The Cow

I’m really really disappointed that I have to give this place a bad review. After all their great marketing and all the things I had heard about it, it couldn’t have fallen shorter of the mark if it tried.
So I walked in and noticed three things:
They were looking for a manager
Half the room was taken up with unopened delivery boxes
It was a really well decorated pub
So I can see from this that no one was there to kick people’s asses. Ok, fair. Explains the deliveries.
Oh no, wait. It was dead aside from my group and another group. And there were two people on the bar.
But the décor was nice, so that’s OK.
So the menu. Wow. Pretty. Very graphic design. So modern. Exciting dish names, WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT?!
So we all got excited, should I get the pie and liquor I pondered, or this lovely Flank Plate? Decisions decisions.
Let’s get the pigs ears! And the bread and bone marrow! I exclaimed, all excited.
Let’s get some sides! How exciting, BBQ BABY GEM ARE YOU KIDDING?!
Had I been transported to a cool Shoreditch gadteo pub I pondered. So cool, such exciting food!
Then it arrived.
Oh.
Just. Oh.
Hmmmmmm…
Burnt to ashes pigs ears. Burnt bread. Where was my bone marrow? Oh waitress darling hou don’t know? Isn’t that because you don’t know the menu? Ok scuttle off and grab us some to spread. Thanks so much.
Ah! Here comes my Flank Plate! Phew.
Oh. «Meats, cheese, pickles and bread»
Hmmmmmm.
HMMMMM. I see.
Yes, there is some lukewarm meat of some description. Oh and some smoked applewood out of a packet. Is that grey stuff cabbage? Are those gerkins out of a jar? DID I JUST PAY TWELVE QUID FOR THIS???
How’s yours, dear friend? Let’s have a mouthful. Oh. That pie is burnt. The filling tastes of… nothing. The mash is ever so grainy. And was that once parsley sauce?
Oh and other friend, how’s that lonely burger on your too large plate? Sad and alone? I thought so.
Ok. Let’s pay and get out.
So we did, and went to Yates for a £2.75 apple crumble.
AVOID, KIDS.

My friends and I met here for drinks and dinner and found the place to be busy and buzzing on a Friday night. Menu sounded intriguing and we ordered the burger with triple-​cooked chips, flank steak and the pig cheeks. Overall the mains were good however I found my burger to resemble McDonald’s Big Mac. This may be because they also use a gherkin sauce.
We decided to also order dessert which unfortunately was a mistake. Portions and presentation left is disappointed as we ended up paying £10 for them. I can’t even recall what my partner ordered. It looked like 3 dollops of Nutella spread with thyme in them. I had the doughnuts which I didn’t think were cooked well.
Drinks were also a bit pricey in here. Unfortunately I don’t think I’ll be coming back nor can recommend this place. I did note that the service was decent.

Fantastic service! Great food (thankfully no longer Mexican) and the Sunday Roast is to die for.

When I moved to seven dials 11 months ago I was really excited about this place, great food, good selection of drinks, lovely ambience. Then they started doing Mexican food… Yay another Brighton pub serving up Mexican food or food that you have to eat with your hands. So avoided it. But went back in recently and they’ve changed the menu, again but for the better. Had some great sharing dishes, the Salt and pepper squid was lovely as were the battered pickles and nice chips.
Not so fussed about the burghers or rest of the menu. Would be nice for something a bit more individual, but it is only 30 seconds from my house and love the actual pub itself so will be back. No more Mexican good though please!

I love The Cow, apart from being one of my locals, I love all the craft beers they have on offer. It’s a great opportunity to try different types of craft beers you might not normally try.
They have quite a big food menu. A cross between burgers and tapas. I have eaten here quite a few times — usually tend to stick to the tapas style dishes as I like to share. To be honest, it’s been pretty hit and miss with the food. Last time I had the squid (which wasn’t great) but the polenta chips and white bean hummous were to die for! But as a said, can be very hit and miss. Saying that, that doesn’t stop me from coming back here!
The staff are all absolutely lovely.
On the weekends they have a DJ playing, always gets very busy and has a great atmosphere.
The interior is fab! Very Americana. The whole bar is lined with beer bottles, all of which they have sold in the past.

The Cow is a great place to go for a burger and a craft beer. If you’re going for a burger then go with healthy appetite as the burgers are BIG. They are served with delicious home made chips & pickles on the side. I can recommend their tapas-​style menu too, they have a lot to offer.
They have a reasonable selection of beers on offer, some from all corners of the globe. My favourite is the Bristol milk stout & it’s a shame when it sells out.
I had a Guinness on my last visit & it was a little watery. I’m not sure why that happens & it might be a common thing, but it made me enjoy it less.
The décor is very trendy & I really like the ‘LOVE’ light with the light bulbs in it. The bottles around the wall are surprisingly pleasing to the eye.
If you deposit your bank card they can offer a tab, which is handy.

The Cow was in a previous incarnation the Tin Drum, and at this stage I’m not convinced that it a change for the better.
The bar now focuses on craft beer, which is never a bad thing, and the menu does encompass a great selection of beers and ales from microbrewers around the world. However, the menu is a bit plasticy (think Frankie and Bennie’s) and the beers are pretty pricey. In fairness to the barmaid, she did warn me on ordering a pint of the raspberry ale that it was £3.95 for a half and perhaps that would be a better choice than a pint as it does tend to go flat pretty quickly! I ended up plumping for a bottle of Belgian cherry beer which was delicious. The range of bottled beers is comprehensive but they could definitely have more available on tap.
I had perused the food menu before I visited. It’s all fairly standard stuff and appeared to be good value. However, I couldn’t see any evidence of the kitchen being open on the Sunday evening I visited so didn’t attempt to order. It was fairly quiet so perhaps they had given the chef the night off!
The new décor is functional and funky, but perhaps a little cheap looking. I do like the fact that they have made the bar area more central though.
I have spoken to people who have visited on a Saturday night and found the bar to be rammed, so perhaps I just went on an off night. I would like this place to succeed as I like a place that offers such a good variety of beers, but at this stage I’m yet to be convinced that The Cow has the staying power to survive in the current climate.