Stopped into Hoop & Toy while exploring London and was pleasantly surprised by the cozy yet lively atmosphere. The music was upbeat without being overpowering, and there was no shortage of seating--which is always a plus when you're looking to unwind after a day out. I went with the appetizer/small plates sampler, which turned out to be a great call both taste-wise and for the wallet. The food came out quickly, and everything was fresh. The standout was definitely the calamari--crispy, well-seasoned, and not at all rubbery (which is always a gamble). It paired nicely with a cold pint. Service was efficient and friendly without hovering, and prices were fair for the area. It's not the kind of place trying to reinvent the wheel, but if you're looking for solid pub food, a good vibe, and a relaxed spot to hang out, Hoop & Toy delivers. Would happily come back for another round! read more

We needed a meeting spot for our two groups to lunch together and the location was right. You have to download an app to order which is dumb especially since it wouldn't let me register my email address so I had to continue as a guest after downloading the app. Allllll the food was cold. Like it had been prepared then sat in a window. The onion rings, the burger, the halloumi bites, the inside of the pie, everything. Pretty much inedible cold. My husband liked his grilled gammon. He was the only one of the 7 of us. Never once did a server check on us to see if we needed anything. Water is only by the plastic wasteful bottle, not tap in a glass. The location is convenient for a day at the museum but otherwise, mostly a bust. read more

Atmosphere: very loud music and atmosphere This is what you would expect for a pub ;). The service was decently fast but nothing crazy and no one made us feel at home. Food: a nice lemonade to start, tastes more like a sprite to me than a lemonade. It's bubbly and tastes lemony a tad with a real lemon inside. I had the fish and chips which were good, nothing crazy just good, savory, and tasty. The peas were not that good I don't like peas though but I had those. The nachos were awful. The chips had some seasoning on it. That was weird. The salsa tasted sweet for some reason. You couldn't really taste the cheese, barely any sour cream overall disappointment. I also chose to add the chicken option. The chicken tasted sort of raw and had a barbecue flavor which I did not enjoy. My father's coleslaw was found to be an adequate portion, but the mayonnaise was quite sweet tasting so it wasn't what he would expect was expected, but it was adequate. The mushroom chili was ugly and not delicious. My mother who has a gluten allergy is very limited in what she can order so she had a steak. Comparing this steak with other meals that she's had this was by far the driest and least tastiest steak. They did offer you sauce, but not knowing whether they were gluten-free or not didn't help. She didn't opt to put a sauce on top not knowing that they were gluten-free. It should have been juicier. Also she ordered a Mojito. It was probably the worst Mojito she's ever had the Mojito mint was not muddled aside from that. It didn't taste like there was any lime squeezed into it so what it look like is that they put some bubbly water rum, and then threw mint leaves on top And some lime wedges instead of muddling the mint and making a true Mojito, this Mojito was lacking on every level. The mac & cheese was extremely good after mixing it. The texture was very nice. Tasted very cheesy and more than you would expect from your mac & cheese. I would say the dish was made perfectly. The salad on the side was a below average mix of vegetables, I don't recommend. This place was honestly disappointing because it said it had one of the better fish and chips and overall food experiences in the local area. I'm gonna have to be tough on this one and put it at a one star because mostly everybody didn't have a good experience and everybody should be having at least a decent experience at the local restaurants considering it's London. I hope they improve. read more

See all

After a relaxing two hour train ride from Paris to London, my wife and I needed to grab lunch. Within a five minute walk from our hotel (please reference my review for the Ampersand Hotel if interested), we found Hoop & Toy. Upon arrival, we were greeted by an employee who seated us & instructed that we place our order and pay at the bar (I prefer this method because it reduces the temptation to overeat or drink). We placed orders for the following: Big fish and chips (wife), Cod Goujon Sandwich (myself), Margarita (myself), Tropical Spritz (wife). Roughly 12 minutes later our orders were being delivered to our table. When I saw my wife's fish & chips with smashed peas, I immediately knew that I made the wrong decision (the fish was perfectly fried and huge!). Although the cod was good, the bread used for the sandwich was traditional loaf bread. Therefore, it deteriorated easily under the weight of the cod (at the time of ordering I did not see an option to substitute the bread). Both of our drinks were delicious and surprisingly stiff (no complaints!). If you're looking for a spot to grab something to eat, down a couple drinks, and maybe watch a game...check out Hoop & Toy! read more

Hoop & Toy - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

See all

Miguel had a warm welcome. And the atmosphere was great! Good menu with a good amount of selections. I want as hungry but tried the Karaage chicken was good. It had a sweet bbq sauce to it and good kick! I hope on my next visit I do dig into the menu a bit more as well as the drinks. Yes the lemonade taste like a sprite just as an fyi. read more

Hoop & Toy - Chicken Karage - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Great atmosphere and right around the corner from the tube. Staff is super friendly, classic pub experience. Raj was awesome, 10/10.

I'm not quite sure if the term 'railway station pub' quite applies to London, or not at least in the sense that I apply it here in Australia, but this one is pretty much just around the corner from South Kensington station. Anyway, as I have mentioned before, a lot has changed, and so have the beers, which I have to admit is actually pretty cool. This certainly does have the charm of a London pub, but I can't really say that it is one of the greatest, but then again it is London, and there are so many pubs that actually finding a pub that rises about the rest is certainly a hard thing to do. Unfortunately, this isn't one of them, but it is still good. read more

See all

Busy with the afterwork crowd, most tables "reserved." Went for the fish and chips, cod, really excellent. Hamburger, not so much. They only cook medium well, tendering a briquet-like experience. Fries were different thand with the fish, but both were good. read more

Hoop & Toy - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Stopped in while on vacation with our family after the science museum. Good and solid drink menu. The service was quick and easy. The food menu was nice and we ordered a few different things and enjoyed them all. The place had a typical pub feel. Would go back. read more

The place was hopping on a Thursday evening after work hours. No at table service was available through the QR scan..We easily walked up to the bar to order drinks and inquire about food. Very few others ate dinner like us but they missed out. The food was fantastic! Again, service was a slight challenge as we didn't get part of our other. It was rectified by the staff though. Bathrooms were quite disgusting and in need of attention. Otherwise a good experience overall. read more

See all

Great place to grab a lint in a vintage London pub. People were so nice! Beer was great. read more

Hoop & Toy - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

See all

Fish n Chips, Cask Ale you can't go wrong. In the Kensington Chelsea neighborhood proper fish n chips here and a few screens for matches. read more

Hoop & Toy - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

I would recommend this bar if you just want to grab a drink or two. Although, I ordered one of the bar's specialty drinks and the bartender had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. After I showed her that the drink was literally on the menu, she made it for me (and it was actually pretty good)! The drink was an apple and vodka and I found it unique and refreshing. We ordered nachos, and they were good! Pretty run of the mill, but whatever salsa they use is quite tasty. This is where the positives end, unfortunately. Our food came out, and it looked good. It was not. The onion rings were nearly inedible. They had very little flavor and were soft as opposed to crispy. Despite my macaroni and cheese looking delicious, it was gluey and flavorless. You can't just dump cheese on something and call that a dish. There was NO seasoning to be found. I'm glad I ordered it with bacon because at least that added a salty component to the dish. My husbands chips also had no flavor. They were perfectly crispy but so bland! For his entree, he ordered the Hunter's Chicken. The amount of cheese was insane! He finished the chicken only to find just gobs and gobs of cheese underneath. We are from Wisconsin, USA... we love cheese! But not in place of any type of seasoning or decently cooked food. The only good thing on his plate was the coleslaw (and it was very good). But seriously, for the love of god learn how to season your food! read more

Hoop & Toy - Nachos - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

See all

This was a pretty standard pub. They had Greene King food, so it was a menu that is standard for many pubs in London. The food was delicious, though, and the service was fine. I went on a Thursday night, and it was crowded with people around the bar. We were lucky to find an open table for 3. read more

See all

This is place is expertly what I was expecting when I walked into it. It's a pub with decent pub food and room temperature beer. There's free wifi and the staff seemed friendly enough. The location is nice, as its near a tube station and walking distance to several museum and harrods. We had a meat pie and fish and chips. Decent, as expected, but nothing extraordinary. read more

Hoop & Toy - Bar! - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Our tour guide recommended this place. Wasn't impressed. The tables were all filthy, they were out of several items on the menu, they messed up our dinner order, the food was just okay, and it was expensive!! read more

See all

Great when the freaking credit card machine works (Eye roll) First night we went & ordered beef and red wine pie, scampi and fish and chips. Food good. Beer awesome. Service fair. Second night we went excited to order different English dishes but the credit card machine wasn't working. Bye bye! read more

Standard pub fare & somewhat overpriced (though not atypically so for London), but very friendly service & relatively clean. Burger was quite good, and I loved the sticky toffee pudding. Other review noted free wifi, but that must be gone now. But decent place and very close to Natural History Museum. read more

Hoop & Toy - Exterior - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

See all

This is a traditional looking pub right next to South Kensington underground station which has recently benefited from a major refurbishment. The exterior has an impressive fascia with the words 'whiskies' and 'brandies' in gilt either side of the name. Inside, it's traditional - velvet curtains, dark wood, patterned carpet and bold wallpaper - but looks very clean and tidy after its refurbishment. It also stocks a decent, if unadventurous, selection of real ales, including (last night) London Pride, Timothy Taylor's Landlord, Green King IPA, and (more interestingly) Ruddles County. It's a bit pricey, but then we are in Kensington and a tourist trap area. It was busy, but there were plenty of staff on, and service was efficient and friendly. They do food, but I didn't sample it. The main downer is actually its location, just a stone's throw from the museum area: it gets very busy, very quickly, with lots of tourists, and later on seemed to fill up with a few Hooray Henry types from a gig: in short, it's not your cosy, corner local, so don't expect lots of atmosphere. But you could do worse if you just wanted a quick pint. Warning: the pub has a reputation for theft - another facet of its location and touristy credentials. It even has CCTV and a stock of police theft report forms behind the bar One of our party had their bag taken, although it later turned up, presumably because there was no wallet in it. So keep your valuables with you. read more

Stopped in for a drink during the week as this pub was conveniently located across the street from our hotel (I guess that makes me one of the tourist noted in the other reviews). Seemed like a very basic English pub. We did not order food, but the menu appeared to be the standard pub grub. Since it was summer, and we do not have it in the States, I ordered Pimm's They were out of fruit (really?) so that was a bit disappointing. The service was good and while decently busy, it was not crowded. read more

The Yorkshire pudding was inedible. It was chewy and cold. The roast beef was tough and dry. The fish was cold and not crispy and the peas were cold. There was no one bussing tables and the dirty glasses were over flowing on the bar. None of the stalls had toilet paper. All in all, it was lousy read more

Hoop & Toy - The Yorkshire pudding was inedible. - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Frequented this place a few times a month, as it was just a gander down the road. Nice place to pop in for a drink if you're looking to meet different people. It's a bit touristy because of it's location, but the service is usually all right. Might have to wait a few minutes, but hey - no biggie. Prices are a bit more than other pubs in the area, but again - it's only a few minutes' walk from the museums, so that's to be expected. One thing I really like about this place is the little game machines that they have. For 50p, you can play computerized darts, Are You Smarter than a 10 Year Old, etc. These games are quite fun... and a bit addicting :) read more

This should be 3 stars, but there are 2 reviews and I am giving them the high watermark. Short version: If you have kids, go on the weekend. If you don't have kids with you avoid on the weekend. 4 stars for good food, friendly service, a decent ale selection, and a nice atmosphere during weeknight evenings and other times when there are few tourists. 1.5 stars for Saturdays when the place is full of touring families seeking food before during and after museums. The food is still good, but some of the foreign staff struggles with English in loud environments and again there are heaps of kids. Food: Chicken and Mushroom pie was great. The veggies were fresh and cooked perfectly; not too mushy and retaining flavor. The mashed potatoes were good and the gravy made them great. read more

Near the main museums of London and South Kensington Tube so it gets a lot of business. However, I did not have a good experience here. The food is awful. We had Sunday Roast where the vegetables were dry and unappealing. There are so many other much better places in the area. Both food and drink. I would go anywhere rather than here. read more

Hoop & Toy - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Closest pub to Royal Albert Hall in South Kensington. A Greene King pub, so don't expect any real ale miracles here - but keep in mind that pubs are few and far between in this residential area; the nearest one is the Zetland Arms, also a Greene King pub, but a bit more atmosphere there. Standard national and international lagers, and Punk IPA. Nice staff, decor has seen better days. Gents loos can be filthy! Upon one of my visits the only available bowl with a seat was covered in manure - and it was still covered in manure three hours later! You can take your drinks outside for a smoke/vape. Very busy in the evening. read more

See all

If you're an Imperial College employee/student it's pretty hard to avoid the Hoop and Toy (at least every once in awhile). Located right outside the South Kensington tube station it attracts riff raff from the three big museums in the area, the College, and anyone else who works around there and wants to grab a pint before getting on the tube. As such, you'll see a lot of tourists and young college kids, but it's not all bad. Their beer selection is actually pretty decent, with several cask ales available to go along with all the usual lagers you see in the regular London touristy pub. The food isn't terrible as it's a Taylor Walker owned pub, so you'll find the same menu that you find in a lot of pubs here - all the classic English dishes without any "gastroness" added to it. So if you're looking for something (relatively) cheap for the area (it is South Kensington after all...) you can get some food and a few pints here and be satisfied, but you won't be raving about it to anyone. read more

Love the pear cider. It was very refreshing. The fish and chips and chips were spot on as well. I'll try the steak and ale pie next time as my friend had it and it looks so good. Great place hang out with friend and it's packed in the evenings! read more

All other reviews on point -- not a great pub but close to home and open later than other locals. Busy and fun place to meet tourists! It should be better -- its a terrific location and big enough to be a massive success, but instead its basically a bog standard junk pub. read more

The 'Hoop of Joy', sorry the Hoop and Toy. If you're a normal Imperial student (there are some) then it is very likely you will end up here at some point, or like me during my degree, many times. The only particular reason is that it is open until midnight on weeknights and therefore you can get a quick one in after the Union shuts, as I did last night. At 3.95 for a kronenburg, and around £5+ for spirits, you can only probably afford a quick one. Never had the food, so can't comment on that but the pub is pretty standard. If you get there before nine-ish they often have the bar downstairs open (its very hidden), which helps as its often packed due to its proximity to the museums, Imperial/RCM/RCA and South Ken tube and many people stand outside on the large pavement. The also have a function room by the toilets upstairs. Drinks range, its very, very standard, a shame, and they've just got rid of hoegarden on tap. Sad times. Overall its just a typical overpriced London pub, just happens to have great opening hours and a fantastic location. Shame it can't live up to that location more... read more

Good choice and prices for ale in the capital, great nibbles (all we had time to sample on our brisk trip!) but the music made me want to stay, as did the bar staff! Funny as!! Would come again! read more

Hoop & Toy - Group of scientists!! - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

See all

Sat here for 10 minutes and my daughter's wallet got stolen, be very careful with this place!! Obviously this place is a tourist spot and the regular thieves know this!! Good luck!! read more

Very disappointing! We waited quite some time for our food as it turned out the order got lost, but the lady was unable to apologize her self, but sent a colleague. The food was good though. read more

Was my neighborhood bar for a week and I LOVED it. Fun little spot.

This was my first time to The hoop and after an evening of physical exertion on the ice rink(!) at NHM, it was really nice to get into a cosy, friendly pub to enjoy a drink and a bit of a warm! As per the other reviews, this pub is in close vicinity to the Museums of South Ken and also the tube. A good stop off point after a tiring cultural or fun afternoon/evening out before heading home. The Hoop gave me my first experience of Winter Pimms. I'd not come across this before, but it was great to see a big ern behind the bar where they were serving hot pimms with slices of apple and dashes of cinnamon. The staff were also brewing Mulled Wine, but it was taking 15mins to brew a new pot so I missed out on this, but it was a really nice seasonal touch and seemed to be going down well with tourists and locals alike. It's really sad to hear that theft is a problem here, but probably not a surprise given the location and pull of tourists to the area. Next time I visit the NHM or V&A I would definitely consider popping in for one. I'll just be forwarding on the advise from DMJ1962 and theduck for them to hold onto their valuables :-( read more

Hmmm well, this was a busy, bright, crowded pub with few tables, a tatty interior and was kinda dusty and dirty. The beer available on tap was OK but nothing to write home about and although there was a lot of pimms winter warmer, there was no sign of any mulled wine so I opted to share a bottle. It seemed to have a lot of passing trade and the place was a bit noisy - quite different than our last Qype bar which rocked the house. AA firm meh read more

This appears to be the only pub within walking distance of all those exciting museums. And it's pretty crap. They rely massively on a tourist trade, so they were busy when I popped in for a drink with a friend (cheap bubbly is only £3.95). You'll end up here if you fancy a pint after a walk around the museums, but you won't be excited by it. In fact, I'd suggest the Reading Rooms around the corner instead (there's books and wine in the same room how could that be bad?) Location is the only thing this pub has going for it. There's nothing wrong with the place, it's just dull and generic. read more

What a namesurely it could not be forgotten on the walk from the ice rink at the Natural History muesumoh yes it can. Staying out later than other qypers on this school night of the Xmas Ice skating event, I was amazed that the number of customers this place had. It was so very popular. There were Londoners, tourists, people with pints, tall glasses, beer cans, half pints, shortswait a minute did you read beer cans? Yes, service here was a little slow on the night I attended, maybe because the three staff were over run with custom. Some people turned up with beer cans and drunk them inside, always a bad sign because it means the beer is a)overpriced, b) difficult to purchase (it takes an age to get serve) c) the beer is bad or d) any combination of two or three of the above statements. They have Fosters, Kronenboug, Leffe, Stells and Staropramen, but no branded glasses for the premium products like Star and Stella which is a let down. I have head this place called the 'hoop and toilet' by a friend of the family who works at a neighbouring muesum. It is a bit harsh, but there is not much in the area for normal people. The tourists drinking here seemed to think they would get in bourij, the infamous nightclub a few doors down. The fuction room upstairs is small, but ideal for comedy of the stand up variety. There is a basement bar too. I didnt visit it, so can't comment. Beware, by the way, given the amount of passing trade there appears to be a bag theif here. So keep your belongings with you. You have been warned. read more

A good selection of ales and beers isn't good enough to make up for a list of other problems, as this place shows. The surfaces look like they get wiped once a month, and the price of drinks here borders on extortionate. The couple of times I've been here I've had to limit myself to one drink as you're effectively getting one pint for the price of two. Spirit and mixer will set you back around a fiver as well. Most recently I went here with a large group. The food was actually quite tasty. I had a rib of beef which, though small, was tender and fell off the bone and the sauce served with it was great. However for the £13 I paid, I would have expected excellence, and more than the token few chips and peas which accompanied it. The service is alright but nothing special. And the price means I'll think twice before stepping in here again. read more

I can't believe there aren't nicer pubs in this area. Just around the corner from South Kensington tube and two minutes' walk from both the V&A and the Science Museum, the foot traffic here is of a certain sort that I would expect better. I've been here a handful of times, usually for a quick drink after roaming the museums and it's not great. Dumpy, tattered and with two huge betting machines smack in the middle of the room, flashing away and generally detracting from any claim to history this pub might have. Bathrooms were grody but service was nice; prices ok. Nothing special. South Ken deserves better. read more

I really wanted to give this place a good review because we've been here three nights in a row but tonight really ruined it for us. They stopped serving at 11pm and we were being literally yelled at to leave by 11:05. "Leave now or stand outside!" If you have a hard close at 11pm, you don't take drink orders up until 11pm and kick people out the second they get their drink. Bad customer service. Maybe she was just having a bad night but she handled the situation very poorly. Not good for business. read more