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    Old Shades

    3.7 (75 reviews)
    ModeratePubs

    Old Shades Photos

    OLD SHADES ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Old Shades

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    Inside
    Nicole B.

    Went here for our first dinner in London to get a Sunday roast. The roast beef was decent, but the chicken roast was where it's at. Delicious veggies and Yorkshire pudding to help soak up the gravy. Really friendly staff. Beautiful interior.

    Fish & chips
    Alexis S.

    Cute little pub. Enjoyed some pints and fish & chips upon our arrival into London. Was definitely pricey but that comes with being in London

    Sunday roast.
    Daniel C.

    Had the BEST Father's Day Sunday roast a little over a week ago. Everything was delicious and the staff were quite friendly and attentive. The atmosphere was traditional pub which is what we were looking for. All in all a wonderful experience within quick walking distance from the National Gallery.

    Part of the menu
    Joy S.

    Our first meal in London was at this pub. We had a reservation, but thought it was for an hour earlier than it actually was. We got there early and they were kind enough to find us a table and let us stay. Our server was great, doing amazing magic tricks for us a couple of times. He was also attentive to us the entire time. I ordered the chicken Caesar salad, which was very good, with a big, tender chicken breast on top of the salad ingredients. Some of our group ordered fish and chips, which they all really liked. The ambiance was nice and it was a good first experience for our week in the UK.

    This place was a great bar that served the traditional fish and chips and of course a meat pie. The difference here is that their meat pie is served over mashed potatoes and surrounded by gravy with some greens on the side. It's different but still delicious! The environment at Shades is warm and cozy. The place appeared to be a little bit bigger than most pubs and the service was excellent!

    Anthony F.

    A proper public house. This pub had several quality beers and food. Lots of atmosphere and decor. A proper pub.

    Roast beef with horseradish cream
    David P.

    Nice atmosphere and friendly staff, but my "roast beef with horseradish cream" was disappointing. It was impossible to cut the beef, which was awkwardly plated atop the vegetables, without a sharp knife There was no horseradish cream that I could detect, just brown gravy. The potatoes and vegetables were tasty.

    Patty Z.

    We arrived without a reservation at lunchtime during the very busy week of Christmas. Since no tables were available we grabbed a spot at the bar. While it was busy and service was slow (but friendly), the beer and food were fantastic. I had the steak and ale pie while my son had fish and chips.

    Steak and ale pie.

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    6 months ago

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    1 month ago

    Very impressed either way the food. Ambiance was as you would expect and service was attentive. Food was the highlight.

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    10 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Solid pub food! I had the chicken schnitzel which was a good amount of food at a good price. Didn't feel touristy!

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Nice place for a drink! Bartender friendly and made us feel comfortable. I had a spritz and it was very good.

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    1 year ago

    Delicious! Diana was lovely and the food tastes great. I think when we come to London again we will definitely come again

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    2 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Service and drinks were good, steak was very fatty and grisly. Definitely would not recommend the steak.

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Friendly, great pub food. We liked the steak and mushroom pie and the BLT. Great service, too

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    3 years ago

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    Page 1 of 2

    Old Shades Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Old Shades

    Great spot for pub food after a long day of sightseeing.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    The Centre Page - Modest entrance area.

    The Centre Page

    3.6(25 reviews)
    1.3 miBlackfriars
    £

    After visiting Shakespeare's Globe across the Thames River, I was rushing to the airport and…read morespotted this place near St. Paul's church after crossing Millennium Bridge. Given the location, I knew it was probably a tourist trap and I wish to avoid those usually but had no time so stopped in on a Monday afternoon for lunch. I'm so glad I did! I was in London only briefly and had yet to try proper fish and chips and I was definitely WOW'd. I've only had this in America, and this was definitely better than anything I've ever had. When it arrived on my table, I could feel the heat from the plate -- that's how scalding hot and fresh it was, and I loved that! The cod was absolutely massive, a thick portion of fish deep fried with the skin on within an incredibly crunchy beer batter. There were pieces of bone in it, but no bother, this only made it seem more fresh. The chips (thick cut fries) were perfectly crispy and both the fish and chips were insanely delicious with a bit of salt and malt vinegar (which I had to request by walking up to the bar). The dish came with a tartar sauce and ketchup, but tasted way better with the salt and vin. I absolutely love that the fish and chips also came with mushy peas, whereas most pubs only give you fish and chips alone. The dish was also very well priced at 9.95 GBP, and I was able to use my credit card, rounded up to 10 GBP because they have a 10 GBP minimum for using cards. I appreciate that this restaurant had free wi-fi, which I found out by asking my waiter, who quickly provided the secret code for me to use. In America you would never ask your server for this but I noticed that nearly every hotel and restaurant I visited during my 11-day tour of Europe offered wi-fi. Good on them, because how else would I check in to a restaurant on Yelp and shower them with praise and circulate promotional foodie photos on Instagram? During a weekday, many workers nearby flood this place to grab a pint during lunch....now, why don't I work in London? I would give this place five stars based on the food alone, but I am giving it four because I wished the service had been more attentive, as I had to go up to the bar to get malt vinegar and also to ask to pay my bill. I understand service in Europe is more laissez-faire than in America, but since this is a tourist spot I would have liked to be checked on by the staff at least once during my meal, and certainly to be presented with the bill. Note: They also serve Sunday roast dinner for 9.95 GBP on Sundays

    Great location, great specials and great service. This is a solid pub that seems to attract a good…read morecrowd. Being from the states I am not as familiar with all the UK brands --- but they seem to offer a wide variety of beers (lots on tap) and cocktails. TIP: I recommend hitting this place before 5:30 on the weekdays as the happy hour crowd fills this join up.

    Photos
    The Centre Page
    The Centre Page - Downstairs dinning area

    Downstairs dinning area

    The Centre Page

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    The Banker

    The Banker

    4.3(16 reviews)
    1.5 miThe City
    ££

    We had passed this pub several times, as it is located on a common route to the hotel we were…read morestaying in, and we wanted to have our first London pub experience, so try it, we did. We arrived just after the work day, and the crowd was buzzing just outside. We did the self-seating option indoors, and sat down to a great view of the Thames river, as we pondered our meal choices from the menu. The location is just great. For a leadoff drink, I had to go with the house cask ale, which was the Fuller's ESB, a drink I've been enjoying since the 1990's, and it delivered as expected. I went with an order of Sausages with mashed potatoes and peas...it doesn't get much more classic than that, and I was happy with it, especially with the quantity (3 sausages!). Wifey was on the hunt for a meat pie, and she went with the Steak, Ale & Mushroom Pie, which I can report was wholeheartedly approved. One of the better pies we've had on the overall trip, and the best we had at a pub location. The overall vibe of this pub is exactly as you might picture it, and we weren't disappointed with any aspect. Service, though not overly patient (hey - they were busy), was competent and pleasant. Cheers!

    Great pub in the City of London. Found it while walking near the River front after crossing north…read moreover London Bridge. Casks, drafts, lots of seating - both indoor and outdoor. They had billiards and some other entertainment. Quick service.

    Photos
    The Banker
    The Banker
    The Banker

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    Old Shades - pubs - Updated May 2026

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