Hoop & Toy
Hoop & Toy things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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🚇 South Kensington 🍺 £6.70 Estrella ❤️ A South Ken tourist hotspot. . Located in South Kensington near the National History and Victoria & Albert museums, you will find The Hoop & Toy. The nearest tube is South Kensington which is just around the corner. . This pub was established as the Grapes in around 1515 and renamed the Hoop & Toy in 1784. The current building dates back to just after World War II following damage from bombing raids by the Nazis. This pub is said to be one of the most haunted in London. When the nearby tube station was being built, workers accidentally unearthed the pub’s cellar which was found to contain the bound bodies of several dead priests. It’s said they woke these souls and since that fateful day, phantom priests have been spotted around the pub. . The decor here is traditional and is dressed in the usual Greene King fixtures and fittings. The bar is a good size and there is plenty of seating to rest your laurels. Around the walls are a few screens which show live sports on BT & Sky. . The beer line up was full of familiar keg favourites, there were also some craft and cask options too. I decided on a pint of Estrella, my pint was great but price point was the most I’ve paid for a pint Estrella, not so great. The food menu is traditional pub grub, Fish & Chips costs £15.95. . I visited around 1pm on a Sunday lunchtime, on arrival the pub was absolutely packed to the rafters. I didn’t have to wait too long to be served and the service was good. Not long after I was served a long queue formed leading back to the entrance to the pub, this is a busy pub. The majority of punters were tourists who’d been exploring the area and visiting the museums close by. . There is a lot of history and intrigue associated to the @hoopandtoy but it was difficult to soak it in due to the touristy nature of the pub. . ℹ️ Info correct on visiting 26.03.23
London Pub MapLondon Pub Map
10
Typical British pub. There is a well stocked bar on the ground floor and the first floor which is exclusively restaurant (you can still order food downstairs but the tables there are smaller). The menu is quite small but you get all the basics: bangs & mash, meat pie, fish & chips, burgers, steak etc. There is soup of the day and one vegetarian option. There is table service upstairs - the service is lovely. My waitress was very fast and polite. I ordered fish and chips, side salad and tap water which she topped up whenever my glass was empty - rare but super appreciated! Fish and chips' portion is quite substantial. The fish was really greasy though and I was glad I ordered that salad. In overall, very nice food, freshly made and typically British. If you want to tip you can only do so in cash - card payment hasn't got that option, unfortunately. Will definitely visit again!
Aneta PawlikAneta Pawlik
00
We had lunch at the Hoot and Toy today. The service was horrible only surpassed by the awful fish and chips. The fish was unseasoned and bland. The fish was like a soggy sponge! 🤮 A wet soggy sponge. I had to ask for malt vinegar in London, 🤪. The signage states crispy fish a chips. The only crispy thing in this restaurant is the service. The place is essentially self-serve. They said they could not make the toastie, no reason given. I asked what the dressing was for the salad and the cashier said creamy. I asked if it was dairy, he didn’t know. Eventually, when I asked the waitress upon presentation of the salad, she brought an electronic tablet an I was asked to complete a questionnaire. Look at the picture, the breading on the fish was mushy and slides off. Worst Fish and chips ever! NOTE: Edit after a google response from the owner. I have attempted to contact the owner several times by phone (staff took a message and said the owner would call back). The owner did not respond. I sense the the owner expected that their response on Google reviews would look like they care about quality.
Bruce JBruce J
00
The Place itself is ok, nice service and friendly staff. Unfortunately it doesn't get much better than that. The tables are very small, and only a few that seat more than two people comfortably. The food was relatively quick to arrive. Between the four of us, we ordered the pub classics minis, the fish goujon on brown bloomer, a chicken and bacon mix on a brown bloomer, and the hunters chicken over a brown bloomer and 2 sides of chips. The food itself was very tasty, and well cooked however the issues here are portion size and price. At nearly £3 each I would expect the side order of chips would contain more than 15-20 chips. The bloomer bread was just standard sliced brown so much thinner than you'd expect. The fish goujon sandwich contained 3 small pieces leaving a lot of empty space within the sandwich. And the chicken and bacon dish was primarily rocket leaves, with a small amount of filling. As I mentioned, the food was tasty at least, we just felt it was definitely lacking the kind of quality you'd expect from a greene King establishment.
Daniel SmethurstDaniel Smethurst
20
My friend and I came here spontaneously as we got hungry on our way to the nearby Natural History museum. Although most tables were occupied already or reserved, our waiter Miguel placed us at a lovely table. We ordered drinks and food both. Miguel explained the ordering process to us (you order and pay at the bar, mentioning your table), and soon after our food was ready. Both the Fish & chips and Steak & ale pie were delicious. Miguel checked in on us to make sure we enjoyed the food and atmosphere, and also asked whether we were interested in coffee or dessert. If we had been less full, we would have stayed for coffee and dessert, as we enjoyed the interior and atmosphere, delicious food, and attentive waiter.
Isabell SchneiderIsabell Schneider
00
We visited this typical British pub while returning from the National History Museum. Although we didn't have any information about the bar before, we were attracted from the street as we wanted to go into some traditional pubs during our stay in London. I must admit that we haven't made a mistake. The atmosphere inside was brilliant as the pub was crowded with people watching english women football time at the Wolrd cup semi-final. Never thought that cheering can be so intensive during a women's football match, but this is England :) Wish and chips were good (although for me it's not a special dish) in the traditional way and there were plenty of beers offered.
Nikola KukobatNikola Kukobat
20
Nearby Attractions Of Hoop & Toy
Harrods
Science Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
Royal Albert Hall
Natural History Museum
Millennium Hotel and Conference Centre Gloucester London
The Albert Memorial
The Natural History Museum Shop
Marks and Spencer
Paradox Museum London
Harrods
4.4
(36.2K)Click for details
Science Museum
4.6
(25K)Click for details
Victoria and Albert Museum
4.7
(20.9K)Click for details
Royal Albert Hall
4.8
(15.4K)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Hoop & Toy
Khan's of Kensington
The Ivy Chelsea Garden
Honest Burgers South Kensington
Fait Maison Salon de Thé
Da Mario Kensington
The Bunch Of Grapes
Hafız Mustafa 1864 Knightsbridge
Zetland Arms
Steak and Company - Gloucester Road
Thai Square South Kensington
Khan's of Kensington
4.6
(2.4K)Click for details
The Ivy Chelsea Garden
4.3
(2.5K)$$$
Click for details
Honest Burgers South Kensington
4.5
(2.2K)Click for details
Fait Maison Salon de Thé
4.5
(2K)$$
Click for details
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Address
34 Thurloe Pl, South Kensington, London SW7 2HQ, United Kingdom
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Phone
+44 20 7589 8360
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Website
greeneking.co.uk
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Overview
4.3
(2.1K reviews)
Ratings & Description
Description
Traditional on the outside, this Victorian pub has feature brick walls and modern furniture inside.
attractions: Harrods, Science Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Royal Albert Hall, Natural History Museum, Millennium Hotel and Conference Centre Gloucester London, The Albert Memorial, The Natural History Museum Shop, Marks and Spencer, Paradox Museum London, restaurants: Khan's of Kensington, The Ivy Chelsea Garden, Honest Burgers South Kensington, Fait Maison Salon de Thé, Da Mario Kensington, The Bunch Of Grapes, Hafız Mustafa 1864 Knightsbridge, Zetland Arms, Steak and Company - Gloucester Road, Thai Square South Kensington
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