Three Kings

Now this was a find and a half (thanks Christoph N), almost literally as it’s very easy to miss with it being built into a corner unit — but once we found it with our trusty Unilocal app it was well worth it.
A classic London pub that looks like it’s probably seen a fair bit of action over the years, it’s been modernised slightly with an eclectic décor that adds a hint of grunge and craziness — and it works!
The beer selection was pretty decent with a nod towards quality beer (2 types of Meantime, some good authentic Euro lagers and some old man pumped beers…) while not being too hardcore on a craft theme.
Friendly staff, they take cards — could be a new regular haunt when I’m in London.

Great value food and an excellent selection of ales. Will definitely be going again.

This is a lovely little pub with a funky and quirky interior. The food was pretty tasty too!

Great little spot for a drink after work or to catch up with friends! I went there on a Wednesday night and the place was packed (lucky we had a room upstairs). Only thing is that they have £10 minimum on card, which I know is pretty usual but just so everyone knows before they get there (if you’re like me and just want one drink).

Love this little pub. We often go there after work for a drink. It’s really small and in the summer people spill out onto the street.
Great atmosphere, even mid-​week. Awesome character with a kitsch interior (check out their glass cabinet with random memorabilia) and old newspaper walls. Great, friendly staff. Good stocked bar with local beers and ales (bottled and on tap). They have a great mix of spirits behind the bar too.
Bar snacks are also great and a little bit posh (although the prices aren’t posh at all)!
Pop in if you’re in the area!

My mission this winter is to find the coziest pub in London. After being introduced to the lovely concept of hygge while in Copenhagen, I am determined to ignore the freezing cold and focus on great company, warm fires, excellent drinks and good conversations. There’s a reason the Danes are the happiest in the world, right?
I want to say I nailed it on my first try with The Three Kings:
Size is small but not overly cramped downstairs
Two rooms upstairs with seats aplenty
Tapered candles jammed in old booze bottles
Big, soft sofas and armchairs
Character — vintage newspaper lined walls and a jukebox with actual records — as in actual 45s! — from Blondie, Bowie, Rolling Stones, Desmond Dekker, Prince, Al Green … basically all the jams you want to hear while having a pint
Good crowd — not too rowdy for a Friday night
Decent bar snacks in a pinch (nachos sufficed and cheeseboard was pretty good too)
If this place had a real fire and better food I would call my mission accomplished and move in for the duration of the season.
But for now I keep looking for the perfect winter pub, knowing this little gem is certainly a contender.

One of my new favourite London bars! More of a bar than a pub I find, what with the red walls, covered in posters, fairy lights and disco balls, furniture mish mash… Al-​in-​all it has the sort of loved and lived-​in appearance that I love in a bar. Friendly, laid back staff and several ales on tap. This place packs a good punch in terms of character and ticks most of the what-​I-​like-​in-​a-​bar boxes so if you like what you read, check it out!
c*

This place is great, a really good little pub with some nice cosy rooms upstairs and a great old jukebox.

A charming pub (known as both The Three Kings and The Kings of Clerkenwell) that I have been coming to for twenty years, run by a young man by the name of Deke, who took over the business from his father John, this is one of the best pubs in London. It has a pretty cool jukebox too (although the needle occasionally skips yes, it’s an old-​fashioned juke with 6″ singles), and the two rooms upstairs are very cosy. The main room downstairs is covered with interesting things to look at, from a curiosity cabinet to a large life-​like mounted rhino head (it’s not real, don’t worry).
The pub used to be buzzier, especially when the young and trendy Guardian employees used to drink there (their offices have since relocated); and in the old days, there were papier mache animals and creatures everywhere, most of which were on sale. But in other ways it has improved. For example, they now take credit cards (after many years of not doing so), and they now have free wifi too. The food is also excellent, albeit a tad expensive (though the merguez sausages are probably the most cost-​effective item on the menu). There is also a fiendishly difficult music quiz on a Monday, though don’t expect any easy questions about Rhianna we’re talking questions on obscure funk and boogaloo covers in the main, with Blondie probably being the most mainstream it gets.
Do give this pub a visit. Get there early as it gets packed early on. Sit back and enjoy the atmosphere. Long may this pub continue.

Oh I do love this hidden little pub! Ok, it’s busy and there are people spilling out into the street in the summer (even sitting on the church stairs opposite!), but it somehow still feels secret!
Tucked just around the corner from the Crown Tavern, the Three Kings is small but bursting with character. The walls are covered in photos, posters, playing cards, there’s even a cabinet of random, retro objects.
The staff seemed friendly and happy to make suggestions. My companions said the Guinness wasn’t up to much but my wine was large and chilled — just the way I wanted it.
I’ll definitely be back, especially if I can nab a sofa in a corner and chill for an evening. It’s the perfect spot to have a natter over a few bottles of vino!

Loved the chill vibe on a Monday afternoon. There were one or two small groups already enjoying themselves when we arrived. Otherwise, it was relatively quiet for a Clerkenwell bar after regular working hours.
It’s a bit iffy when the best part of a joint is the décor, though. Even though the insides of Three Kings is creative, whimsical, and curious (I particularly –loved– the wall of pasted on playing cards), it’s not really enough to carry a joint.
I probably should have known better, but I ordered a Guinness. It was on tap, after all. Nope. Just… don’t. If you want a proper pint of Guinness, head up the way to Gunmakers instead. Stick to something else here — they have a variety of other draught beers, and if memory serves, some real ales, too.
Glad to have an alternative pub option near to home and office. Just beware what you’re guzzling if you’ve a taste of Irish brew.

Having sampled food and drink at the Crown just down the road before our play, we decided to have one for the road at the Three Kings afterwards.
And another winner! Again, the place was quiet on a Saturday night which we loved, as well as the fact that the bar staff played vinyl records. There’s also a juke box wedged in the corner, so music enjoys priority here.
The décor is eclectic and the pub has a very cosy feel to it — wish this was closer to home! As most of us live all over London, but not in Clerkenwell, and Farrington Station was closed this weekend, we left before last orders — again to be tackled by the landlady who tried to persuade us stay a little longer … wish we could, but will definitely be back!

It’s rare that I will ever really like a pub, I am a cocktails girl at heart. But I loved the Three Kings at first sight. Please note: I came here on a date, so take this review with a pinch of salt, it’s tainted by lust coloured glasses.
I guess I’m cheating, because it’s not really a pub vibe at all. It’s almost more like a college bar. Downstairs is a traditional pub with really friendly bar staff and I have it on good authority, a great selection of ales. It’s very warm and welcoming, twinkly lights and quirky décor.
Go upstairs and the vibe completely changes, it’s split into two very funky designed rooms. One has vintage typewriters and big couches, the other has cool posters on the walls, a vinyl jukebox full of fabulous oldie tunes and huge squashy leather couches. It’s the kind of place you could definitely hide out and while away a few hours.
We came here on a Friday night, and settled into a couch, it was candlelit and romantic. But soon filled with yuppie types and people who looked like they wore sweaters with leather patches on the elbows. It’s always awkward to make-​out when you have an audience, we did the best we could but eventually left.
I’d love to go back with some friends, spin some vinyl and pretend like it’s my living room.
And guess what this is, 300 bitches.*
* I know, I know, it’s been a long time coming.

The Three Kings serves the finest pint of Deuchars IPA I have ever had the pleasure of imbibing. It was amber perfection in a pint glass. This may cloud my judgement of the pub because I now find it hard to write anything negative. Not that I can think of anything particularly bad. The bar room seems to be going for a seedy pop culture look, feeling more like the entrance to a post-​modern peep show than a public house. But peep shows are popular so who am I to judge?
There are three ales on tap, including Timothy Taylors Landlord as well as the ciders and lagers you’d expect for the loutish crowd. The location is very charming; setback from the beautiful St James’ Church and the quiet street is perfect for spilling onto the pavement on a hot day. Strangely, it is always quieter in here than The Crown opposite. For me, there is no contest and The Three Kings is a pub with bags of character and no pretension. Just watch out for the Rhino!

Despite competition from a lot of pubs in the Clerkenwell area, this has become our office local. The inside is quirky, warm and decorated with an array of objects the owner has picked up over the years. They serve a couple of good beers, a better-​than-​average array of lagers and normally more than one cider on tap. The bar staff are almost always friendly and quick, even when it’s busy. The food is good and reasonably priced and there’s even an open fire and a pub cat. All the basics covered, with a few lovely extras thrown in. A favourite.

I’m not sure quite what to make of this pub. In some ways I love it because it has very unique, but also very local feel to it. neither qualities abound in this part of town.
But.a hip hop quiz… really? Haha no I think the venue should be given credit for doing something a bit different, thinking outside the box. Unfortunately this made it the wrong time for me to drop by as it’s not my area of interest. It was certainly popular though. Probably meant it was much busier than it would have been on a Saturday afternoon. The Summer Lightening ale didn’t taste quite right to me, but it wasn’t off or anything.
Visited again since and found a quirky but good pub, serving 3 real ales (including oneI guess guest ale, certainly 1 ale I am not used to seeing). The staff are very friendly and the food looks worth trying.
I can see myself coming back but I might check the events calendar first :)

Good, unpretentious pub. The staff are friendly and service is quick. Other punters are relaxed, although it’s a crush in the evenings. Best for the summer when you can spill out onto the street. There are a couple of rooms upstairs that can be reserved for private parties, one with a jukebox. Be careful to check and recheck that the landlord has kept your booking, however.

A simple but nice place with a friendly atmosphere in a quiet area.
Friendly service. Real ale is available but also hard-​to-​get Scrumpy Jack cider — my favourite cider because its so nicely fruity.
A place to come back to.

I really like this pub for a few reasons, it’s a nice space in a great area, there is a lovely fire that has been much appreciated this winter, the bar staff are friendly, and the sign outside has three interesting choices of king (if you go you’ll see what I mean) Whenever I’ve been there it’s been quite chilled and there’s always been a place to sit, but I think it mightget a bit rammed straight after work hours as there’s a lot of big offices near by. In a town of identikit pubs this is a really great alternative with a bit of character to go with your pint.

mal was anderes…