The best authentic pub in London. We walked in as four American ladies and felt«the regular» vibe right away. We thought one beer and we’ll go. Then we started chatting and it turned into the most welcoming bar we’ve ever visited! We made quick friends with the staff and were laughing and drinking for hours to come. Even if you’re not in the area, this pub is a MUST visit and feel the real authentic vibe of a pub that hasn’t changed in 20 years regardless of its neighborhood status.
Robert D.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Soho, London, United Kingdom
This is a serious fish restaurant in the guise of a local pub. I had a crab and fish stew. Both were expertly prepared, and the fish was obviously right off the boat. It is well worth the long and dangerous trip from my house(ok, it’s a three minute walk).
Daniel c.
Rating des Ortes: 3 São Paulo, Brazil
Place is nice. Pub downstairs and dining room on 1st floor. Service is really sloooooow. I tried the fish stew that some reviewers say it is great. Mine was tasteless. At least prices are decent.
María Elisa V.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Brickell, Miami, FL
I came because a friend who used to work here in the past recomended the place, and i can say it was a great recomendation, food looked great, I wasn’t looking for a complete meal, more something to have whit drink, so I ordered«the cow special» 6 oysters(big ones) and a pint of gunness
Ninad S.
Rating des Ortes: 5 London, United Kingdom
One of the first true gastropubs in London. Book well in advance. Get the sticky toffee pudding.
Shannon L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 London, United Kingdom
I love this place. My most recent visit was on a cold Saturday night in January. Luckily for us, even at 8PM the upstairs dining room wasn’t very crowded. It started to fill up around 10PM when we were leaving. My other half and I sat at a communal table, but had it to ourselves until about the time the check arrived. I really enjoyed my Cow Pie, which was a heavenly dish of steak spiked with a Guinness sauce in a flaky crust. My other half had the steak special. I was lucky enough to try a few bites, and it’s one of the best steaks I’ve tasted in London. It was certainly on par with offerings from some of the American steakhouses. The restaurant was so small that one waiter covered the entire floor, yet service was efficient and friendly. They also have a nice wine list. Definitely give it a try sometime!
Gabriel G.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Brussels, Belgium
Favourite pub in london. Sea food at its best. Great steak for meat lovers. Real irish gastro pub. I always come here while in London.
Gail G.
Rating des Ortes: 4 London, United Kingdom
I dont know why the fish stew has received so many great reviews… I found the broth a bit bland and not savoury. on the flip side, they have the best damn rock oysters I’ve ever eaten. Super plump, succulent, large, meaty and very fresh. Same goes for the half pint of prawns… filled past the rim and the interior of the pint was jam packed with these fresh lil’ guys. Prawns and oysters tasted like they just came from the wharf. Hands down the best pub I’ve eaten at in all of England. If you like fresh seafood, a relaxed pub environment, and value, this is your place. I predict I will be eating here at least once a week and will definitely bring all of my out-of-town friends.
Iain M.
Rating des Ortes: 4 London, United Kingdom
Probably the best ‘gastro pub’ I’ve been to. Only it’s not a gastro pub, it’s a solid boozer, which happens to serve great homemade food upstairs. Loved every dish i was served, from the pint of Guinness, to the half pint of prawns and then the crab pasta. Service isn’t quick but if that bothers you, you don’t get it. Just enjoy the vibe, drink some beers and look forward to the next dish. Value is good with specials mon-thurs. Portions are good too. My only slightly dislike was that the crab pasta was slightly too spicy, but that might just be me. Enjoy !
Natalie N.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Clearwater, FL
Wow. I was not expecting that. We ordered oysters and the seafood soup and it was incredible. I can’t recommend this place enough. There’s nothing like paying for an expensive meal and it being so-so. This was reasonable and the quality was much above the price. Also they had dogs inside and out which is really cool. Dog friendly and delicious.
Miklos P.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Brooklyn, NY
Love this place. Great atmosphere, good food and many kinds of beer. A hidden gem in London.
Ji-hye Y.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Honolulu, HI
Short review: Oyster sampler was yummy! The sea food stew was to die for! Bitter chocolate marquis was okay. Nice atmosphere but the staff wasn’t very kind. Had to wait at the dining area by myself for 15 minutes as nobody was there. The server didn’t really recommended anything. He said their menu changes all the time and everything is good. But to me, it sounds like«I haven’t tried our food yet» Well, other than that, I had a great time there. Definitely going back to try the same seafood stew again!
James W.
Rating des Ortes: 4 London, United Kingdom
The Cow has quickly become my favourite pub since moving to Notting Hill. The atmosphere is warm and friendly and it is easy to see why it is a big hit with all the locals who are fun. I haven’t tried the food yet, but many seem obsessed with the fish stew. I’ve been very impressed with the wine, Guiness and whisky on offer. Overall, the fun and friendliness of this place is what really makes it and the standards are very good.
Rob W.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Torrance, CA
Sort of random for a place to be called the cow and not focus on meat. The fish was very good as were the oysters. We sat upstairs, which was quiet and relatively romantic.
Paul D.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Brooklyn, NY
No, I haven’t been to EVERY gastropub in London and no, I’m not a Londoner, so my experience is based on the one time that I’ve been there and the food was nothing short of miraculous. THEBESTFISHSTEW I’VEEVERHADANYWHERE — rich tomato based shellfish broth with all sorts of fish mixed in. Also had the razor clams as a starter and also delicious. My partner had the Crab Tagliolini and if I wasn’t full from my lunch I would have eaten that too. It’s the kind of meal that one could easily use to rationalize making another costly trip back to London from NYC for. That said, I’d recommend going for lunch when you don’t have heaps of happy hour standing over you while you eat your food. And BEWARE: the quaint upstairs dining room does not feature the superb pub menu. They should really change that.
Casey T.
Rating des Ortes: 4 New York, NY
My favourite gastropub in London. Seafood is king here. Crab and Chilli Tagliolini is a weekly occurrence for me, so is the fish stew(think Bouillabaisse). Rocks are solid(try w/Guinness) and the whole cracked crab is awesome if you have the skill ;) Always a good Chablis by the bottle and a nice Ribera del Duero if you need a red.
Katherine R.
Rating des Ortes: 5 London, United Kingdom
Beautiful, old school irish pub that always has decent music and great seafood. Downstairs is quite small, so not good for large groups. There is an upstairs but it lacks atmosphere, downstairs is where its at.
Kate H.
Rating des Ortes: 5 London, United Kingdom
Oysters, beer, and lovely food accompanied our enjoyable Sunday afternoon hanging in the back end of this very cool pub. Normally this place is teeming with people, but just after Noon things were very calm and relaxed. We had the Irish Rocks to start. I had the onglet with potatoes dauphinoise and the hubs had the duck with mange-tout. Both were done to perfection. All washed down with Czech beer and a lovely sauv blanc. I can’t wait to come back here for lunch. Haven’t decided yet, whether I’m willing to wade through the evening crowds, though. Perhaps this winter when they crank up the lovely wood-burning stove in the back.
Aok
Rating des Ortes: 3 Hamburg
Shrimp Cocktail und Sausage schmeckten sehr gut! Auch die Atmosphäre des Ladens war witzig: relativ klein, relativ dunkel, relativ niedrige Tische und Stühle — aber insgesamt hat es mir auf eine witzige Art und Weise sehr gut gefallen. Weißwein da, naja, war in Ordnung … für den Preis kann man nicht so viel verlangen. Obwohl die Lokale für mich so viel Charm hat, dass ich manche Unanhemlichkeiten bei der Bedienung(wie hektische Kellner mit unfreundlichem Gesicht) locker ignorieren kann, möchte ich eine Sache erwähnen: Wenn man auf der Terasse essen & trinken möchte, muss man seine Kreditkarte als Deposit im türlosen Schrank hinter der Theke lassen!(damit man nicht wegrennt, ohne zu bezahlen?) Ich fühlte mich dabei etwas unwohl, obwohl — natürlich — letztendlich nichts geklaut oder extra kassiert wurde.
Miriam W.
Rating des Ortes: 4 San Francisco, CA
While having a pub that’s seven tube stops away from your flat as your local kind of defeats the purpose of a local, I’m thinking of making an exception for The Cow. Why? First, it’s the only place outside Dublin I’ve had a pint of Guinness and enjoyed it. Second, the atmosphere is raucous and loud and you want to be a part of it. You’ll find suits slurping oysters, peeps in t-shirts buying rounds of shots and barkeeps who are all about facilitating your fun. Also, The Cow’s soundtrack is totally awesome. Third, the kitchen is the size of a small closet and yet, magic happens there. Skill, that’s what you’ve gotta have to make that work! Oh, and, the flags from all over the world hung up around the place just make me happy.
Caren H.
Rating des Ortes: 3 London, United Kingdom
This place was happening when we went on a Saturday eve. We thought that at 9:45 we would have no problem getting a table in the dining room upstairs, but space is limited and that was a no-go, but I was kind of happy about that because the upstairs looked refined, formal and a bit old. We ended up luckily scoring 2 seats at the bar, and the menu down there is different. We had a spaghetti with crab and chili and a seasonal salad – both were good, but nothing to rave about. The crowd was rowdy and happy but friendly. The music included every genre you could imagine. Service was fine. Hoping to go back and eat the upstairs food that everyone was raving about, but probably on a weekday with a booking.