Randomness Guide to London - Differences between Version 37 and Version 24 of Crown And Two Chairmen, W1D 3SB

Version 37 Version 24
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Pub in [[Locale Soho|Soho]], serves real ale, real cider, Belgian beer, and good food. It's part of the [[Category Mitchells And Butlers|Mitchells & Butlers]] [[Category Castle Pubs|Castle]] sub-chain.
 Pub in [[Locale Soho|Soho]], serves real ale, real cider, Belgian beer, and good food.
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Judging by our several visits so far, it's much more pleasant in the afternoons than in the evenings. On a lunchtime visit in March 2008, it was almost empty at 12:30pm, though the place started filling up while we were eating. Evenings can be somewhat grim; very crowded, and the music turned up loud so people have to shout at each other, still the case on a visit in February 2010, although there were at least tables available. When football is being shown in the upstairs lounge, the crowding is even worse; however, on non-football nights the upstairs area can be completely empty even when the downstairs is standing-room only, so it's always worth checking up there.
 We've been here a few times now; it's possibly better in the afternoon, when it's less crowded, though it wasn't unpleasantly full on our one evening visit (on a Tuesday). [[Ewan]] has been there on evenings when it's been extremely full with loud, media types and it wasn't particularly pleasant, though the beer was some recompense. On a Monday evening in June 2008, it was full by 6pm and getting more full; they were showing the European championship football in the room upstairs.
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The beer selection seems to rotate fairly frequently; those we've seen on tap here include Abbott Ale, Adnams Broadside (£2.85/pint, June 2007), Bombardier Burning Gold (£2.95/pint, June 2008), Bonkers Conkers (what a splendid name!), Crop Circle, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Deuchars IPA, and Greene King IPA. Continental beers on tap have included Belle-Vue Kriek, some form of Frambozen, Frueli, Erdinger, Paulaner Muenchen, Hoegaarden, and Leffe. Cider-wise, we've seen Addlestones (around £3/pint), Aspalls, and various Weston's (including Old Rosie) cider on tap, as well as Brother's Bar perry in bottles (Festival Strength! 7%!). On the non-alcohol side, they offer acai berry juice and blueberry juice.
 Beers that we've seen on tap here include Adnams Broadside (£2.85/pint, June 2007), Crop Circle, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Greene King IPA, Belle-Vue Kriek, and some form of Frambozen (not all of these are on all the time). We've also seen Addlestones (around £3/pint) and Weston's (either Vintage or Organic, can't remember) cider on tap, as well as Brother's Bar perry in bottles (Festival Strength! 7%!). In June 2008, there was Bombardier Burning Gold (£2.95/pint), London Pride, Deuchars IPA and Old Rosie scrumpy. On the non-alcohol side, they offer acai berry juice and blueberry juice.
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Food is served noon-10pm Monday to Saturday, and noon-9pm Sunday. As well as bar snacks such as wasabi peas and pistachio nuts, they offer a varied and interesting-looking food menu, which seems to change quite often (so specific menu items mentioned below will quite possibly not be available any more).
 As well as bar snacks such as wasabi peas and pistachio nuts, they offer a varied and interesting-looking food menu (mains range from £6.90 to £9.90 for the steak), including several vegetarian options and some that looked potentially vegan.
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On the March 2008 menu, mains ranged from £6.90 to £9.90, including several vegetarian options and some that looked potentially vegan. Platters and sharing dishes (only served after 5pm) offered things like olives, hummous, baba ganoush, pitta bread, falafel, wedges, etc, with one item priced at £3.50, three at £9, and five at £11. There was also a selection of desserts, all at £3.50. We've also previously spotted a cheese board at £5.50.
 "Light bites" might include smoked trout served with horseradish cream and buttered brown bread (£4.90, rather good, and not an insubstantial portion). Sandwiches are also on offer, costing from £3.90–£5.90; worthy of note is the fish finger ciabatta sandwich. Burgers are £7–£8, including the (vegetarian) falafel burger with stilton and mixed peppers. Chips are £2.50 (including aioli).
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In May 2007, [[Kake]] tried one of the "light bites", smoked trout served with horseradish cream and buttered brown bread (£4.90); it was rather good, and not an insubstantial portion.
 Platters and sharing dishes (only served after 5pm) feature things like olives, hummous, baba ganoush, pitta bread, falafel, wedges, etc. One dish is £3.50, three are £9 and five are £11.
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On a lunchtime visit in March 2008, [[Ewan]] had the grilled halloumi with couscous and roast vegetables (&pound;7.90) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/2331354643/ photo]</small>, which was very tasty, with expertly grilled halloumi, though the vegetables (aubergine and courgette) were a little dry and tasteless. Alice's toad-in-the-hole (&pound;8.50) also got a positive review (though it was actually a huge yorkshire pudding with bangers and mash inside, rather than normal toad-in-the-hole). [[Bec]]'s lentil and spinach veggie burger (&pound;6.90) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/2332182858/ photo]</small> was massive and lovely. Very garlicky and not at all dry, which is where some veggie burgers go wrong. It came with massive fat chips and sour cream/mild salsa for dipping.
 They do a selection of desserts, all at &pound;3.50, and we've also previously spotted a cheese board at &pound;5.50, though it wasn't present on the June menu.
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[[DrHyde]] comments: while the burgers and chips are a good size, some of the other dishes are decidedly miserly.
 (Note that the menu does change, so the above-mentioned dishes may not be available on your visit; we were sad to see on our latest visit that the fishfinger sandwiches had vanished since the previous month.)
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They have a pub quiz (&pound;2.00 entry) on Mondays from 7:30pm, and show short films on Sunday evenings.
 Food is served noon-10pm Monday to Saturday, and noon-9pm Sunday. They have a pub quiz (&pound;2.00 entry) on Mondays from 7:30pm, and show short films on Sunday evenings.
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Accessibility: One step up to get in. Toilets are upstairs. As mentioned above, it can get very noisy.
 [[Ewan]] comments: On a lunchtime visit in March 2008, the beers on tap were Erdinger and Paulaner Muenchen, Hoegaarden, Leffe and Frueli lagers, Deuchars IPA, Abbot Ale and London Pride (which was off on our visit), and Old Rosie, Addlestones and Aspall ciders.
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It's not at all busy at lunchtime and was almost empty at 12:30pm, though the place started filling up while we were eating. I had the grilled halloumi with couscous and roast vegetables (&pound;7.90, [http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/2331354643/ Flickr photo]), which was very tasty, with expertly grilled halloumi, though the vegetables (aubergine and courgette) were a little dry and tasteless. Alice's toad-in-the-hole got a positive review (though the yorkshire pudding was a huge one into which bangers and mash were placed, rather than being an integral part of the dish). Note that the toad-in-the-hole was advertised on the specials board at a slightly lower price from what it actually cost (&pound;8.50).

[[Bec]] comments: My lentil and spinach veggie burger (&pound;6.90, [http://www.flickr.com/photos/55935853@N00/2332182858/ Flickr photo]) was massive and lovely. Very garlicky and not at all dry, which I think is where some veggie burgers go wrong. It came with massive fat chips and sour cream/mild salsa for dipping.
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* [http://www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub119.php Fancyapint review]
* [http://desdemoor.co.uk/crown-and-two-chairmen-w1/ Des de Moor's review]
 * [http://fancyapint.com/pubs/pub119.html Fancyapint review]
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<div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[Ewan]], [[Sarah]] and others, 16 February 2010. Food times taken from printed menu in pub, March 2008. Opening hours taken from Time Out website, April 2008.</div>
address='31-32 Dean Street'
category='Belgian Beer,Castle Pubs,Featured Article,Pub Food,Pub Quiz,Pub Quiz On Mondays,Pubs,Real Ale,Real Cider,Real Perry'
 <div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[Ewan]], [[Bec]] and others, 16 June 2008. Food prices and times taken from printed menu in pub, March 2008. Opening hours taken from Time Out website, April 2008.</div>
address='31 Dean Street'
category='Belgian Beer,Featured Article,Food Served Evenings,Food Served Lunchtimes,Pubs,Real Ale,Real Cider,Real Perry'
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formatted_website_text='thecrownandtwochairmen...'
host='2a00:1098:86:4d:c0ff:ee:15:900d'
 formatted_website_text=''
host='161.74.11.24'
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latitude='51.513870'
 latitude='51.513359'
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longitude='-0.132507'
 longitude='-0.130926'
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node_image='https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2119/2446470367_356c77e564_m.jpg'
 node_image='https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2119/2446470367_a0df0edf8c_m.jpg'
== Line 45 == == Line 48 ==
node_image_licence='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en_GB'
 node_image_licence='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en_GB'
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postcode='W1D 3SB'
summary='Pub in Soho, serves real ale and real cider.' summary='Pub in Soho, serves real ale and real cider.'
 website='http://www.thecrownandtwochairmenw1.co.uk/'		 postcode='W1D 4UB'
summary='Pub in Soho, serves real ale and real cider.' website='http://www.thecrownandtwochairmenw1.co.uk/'

Pub in Soho, serves real ale, real cider, Belgian beer, and good food.

The downstairs has an open-plan bit plus a few tables in a little hidey-away bit to the side of the bar. There's also a lounge upstairs with sofas, cushions, and even a standard lamp and recliner chair. There's a bar in the upstairs lounge, but it's not always staffed.

We've been here a few times now; it's possibly better in the afternoon, when it's less crowded, though it wasn't unpleasantly full on our one evening visit (on a Tuesday). Ewan has been there on evenings when it's been extremely full with loud, media types and it wasn't particularly pleasant, though the beer was some recompense. On a Monday evening in June 2008, it was full by 6pm and getting more full; they were showing the European championship football in the room upstairs.

Beers that we've seen on tap here include Adnams Broadside (£2.85/pint, June 2007), Crop Circle, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Greene King IPA, Belle-Vue Kriek, and some form of Frambozen (not all of these are on all the time). We've also seen Addlestones (around £3/pint) and Weston's (either Vintage or Organic, can't remember) cider on tap, as well as Brother's Bar perry in bottles (Festival Strength! 7%!). In June 2008, there was Bombardier Burning Gold (£2.95/pint), London Pride, Deuchars IPA and Old Rosie scrumpy. On the non-alcohol side, they offer acai berry juice and blueberry juice.

As well as bar snacks such as wasabi peas and pistachio nuts, they offer a varied and interesting-looking food menu (mains range from £6.90 to £9.90 for the steak), including several vegetarian options and some that looked potentially vegan.

"Light bites" might include smoked trout served with horseradish cream and buttered brown bread (£4.90, rather good, and not an insubstantial portion). Sandwiches are also on offer, costing from £3.90–£5.90; worthy of note is the fish finger ciabatta sandwich. Burgers are £7–£8, including the (vegetarian) falafel burger with stilton and mixed peppers. Chips are £2.50 (including aioli).

Platters and sharing dishes (only served after 5pm) feature things like olives, hummous, baba ganoush, pitta bread, falafel, wedges, etc. One dish is £3.50, three are £9 and five are £11.

They do a selection of desserts, all at £3.50, and we've also previously spotted a cheese board at £5.50, though it wasn't present on the June menu.

(Note that the menu does change, so the above-mentioned dishes may not be available on your visit; we were sad to see on our latest visit that the fishfinger sandwiches had vanished since the previous month.)

Food is served noon-10pm Monday to Saturday, and noon-9pm Sunday. They have a pub quiz (£2.00 entry) on Mondays from 7:30pm, and show short films on Sunday evenings.

Ewan comments: On a lunchtime visit in March 2008, the beers on tap were Erdinger and Paulaner Muenchen, Hoegaarden, Leffe and Frueli lagers, Deuchars IPA, Abbot Ale and London Pride (which was off on our visit), and Old Rosie, Addlestones and Aspall ciders.

It's not at all busy at lunchtime and was almost empty at 12:30pm, though the place started filling up while we were eating. I had the grilled halloumi with couscous and roast vegetables (£7.90, Flickr photo), which was very tasty, with expertly grilled halloumi, though the vegetables (aubergine and courgette) were a little dry and tasteless. Alice's toad-in-the-hole got a positive review (though the yorkshire pudding was a huge one into which bangers and mash were placed, rather than being an integral part of the dish). Note that the toad-in-the-hole was advertised on the specials board at a slightly lower price from what it actually cost (£8.50).

Bec comments: My lentil and spinach veggie burger (£6.90, Flickr photo) was massive and lovely. Very garlicky and not at all dry, which I think is where some veggie burgers go wrong. It came with massive fat chips and sour cream/mild salsa for dipping.

See also:

Last visited by Ewan, Bec and others, 16 June 2008. Food prices and times taken from printed menu in pub, March 2008. Opening hours taken from Time Out website, April 2008.

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