The Clarence Reviews Summary

Category: Pub London

Address: 53 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2HP, United Kingdom

Phone: +442079304808

Rating: 4.3
based on 203 reviews.

Food Quality

Pros:

  • "The fish itself has fantastic flavour and the batter complements it flawlessly."
  • "Was fearing a bit of a 'tourist trap', but to my surprise, I was served the best fish & chips ever!"
  • "Food, well the Fish & Chips are to die for, beautiful even if they leave the skin on."
  • "The food was good. I ordered braised pork, it was really juicy and tasty."
  • "The sunday roast was Amazing (beef)."
  • "The food (traditional British) was plentiful and scrumptious."
  • "The fish and chips were very fresh and tasty."

Cons:

  • "The worst meal I have ever had! Absolutely shocking."
  • "Mediocre food which traps tourists. Service is not friendly."
  • "Service was amazing, food was awful. I ordered sausages and mash. Mash had a weird rubbery texture."
  • "Both roasts lacked much gravy and the yorkshire puddings were very greasy."
  • "The potato, red pepper and vegan cheese hotpot seems to be cooked by a child."
  • "The quality of the food was well below average, certainly for the price."
  • "It was obvious both had been frozen."

Service

Pros:

  • "Steven was fantastic from start to finish I didn’t see him without a smile on his face the entire time we were here."
  • "Daniel who was my point of contact before was very patient and handled our/my OCD organisational demands very well!"
  • "The staff stole the show: really welcoming, helpful, and understanding."
  • "Recently organised a work event in their lovely Bulldog Bar, and it was perfect. Great food and wine, great place, and the kindest, most helpful, polite staff that you could hope for."
  • "Had a fantastic lunch here. Service is excellent and so was the food."
  • "Staff were very helpful and service fast."
  • "The staff were friendly and helpful who offered me a warm welcome."

Cons:

  • "Food service is quite bleh, hard to get the waitstaff’s attention."
  • "When ordering a drink and food the bar staff were rude and didn't provide a very good service."
  • "I really did not appreciate a member of staff running after me onto the street accusing me of not having paid."
  • "Staff was very unfriendly and would not offer us a table."
  • "One staff member told me he doesn’t know how to do that and has no idea what he’s doing!! Another was equally as clueless!!"
  • "We asked about 5 times for tap water which never came."
  • "When we complained, both the waitress and her manageress made us feel most unwelcome, as if we were unreasonable."

Value

Pros:

  • "The prices are very reasonable."
  • "Cod was huge, crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle, generous dollop of tartare sauce with a good few chips and some mushy peas. Well worth the price."
  • "It was a very generous portion too."
  • "The fries (chips) with my roast were delicious and the prices were wholly reasonable with an optional service charge."
  • "The Sunday Roasts were wonderful and well priced despite the location."
  • "Every sandwich is so big and tasty. Crispy fries and the staff are fast and smiley."
  • "The best fish & chips I've ever had!"

Cons:

  • "Portion of Caesar Salad for £15 is a joke."
  • "This place is extremely dear we had two pints & two teas £ 18."
  • "Drinks were very expensive £5.35 for a pint of guiness."
  • "Over priced beer at £10.50 for a pint and a half???.food mediocre."
  • "All in all: a bit of a rip off and totally overpriced."
  • "You can imagine our shock when we were presented with our bill with an extra charge of £8.25 (£3.75 for the olives, £4.50 for the “artisan” bread)."
  • "Beers are 7-8£ each so definitely more a tourist price point."

Ambience

Pros:

  • "The atmosphere was old English pub style with really cool furnishings, especially the chairs!"
  • "The ambience? Electric! The soundtrack? Eclectic! The team? Eccentric!"
  • "Lovely proper old London pub, in one of the best locations in town - between Trafalgar Square and Westminster."
  • "Furthermore, the whole pub is spotlessly clean, from the dining rooms to the toilets."
  • "The atmosphere in the pub was wonderful as all."
  • "Beautiful decor, dog friendly, wonderful staff and amazing food!"
  • "Fantastic & Beautiful London Boozer, I / we have not been in until now since the refurbishment. And once again it did not disappoint."

Cons:

  • "The room was crampt and stuffy."
  • "The location, although convenient, seemed to lack a local charm due to its touristy ambiance."
  • "However, I couldn't help but notice that the area seemed to cater more towards tourists, which may impact the overall authenticity of the experience."
  • "Indistinguishable from the abundance of other similar pubs in the area."
  • "The pub/bar downstairs is very, very busy at night. Almost impossible to squeeze through and it was a little too loud for my liking."
  • "An ugly and very unpleasant woman in rude way kicked us from the Clarence."
  • "Miserable man on the door makes you feel as though he is doing you a favour by visiting his pub."

Location

Pros:

  • "Brilliant location and the street tables catch the afternoon sun. Perfect for people watching."
  • "A great pub in a very central location, right next to Whitehall and Trafalgar Square."
  • "A short distance from Trafalgar Square, The Clarence is in an excellent central location."
  • "Lovely proper old London pub, in one of the best locations in town - between Trafalgar Square and Westminster."
  • "It's quite a central location for tourists close to Trafalgar Square."
  • "Friendly boozer, much needed sit down and drink after a day of tourism."
  • "Highly recommend to everyone but especially dog owners."

Cons:

  • "The location, although convenient, seemed to lack a local charm due to its touristy ambiance."
  • "However, I couldn't help but notice that the area seemed to cater more towards tourists, which may impact the overall authenticity of the experience."
  • "It is often busy with tourists and groups so best avoided if that's not your thing!"
  • "As a Londoner we made the terrible mistake of falling for this tourist trap."
  • "All the doors were smashed in an nails hanging out which ripped my jeans."
  • "There was a hole in the floor which her wheelchair could have got stuck in."
  • "When you can't even get a burger and steak right, hairs in the food and being served cold - there's an issue."

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