Sir John Balcombe Marylebone Reviews Summary

Atmosphere and Decor

Pros:

• "What a lovely local pub. Full of character, delicious food and cocktails."
• "This bar is absolutely stunning!! I love coming in here when I visit Marylebone!"
• "Great cheeky hideaway, a good vibe at lunch and in the evening it gets good and lively, but not so much that you can't relax."
• "Spotlessly clean, beautifully decorated and run by friendly, professional staff - highly recommended."
• "The atmosphere is warm and welcoming."
• "The ambiance was lovely, staff welcoming and friendly, plenty of seating area and equally spacious."
• "It is a little oasis super comfortable and a great atmosphere."

Cons:

• "It was so loud we could hardly hear each other."
• "If the music wasn't so loud (I'm challenged with my hearing, wearing aids in both ears), the atmosphere would have also been a 5 star rating."
• "I did kinda feel like I was gatecrashing someone’s office."
• "Really really good pub inside but the fact you're not allowed to step off the 5 inch pavement outside whilst trying to enjoy the tiny bit of sun left in the day because of the residents that clearly have no life! Really ruins the pubs vibe."

Service

Pros:

• "The bar staff are great, Arkadia was amazing and served us well."
• "Staff incredibly friendly and so lovely to my dog. All round great experience."
• "We highly recommend, the lovely staff."
• "The bar manager Peter was amazing. During our evening at the pub he made sure to go around and boost the good mood."
• "Our food and drinks were served promptly."
• "The staff were incredibly friendly, one staff in particular, Peter was kind and worked efficiently."
• "By far my favourite pub in London. The team is exceptional (especially Peter) and the service is amazing, always a pleasure to visit!"

Cons:

• "Burgers, chips and salad are of poor quality. Staff are not friendly."
• "Whole experience was extremely poor. Food came out burnt and cold on numerous occasions even when we complained. Manager extremely rude."
• "The security guy with dark long hair was just plane rude."
• "Couldn't get served even at a quiet time. Staff seemed disinterested and not bothered in serving."
• "A rude waiter is the worst thing for a restaurant."
• "Staff were very rude and turned us away at around 9pm on a Friday evening because they were ‘fully booked’ despite the place being half empty."
• "The attitude and customer service was shocking."

Food and Drinks

Pros:

• "Lovely food."
• "The food was just great: we had a selection of British dishes, from Fish & Chips to steaks, all was very good."
• "He makes the best old fashioned I’ve ever drunk in my life!"
• "The food was amazing! Everyone was well catered for and there was absolutely no complaints from any of our guests."
• "For the exceptional experience, top-notch hygiene, and scrumptious dishes, a well-deserved 5 stars."
• "Food is beautiful and great cocktails!"
• "The highlight was undoubtedly the delightful beef pie and vegetables; even the kids couldn’t get enough!"

Cons:

• "The mashed potato was stone cold."
• "The food is ordinary at best but it has the added insult of being ordinary and badly executed."
• "Food came out burnt and cold on numerous occasions even when we complained."
• "This place must have changed hands over lockdown. Drinks are fine, pricy but nothing unexpected for the area. Food is terrible."
• "The fish was tasteless and the batter soggy."
• "The burger itself was completely burnt, clearly extremely overdone."
• "The hunters chicken was remarkably dry, despite being drown in BBQ sauce of dubious origin."

Location and Accessibility

Pros:

• "Tucked away in a quiet mews close to Marylebone station, this pub is normally quieter than others in the area."
• "It's in a great location close to Marylebone train station and Baker Street tube station."
• "The atmosphere here is a nice escape from the busy streets, with the wooden decor and creeping plants."
• "Very close to Marylebone Station is the Sir John Balcombe. A corner site, the pub has the appearance of an upmarket pub that serves decent food."
• "Very nice pub just a few steps from Marylebon train station and - a little further - from Baker Street tube station."
• "Hidden Gem just round the corner from Marylebone station."
• "Great little pub near Marylebone station."

Cons:

• "Really really good pub inside but the fact you're not allowed to step off the 5 inch pavement outside whilst trying to enjoy the tiny bit of sun left in the day because of the residents that clearly have no life! Really ruins the pubs vibe."