The Castle

Good atmosphere but food and service not that great. We had Sunday roasts, the portions were good but the food not unforgettable. Wouldn’t recommend…

Decent menu and beer selection. While in a super touristy neighborhood, I was happy to find a place that at least felt authentic enough.
American tourist tested & approved.

Came for the burger and beer for £10 deal. Was a little disappointed. I ordered the black pudding burger and it was a little dry and over cooked. Our onion rings came after most of us had already had our meal. I also found it surprising that only small lemonades could be given as the soft drink in lieu of a pint. Hardly seems fair to swap a pint of beer for a thimble of lemonade!

This wasn’t a great pub and due to it’s location it’s not somewhere I’ll probably visit again but I really liked the atmosphere in here and it feels like a comfortable pub you could spend a night in.
The beer selection wasn’t great as they were changing over 2 ale taps during my visit but the pint I had was decent. I tried a burger while I was there that was great value. £10 for a burger, fries, onion rings and a pint. They also had quite a few other options for the same price so it would be worth checking out during January as I’m not sure how long it will last.

This is a typical, no frills English pub. I went on my last night in town and it was ok. One of the bartenders was really rude and another guy that worked the bar was ok. It’s a nice neighborhood pub, but nothing special to it.

While we were walking the Portobello Road Market, we had decided to check out The Castle. We had a great time. Our server (Valerie) was great (from what I remember, she was from Scotland and has family in Florida, USA). She was super friendly, had a good sense of humor and was very attentive.
The bar had a decent amount of beers on tap and bottled (British cask Ales, American Craft beers, etc.). Just like America, this bar had no problem allowing one to try a small sample of beer to see if you like it or not (‘try before you buy’). I had a few of the Leffe beers as well as a few from Camden Brewery.
The food was good. We had split a Roast Chicken Caesar Salad. We also had the Pork & chorizo burger and the Free range Gloucester Old Spot sausages.
The prices were reasonable.
We would return to this bar if we are ever in the area again.

English Pub with a great selection of beer and cider; the atmosphere was lively on a Friday night. I don’t typically enjoy live music while dining, but the band that night was on point with their covers– particularly with their version of Radiohead’s Creep!
I had the Meat Pie which had a super flaky crust on top of ample chunks of tender stewed beef. Hearty, satisfying, delicious, and perfect with my crisp & refreshing hard cider!

A good selection of drinks and nice big wooden tables, doesn’t make up for the staff being rude, it being busy and generally cramped. I’m not impressed with this place, it’s nice enough, but with better bars in the area (and places to eat), I wouldn’t return to this place in a hurry.

A more higher end, classier kind of pub. It wasn’t that packed by the time we got there because it was about 2 hours to closing time.
They had weird large four seater bar tables. My feet shouldn’t dangle and make me feel like a kid when Im drinking a jack and coke and possibly slurring my speech.
Ordered from the bar but then when the drinks were low a waitress came by and took another order. That was nice.
Nothing really special about the place though. Unless you like to swing your legs while you drink.

Three stars instead of four, because it gets obnoxiously packed on the weekends with Portobello Market-​goers. Three instead of two, because of the Homer Simpson quote on the chalkboard: «Beer: The cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.»
We managed to snag a couple seats on the May Day Bank Holiday. Was it just me, or did not many people actually have that ‘holiday’ off? Anyway, they have a nice selection of beers and my favourite Bulmer’s Cider over ice. The hubs reported that the house burger was quite good, while I had the fish and chips. Which, despite a couple of small bones near the end, were also quiet good. The mushy peas weren’t Hix’s, but I assume they’re more along the lines of how everyone’s British grandmother makes them. A little unappetizing to look at, but tasty enough.
This place is definitely worth trying. Just avoid it during the day on weekends, unless you’re into the touristy Portobello Market thing. Or, well, if you are a tourist, please go elsewhere. What? I asked nicely…

The fish n chips were very bland. They were downright awful. Have a beer and skip the food.

Really nice local pub. The best times to go are Wednesday and Saturday nights when they have an open mic night. I’ve heard quite a few good music acts and am always impressed with the variety they have there. The service isn’t the fasted but you’re always greeted with a smile.
This is not the best pub for food. We had the calamari and pita starters, which were really nice. However, the shepherds pie was dry and tasteless and the best part of the sausage and mash was the gravy.
All in all a nice local pub with good music. Just make sure to eat before you head down.

Sausage and mash with onion gravy is the worst I’ve had. More brown dishwater than gravy and don’t even get me started on the quality of the sausages. Excuse me whilst I go outside for some fresh air before I puke.

A large, inviting gastro pub in the heart of busy Portobello Road.
It’s always been absolutely rammed in here when I’ve visited; if you’re looking to sit and eat you may have to mill around a bit, scowling at table hoggers. If you do manage to get a seat, then the food is definitely worth it. Good, filling pub grub, pies and the like, are served up,
The clientele is really friendly, very smiley and warm. They do a decent bottle of house red too. The only downside is quite how busy it gets.

I can’t say I completely approve of this pub, although it gets incredibly busy. It’s regarded as a local pub for those that live in the Portobello market, yet the crowd is mixed. What I can admit is that this place is not plush nor expensive. You get tourists, Londoners and drunkards coming in here, which is why I try and stay away from this pub. It’s a bit of a shame, really since it does own a décor that tries to invite people with more loaded pockets. They display the freelance work of artists, which are brung up in conversation and have decent fabric and leather seats, Yet, somehow it still fails to impress me. It’s a local pub and that’s all that it is. Very crowded during the weekends, but I’d say go to the Prince Albert in Notting Hill instead.

This pub is really cotched– with massive sofas in every corner and pillows strewn over the large wooden benches it will be hard to leave once you are settled in. They serve really good food which perhaps doesn’t come in your usual massive pub sizes, but they serve delicate dishes like Thai fishcakes and the like. As anywhere on Portobello Road, it’s hard to get a seat on a Saturday but definitely worth a try!