O'Neill's Wardour Street — Restaurant in London

A Truly Disappointing Experience at O'Neills Wardour St

O'Neills Wardour St boasts a slogan that promises "a warm Irish welcome, where the good times flow as freely as the drinks," but nothing could be further from the truth. My recent visit was an eye-opening experience that revealed the dark side of this establishment, and it's safe to say I won't be returning anytime soon.

I visited with a friend, and from the moment we arrived, it was clear that this place has lost its way. The bouncer, who was nothing short of arrogant and full of himself, was openly allowing females to enter for free—but there was a catch. These women were asked to leave a 5-star review in exchange for their free entry. Meanwhile, if you were male, you were hit with a ridiculous £10 charge just to step inside. This blatant discrimination is not only unfair but also a disgraceful attempt to buy positive reviews, which left a sour taste before we'd even set foot in the door.

Once inside, it became painfully obvious that the so-called "warm Irish welcome" was nowhere to be found. The atmosphere was utterly lacking—I've been in morgues with more life. The pub felt dreary and devoid of any energy, a stark contrast to the vibrant Irish hospitality they claim to offer. It's as if the soul of this place has been sucked out, leaving behind a hollow shell that fails to live up to even the most basic expectations.

The decor is a sad reminder of a bygone era. While they proudly claim that "there’s real history in these walls, where musical legends like Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, and more all played," the reality is that time has not been kind to O'Neills. Instead of being a venue that still attracts top talent and exudes a sense of musical history, it now feels like a tarnished shadow of its former self. The ageing decor does little to inspire nostalgia; instead, it feels outdated and neglected, as if the owners have long since given up on maintaining the venue's former glory.

Adding insult to injury, the drinks were grossly overpriced. For a pub that already charges an extortionate fee just to enter (if you're male, that is), you'd expect at least a decent selection of reasonably priced beverages. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The drink prices were steep, and to make matters worse, the bar service was painfully slow. We found ourselves waiting an unreasonable amount of time just to get a simple order, which only added to the frustration of the evening.

The owners of O'Neills Wardour St need to take a long, hard look in the mirror. This establishment has lost its way, and the desperate tactics of buying 5-star reviews in exchange for free entry (but only for the fairer sex) are shameful. What was once a venue steeped in musical history has now become a place that extorts its patrons, offers no atmosphere, and trades on a reputation it no longer deserves.

If you're looking for a genuinely warm Irish welcome, save yourself the disappointment and go elsewhere. O'Neills Wardour St is a tarnished relic of the past, and no amount of misleading slogans or bought reviews can hide the fact that this place has seen far...

If I give less than one star I would, I have never in my life been treated as bad as I have been as this establishment. I basically left to get a McDonald’s and then my friend asked me to return to get her and leave with her. I then showed me ID, downed my Tropicana from McDonald’s (hehe I know) but the girl in front of me didn’t have her bag checked and didn’t need to show her ID and she hasn’t mentioned being a regular or being in previously, I then saw multiple others be let in by saying “oh I was already in” so as someone who hasn’t had the best week I said oh? Can I please talk to someone about this and they directed me to someone and I said hey I just think we should all be treated the same like all have our bags checked and all need ID, and the woman, Mary just turned vicious on me so I was like whoa?! There’s no need to be mean, I’m a very friendly person who’s worked in customer service and I think saying look I just think you need to treat us the same is fair, but she got very mean so I said should I talk to someone else and she showed me to a man who listened to me and then another man came and was vicious, nasty, cruel and refused to listen and basically said he can let whatever woman he likes in as management and can refuse whatever woman he likes also, the security guard then stepped up as I cried and started taking the piss out of my tears. Please watch this security footage of this event as I feel like it’ll back me up more than any words will. I have never been spoken to in such a nasty manner in my life, I wouldn’t be so upset but I just felt so embarrassed I wasted money in an establishment as cruel as this one, I asked for my money back because I was treated so badly and was laughed at, accused of thinking “crying would get me money back” but please watch the security footage, I was crying because of their treatment way before asking for a refund and will never, ever return, there’s a lot of nice places in Soho, this is not one of them. GO ANYWHERE ELSE IN SOHO BUT DO NOT WASTE...

Dear O’Neill’s Team, I’m writing to formally raise a complaint about a disappointing experience I had during a recent visit to your venue.

On a Tuesday evening, myself and a friend visited O’Neill’s to watch a football match. The pub was fairly quiet with plenty of available seating, and we were looking forward to enjoying a relaxed evening. We began by ordering two Guinness with blackcurrant at the bar. The drinks were served without the blackcurrant, which we understand can happen, so we didn’t make an issue of it. However, the service and experience declined significantly from that point on.

We ordered a selection of small plates to share during the game and waited around 20–25 minutes with no update or sign of our food. Eventually, I had to approach the bar to ask for an update. The bar staff member simply opened the lift and handed me the dishes — chicken wings, cheddar & jalapeño doughnuts, and halloumi fries. I had actually ordered chorizo & halloumi skewers, not the fries, not to mention the food was cold.

When I returned to point out the mistake, there was no apology or acknowledgement. The staff member just opened the lift again and handed me the correct item. Still, there was no apology for the error. Additionally, we were not provided with any napkins or cutlery, and the chicken wings were burnt. The overall attitude and lack of basic customer service made me feel uncomfortable going back to the bar to raise further concerns. This significantly impacted our visit, and I felt put off from eating altogether. I’m very disappointed with the level of service received and, based on this experience, I would not feel comfortable recommending this location to others. I would appreciate it if this issue could be looked into and appropriately...