London Glory from Greene King, 6X, the seasonal Rocking Rudolph (£4.30 less 10% Camra discount) and Old Rosie cider available from the six handpumps on this visit.
On 16th January 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about Bag O' Nails
This traditional town boozer is currently a Taylor Walker pub with excellent beer, and it's surprising that it doesn't have a GBG entry given that it's better than some pubs that do. There were five ales on, and I had pints each of Otter and 1730, both in first class condition. I would definitely be happy to come back here and would certainly include in a crawl or to get hammered.
On 4th December 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3285 recommendations about 3250 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Bag O' Nails
A Taylor Walker place done by numbers, a basic open-plan room with some dark brown wood panelling and a few pot plants. Trades off being one of the closest pubs to Brenda’s gaff and is outrageously expensive. Five ales on; 2x GK, Wadworth 6X, Otter Amber (below-par) and Westerham 1730 (fine) with Old Rosie as the token cider. The parping of Xmas music through the speakers (on the 24th of November) blackened my mood further. With a decent Wetherspoons only 5 minutes away, why bother coming here? Given the lack of customers, I’m guessing I’m not the only one with that view.
On 26th November 2015
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Bag O Nails
If my memory serves me correctly, in days of yore this used to be a Wm Younger pub, but if so no signage or distinctive glass windows remain. Anyway, this is now a Punch pubco pub, now trading under its Taylor Walker branding, so the menu is the usual pubco pub grub, although I have to say the nosh I saw other punters tucking into looked OK. Being right by the Royal Mews it gets its fair share of tourists, thus prices aren’t going to be cheap, but that’s true of “tourist” bars anywhere in the world. They had on GKIPA, Woodforde Wherry, and a couple of other mainstream offerings that I failed to note. The Wherry was £1.79 for a half, an odd price as most places would round that up to £1.80, and is now pretty much the going, but expensive, rate for Central London.
The pub itself looks OK from the outside, with some attractive and traditional lattice windows. Inside the decor and furnishings are typical of the brand – black (lacquered?) flooring, tall tables and stools as well as some normal tables and chairs. There really is nothing that makes this place stand out, but it seems OK for a bite to eat if you’re doing some sightseeing in the area (as long as you’re happy with pubco food) but certainly not worth going out of your way to visit.
On 19th May 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Bag O Nails
The Bag O’Nails is one of Punch Taverns newly resurrected Taylor Walker branded pubs (along with the similar Kings Arms just down the road). The current pub is early 19th Century and stands on a busy corner plot on the site of a previous pub called the Baccanals (dogs). The pub was called the 'Devil and Bacchanals’ until 1905 when the name was corrupted to the current version. Its close proximity to Victoria station and Buckingham Palace (HM’s back garden is behind the wall on the other side of the road) means it gets a fair share of tourists and transient customers.
The smallish single room interior is pleasant enough with a bare polished floor, chessboard tiling around the bar, dark paneling and a dim ambience. There is a personalized mirror behind the bar and lanterns above but much of the cluttered shelves that I recall from previous visits seems to have been cleared out. If you can bear the traffic as it thunders around the corner, there are some limited pavement tables.
There have been a couple of ales added since my last visit albeit of the 6 hand pumps, only 2 were available (Greene King IPA and Wadworth 6X) although the 4 that were off (Youngs Gold, Youngs Special, Bombardier and Courage Directors) weren’t the most adventurous of choices. The quality of my 6X was very good but that hasn’t always been the case with past visits. Prices were about par for the area. There is also a small selection of cocktails, shots and warmers if that’s your thing. Service is from the typically disinterested imported bar staff pool that probably wouldn't last 2 minutes in a provincial pub.
On the food front, main courses start at £7.50 and didn’t strike me as being particularly good value for what is essentially typical pub grub with certain other pubs in the area being able to shave at least a quid off these prices for similar meals. There is a separate dining room on the first floor but I have not been up to take a look.
There is a solitary flat screen over the fireplace at the rear of the pub and subdued piped music but it is more of a traditional albeit touristy pub than a mecca for TV Sport or pounding speakers. It isn’t a place I would make a mad dash for by choice esepcially given the ale availability and morose service but apart from that I don’t have any major issues about it and it is a pretty safe choice if in the area.
On 19th November 2010
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Bag O Nails
There were two staff behind the bar when I walked in and being the only person standing there I assumed that I would be served pretty quickly, I was wrong. The barman, who I feel was blinded by the love of himself, disappeared to get some ice and the barmaid was pouring some Fosters for a couple of blokes at a table behind me. I had to wait a couple of minutes for the barman to return before getting served and even then he was laboured. Even including the upstairs dining room which had its own maid this is not a big pub, yet there were dirty glasses and plates on nearly all of the tables.
There is a large selection of ale which was Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Bombardier, Youngs Special, 6X and pride, although three of these were off during my visit.
The toilet is tiny and was a mess, but at least it was usable unlike many pubs in the area.
I'll not be returning here again until a little care is put in as we are paying customers and deserve better.
On 15th July 2009
- rating: 4
[User has posted 5251 recommendations about 5219 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Bag O Nails
Busy corner pub close to Buckingham Palace. One of Punch Taverns' T & J Bernard chain, which means a good range of well-kept ales and traditional pub food but not cheap. Nice enough if you can find a corner to occupy. Name is a corruption of the Roman feast Bacchanalia, in case you wondered.
On 5th June 2009
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]