please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
How do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways.
Attenborough might claim there is life on earth, but a trip to this casa del crap would surely force an about face. One Dire Erection, or however you pronounce them, have more soul than this drowned world inn of grim.
The most charming feature is its beer garden, styled in the purest grey concrete, to the front elevation.
|
Well, what can you say really? A Weatherspoons in Leicester Square: it's like a bar at the centre of the universe! I've been coming here every very occasionally for many years as it's very easy for anyone visiting London to find.
It's probably a little on the small size for a Weatherspoons. All you're typical Weatherspoons beers and food are all present. Astonishingly cheap considering its location, just normal central London pub prices (especially food). Staff were friendly and efficient when I went recently.
Obviously with a bit of imagination there are a million better licensed premises within half a mile of this pub, but you know - if you need a drink, maybe a bit hungry and you find yourself standing outside, why not? 6/10
|
Expensive for a 'spoons - but it is London and it is on Leicester Square. Drank my �3.70 pint of Stowford Press sat at a table outside in the sun (it managed to stop raining for half an hour!) so can't really complain.
|
Small but efficient Wetherspoons, with typical range of Wetherspoons food and drinks. Guinness was well-kempt. What makes it stand out is the speed of service and the cleanliness - tables are cleared quickly and the floor was pristine, despite the fact that many kids' meals were served.
Clientele almost all visitors - but it IS Leicester Square!
|
There are, of course, better pubs in the area but this is a typical Wetherspoons which serves its purpose in busy touristy area of town. Beer is usually OK to be fair to them.
|
I've taken a visiting Aussie pal in a couple of times over the last week or so and my parents in the past.
Always good service no matter how busy they are and beer always fine.
Was in last night and it was lively as the Gay Parade had finished, which was a bit of an eye opener for my pal who was unaware at first!
|
Had a 'Beer and Burger' meal. Wasn't really much of a meal, nice sized burger however nothing but a few sorry looking chips on the plate. No side salad or anything, cheap but definately not cheerful. Nice looking pub inside, but a bit of a wait at the bar.
|
just had a makeover inside...still a Spoons pub....
If you're out on a bender, worth a visit as it's cheap and cheerful...
plenty of bar staff, so little waiting around..
if out for a boozy night 9/10
if out for a quiet drink and quality food 3/10
|
Ended up in here after looking for some breakfast in the Leicester Square area. Can't complain at �3 for a Full English which was very enjoyable, and a really good pint of Adnams Gunhill
|
Normal spoons but probably worse than the average. Plus side - cheap beer and food. Negatives - plastic glasses and pretty awful food
|
Well, it's a 'Spoons so what do you expect? I could barely make it past the door and any idea of queueing for a pint was out of the question. From as near to it as I could get, the selection at the bar looked mainly fizz-from-a-tap but, I have to say, the punters seemed to be enjoying it and the solid stream of happy looking people coming out appeared to have enjoyed whatever it was they did. OK if you're pushed and don't mind waiting but there are better (though I am sure more expensive) boozers in the area if you know where to look.
|
Good ale selection otherwise not much else to say about this standard Wetherspoons.
Floyd - 22 Mar 2010 20:21 |
Small Wetherspoons pub in the heart of tourist land, I had low expectations but came away fairly pleased. A half decent ale selection, with the Wetherspoons standards plus three guests. Tried the Caledonian Escape Claus which was very nice. Staff were very friendly and even enjoyed a bit of banter.
The layout comprises of a series of seats arranged along a wall opposite the bar, with a gangway between and a small open area to the front. The closed confines seemed at odds with the Wetherspoons style - but to the pubs benefit.
Was busy but not crowded at 6pm on a Sunday and served well as a pit-stop before moving on elsewhere.
|
If you can actually manage to get inside with any degree of comfort (the place is often rammed to the rafters due to its prime location) as I did yesterday afternoon, you'll find a pleasant enough Wetherspoon's that has all the usual advantages that the chain offers (cheap prices, good variety of drinks) and most of the usual drawbacks (variable service). There was some nice local colour though with historical scenes and info on the walls, and the guest ales selection was impressive including a nice drop called Ponting's Pain. All bottles were served ice cold and although it was somewhat unneccessary yesterday, the air-conditioning is first rate.
If you find a quiet time here, it's a solid enough choice for a quick couple of cheap drinks before moving on to somewhere a bit more interesting. Not a destination pub by any stretch of the imagination, but fine as a quick pit stop on your way around the West End.
|
Despite the very friendly and efficient staff the place itself isn't the nicest. Quite difficult to get a seat and there's hardly anywhere to stand without getting in the way of others. Nice enough if you're popping in for the odd couple but not for a night out.
|
Roger B has it spot on. Not the best 'spoons by a long way. Plenty of alternatives nearby.
|
Visited recently during the festival.Good selection and prompt service.
|
Find the atmosphere a bit hostile and uneasy sometimes. Also deceptively small with hardly anywhere to sit. However, the staff are nice and friendly, and your never waiting too long.
|
Called in for a final couple of pints Saturday evening and, as you might imagine for this location, the place was jam-packed. They had a couple of the Christmas specials on - Elf Esteem and Santi-Freeze - both of which were spot on and well worth the fight to the bar - where, despite the crowd, the bar staff were working very efficiently and with great speed.
BobOs - 22 Dec 2008 17:33 |
A below par Wetherspoons in the heart of London�s most toursity hot spot and for such a prime position this is hardly a great representative of Wetherspoons at its best (although cynics may argue Wetherspoons don�t have a best). The interior is narrow with low ceilings and despite mirrors down one side that make it appear bigger than it is, it all feels very cramped and claustrophobic. Naturally you will be lucky to find a seat, let alone a table so it�s not particularly good if you are in a group or intending to stay for a long session. The 2 plasma screens were so low that they are rendered useless if the pub is packed as it invariably always is. Even the beer selection is generally inferior to most Wetherspoons with beers frequently off on my visits although the quality is generally good as per most �Spoons branches. Overall though, a very disappointing place given its location and not a particularly great advert for the chain.
|
Went here again this week and the beer festival is on and had a few pints all of which were very good. Sorry to hear of the wallet/purse incident and guess it really happened as this was/is the only post made by that person, lets hope it is a one off or maybe it was lost in some other way unnoticed beforehand.
While I was there although busy the atmosphere was very good.
|
For Deceaved. If you are stupid enough to not look after your property in Central london then you deserve everything you get. As to accusing the staff, did you go to the police to report it?? People like you should just stay at home!
|
Quite small for a JDW. Helpful staff, goood real ale, brilliant prices.
|
Served quickly here with polite staff but no burgers availiable as they had run out also the abbotts ale had run out so had pedigree. A staff meeting was in progress on the table next to us in the bar which I found strange, have they not got an office or staff area to hold this sort of thing and not in the bar using up valuble table space? all the other tables were full and we were lucky to get a table. Overhearing what they were saying about performance and getting punters in was interesting though and they do seem to have a good performance record and get customers in but its not that difficult being in Leicster square I would have thought so a bit odd to run out of things like beer and burgers.
|
A pub for people who can't go to the cinema without filling themselves up with booze beforehand
|
Went in on the afternoon the wednesday of the police march. Wow it was busy, bless the staff they only had 3 guys working behind the bar! We went next door to the Yates cause we couldn't get a table then came back here when we waited too long to get served in Yates! Got served pretty quick considering the staff to customer ratio had a great pint of IPA and a long chat with some coppers. Good Visit!
|
best spoons I have been in, staff are pretty good. Soor staff polite, was full to the brim but what else was I to expect on a saturday night. Got served quickly and a few of the staff even served 2 people at once!! Good ale and good prices!
anonymous - 25 Nov 2007 17:06 |
I have already advised the BITE admin team that this person's personal crusade against Wetherspoons should be limited to the pub in question. As it happens he/she sat up until 2.30 in the morning posting the same thing against every Wetherspoons pub - a complete waste of time and totally irrelevent as far as I am concerned. Hopefully the other comments will soon be removed.
|
I can understand if breg1234 is upset with the service he has recieved at a different Wetherspoons pub - and even with this chain in general BUT your comments aren't even about the Moon Under Water?!?!?! It completely ruins what this site is about if you rant about other pubs in a chain when I've never had any problem with this one. Always served quickly, with a smile - and have NEVER had the kind of service you describe below.
Don't let the service you recieved from one pub tarnish your view of what the rest of them are like.... I'm not always a big fan of chains myself, but you have to take each one on its merits.
|
Plenty of varied clientele and can get full even in the middle of the afternoon. Staff were pretty fast at serving considering the bar was always full. Had some Westons Organic cider, 6.5%, and then things really started to buzz!!
|
Great atmosphere for a spoons, Service was fast and effecient, the staff were chatty and friedly and served more that one person at a time, (Very unusual for a spoons!!) Stupidly busy during the weekend evenings but is expected considering the location.
|
Fine apart from at weekends when it is rammed. Bit of a youth club as well, but then again I didn't complain when they served me at 16!
|
Fairly good Spoons, considering where it is. Usual type of people frequenting the establishment, bit concerned the staff didn't do anything about the man who was sick all over the floor but oh well. Didn't have to wait too long to get served and there were quite a few people there so was a really good atmosphere (just don't breathe in and you were fine!) Would definitely go here again, amybe during my London time who knows?
|
Decent 'Spoons' Pub
Nice long bar, a fair range on tap. Seems packed enough with decent atmosphere. Weekends gets maybe a little too packed, unless your in those years where the buzz of going out over-whelms the annoyance of 20 mins wait to get served.
But the location is a nice buzz too. So well worth a pop in visit, even if nothing spectacular...
|
Usually packed solid, but excellent value for the heart of the West End. Not as much choice as some of the other, larger Wetherspoons in central London, but usually several interesting guest beers on offer.
|
As far as Wetherspoons go this is one of the better ones and if the weather is reasonable and you get a seat outside it's a brilliant location for people watching, right on leicester square. Cheap too. Service has always been OK when I've been there, food standard wetherspoons menu - enough said. The main downside here is it's long and narrow, and sandwiched between two buildings so the only natural light comes from the front door/window - makes it a bit cave-like and dark. Decent enough for a quick pint or two but personally I'd move on rather than spend a whole evening here. 6/10.
|
Yet another pub that insists on closing three minutes early. Why three minutes, for God's sake? Not only that, but as has already been observed, they throw you out long before the statutory drinking-up time as well! One barman even made the amazing claim that the 20 minutes is counted from last orders!
I can't believe that Tim Martin would condone these odious practices if he were aware of them. I think it's time there was a camaign for 'full time' just as there was a campaign for full pints!
|
packed to the rafters when i vistited , thought bugger this but was served pretty quick , got the beers n moved outa the way ,seemed ok if not a little busy , the beer was good the staff were friendly
|
This is a nice pub thats an escape from the overpiced facelessness or many pubs in central london. friendly staff coupled with cheap drinks (for london, im from teeside!)and ok pub food make for a tidy start to a london crawl. Well done JDW.
|
Bouncers literally throwing you out the door at 11pm, Complete nightmare getting served(can understand that may have to wait a while as in london but 15mins) Only good thing about it was the blonde barmaid, very tasty!
|
Like all 'Spoons, it's cheap etc, though this place is unbearable on Friday or Saturday nights. If you ever go then, just make sure you prop yourself up at the bar sharpish, or you'll spend an absolute age waiting to get served. For such a busy area, if there really HAS to be a Wetherspoons at all, they should at least make it a little larger. It can get far too hot and almost claustrophobic at times.
HTM69 - 31 May 2006 21:29 |
Why would any sane person want to sit and have a pint in leicester squre. Its absolutely beyond me. God only knows what happens there of a friday night.
meady - 30 May 2006 18:51 |
Typical wetherspoons a complete toilet of rude staff and not much else
juzza - 10 May 2006 11:07 |
Not a fan. Been about 10 times, but it's far too narrow and nearly always packed. However, have to say that the staff do quite well considering the queues they have sometimes! Not bad if you're after a couple of cheaper (for Leicester Square)drinks before moving on elsewhere.
|
Fairly small Wetherspoons, not as awful as some in the company...
|
I feel like im drinking in a waiting room when dragged to this place. No atmosphere, but the staff do try their best.
|
Its close to my work and its cheap....it'll do me for a lunchtime drink
|
A very thin Spoons. Not as big as usual. You get what you expect. Busy/Cheap place to drink. Another good place to start a night out. Got served in 10 mins on a friday night
|
Long narrow and intimate Wetherspoon. Probably the cosiest Wetherspoon I've visited. We went on a Saturday morning when it was cool and relaxed. I wouldn't dream of coming here on a Friday evening - that way madness lies.
|
Probably one of the worst bars in the area. Limited selection of beers, no character and always overcrowded. To sum it up in one word, chavtastic !
|
I've been in here lots of times over the years, and to be honest i preferred the look of it before it was redecorated, looked more like a traditional pub then :) Still looks ok though, and there is lots more room now. Used to be hell to get served in there sometimes. As long as you go early you'll get served pretty much straight away. Barmaids used to be great (Aussies and Kiwis). Great selection of beer as well, which is always a good thing, as long as it's kept well :)
|
Made an ill-advised stop here during a girls' pub crawl and have to say it was a smoky, smelly god-awful hell-hole.
First I waited 45 minutes to get served amongst what appeared to be a bunch of jostling apes disguised as football thugs, then when I did, having to lean over a sticky bar surface to get in earshot of a disinterested barmaid, they didn't stock any of our choice of drinks, or second choice, or third choice (those being, vodka, sambuca or whisky shots - hardly exotic or hard to come by). Absolutely none.
Left immediately after drinking our lukewarm sugary naff brand pre-mixed drinks and wrestling our way to the door for a breath of fresh air.
|
Much too crowded even by the standards of central London to have a decent drink, probably best avoided.
|
If you go to a pub in the hope of getting both a table and a drink, get here EARLY!
|
absolutly packed waited 10 mins to get served and left.
|
As usual a good choice of ale, but this time only one of them on. Why do Wetherspoons insist on having the badges displayed to the customer, knowing that the beer is off. All it did this time was make me go elsewhere.
|
Always packed, probably due to the prices, most of the bars round here are pants so is probably no worse than any of them..
TheGP - 12 Aug 2004 14:21 |
great atmosphere on a friday night and cheaper than most round LeiSq. check it out
simon rees - 9 Aug 2004 19:53 |
One of the better weatherspoons,the bar is nice to look at and it does not come accross as impersonal like many of the weatherspoons accross london.The only downside with this place is that the bar is not all that big and due to its location it is always full to the rafters giving the place a carnival atmosphere.
Nick Hamer - 28 Jun 2004 18:25 |
Very busy, but cleared a bit soon after 10.30, even managed to get a stool! Fruit machines a plenty. Bar staff were very quick to serve us even though it was packed!
a30 - 7 Jun 2004 14:19 |
a transient place, certainly not good for meeting people. Unless you like feeling to share emotional connection to a sardine in a tin or feel as if you have spent an hour shoved in a cattle truck, only to be released into the tender embrace of a Rugby Scrum! The door staff should try and do something about this, but they seem more interested in getting more 'customer units' in the place.
jon-paul - 12 Dec 2003 13:44 |
What I normally like about the Moon Under Water's in the provinces is that they are full of pissed up old men talking absolute cobblers. Unfortunately here it does not apply. Always packed and once I nearly had a funny turn here. Why anyone would want to drink this close to Leicester Square anyway is beyond me.
Good for: ?
|
it was v difficult to find a seat but if you sit at an already occupied table, the people on it will probs move away! worked for me! cheap drinks, friendly staff. i liked it, will go again.
cathy - 4 Sep 2003 18:57 |
Phenomenal. Nigh on impossible to get a seat here at any time of day or night, let alone a table.
Being a Wetherspoons and being slap bang in the middle of London's cheesy tourist district, it is full of cheap beer fans from across the nation who need their familiar comforts. And guess what... it's the same as all the others apart from a slightly different layout.
The staff are as friendly as you'd expect from a perpetually busy pub with a high turnaround of irregulars who come in to ask for directions.
|
I wish this place was under water...preferably thousands of leagues under it. It looks and feels like an airport bar. Cheap drinks sweeten the pill but not that much. Unpleasant!
Meister - 4 Aug 2003 16:06 |
John - I don't know when you visited MuW but it sure as hell was packed when I last went there. Oh yes, of course it's cheap, its a Wetherspoon's you Nudds!
Pat - 16 Apr 2003 20:18 |
This is a great pub.
Good points:
* A good range of real ales.
* Vary cheap for the area.
* Not too busy for the area.
Bad points:
* The bar staff wear uniforms and sometimes are not that efficient.
Other points:
You can still get to it when there is a premier at the Odeon next door.
John - 16 Apr 2003 13:05 |
Awful. Utter torture for traditional pub fans.
anonymous - 13 Mar 2003 19:18 |
It may have been boarded up then, but it's still open as of 9/12/2002.
Phil - 9 Dec 2002 17:10 |
this pub was boarded up Nov-02
JoJo - 20 Nov 2002 17:23 |
Favourite cop-out venue for kids on their way to nearby clubs. To be avoided in the evening if you want elbow room. Not been the same since the glorious summer of 1996...
Paul H - 15 Jul 2002 10:14 |
Full of people who have made the trip into town but can't afford a decent place.
Dan - 20 May 2002 15:11 |
nice and big, so not always as packed as you'd expect
|
