please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
A typical Taylor Walker pub but does the job. No keg bitter - not everyone likes cask ale.
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In any other place, it would be an impressive building for a pub but there is simply too much choice in this town. Last visit came complete with a mad bloke staring through the window.
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Not too bad - corner pub, just been in once - they serve Leffe which is always a good sign. Nothing remarkable though.
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Another pub I have passed hundreds of times and never gone in. Did so yesterday and I reckon Murgatroyd has got it about right. Good position, nothing to complain about, decent pint of Youngs Gold, a beer I did not know, and a welcome absence of TVs, soccer shirts and music. Better than most of the dives in the area but I wouldn't make a special journey to go to it.
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I've been to this pub quite a lot over the last twenty years - in the early 90s was very definitely a regular. When I stopped in a couple of weeks ago though it was the first time for two or three years.
The pub appears to have undergone one of its regular refurbishments. It's had many guises over the years - when I first went in it was two rooms with the bar much further forward than now. I seem to recall it having a spiral staircase in the middle of the main bar at one point - leading down to a wine bar in the basement and of course the bomb going off in the mens toilets in the early 90s also forced changes.
The current environment though is comfortable dark wood floors with high tables and stools off to the left of the main entrance and more traditional seating to the right. This is a pleasant drinking setting although the location means that there are many tourists and transient drinkers ( and perhaps a few getting up the courage to visit Stringfellows next door)
It's a good meeting point if you're in the area - certainly better than the many crappy bars nearby but I wouldn't make a special effort to come here.
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I like this pub. There are tables outside so you can sit and smoke or you can have a drink outside when it's nice weather. It's literally 1 min from Leicester Square station so easy to pop into on the way to somewhere else. There are cash machines across the road which is handy. The bar staff are always friendly and seem to have a good choice of beers and ales as well as a good choice of wines and spirits. A lot of tourists come here but also a lot of locals who just want somewhere nice to hang out or to people watch. There is a restaurant downstairs or you can eat upstairs if you want. Food is regular pub fare and looks good.
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Better to visit Tesco's down the road and get a few bottles and takeaway.
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This pub was satisfactory to my liking and I found the beer was great but overpriced. Definitely not as good as the Two Brewers up the road from it. Lots of tourists though which was okay but there was nothing distincive about this pub and so thats why I wont be coming here again.
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It's been pretty average for many years but seems to be getting grubbier and more expensive.
BobOs - 12 Aug 2008 21:34 |
Like most of the reviews already on here, the most apt description of this place is that it's, er, non-descript! Good location, reasonable selection of beer, over-priced (as most establishments in this area are), full of tourists, average.
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A quite touristy pub situated in the most bustling of areas, The Sussex is one of many pubs in the area, which is fairly simple to sum up. Dark, bare, dimly lit interior, functional, yet altogether lacking enough to elevate itself amongst the hefty competition. If anything, it�s an okay enough joint serving a purpose, at least. Its Cask Marquee accreted and with that, you can expect some tasty ale on offer. Indeed, my two pints of Spitfire passed the taste test. Other ales on offer included IPA and Bombardier. The background music was inoffensive and the crowd within were not too boisterous and were well behaved. If you are looking for anything special, I wouldn�t bother, though I found it to be decent enough last night (29th Dec) all the same.
HTM69 - 30 Dec 2007 17:22 |
Very expensive (even allowing for an almost unheard-of reduction for a slightly cloudy very-near-the-end-of-the-barrel pint of Batemans Rosey Nosey). Overall, not too bad, but nothing special.
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I had a few pints of very Nice Stella Peterman outside here a couple of Friday afternoons ago.
It�s not a bad pub, but there are far better places to be found around this area.
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Good pint but thats about all to say.
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Mixed feelings about this place so so product list most staff nice enough but I did notice some of them struggling with orders aka one looking blankly when someone ordered a corona
juzza - 15 May 2006 11:35 |
A plain, rubber stamped pub-chain pub on the corner of Long Acre. The place is loud and trendy and anonymous. Serves three standard ales: Youngs, Pride and Bombardier. Dull.
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I can empathise with many of the comments below. On the face of it, the Sussex is a reasonably decent pub. Obviously the bar has been entirely rebuilt since the horrific events of �92 and it must be stressed that the pub is on the ground floor of a rather mundane office block so one should not expect great architecture, vaulted ceilings, ionic columns or grand fireplaces. The interior is predominantly dark with panelled walls and wooden floor with partly decorated chessboard style tiling, a few patterned windows, fireplace, the odd candle, lanterns above the bar, all very pleasant but nothing spectacular. For a Friday lunchtime it was fairly quiet and seemed fairly spacious. 4 rather mainstream Real Ales (Abbot IPA, Young�s bitter, London Pride and Bombardier). The token non smoking area appears somewhat superfluous as smoke will easily waft into this area and the small Wide Screen TV is rather inadequate for a whole pub to watch anything worthwhile. 1 fruit machine. There is also a non-smoking restaurant downstairs (not been there). I cannot speak for the food but my pint was woefully short measured (it is almost as if foreign bar staff are being trained especially for this practice). The prices were steep even by this area�s standards - �2.99 for Bombardier is pretty hefty�then again maybe the barmaid just hasn�t grasped English currency and gave me short change! OK to pop into if passing by and you don't mind baulking the prices but there are plenty of better value and more interesting pubs within spewing distance.
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I ask for a Newcastle Brown. The barmaid looks at me blankly. I point to the fridge and say "Newcastle Brown?"
She vanishes from sight and returns a minute or two later with a pint glass full of Newky... over ice.
"er... it's not usually served with Ice"
"please?"
"erm... Newcastle Brown isn't served with ice. And the drinker usually pours it"
"please?" (quick glance to colleague)
"No ice in Newcastle brown. It's a beer"
(Heavy eastern european accent) "Ah! IS BEER!"
She takes the pint to the sink. And fishes out the ice. With her fingers.
I leave.
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Agreed, a terrible pub with nothing to commend it. Comedy night there is fairly rubbish too.
anonymous - 5 Jan 2006 11:19 |
This is a terrible pub, never go there. We just spent an hour and a half there this lunchtime - they seemed shocked at having to cope with more than food orders on a Friday lunchtime, and had no idea what to do. Most of us waited an hour for the food to turn up, and some of us didn't get our orders at all - they realised after an hour that they had not gone through. The management were unremorseful and unhelpful and we left without receiving our food. It wouldn't be so bad but it had happened before and we were giving them a second chance - never again. It's a shame, as it can be a nice pub with good food, if it ever arrives, but is ruined by terrible service and incompetent management. Avoid.
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A very average pub! Echo most of the comments below; very busy and difficult to get served Thu-Sat. Relatively good atmosphere in fairness and a proper pub as opposed to some of the pretentious bars nearby
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Don't know what TheGP is going on about with "Theme Pub hell". It's part of a chain, so what, so are most of the bars in the local area. Inside it's pretty subtle and pleasant. The food and drink are ok (though, yes, west end prices, you are next to Leicester Square!). As mentioned below, it can be a bit crowded on Fri/Sat nights due it's location. But otherwise it's fine. And if you get next to a window it's a really good place to watch the masses of people wandering about outside.
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Hugh, please try at least to sound like remotely like a punter rather than giving it a blatant staff plug!
TheGP - 29 Nov 2004 14:38 |
it's great place frendly clean!!! you can use it as a place to chill and a place to get lot of fun as well wonderful for meeting friends and more then friends :))))
toilets clean !!!!!!!!
bar nice and tiddy
bar staff - cool
over all a fantastic place to go at any time of the day
do chech it out
hugh - 22 Aug 2004 21:01 |
Theme pub hell
TheGP - 10 Aug 2004 15:44 |
Does get very busy due to its location slap bang in the middle of leicester square and covent garden.People tend to use the pub as a stop along the way rather than use it for a session.Not outstanding but neither particualarly bad.
Nick Hamer. - 18 Jun 2004 18:39 |
Only been there once, and that was on a Sunday afternoon for lunch. It was clean and relaxing and the staff were pretty friendly. Unfortunately though, we found the food expensive and for that reason, haven't gone back. Should really give it another chance as whenever I've passed it whilst on the way to Covent Garden, it's always looked busy.
Daisy - 1 Jun 2004 15:27 |
I really liked it. I was out of my tree but the beer tasted great at the bar.....thumbs up from me, although I felt like I did a marathon to get to the gents
Jim reilly - 9 Nov 2003 17:44 |
Friendly staff and an easy meeting point / staging post for pubs with more character further into Covent Garden. The doorman looked like Veron.
Matthew - 11 Aug 2003 08:43 |
G's probably not wrong as it goes. It's as central as central London gets, thus it's got some right holes. Wander off into Cov Gdn instead. It's why it's there. That and because some toff wanted a European piazza 300 years ago, probably.
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Not great, not bad. Can get rather crowded. Tend to go further into Covent Garden instead.
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Ladies toilets were clean and damage free, fresh air with big open windows, plants and flowers add to creating a really relaxing atmosphere.
Rach - 12 Jul 2003 20:36 |
I found a rare thing with this pub in central london. It is clean, the staff are friendly, and the service is great. The management have created an extremely safe and relaxing enviroments, interestingly -no groups allowed.
Mark Tulloch - 12 Jul 2003 20:34 |
Best known for being blown up by the IRA in 1992. Always had a reputation as a big Aussie pub.
Darryl - 5 May 2003 23:53 |
