really love this place. there were probably 5x the number of people drinking outside as could fit inside. I was able to get a seat inside. The have Fullers on draft, excellent bangers and mash choices so what's not to like? :) service is very friendly and helpful. it's chaotic but service is still on top of things maybe the best part is the decor inside. bas relief of Friars in full regalia and high ceilings. a great spot and one I'll return to even if I don't have to be in that area. read more

Visited late on a Tuesday night while on vacation in London. Had to try the fish and chips since we were visiting for the first time. They were good, very similar to what I've had a seafood restaurants in the US. Service was good, very polite and prompt. There were a TON of people there so it was loud, but that's what I expected with a pub. The atmosphere/decor was very unique. Enjoyed looking around while waiting for our food. read more

The Blackfriar - Fish and chips with mushy peas - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Nice pub for food and drink. Service pretty fast. Hard to find tables during the late lunch hour. My husband said the bangers and mash were just alright. I tried the fish and chips and mushy peas which also were just Ok. Wish the food was better because I enjoyed the pub otherwise read more

The Blackfriar - Fish and chips - just Ok - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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Fantastic! This place is a sight to behold, and the locals frequent it. Art nouveau deco from 1905, you've never seen anything like it. The service if good by American hurried standards and quite fine by European casual. The staff is bright and helpful when they aren't turning out the food and drinks. Just sit and enjoy, Haste is Slow, is inscribed someplace on the stone walls. Get the history brochure to learn all about it. Have I recommended this place to everyone since I was there. It is a historical site too, reference Henry VIII. read more

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Came here during a recent 24 hours layover in London. The decor is exceptional, even for a city stocked with old and well ornamented pubs. Mosaic, marble and raised reliefs of friars all blend together into a seamless whole, to transport you to an bygone era. The ales here are good. I went with the stout, which seemed like the least hoppy of their offerings. It was dark, rich, with burnt/toasted malt flavors. read more

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Amazing history and architecture here- stop by for a pint & check out the back room/ ceiling. We came earlier in the day and fast service. After work expect huge crowds , but atmosphere very robust with people gathering outside. read more

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Fabulous little establishment, great food, nice beer selection... and a super cool building. read more

The Blackfriar - Killer pies and bangers. - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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This is a beautiful old pub that's worth a look, even if you aren't staying for a drink. Overall, I'd have given 4 stars, but the early 1900s Art Noveau interior is so cool, I had to up it to five. The Blackfriar has a great selection of ales on tap. I love British beers since many of them tend to run more malty than hoppy. I sampled two different ales, and liked both, but sadly I can't remember their names. We sat in the small dining area, and ate the following: Baked Brie -- small deep-fried portion; not very impressive Meat Pie -- delicious with a rich mushroom gravy and roasted veggies on the side Fish & Chips -- very good with a side of mushy peas Dessert -- a rich brownie with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce Service was very friendly, though there were a couple of minor mix ups coming from the kitchen. While I wouldn't call this pub kid-friendly, we were warmly welcomed in the dining area with our 11 year-old (poor kid was dragged to many a pub on our mini-vacation!). The dining area was filled entirely with American tourists on our visit, which is probably a turnoff for the locals. I was trying to slyly take pictures without being too obnoxious. Thankfully, the clientele seemed indifferent to it, busy enjoying their food and drinks. read more

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Thank you Thomas A! After an exhausting safari elephant hunt around London we stumbled upon The Blackfriar for a tasty bite to eat and a well deserved glass of wine. Now here is a little secret, if you are looking for a truly awesome London pub, pack with history and steeped in tradition, you don't have to pay a fortune. You can come here for a pie and a pint, and stare at their wonderful painted ceilings, with friar statues. It really is quite impressive and it seems to be a hidden gem as it's never that busy! What was the nicest, was the super friendly and helpful staff. Chatty yet not loitering, they serve you quickly and recommend their favourite dishes. The pie selection is awesome and the vegetables that come with are actually fresh. Yep, they are steamed and still crunchy and full of flavour. A winner all round really, just a wonderful London boozer... (even if it is part of a chain!) read more

The Blackfriar - Thanks to garethr1 over on flickr.com: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30728992@N04/ - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Came here mainly because the pub is located right across the street from where I was staying (crown plaza the city). They have a great selection of beer (about 15 on tap). You do have to go order your beer and food at the bar and pay also right then in there. I ate their bar nachos, which i flat out did not enjoy/did not like (their nachos sauce is a bland dry aged cheese sauce). I would give this place another chance because they do have food selection and my wife did enjoy their huge fish and chips. I also did enjoy the beer, which is apart of the allure of London right? read more

The one star is based purely on service... the waitress with the long curly hair is possibly the rudest person I have ever met in my life. She made our experience uncomfortable that we could not wait to get out of there, the table next to us agreed that we were laughing. Great pub with excellent food and atmosphere. read more

Hidden gem!! We were looking for a traditional English breakfast in a historic pub. This pub was a delightful dining experience. The food is simple yet tasty --we both ordered English breakfast with eggs, sausage, blood pudding(I thought it was like salty bacon), ham and grilled tomato. I left off the beans cause I'm not a fan. The service was good and the decor was amazing! The art deco designs were like a museum! We ate by the bar but also go look at the murals in the dining room. read more

The Blackfriar - English traditional breakfast! Yum! - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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The walk here was a bit sketchy and the surrounding area was almost pitch black until you reach closer to the pub. Nice ambiance, but there weren't a lot of women here. Not my thing, since I am not really into pubs nor beer. Good place to come with a group of friends. read more

My second home during my London trip. It is located across from the tube and train stop and on the way to my hotel. Great place to stop for a beer. Service is pretty good depending on you get. The regulars know what they are doing. They had a couple of new people learning the ropes. It is basically open seating except the area in the back off to the side which is more like a restaurant. Just ask at the bar for a table. It is a little tight in there if your more than 4 or 5 people. The food is good. On a nice day, they have a huge patio area around front that was always packed in the afternoon with people on their way home. read more

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This is an amazing bar on Queen Victoria Street and it will be apparent while you're walking up to the place because of the countless amount of patrons enjoying their drinks outside, even sitting on the public lawn. I think this might be the place to go to after work. It can get busy inside so there might be a wait to order something but they're good about putting out their product quickly to the masses. There is a lot of beautiful coppertone metal art inside along the walls which will make you question if this spot doubles up as some sort of museum. This is probably my favorite bar in London and an awesome place to meet up with friends since it's in a central location right next a tube station. read more

Went here due to the exterior looking so interesting. The interior is cool with different wood carvings of monks on the walls etc.. The outside makes you feel as though the interior will be somewhat small, but once inside, it's bigger than it appears (but still an odd space altogether). It was a bit crowded, so just had one beer, but I must say that the bartender had no idea how to describe the beers on tap there. After asking a few questions to find something close to the style I like, he said he wasn't really a beer guy. Disappointing to say the least, especially if you are new to the area with little familiarity to the British beers on tap. Still, I would recommend just to see the place. read more

The Blackfriar - Blackfriar - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Incredible exterior, with the giant black friar keeping guard above the street and giant inlaid pub name, and lovely interior, with copper (?) relief sculpture along the walls and above the bar. We had the tasty steak and ale pie and regular size fish and chips (which was obscenely large enough that we're glad we didn't upsize to the large). The rose was judged good and and house "best bitter" was very good. There's a back dining room with table service, and pub-side seating which is self-service. Bartenders were helpful, patient, and polite. Definitely would go back again. read more

So glad we hit this place during our trip to London. Beautiful exterior and cozy interior. Seating for sit down dining is in the back left, and the stained glass and decor is very cool. The food was just what we were looking for: Traditional pub grub. The meat pie and fish and chips hit the spot. Despite how busy it was, the staff was very attentive and friendly. We came with a party of 7 with kids, and they were very accommodating. Also, it had a great beer list of local brews. If I come back to London, this place would be on my list! read more

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As soon as we dropped off our bags at the hotel, our first order of business was to have our first real English Pub experience. This place was, as the British would say, BRILLIANT! We got there around 5pm and there were a ton of people there; everyone was super friendly. We had a few beers, but unfortunately we weren't able to stay too long -- they also serve food and it smelled delish. read more

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Stopped by here while I was walking along the Thames after seeing other reviews. It's a beautiful pub inside and out and enjoyed being able to sit outside, even though the weather wasn't that great. The fish and chips, along with the pint, were great. The service was ok, Server seemed annoyed when I asked for condiments, but that didn't dampen my experience. read more

The Blackfriar - fish and chips - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Historic, convenient and affordable. Don't use frozen hamburger patties! My husband loved the burgers. I love the fish and chips and meat pies! read more

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Before the smoking ban this pub was a nightmare. Since it is a joy - it's a small pub so most of the clientele stay outside (next to a busy motor junction) but the interior of this pub has to be seen to be believed. It is truly amazing. It was built in 1875 near the site of a thirteenth century Dominican Priory, which gives the area its name and was the inspiration for the pubs design. The Blackfriar serves a good range of beers, ales and spirits and for a city pub is quite reasonably priced. You could easily breaking your neck going to the loo though! read more

The Blackfriar - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

The inside of this place is a national treasure. One of the most beautiful pub interiors I've ever seen. It has an "Arts & Crafts" interior - kind of a folk-medieval vibe which makes it appear much older than it actually is, it was a style of architecture popular at the turn of the 20th century (the pub was built in 1905). Definitely a gem in the Nicholson's Pub family. We went in the mid afternoon while it was still quiet - a good time to go in order to have a wander around the place (particularly the dining room) before it gets busy. We plunked ourselves down in front of the fireplace and had a few halfs, largely just looking around saying WOW. The ales were well kept and as a Nicholson's the food would be good as well, but go for the atmosphere and architecture - you won't regret it. I've added a bunch of photos we took inside to give you some idea of the detail here - it's incredible. read more

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Service was subpar, but the fish and chips were excellent. Huge piece of breaded fish fried to perfection. Oh so crispy. Loved the tartar sauce too. Don't come if you're in a rush read more

Great pub across from Blackfriars station. Best fish and chips yet. What's not to love? read more

The Blackfriar - Sunny day and a pint at Blackfriars - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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If you are going to live dangerously and visit this pub then make sure especially if travelling by tube to choose your exit very carefully.Believe you me its all too easy to emerge from a network of passage ways and find yourself on the wrongside of the street or abandoned on a traffic island. Logistics apart,this is a must see pub because of its extraordinary decor which has some of finest examples of Edwardian Bronze and Marble Art Noveau to be found anywhere in the UK. The Adnams,Fullers,London Pride,Timothy Taylor Landlord are all the usual standbys alongside some guest beers. There is a decent range of wines by the glass and plus a fruit machine. We were impressed by the straight forward bar food which included sandwiches at 4.25,ham,eggs and chips for 6.95,sirloin steak 9.95. The service is prompt and friendly read more

The Blackfriar - image - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

It's nice to find a pub that treats you like a local, even if you've never been there before. Working nearby, I suddenly looked at my watch and realized that it was long past the dinner hour, and I still hadn't eaten anything. A quick Yelp search found The Blackfriar to be one of the closest spots to me, so after looking at the menu I called ahead to find out when the kitchen was going to close. The gentleman who answered said the kitchen was closing in 5 minutes, and I asked him if I could place an order so that dinner would be ready when I got there in 10 minutes, and he was glad to oblige. Upon arrival, I spoke to the barman, who took my beer order and directed me to my choice of table and told me my food would be out momentarily. Dinner itself was standard pub fare, having chosen fish, chips, and mushy peas. Still, quite a good quality of fish, and for the last meal of the night out of the kitchen I was pleasantly surprised to find the chips fresh and crisp. After dining, I decided to wander up to the bar and chat with a sweet Italian lady bartender who was happy to have someone to converse with in her native language. While The Blackfriar is a lovely and unique building from the outside, and a dark and intimate space inside, the staff are what make this place special. Warm, welcoming, and happy to go the extra mile to make anyone feel like a regular. One thing to be aware of though is that due to the strange street configuration, if you want an Uber to pick you up you're much better off walking across the street to the Blackfriars Tube station and getting picked up there. read more

So this is my favorite Pubs in London. Of course I have only been to London a couple of times, but as an american travling, looking for good beer, good pub food, and a cool environment, this is the place. Not only was the food good and the service great, but the aesthetics of the inside were pretty cool for an english pub. ( get their burger) The place was packed when we were there and it didnt seem to be slowing down when we left. Seemed like a great place for anyone traveling to meet some other individuals. read more

The Blackfriar - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Blackfriar is very welcoming when you first walk in. During the day it was super bright from all of the windows per square foot since it's situated on a triangle kind of corner. The bar is really accessible when you walk in and there is seating at the front that's more low key than the dining room in the back. With that first welcoming impression and with the better than average (for London pubs) beer list, I was on my way to giving Blackfriar five stars. Then I got my food. I'd ordered the bangers and mash (£10.75) since, like fish and chips, this was one of the "local" foods I had on my To Eat list. The potatoes tasted like they were made a week ago and reheated. The sausages were even worse: shriveled like they too had been cooked and then recooked. And then recooked again. Super dry and there wasn't enough gravy to make it passable plus I had to pick around hard inedible pieces mixed in with the meat. As for the onion rings the meal was supposed to come with, there were three. Three sounds like a decent number expect that two were the innermost circles and one was the outermost -- the part of the onion you should peel and throw away. There were two decent bites of onion rings, totaling about 1/4 of one normal sized ring. I could have eaten half a plate of those inner two pieces. Too bad. The beer menu included local brews and also international craft-ish beer (including a California brewery I'd never heard of, Easy Jack...and I'm from California). I ordered the Yorkshire Blackout (5.0%, £4.50), a dark cask ale. It was creamy and chocolatey with just a hint of a tabacco flavor. The staff was nice but not particularly knowledgable. Maybe this just isn't a beer culture where the bartender knows what brewery brews which beer, but if you have a new beer available and don't have the brewery listed, the individual behind the bar should have that knowledge. It was nice that they have water with lemon available on the counter. For the tourists who pick Blackfriar because it's listed in the Fodor's 2016 Guide to London (or others for that matter, but I have a feeling plenty of tourists, including the couple who was doing the tour at the same time as me, visit specifically because of this guide), save yourself the time. Every "historic" pub listed is now a part of a large conglomerate...way too much of a coincidence, they must have paid to be in the book. Also, no wifi. read more

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Oh I've always been a lover of the Blackfriar, and I think it slipped through my 5-star fingers. I rekindled my love for this cute little triangular slice of pubbery with a lovely bunch of yelpers and the open-chicken pie. You know how I love pub grub now and then, but oh pie...open chicken pie...so good I might die... I could and it's no lie... not much else rhymes with that except for fly.... I may have eaten the entire coop, so filling! And a tasty treat: on thursdays you can get a pie + a pint of ale for 7.95. Shazam! If you leave with your trousers buttoned, you clearly can pack away more than I, and I salute you. But do read my previous review because the history is still important, as is the interior. Soak it in, people!! soak it in!!! read more

Holy bejeezus what have I been missing??? I used to take the miserable First Capital Connect trains up through the city to King's X, and looked at this lovely-looking pub outside through the window, thinking "I've gotta try that place sometime". But really. It's a City pub, on a main road, right by the water. How good could it be, really? I ended up here when a mate's old work-mate was stuck in the Crowne Plaza hotel (again, right? How can I go here? It's practically a hotel pub, for feck's sake???) How good indeed. Eight. 8. Ocho. Huit. Nane. Eight Real Ales on tap. And not all crappy ones, either. Both Landlord AND Doom Bar. I can't remember what else due to the a) Doom Bar and b) corporate AMEX we were drinking on. Alas. Then the pies. They specialise in pies. And change them seasonally. And they were good. Simple steamed veg. Fantastic shortcrust. Meat that tastes like something. Potatoes made from potatoes, not powder. A boat of gravy per person. This is a hidden gem in the heart of the City. Uncrowded. Outdoor seating. And it's gorgeous-- Georgian details with art deco/neogothic signage and lovely friendly bartenders. Don't go here. I want to keep it for myself. read more

Winning pub. Beautiful architecture and decor. Solid beer selection (wines as well). Full pub food menu. I had just gotten into London with the fam and wanted to grab a drink and a bite to eat by the hotel. We were so lucky to have been close to The Blackfriar. They had a good selection of beers from lagers (Dad had the Peroni which seems to be a staple in London) to pale ales (I tried the Nicholson which appeared to be on the rotating select drafts). The Nicholson was a bit lighter than I was used to when it comes to pale ales (as I'm used to Sierra Nevada and so on) but it was nice, nonetheless. Mom had a Zinfandel Rose (evidently pubs in Britain carry rose wine, fancy that). Sis had the Kopparberg Cider in Wild Berry - comes in a bottle... of deliciousness. I don't know if I could drink a whole bottle but it was sweet, literally. The food was splendid as well. I tried the fish basket (a combination of calamari, shrimp, and fish) served with fresh lemon, tartar sauce, and fries. Dad had the large fish and chips - note: you do not need the large; it is a huge piece of fish. Both were delicious; although I'm pretty sure anything would be delicious smothered in batter and fried golden. They actually have quite a good batter - especially on the fish. Mom tried the Chicken and Mushroom Pie which was a delicious twist on a Chicken Pot Pie & my sis had the Half Chicken which was tasty when eaten with the gravy but rather bland on its own as were the potatoes it was served with. The service was pretty good. The dining area was full but we still got great service from the bar. They also helped me get on wifi (free)! The only thing to know is that they have last call around 11/11:30 on weekdays.. super early for me as I'm used to New York where bars are open til 4am, but I guess it makes sense as the pub is located in a rather business-oriented area. read more

I organized a pub crawl in the area and we started at The Cockpit but I only joined at The Blackfriar so, to be fair, I remember this one better than the pubs that came after. I loved the vibe in here. It was bustling but not too loud and the interior was fantastic. The bar curved around to 3 archways which lead to a smaller room covered on the roof by beautiful mosaics. It is a pub that has loads of character and I highly recommend it if you want something rich with history and beauty as you chug your pints ;)! I have been here once before this pub crawl and had a pie...food = delish! I do recommend this spot! read more