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The Old Shades, London,

The Old Shades

3.9
3.9
13 Reviews
£25 and under
Gastro Pub
37 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2BX

About this restaurant

  • Great for craft beers
  • Gluten-free-friendly
  • Good for groups
The Old Shades is an iconic Grade II listed traditional pub that has been serving the people of London since it was originally built in 1898. Ideally situated in the heart of Westminster, just off Trafalgar Square, The Old Shades is a favourite amongst locals and tourists looking for a proper British pub.

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Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    £25 and under
  • Cuisines
    Gastro Pub, British, Pub
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Fri 11:00 am–11:00 pm Sat 10:00 am–11:00 pm Sun 10:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Neighborhood
    Charing Cross
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    Charing Cross stationEmbankment Station
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Gluten-free Options, Wine

What 13 people are saying

The Old Shades reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

3.9
3.9 based on all time ratings
  • 3.7Food
  • 4Service
  • 4.1Ambience
  • 4Value

NoiseEnergetic

17 Reviews
  1. OpenTable Diner

    London1 review

    1.0

    Dined on April 4, 2019

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 2
    Booked as advertised as a gastro pub however they were not serving food on the day. If there was a problem they could have made contact to let their customers know. It was also very busy and noisy with the after work crowd.

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  2. Easydiner1

    London6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 15, 2019

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Just felt like a genuine pub - hard to find these dats

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  3. Toni

    London1 review

    1.0

    Dined on January 26, 2019

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Arrived at 5pm. No staff around apart from behind bar. Waited 10 minutes. Bar staff said knew nothing about booking & said we were 10 minutes late. Said we had waited 10 minutes to be acknowledged. Said he would fetch another staff member, who also knew nothing of reservation. People were leaving a table. Staff member said "you can have this table" It was now 5.20pm. We asked for the manager. Manager asked "what is the problem?". Showed him booking reservation on phone & how we had been treated. He said " there was a table reserved at the end of pub & Bar staff know how to use iPad for reservations. Considering you are in the middle of Whitehall you should expect to wait for service. We are busy" Told him we hadn't had this problem before. He said "I have been doing this job for 10 yrs. It is normal". We were appalled. He gave us a free drink & then apologised. Also gave free desert. We think he felt he had to do something about disgusting service. We won't be returning again. But as the pub is " in the middle of Whitehal"lI don't suppose the Manager gives a damn anyway. By the way, the pub wasn't even that busy when we arrived last Saturday.

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  4. MRYN

    London6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on January 22, 2019

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Staff were lovely. Remembered that we mentioned we needed to get to the theatre by 7.30. They rang in advance to advise a good time to arrive, and our Kiwi waitress made sure we were served in good time despite busy room. She had worked there for two years, her whole visa length, which is always a good sign!! Pie was huge and very warming on a a cold night. Atmosphere is convivial and room is interesting. Atmosphere buzzy but still able to chat easily. Good prices also. Thank you.

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  5. IntTraveler

    Vancouver9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on January 18, 2019

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fantastic, authentic English pub, with great atmosphere on a Friday evening. It’s narrow, but it never got too crowded. Reserving a high top table was a good idea. They have a large selection of beers (including 2 gluten free options), and an extensive bar. We ordered two sharing plates which were sizable and decent. Service was always fast and friendly. A great discovery in the heart of London, 2 minutes walk from Charing Cross.

    1 person found this helpful

  6. KCandDD

    London6 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on January 12, 2019

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Authentic and friendly pub right in the centre of town, with a good selection of beers and a range of tasty choices on the restaurant menu. We had a pre-theatre supper and everyone really enjoyed their meals.

    1 person found this helpful

  7. ThibaudL

    London1 review

    5.0

    Dined on January 2, 2019

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Great pub for dinner and take a beer! Do not hesitate to go at this pub!!

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  8. JohnK

    Washington DC2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on December 27, 2018

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Nice Pub for before theatre. Staff was excellent. Food was typical (comfort) pub food. Be careful using Open Table for reservations close to the time you want. The communication between the app and the staff takes time - at least two hours ahead.

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  9. OpenTable Diner

    Dublin1 review

    1.0

    Dined on December 25, 2018

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    I would have booked in a restaurant in london for the day of Christmas day and while it was confirmed sources in the restaurant and told me we closed! You are the worst company, of course I will not pick you again

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  10. TeriN

    London2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on December 22, 2018

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a great time having dinner at The Old Shades. My husband can't eat gluten, and he was over the moon to have gluten free fish and chips! Otherwise, the food was generally quite good, service extremely friendly if a bit slow here and there, and it is just a beautiful old pub. Amazing value, especially considering the location - we went pre-theatre!

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FAQs

The Old Shades is rated 3.9 stars by 13 OpenTable diners.

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?
Claim this listing
Google Map for The Old Shades

37 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2BX

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Charing Cross
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Fri 11:00 am–11:00 pm Sat 10:00 am–11:00 pm Sun 10:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Price
    £25 and under
  • Cuisines
    Gastro Pub, British, Pub
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    Charing Cross stationEmbankment Station
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Gluten-free Options, Wine
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