Pontefract Castle in City of London, Westminster

Fantastic place so much history the trip down the dungeon was a great experience the guide was so good. When the new cafe opens it will be amazing

Happened to visit with a friend who had a beer and they were lamenting that the place is shutting down due to redevelopment - authentic British pub.

This is now a building site. No idea what it's going to be. Block of luxury flats probably - who knows.

Nice enough pub in a handy location. Not sure it makes sense for me to hold the fact it's popular against it so I won't.

My rating isn't really relevant but I'm really surprised it's closed (sitting in restaurant opposite and scaffolding all round it and neighbouring buildings). Surprised they were allowed to do it and disappointed as it was a real traditional London pub - so much for progress.

Este fue un excelente pub! cervezas muy bien mantenidas, buenos vinos de buena relación calidad-precio y muy buen servicio - un crédito para Nicholsons.

We visited this pub during weekend before Christmas 2014 and we're shocked to hear it was being neatly closed due to redevelopment of the block. Anyone know if that has happened? Sad loss, love that place. Good ale and food

In the middle of Wigmore Street, this little pub is quite nice for a little stop off. But as it is small, it is more of a Summer venue where you can stand outside.

Rien à dire ,accueil adorable ! Un fish and chips excellent avec la fameuse purée de petits pois ,un poisson qui ne baigne pas dans l'huile et des frites maison,une ambiance chaleureuse ,moins de 10€ le plat,de bonnes bières et très bien placé dans Londres,à deux pas d'Oxford street mais au calme ! Ouf pas facile à trouver mais ça vaut le coup de s'entêter

No hay señales en su cerrado pub diciendo que sus clientes lo que están haciendo o han hecho con este viejo pub!

Pontefract Castle es un pub grande con 3 pisos, es un bonito y agradable lugar para una comida de pub. El menú consta de muchos favoritos de pub incluyendo hamburguesas, pescado y patatas fritas, salchichas y puré, etc.

Han utilizado esto como un punto de encuentro con los amigos para los más de 30 años. Llegamos ayer 22.1.15 y estaba cerrado sin ninguna avisos explicando por qué personal o enfermedad, etc. Teníamos que encontrar otro punto de encuentro de aproximadamente 150 metros = Devonshire Arms , 7= calle Duque un agradable pub (personal clientes/) con una buena variedad de cervezas, pero no hay comida que podía ver.

Отличное,уютное и радушное место, быстрый сервис и вкусная еда. Истинный английский паб с традициями,в который хочется заглянуть еще раз.

Needed a venue for Christmas lunch for 14 of us: convenient location at the top of the spiral staircase so we could all fit round one table, and it suited us very well.Food was good (both the festive fayre of al-la-carte), it arrived swiftly and our delightful waiter coped well with additions.The top floor would also work well for a private party as it has its own bar, although not appropriate for disabilities.A solid choice.

old fashioned pub in good location. Food was excellent, although we were there on a Monday and they were out of a few menu items and changed the ingredients in the salad I ordered without telling me. That said, we enjoyed our meal, there was a good beer selection and we would go again.

Popped in for a bit of food and a beer, stayed for lots of starters and several ales :-) Really good atmosphere, food and beers, have been before and would go again. This place doesn't need reviews it sells itself, the evidence is there full of tourists and locals.

My husband and I was on a shopping trip today and usually go to the Lamb and Flag just off Oxford Street, but it was full, so walked a bit further down to Pontefract Castle. It was pretty full in there too but managed to find a table for two on the top floor. The service was good even though they were very busy. I asked for a glass of tap water while we were waiting for our drinks/lunch to be served and this was brought to me straight away. We both ordered from the lunch time menu. I had a cheese and pickle sandwich, small salad and a glass of house white. My husband had a cheese burger with small fries and a glass of red. I had another glass of white wine and the total bill was £18.00. Very good value and the food was pretty good as well!!

Visited the pontifract castle 22 November2014.Asked for a table for 2 to be told there wasn't any without looking,there was behind him.After sitting down no one offered us a menu we had to ask another table for there's, when we finally got some service after calling someone and placed our order.The table wasn't wiped down,no cutlery with our food and we had to remind them we ordered drinks.The only thing that arrived double quick time was the bill.would not recommend this pub,such a shame it used to be such a great place.

Came in here yesterday and had half a pint of a stout that I had not come across before which was rather more flavousome than Guiness. This pub is on 4 levels. We went to the first / mezzanine floor via a spiral stair. The seating is olde world but comfortable and I liked what look like Victotian ironwork banisters and balustrade which made this pub a little more quirky than some others.

I popped in to the Pontefract for a drink on a Saturday night on my way to meet some friends in another live music venue nearby. I have probably visited this pub about a half dozen times in my life. Myself and my friend approached the bar to have a look at what 'Real Ales' they had on offer, being a lager drinker I chose a pint of Peroni, my friend chose his Ale, I paid and we sat on a couple of bar stools near the door.Why do I rate this pub so low you may ask? We were served by a scruffy looking barman, surrounded by other scruffy looking bar staff, that all looked like they needed a good wash, they were wearing dirty Brown Polo shirts that looked old and ragged, at no point did our barman acknowledge us, smile or even utter a single word apart from telling me the cost of the drinks, to make matters worse the stupid barman served my Peroni in a hot glass, there were no more than about 12 people in the bar so I doubt if they ran out of glasses but even if they did they should run the glass under the cold tap, the management at this place need to get their act together. I won't be back.PS I'm an ex-publican still involved in the business.

Popped in for lunch with my family after shopping and was immediately offered a table on the second floor. As we only wanted a drink a quick lunch we opted for the 'order at the bar' service. I had the venison pie with mash and veg. It was superb. The meat was so tender. My daughter-in-law had the chicken pie which was delicious. Only slight complaint was that the scampi was a bit pale and soggy. Much better food than the more upmarket restaurants we've been to in Harrow and at half the price!

My wife and I with another couple where in London for one night and we decided to visit Pontefract Castle again, having visited the place in 2012 & 2008. We decided to eat upstairs because it was quieter (pub was packed) and we could all sit together around a single table.The waiter was pleasant and the food was fine, but nothing startling. The menu was 'corporate' but I am sure it was more individualistic on our previous visits. Overall I was disappointed, but am unable to say why.

Nothing special but if you're in for a pint and some finger food this will do.The traditional English dishes like fish'n'chips and their pies are as good as any so stick to them.The atmosphere is nice and in the afternoon the place is buzzing with life both inside and outside.

Nice pub on Wigmore Street with a decent atmosphere. My work colleagues and I frequently visit at least once a week for a few drinks after work. Staff are helpful and the service is good. Have only eaten here a couple of times and the food is basically your typical pub stuff.

Tranquillo pub in zona centralissima, vasta scelta di birre e di piatti tipici della cucina anglosassone. Personale gentile, servizio rapido, ottima scelta di dolci della tradizione inglese, assaggiate il crumble di mele e il pudding sono davvero ottimi.

A nice little pub near St Christopher's Place. We purchased just a couple of drinks to enjoy outside. Did not eat but the menu looked very tasty. Would certainly recommend for a cheeky little beer whilst shopping in London.

Good food with great ale selection. Server Lizzie could not have been sweeter. When I asked for a recommendation for an amber ale, she could not personally say, so she consulted a colleague. Next thing I know, she's bringing me a small taste of the recommended ale. How thoughtful, letting me try it before ordering an entire pint (of something I might not like). Loved the ale, along with the food. Was a little disappointed that the menu did not offer the roasted chicken special I had during a visit in October of 2013. This current visit was in May of 2014. Nevertheless my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Loved the upstairs table next to a window, where we could watch the comings/goings on the street below. This pub is so easy to reach from our Portman Square hotel. Highly recommend Pontefract Castle.

good beernice envioronmetgood beer selection.not more expensive than other pubs.In wigmore street, not found quickly.restaurants also nearby

Love this pub....great casked ales and beers from different countries on tap. Nice atmosphere, outside seating on Saint Christoper's Place...

We had a fantastic meal in the Pontefract castle. We went in for a few drinks after work and decided to stay for food. The service was very friendly and efficient and we were pleasantly surprised by the food. It was well presented a very tasty - a cut above the usual pub grub.

We ate lunch here during our stay in London. The atmosphere and interior is distinctly cozy, probably mirroring your perception of what a traditional English pub should be like. We ate their speciality burger, which we found to be of high quality and with good toppings. Nothing extraordinary, but still a very good meal, and on top of that the service was great. Recommended.

Just off Oxford St and St Christopher Place it's a great stopping place. Drop off your husband while you shop and enjoy! Beer - lots of choice - good price for the area. Food was good for pub fare

Though I only popped in for a quick drink and a snack I was once again impressed by this delightful Nicholson's owned pub. Its traditional decor, pleasant & efficient staff, the excellent range of beers, wines & spirits on offer and the freshly prepared food make it one of my favourite 'go to' places.Situated as it is in Wigmore Street, sandwiched neatly between James Street which leads straight to Oxford Street and its world famous department stores, and the delightful & trendy St Christopher's Place, the Pontefract Castle is ideally suited to both business and pleasure.Oh and the snack I devoured? Whitebait and thick cut fries......and they were oh so GOOD!I happily recommend this pub

Il tipico pub londinese dove farsi una birra dopo lavoro o dopo cena. Ha anche un po' di tavolini e posti a sedere e la posizione è centralissima. Prezzo delle birre superiore alla media inglese.

Went there for a few drinks with a friend, staff were friendly and helpful when asked I asked about what ales they recommend and even gave me samples. On a Saturday night is was busy enough but still very little wait, if any at the bar. Will be back again.

I met a friend for lunch, we sat at the very top of the pub, in the table service section. The waitress was very pleasant and food was very tasty. I only ordered a beef burger with cheese and bacon, but it was very tasty. Would definitely go again.

Went there twice. The first time we had fish and chips in the dining room. That was correct and the food was good except for the frozen peas... The second time we had some pints and then dinner. Service was awful in the pub. The young dirty-haired man behind the bar tried to make us pay twice for our "garlic bread". Then he ignored us as we wanted to order more drinks... Too busy chatting with a young blond girl...I'll avoid this pub the next time I go to London.

cercavamo un locale dove avere un'esperienza di cucina britannica, qui l'abbiamo trovata .ottimo cibo, ottima birra e ottima accoglienza

As always this chain of restaurants serves up good pub grub, with a good atmosphere AF a reasonable price. Don't expect refined dining, it is what it is, but tasty none the less, with good service thrown in.

Ambiente tipico, cameriere veramente gentile, ma soprattutto cibo buono e ottima birra. Ho mangiato un ottimo fish&chips e un cramble di mele molto buono. Spesa ragionevole :)

I was here last Sat for the England Ireland rugby match with my wife Linda, the pub was packed with a good vibe. We hadn't eaten and wanted to get some food into us before a night on the town. The bar area was busy, so we went up to the sort of restaurant type area at the top. Served quickly by a nice young girl.But this is my reason for putting a review, while waiting for our food I googled the pub to see what was close by and just out of nosiness seen the previous reviews on here, not very reassuring to say the least! I showed Linda and we nearly even cancelled our food, but looking around and the other people's food looked ok, so we decided to risk it. I have to say we where very pleasantly surprised, I don't know if they've changed chef or whatever but the food was spot on, 20 mins or so, nothing gastro quality but just good honest pub grub, what we originally expected. I had the Chicken burger, nice and juicy and Linda had the Fish & Chips, nice light batter and good size, chips are frozen chips I think but tasty and both for under a Tenner each in central London so very happy with it. All we needed was Ireland to play better later, but hey ho.

We eat there on the 1st Feb and our experience was almost identical to Thomo61's review. The fish batter was partly black and the cod inside was dry, hardly as advertised on Nicholson's main site where they boast of the quality. We sent it back and were credited and given free wine by the manager who did not seem in control of the kitchen situation. Other diners nearby were told that the chef had gone home early and no more cooked food was available. I felt sorry for the waitress who was given this food to serve. It seems that the kitchen staff just cannot cope on busy nights.The next day we found ourselves in another Nicholson's pub but it was a completely different story. The service was as advertised and the staff were well supervised by an extremely attentive manager. All the food served nearby looked fine.

If you want a pint - okIf you want food - walk on !!! First the waitress has no clue what is going on, we ordered nachos - what came was tchips and sour cream - nothing else - sent back, turned up later after mains but about an hour in.Mains - fish and chips - batter black and burnt chips cold. Chicken and mushroom pie - pie nice, but veg stone cold. Bangers and mash - congealed hard sausages!!! Absolutely awful. Sent back - the table next to us ordered fish - they got what we sent back !!!! Asked for the manager - eventually turned up- Said sorry will take off your mains from bill. When we were ready to go - they were still on bill. There was about an hour left of service - many tables were told no more food - the chef has. Gone home !!!! Waitress said this happens most nights Avoid at all costs !!

Stopped for lunch here and was thoroughly disappointed. We sat outside on one of about 6 tables and ordered our food at the bar.45 minutes later our food had still not arrived so I went in to ask if it was coming. The staff were very unapologetic and complained that they had looked for us for 20 minutes outside with our food but couldn't find us. Considering there were so few tables outside I found this surprising that they couldn't find us...About 10 minutes after this they brought us our food. My soup was cold and tasted very unpleasant. My boyfriend's cheese and real ale chutney sandwich had hardly any cheese on it, with stale bread and cold chips. I would markedly avoid this place, we wished we hadn't bothered and just got a sandwich from Costa across the road which would have been much quicker and tastier.

I went in on a Saturday lunchtime with my wife and two daughters when Oxford Street was heaving.We managed to find a lovely table downstairs.The food and the selection of ales was very good.The service was also very good with four people working very hard behind the bar having to put up with some rude customers and keeping their cool.Will definitely use again.

We were wandering around Marylebone waiting for a friend to get out of work, and decided it was a great time for a beer. We only needed two pints of beer, and Pontefract Castle had exactly what we needed.

Vi tänkte avsluta våran Londonresa med att besöka en lokal pub. Vi beställde in två hamburgare "classic", en kycklinghamburgare och jag tog en steak frites. Köttet, kycklingen och hamburgarna var torra och brända, pommes frites var rå och sotig, salladen hade stått ute i rumstemperatur hela dagen. Råa lökringar, tomaterna såg ut som dom hade skurits några dagar tidigare. Min fru hittade en stor bit plast i sin hamburgare!! Hamburgerbrödet var så torrt att det ramlade sönder när man knackade på det. Jag har aldrig ätit så dålig mat någonsin! undvik detta ställe. Vilket skämt.

Asked or a Sunday roast on Sunday and was asked by waitress 'what' with such expression I may as well have asked for an outerspace lunch! The waitress went off to 'find out', there was hysterical laughing, a menu was the given to me, I declined and began to leave which prompted further hysteria. Avoid this 'traditional British boozer'!

OH DEAR!! Please do yourself a favour and avoid this place! The manager keeps responding to other negative reviews with a statement about its now under new management etc! Well here is some advice, sack your chef! The Nachos came without salsa and we had to explain what Salsa was before we got some! The chicken wings were dry and no blue cheese dressing served as mentioned on menu because there wasn't any!! I had gammon and eggs which was JUST passable. My son had the classic burger which turned up not just burnt but cremated! We touched the burnt bits and they snapped off and turned to ash (no joke!)! The overall experience was awful!! The young waiter doing all the running was the only positive!!

We visited this pub 4 years ago and had been looking forward to going back ever since. We did so last weekend, and, I'm sorry to say, will never return. We ordered pies, like the previous time, but the quality this time was disgraceful ! The chicken pie had very little meat, and my beef pie seemed to be made of the pieces you usually keep for dog food, or all the leftover pieces people had cut off the steaks, I don't know, but there wasn't a single piece of normal, decent beef in the whole pie... The location is great, the pub is very nice, but the food is just terrible. I don't know if the cook has changed or if they are trying to save on the quality (and quantity) of the meat, but it's definitely not worth the price. Avoid it, as I will next time I'm in London

We happened across this place by accident intending to just have a drink and a break from trekking around London - decided to order a few bar 'snacks' to fill a gap until the evening however when the variety of food arrived we we pleasantly surprised at the size and taste of each of the homemade items.Definitely go back again ( providing we can find the place)

This is a pub I always try to visit when I'm in London. It has a lot of character which I enjoy. You get a great portion size of food for the price. The staff are really friendly, we had a lovely aussie guy serve us who clearly enjoyed his job and helped us with directions. Will certainly be back!

I have got to agree with a previous reviewer this place has seriously gone down hill. Very much used to be a regular customer but not anymore. The staff basically do not want to be there. They ignore you at the bar and have no concept of how to manage a queue at the bar. When I pointed out to a young girl behind the bar that she had basically ignored me and served others who had walked up to the bar after me she just laughed. Disgraceful.If you want to take the risk it is in a decent area. Near to St Christophers place and Oxford street.

Awful!!! We were waiting for almost three quarters of an hour for our orders and when they put our food on the table it was carbonized. We returned it to the kitchen and they rewarded us with a second round of charred sausages. I feel sorry for the kind waitress who was really ashamed but service here is very poor.It's the worst pub I have ever been and I've experienced lots of pubs in the whole United Kingdom and Ireland.

Honest pub food at an honest price. Good choice of beers and ales. You will find a nice friendly place with nice friendly people.

gute Burger und gutes Bier, aber voll. Reservierung sinnvoll. Gleich in der Nähe der Bondstreetstation, d.h. bei Selfridges

Fish and Chip parfaiterent cuit pour 8.50£, vraie belle ambiance de pub, bonne situation près d'Oxford St. J'suis retourné pour un copieux hamburger (7£) et un steak de 21 jours (un peu trop cuit cette fois ci).Rapport qualité/prix/ambiance imbattable.

This is going to be hard for me to write, on and off I’ve been drinking here for years (at least 25 of them legally) when I want to get away from the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street.If you're a tourist with bags and no sense of direction wandering around West London looking for somewhere to eat this could have been a great location for you to park those heavy shopping bags…once upon a time. Maybe think again these days.Listen up P. Castle, this wonderful city of ours should be filled with pubs like yours serving up excellent food and beers for tourists to take home fond memories of. And please do us locals a favour too; we need safe watering holes in Oxford Street rather than the rubbish that many pubs have become, I am really disappointed by the very poor example of bar snack food I received on Saturday at your establishment. Especially as a regular of yours.Undercooked (deep fried! How does that work?) Squid, London Pride beer that was undrinkable: shameful. In your employees favour I was given the money for the food back and the beer changed, but that’s not the point is it? You have a great range of ales on tap at P.Castle, a rarity and a positive in the thick of London where most pubs just sell watery “Fostellaburgneken". But please keep these gems in good order; don't serve me off London Pride, a beer that is so recognisable if nothing for the fact that you can get it everywhere, I really wanted that beer in your pub and you ruined it for me. And for the tourists, do them a favour and serve good edible food, and impressive beers; they've come a long way and we want them going home with good memories not bad stomachs.Personally I think every restaurant, Pub, Hotel and bar is there to look after the food and drink needs of their punters, you have a responsibility to us all to do your job properly. It is your duty to these travelling folk, tourists who spend their money within your doorsteps, It's their right to be served food and drink that is a palatable example of what makes this town great and have their piece of “British”. You have let yourself slip and I am ashamed to say that as one of my favourite London pubs I may never return.

siamo stati un venerdì sera, nonostante ci fosse molta gente abbiamo trovato quattro posti e abbiamo mangiato molto bene. consigliatissimo il fish and chips, e anche le buonissime pie salate.. ottima birra e camerieri cordiali.

Went here for a solo quick lunch, service was just so shabby. Ordered a steak medium rare, it was welldone, huffy puffy staff with no sense of basic hygiene. I asked for a salad with steak, instead of chips, was served about 3 leaves of lettuce and one slice of tomato, caught the waiter licking his cuff to wipe my cup before he poured my tea. Shame as it looks nice, nice location, horrible service and poorly cooked food. Will not be going back.

Second visit did not disappoint. I had wanted to eat here with my husband after having discovered it with my daughter in 2009. Helpful service and good food. I especially like eating upstairs. Be sure and wander down the pedestrian street before or after eating here!

Walked by, saw this Nicholsons Pub and stopped in on Sunday afternoon for lunch. Sat on top floor as it was pretty busy. Music level was just right, so you can converse in a normal tone of voice. Service, food, price and selection was just great. Enjoyed the cosy atmosphere on a very cool May afternoon. If you are up for it, the Wild Boar and Chirizo sausage served on a hamburger bun really hit the spot. Will certainly be back and will be bringing our relatives when they visit London.

Good food, good vibe, always a nice feeling in the bar, whether a Sunday chill out afternoon or a busy evening.

Stopped in mid afternoon for a well earned rest and pub lunch. We went up to the top floor and secured the last table for 4 on a very busy Friday lunch service. The food was typical English pub fare and very enjoyable.

A very friendly, comfortable place to enjoy a drink. Great atmosphere and although we didn't eat there, the food did look great.

The Pontefract Castle is on Wigmore Street, which is a parallel road to Oxford Street. The pub has several levels, with the top two being used mainly as seating areas for guests having food.The food is the traditional pub fare and it is well cooked and presented. During busy times, the food can take a while to get out, but not too long. The service was friendly and efficient, although we were seated in the top level and we did have to wait for the waiter to put in an appearance on a couple of occasions. Nothing that disturbed the meal, but we did notice it.The menu has a good selection of dishes and the bar has a good selection of beers and wines.The atmosphere is generally quite relaxed. The street level is essentially standing room only, with the more lively crowd. The top levels are a bit quieter and has seating areas and tables.All in all this is a nice, relaxed pub serving good food with a good selection of drink to go with it. A good place to take a break during a day shopping on Oxford Street.

So yummy! The food was gorgeous. We opted to order from the bar and sit downstairs. Went in the middle of the week. For a weeknight, the upstairs table service area looked quite busy and there was a line for ordering at the bar. Downstairs was a lovely sitting area nice and quiet! The meals are so reasonably priced and just taste AWESOME! They are HUGE! Will definitely be bringing friends back here.

Pontefract Castle - Wigmore Street The woman behind the bar deserves special mention for her customer service. She was on her own, in a busy pub bar and yet still remained friendly and smiling, she also made sure the mix up over the table reservation was quickly resolved without embarrassment.

appena entrati si respira subito la tipica atmosfera british. Ottima scelta di birre. Per la cena consiglio un fish and chips grande (davvero ottimo) e una bella cheese cake con frutti di bosco come dolce! davvero un bel posto per passare una serata tranquilla in compagnia!

Scottish Game Sausage was great, as was the baked Camenbert starter, but PLEASE don't order the Fish and Chips! Over cooked and tough! Had to send it back, but for my "inconvenience", my bill was reduced by one pint of ale. Service was very slow, though it was a busy night. Decorated and appointed nicely, sat upstairs where it was quieter. A little too touristy. You'd think with F & C being so popular, they would have mastered cooking it blind-folded. Many other places offer a superior version.

This is a favourite lunch haunt of mine and my colleagues. If you work in the Oxford Street/Bond Street area or find yourself there, you can be assured that you won't be walking into one of those central London eateries that charge a lot for poor quality food. The Pontefract's speciality is sausages but there's so much more to the place. The menu is very varied from sandwiches and wraps, nachos, baked potatoes through to full meals. We recommend the pies or the salmon. The wine list is pretty good too and very very well priced. No rip off corkage, just a little more than you'd pay in the supermarkets for the same wines. Well worth a visit. Lunch with a large glass of wine (so basically two glasses) averages out at around £10 -15 depending on what you have.