The Open Guide to London: the free London guide - Differences between Version 2 and Version 1 of Friend At Hand, WC1N 1HX
Contents are identical
- Address: 2-4 Herbrand Street, London WC1N 1HX
- Locale: Bloomsbury
- Nearby Tube stops: Russell Square
Drinks
Wasn't really examining the beer. Cider is �2.55 a pint. [Prices at 2002-05-12]
Food
A reasonable selection of traditional pub food. Only one vegetarian main course, though: pasta with mushrooms and broccoli in a creamy alfredo sauce (�5.25). This wasn't bad at all; it tasted home-made, the little pieces of broccoli were fresh and not over-cooked, and the sauce wasn't overly heavy. The side-salad could have been a little more interesting, but the surprise garlic bread that arrived with it (not mentioned on the menu) was nice, if a little redundant with something already carbohydrate-heavy. [Prices at 2002-05-12]
Earle ate the sausage and mash, which he'd rate as being somewhere between "competent" and "quite good". It was quite reasonably priced, too, at �5.45, which should be factored into the rating.
"Daily special" the last time we were there (12 May 2002, a Sunday) was roast chicken, and "soup of the day" was broccoli and stilton.
Service and Ambience
Friendly service (but see "Facilities" below for one niggle). Clientele is mixed; some people in suits during the post-work couple of hours, but not the idiotic kind of people-in-suits. Popular with tourists, too, apparently. We came here one Sunday with a large group and shifted the tables about a bit, and they didn't seem to mind.
Layout
Just the one room if I remember correctly; mostly large-ish (seating 6 or so) rectangular tables. Cunningly mounted in one corner is a small television visible from most of the bar.
Facilities
The toilets are to the right of the bar, in opposite corners. The ladies' has two cubicles and is in a state of slight disrepair (one of the toilet seats is cracked). The last time I was here (May 2002), the ladies' had no toilet paper at 3:30pm, and when we came back after a walk, at 7:30pm, there was still none. I reported this to the bar staff but they still hadn't refilled it 45 minutes later, and it wasn't as though the place was desperately busy at the time. Not impressed.
It's possible to book tables -- I don't think there's a function room -- but I don't know if this costs anything, and I don't know if it's possible at all times.
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