Now this is an unusual place…...

As the astute Qypers below have mentioned, Ben Crouch’s is named after the infamous graverobber of the 19th century. I’d love to give you more info about Mr. Crouch but Wikipedia has let me down :( I think we’ll just have to assume he was a very bad man.

The pub itself is decked out liked a haunted house. Gargoyle’s, mad scientists and ghouls make up the majority of the decor. Oh, and when you flush the loo you get a screaming noise or a witches cackle. The staff in here were all dressed in school uniform last night (not really sure why) and the punters were either 1) watching the football 2) Dressed up in goth gear 3) Celebrating someones 30th birthday. 4) Rocking out to Guns n’ Roses which was being played on the jukebox (kudos points here).

Beer prices were pretty standard and they had a couple ales on. I haven’t tried the food in here but the menu looks very Wetherspoonsish. I won’t be rushing back, but they have plenty of seats and a decent quiz machine so i won’t completely write it off.

Ben Crouch’s Tavern used to be a big smoky nightmare of a place, music turned up to ridiculous levels once the clock hits nine. Over the course of a few yeras the ‘Crouch’ has become a rather busy pub, principally due to its size, friendly atmosphere and good staff. The beer is really well kept, it has themed test tube shots, if you’re into that sort of thing and service is pretty efficient considering how busy it can be on a friday evening.

The food served at the ‘Crouch’ may be fairly standard pub fayre but it has always been quite imaginitive and always tasted rather good. The vegetarian burger was a marvel to behold in a realm where burgers can so often fail. It’s reasonably priced and considering the central location well worth popping in for a lunchtime pint and a good square meal.

The Crouch is ultimately at her best before the masses descend. Since the smoking ban it has improved imeasurably although the levels of volume from the rather dreadful driving classic cds can be unsettling.

I was all geared up for only awarding a couple of stars but on reflection it’s a much better pub than I give it credit for. The eerie noises from the toilets used to be a fascination for newcomers. Worth a visit, but like so many in the area it’s to be treated with caution on a friday night.

Named after the infamous graverobber of 1800’s England, Ben Crouch’s Tavern is part of the Eerie Pub Chain, and Eerie it is!

It is not for the faint hearted. The toilets screech with the cries of werewolves; gargoyles festoon the ceilings; devilish imps peer out of carvings in the seating booths and macabre spookery is located all around. The pub appears to be a mixture of black and white horror film and mad scientists lair, an usual combination for a pub located just off the bustling Oxford Street!

Drinks are standard pub fare. Wine, beer and spirits, but they also serve jugs / glasses of cocktails named after The Seven Deadly Sins, and for the more adventurous, testubes of alcohol named after members of the Adams Family.

At lunchtimes, the pub is frequented by local office and shop workers, who tuck in to the lunchtime menu. Recently improved, it features dishes such as burgers, canneloni, ploughmans and fish and chips. The plates are often decorated with spiders and cobwebs, which is a lovely touch.

Very busy after work hours and on weekend evenings. Outdoor seating for smokers, but in quite shady alleyway alongside HMV store.

One of my favourite places for a drink or a meal, this pub is a treasure-trove of the weird and the wonderful.

Boasting both the best burger and the best fish and chips n Fitzrovia and Soho, they do live up to the chaim.

While it is typical pub fare, the meals always arrive hot and properly cooked, with attention to detail like presentation and flavour.

Loud and noisy both because of the music and because of the decoration, this is a great place to go after work or for a quirky lunch.

This is a joke of a pub and unapologetically so, but I have a fond affection for this brash and strange chain pub which has served me well since I first came to London.

It is themed around horror films and Victorian surgery, with props aplenty adorning the walls. It is incredibly noisy, both visually and audibly, but is a great place for after-work or pre-club drinks.

You can get seven sins cocktails served in test tubes, an extension of the surgery theme, I presume, and you can order large amounts of pub grub for pretty cheap in here.

One of the only faults with this place is the overpriced beer, which is about 40p more a pint than usual. However, this is clearly to do with its proximity to Oxford St, and not a reflection of the quality of the beer sadly.

The faint-hearted amongst you may wish to avoid the toilets fitted with shrieking sound effects.