The Griffin

Whilst the pub looks good I'm afraid I'm going to have to give it a one star as the service was terrible.

I waited over twenty minutes standing at the bar like a lemon waiting to be served. One barman rather than serve people in order just seemed to randomly pick people to serve. The other barman spend the whole twenty minutes playing around with his back to us whilst playing around with the fridge.

I shan't be returning here.

Very rundown pub but great crowd, good indie music and an escape from the tourist bars in Shoreditch. Nice bar staff.  A great place to go if you don't feel like dealing with the tourists or doormen on other pubs where they won't let more than two guys together in.  

Stumbled in on a saturday afternoon, great haven away from tourist mobs. Olde decor, rotating guest ales (flowers & doom bar at the moment) , good alterna-indie music on...pour me another pint!

I have often written positive reviews of pubs that have a good old fashioned pub feel. However there is a difference between maintaining an old fashioned feel and not changing anything in decades (changing includes cleaning in this case).

Yes…that is a carpet…look…in a couple of places under the tables you can still see the pattern…see told you. The rest is just plain black not sure if this because the pattern has been worn away or because a coating of grime has covered over the pattern. Either way..it is not the best.

This pub is one that has really suffered from the smoking ban I guess because despite the doors being open on a warm day there was a musty/mouldy odour in the air.

Still…a dilapidated old pub like this...at least I can console myself with cheaper drinks? Wrong…that’s the one thing they did change…they’re not overpriced or anything…they’re just about average for the area, which they shouldn’t be.

I can’t say I won’t be back though and not just because they serve decent ale (although that is a bonus), but because I actually think that everyone should visit this pub at least once. It has to be seen and experienced to be believed and if you think of it as some kind of museum..or tourist attraction (hey - many cities have tours of their sewers!) then I guess it does have a unique selling angle.

So I probably will be back with some unsuspecting friend who’s reactions I want to see….but I won’t be stopping in for a quick pint until then.

The Griffin is a little baffling to me. The outside looks extremely unappealing, and it was in fact years of working in the city before I ventured inside (and was pulled in by a colleague then).

Inside and outside the place looks a little 'ruffled', but it's appeal is definitely in the down-to-earth attitude of the staff and customers inside.

So why do I give it 4 stars? Well to be honest, it's one of the better in the area if you're not in the city for the money.

It has a pool table (5x4) which adds to it's appeal.

I went with my wife for an afternoon drink at The Griffin. There were only 4 people (including the barmaid) when we arrived which was no problem as it was nice and quiet. They have a nice bar with a great selection of spirits and lager. Service was good and friendly and the pub itself is comfortable eventhough its interior is very arty, junkie, trashy and run down - which ofcourse is to be admired because nowadays it’s difficult to find pubs like this rare diamond. The Griffin has a TV, pool table, music and lots of character. I totally recommend this place if you are passing in need of a pint or if you hit the town at night.

I hate everything about this pub from the pretentious (aka arty) “atmosphere” to the lack of space and the absolutely awful service (the barmaid forgot to give me my change) and looked at me as if I was piece of excrement. You can’t give no stars on Qype so I have to give it one star (shame).

The Griffin is a little grotty, slightly smelly and extremely cool. It’s a proper pub, with no delusions of grandeur. Situated on Leonard Street, it is smack in the middle of Shoreditch “galleryland” and extremely popular as an after work drink spot, so it gets quite rammed and most of the clientele are at least vaguely 'arty’.

There is a pool table at the back, which you have to practically edge around to get to the tiny, single serving loos (ladies, be warned, the probability of a fifteen minute wait is high, so start queuing early) and a small canopy type affair out front to shelter the nicotine addicted from inclement weather. The tables are small, the chairs mismatched and the bar service erratic, but pleasant. The music is anything and everything from Sade, to the Smiths, to Spandau Ballet, and then back again.

Basically, it is either your sort of place or it isn’t. It is a full two and a half minutes from my work and I am extremely fond of it. Oh, and you can get a pint and a doorstep sandwich for £4.50 - as an early lunch, this has proven to be a surprisingly effective hangover cure. Classy.