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    The Dovetail

    4.2 (75 reviews)
    ModeratePubs, Belgian
    Closed 12:00 pm - 11:00 PM

    The Dovetail Photos

    THE DOVETAIL ATMOSPHERE

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

    Recommended Reviews - The Dovetail

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    Reviews With Photos

    Miriam W.

    Dovetail, you're dangerous. A mere mention of you among my mates and they wordlessly shudder trying to recall past events which've occurred on your premises but ended in a blur. Dovetail, it was with you I discovered Straffe Hendrik - a gorgeous Belgian brew with a ridiculously high alc/vol. I can't enter your doors without wanting a bottle. And after two. . .(see point above about you being dangerous.) Dovetail, you're one of the best bars in Clerkenwell and I've never left your premises without having had a bloody good time. Dovetail, you're a little slice of Belgium right here in EC1. We should count ourselves lucky (and your frites aren't half bad either!) Dovetail, when I look back on my life in London from afar, you'll be on my shortlist of pubs I'll likely always miss (but my body will rejoice when you're no longer a few minutes walk away, if I'm honest.)

    Colleen C.

    The definition of Dovetail: "fit or cause to fit together easily and conveniently." And, indeed it is just this. The Dovetail and I, we just fit together...and conveniently, it's located fairly close to my office, but even if it weren't, I'd find my way back here. The Belgian siren song is fierce, my friends. So let's see, my most recent outing involved a Duvel, a few Saisons, some blonde beers, maybe a Leffe? Wow, now that I think about it -- I lost count. Which probably explains the drunk dial to my mum on the walk home and waking up snuggled with the dog on the sofa at 3am. Guess there are worse outcomes eh!? I guess I had some fun. Make a booking! We lucked out on a recent Thursday night but unless you'd like to hang outside in the lovely old Jerusalem Passage (it really is quite nice), call ahead to book a spot, particularly for the eats. The menu is pretty heavy (cheese fondue? deep fried avocado? anyone anyone?) -- but there are some light bites to be had for those that want them (the miso glazed salmon was pretty spot on), and even a few veg-friendly plates. BUT THE BEER. Man, it will punch you in the face if you aren't careful. Read your labels (or don't), and pace yourselves. 3x I've been, the service has been pretty great given the fact that its usually pretty busy with folks clammoring for more of those face punchers. A fun night out with pals, after work spot, a festive spot to kick back and enjoy a few. Don't say I didn't warn you though, you'll be hooked. Belgians do it up right in the beer department.

    Fondue starter
    Jonny Q.

    Really really liked this little bar/pub. Somewhere definitely not on my radar before with it being situated just up Jerusalem Passage, but somewhere I really want to get back to in the not too distant future. Basically these guys sell awesome beer, amazing Belgian beer, loads of awesome amazing Belgian beer in fact! Heading off here for afterwork drinks on a Thursday we were lucky to get a table with it being pretty busy by 6 and a lot reserved for later (book ahead peeps) but from this point we were nicely settled in and made it into quite the epic evening. The food was fairly rustic Belgian fair, I enjoyed digging into the cheese fondue as a starter and the steak baguette was good for a main - but I wish I'd spent more time looking at the menu (as opposed to gabbing away with my friends first off...) as there looked to be some pretty interesting things going on there. Fun conversations with friends mixed with tasty Belgian IPA, white Chimay and lots of random stubby bottles with foreign names scribbled on them made this a super fun night.

    Bison burger with spicy tomato relish.
    Katie B.

    Belgian beer is evil!! Ok, it's not but it is potent and gets me all squiffy very quickly. Popped in with some lovely Yelp colleagues for a couple of after work bevvies. Was quite happily supping my wine and watching the fellas get all bleary eyed on 11% Belgian beer and then had my arm twisted by 'he who shall not be named' (not Voldermort of course, just a naughty beer-monster) to try some of their 8% brew. In all fairness I am not a beer drinker but this was some tasty stuff! I had a couple. Kind of fizzy and with less of a bitter taste. The remainder of the evening is slightly blurry but I know beyond all doubt that I had a great time. We all did! The Dovetail is a gorgeous little pub tucked away down an alley. It was pouring down outside and The Dovetail was a warm, cosy den from the miserable November rain. We didn't manage to snag a table but it wasn't so packed that we were too much in the way, standing by the bar. The staff were so friendly and everyone in the bar seemed happy...or maybe it was just the euphoric beer-glow that left me feeling that way. I'll definitely be popping back to The Dovetail soon, most probably with the same crowd, as despite the yucky tired hangover the day after, I know we'd still do it all again in a heartbeat. Nothing like a bit of office bonding!

    Meat wrapped in meat is always a winner
    Stevie M.

    The Dovetail is one of those magical bars that beckons you in off the street and the longer you stay the harder it is to leave. Their wide range of strong lager and simple but effective food may be responsible for this magic formula. They have more fruit beer on offer than many bars have normal beer. I feel that this is part of the draw of The Dovetail. Every time you go to the often packed bar you can come back with something different. Try the apple beer, the name escapes me (not because I was drunk) but ask the chatty bar staff who will be able to assist you on your quest. We had grub at The Dovetail. Some of our group are locals and weren't aware that The Dovetail did food but I can assure you that it does food well. For main I had a hotdog wrapped in Parma ham and feta. The meal was excellent, served with real pace and eaten even quicker. I was a fan of The Dovetail as you can probably tell. It harvested an extremely relaxed, casual atmosphere and is the perfect post work destination.

    Great beer list!
    Con K.

    Chorizo burger and frites were just ok. Service was attentive and the beer list was great. Pricing was as expected, and ambiance was exactly what I wanted for a solo trip to Belgian beer heaven.

    Delirium Red!
    Raghavendra P.

    I walk by this place everyday to work and everytime I pass by I feel like getting in for a quick gulp of some delicious Belgian beer, irrespective of the time of the day. Not to mention, their Belgian cuisine which includes some authentic ones such as Antwerp fish stew. They also have daily employee recommendations on a blackboard inside. The whole pub also has a Belgian pub lane feel to it, kind of like the famous Delirium of Grote Markt in Brussels. There are also some trappist murals on the pub wall if I remember correctly. This place is quite packed on most evenings, and unlike most London pubs, even if the pub is full, you can drink beer on the lane outside. For history buffs (which I also happen to be!), this place is located on a street (or more of a passage) called Jerusalem passage (http://zythophile.co.uk/2010/02/23/the-jerusalem-tavern-clerkenwell-a-short-history/) with a plaque dedicated to 'Thomas Britton, the musical coalman'. There is also the chic St Johns square next to it.

    The beer cabinet!

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    6 years ago

    Great burgers and craft beers! Recommend Monday-Tuesday lunch offer for a Burger with drink for 10£.

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    8 years ago

    A nice cosy place to hang out after work. Best pub food you can have. A great choice of besy beers.

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    Page 1 of 2

    The Dovetail Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - The Dovetail

    I had an amazing baked Camembert and wild boar sausage which was the perfect thing to pair with a crisp Belgian beer.

    Mentioned in 15 reviews

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    The Centre Page - Modest entrance area.

    The Centre Page

    3.6(25 reviews)
    0.8 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)
    1.1 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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    The Dovetail - pubs - Updated May 2026

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