Wetherspoons

IngressUK said:

The newest London branch in Clapham Junction - The London and Southwestern - I visited last Sunday. A nicely done out pub that suffers with poor service. One person serving on the till, plus they failed to inform when ordering there was a 30-40 minute wait for food.

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I agree! We went a few weeks ago and the pub itself was nice. I guess cos it’s new, but the service was horrendous. Have you been to the other one in Clapham junction? Not the high street more like Battersea really. The asparagus. That’s a dive but not as bad as tooting!

Some are ok, especially to just start off a night out with for some cheap drinks. I’ve avoided them a lot during covid as they never keep on top of the tables and cleaning them if busy. Having said that though theres actually a new one that’s opened up near to me and it’s really posh, the other one close to me is a bit of a bog standard one but not the worst I’ve been in. Some are not nice though!

Peaches_xox said:

I agree! We went a few weeks ago and the pub itself was nice. I guess cos it’s new, but the service was horrendous. Have you been to the other one in Clapham junction? Not the high street more like Battersea really. The asparagus. That’s a dive but not as bad as tooting!

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It is a shame about the London and Southwestern. With good management it could be very good, however I left feeling a bit disappointed with it.

Yes, I've been to The Asparagus (painted blue outside) before. it is less than a ten minute walk from the London and Southwestern.

To be fair it isn't that bad. Certainly not one of the worst I've been in.

Another of my gripes with Spoons is that they have now closed down so many branches, some areas are now bare of Spoons.

I refer to areas such as Mitcham, Highgate, Archway, Hampstead (The Horseshoe there was the former Spoons), Balham, Morden and central London, around the West End. Years ago there used to be The Tyburn at Marble Arch and The Moon and Sixpence in Soho. The Green Man near St Paul's has now also gone, as has the Print Works in Clerkenwell and The Glass Works (where the small shopping centre is) in Angel. I also recall going into The Man in the Moon in Camden, outside The Stables market which has also gone. One of the most disappointing closures was The Crown and Sceptre in Streatham Hill.

Even the medium sized town of Wokingham had its Spoons branch closed a couple of years ago, leaving the town without a branch. Reading used to have four, now reduced to two.

There are countless other areas that used to have two, or more branches, now reduced to just one.

I've not fully agreed with Tim Martin's closure programme over the years. In many cases it has been disputes with the landlords of the property they lease, that has resulted in the pubs closing. No efforts, in some cases, have been made to find a suitable premises elsewhere in those locations.

There is a website somewhere that lists the branches that have been closed. The list is quite long! Someone once said to me there are now more closed/former Spoons branches in London, than open ones.

Other recent ones I've been into.

Slough
Cricklewood (another I wasn't impressed with)
Acton
Abingdon (The Narrows is a great modern style pub).
Uxbridge
Camberwell
Mile End (another branch that has been done out well).

I also recently revisited two of my haunts from University days. The Coronet on Holloway Road and The White Swan on Highbury Corner.

I was once forced to go in one for a drink as it was a birthday thing … normally wouldn’t be seen dead in the place

They’re very hit and miss. Love their vegan options and the chips and curry sauce. The app to order from your table works really well. They’ve got a “are you local ” vibe in small towns so I prefer the city centre ones. I went to one in Wales once and the bar staff served the Welsh-speaking customers first

I live in dublin and I always find it full of tracksuit yobs, it’s cheaper to drink there than to get 2 bottles of vodka and drink in a field. The one on abbey st is alright but anywhere else there’s been nothing but problems.

I also don’t like the food it tastes frozen and microwaved

AlanBanan said:

I live in dublin and I always find it full of tracksuit yobs, it’s cheaper to drink there than to get 2 bottles of vodka and drink in a field. The one on abbey st is alright but anywhere else there’s been nothing but problems.

I also don’t like the food it tastes frozen and microwaved

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That's because thats exactly what it is!

I don't mind a spoons really, I often go to them at the end of term with colleagues.
Their chicken wings are excellent though.

Some wetherspoons are in beautiful buildings and they usually have lots of nice toilets. They are usually quite large pubs with plenty of space .

Almost every town has one.

O know people who would rather visit a wetherspoons in a strange town than a local pub .

Lloyd's were the more upmarket version.

Wetherspoons is a safe bet. Like McDonalds (and yes I love McDonalds and I don’t care what anyone says! ), one knows what to expect. Some slightly better than others, but sometimes I just want a bit of familiarity.

I frequented the one in my local town in South East London for nearly 20 years. I remember being a student and going with friends after college for their 2 meals for £5.50!

Every time I flew from Heathrow t5 I used to go to the Spoons for an eggs Benedict.

I find Spoons comfortable and welcoming, always clean, good for a laugh with all the local weirdos and characters, good menu, nice dinnerware, decent staff, also loved the table service via app they introduced in recent years. Oh, the coffee is great too, with free refills. And I liked their cocktail jugs.

Tbh I only really like Wetherspoons for the cocktails. A jug of cheeky vimto or Long Island iced tea starts the night off well

The pizzas are nice for what you pay, I had a bbq chicken one for like 7.95 the other week. If you go in expecting gourmet then you’re a nob head

I think Whethersooons and primark are in the same category as average & cheap. You get what you pay for.

Does the job every now and again but you wouldn’t go there all the time!

Awful places. Would rather pay a bit more for a beer I'd actually enjoy. They're usually full of drunk youths shouting and throwing up on the terrible carpets they all seem to have.

I only go in for drinks, never had a meal in Wetherspoons. It’s usually the first place we would go on a night out I could probably get drunk by spending only £20

watermelon sugar said:

Tbh I only really like Wetherspoons for the cocktails. A jug of cheeky vimto or Long Island iced tea starts the night off well

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they sell long islands at your wetherspoons? wtf, I'm upset, we don't have those at ours!!!

The White House in Scraptoft near Leicester is a lovely building, there grilled chicken burger with an added on cheddar is lovely! I always get an extra side of chips to share with everyone, as they are always tight on chips! For a sweet and sickly pudding try the cookie dough...it’s small when it comes but you realise quickly you wouldn’t be able to eat anymore!

I don't like it. It's cheap, microwavable food.

It seems to be a hit with people I know and my family so I tend to go when invited. But I wouldn't choose it as an option myself. The chips are dry, the curries aren't authentic. Everything else is mediocre.

Love a spoons!
Cheap booze, great meeting places when you’re waiting for others.
Food is ok, wouldn’t rave about it but it’s cheap and cheerful and fills a hole.
Have been in lots all over the country, some are rank and full of pissheads or chavs, but the majority are great!
I’d rather go to spoons than a pretentious bar full of snooty wankers

Haven't been Spoons since before the pandemic. Food is shite, no atmosphere, Tim Martin is a parasite.