The Barley Mow Pub Mayfair — Restaurant in London

I have been occasionally coming to this pub for the best part of a year as it is conveniently close to work. However, because of the racially profiled microaggression I had to face and the concern of experiencing this again, I will not come back.

I visited the Barley Mow, 10th September, after work, joined by my colleagues. Because I had been on antibiotics and was quite hungry I decided I'd just get a bite. For the context, we were all looking in our early 20s (though way beyond it) but I was definitely the older looking as I was the taller, sharply and more robustly built. And, oh, the only dark skinned of course.

One of my colleagues ordered a drink with the barman before me and paid. I was next to take an order of chicken platter. The barman asks if there was anything else, I said no, and he proceeded to look at me and asks me for an ID. There and then I just asked why, to which the barman mumbled something about a law compliance requiring ID checks when ordering an amount of food. A law I had never heard of in 8years of experience, I said. I was not resistant, however, offered him my passport and paid. But I did wait for all other co-workers to order. They ordered alcohol. None of them were asked for an ID. We joined other colleagues on the upper floor (who had all ordered food and drinks). As I expected they were not asked either, despite the more relevant opportunities to do so.

I came back down to speak to a senior and explained how I was being profiled based on my appearance by being asked for an ID. He was ready to justify the event with the obvious age verification policies in the sale of alcohol. But when he learnt I was just ordering chicken, his explanation were rapidly short of reasons so both the original barman and the senior member took on an improvised chorus of overturned excuses why this happened to me exclusively, including something about an ID being few months close to its expiry date and how that was relevant to the order I made in a pub. All this was yet crowned by the exemplary definition of an empty apology, when they said 'sorry' while adamantly defending what the barman did.

I left after bitterly consuming my order with my colleagues. But before I did, I met the manager and quite frankly, I collected another inconsistent excuse about arbitrary age verification on at least one member of customers coming in groups and then one of "PREEMPTIVE measures on individuals coming alone LOOKING LIKELY to order alcohol". Yet another derogatory: "Yes, I would have IDed you because you looked 'younger' than the others" ....knowing all I ordered was CHICKEN!!! How?!? Why?!?

As mentioned to the manager, I would have gladly been satisfied with hearing: "I admit this was a genuine yet offensive mistake, I will speak to him, it is not going to happen again, I honestly apologize". Costs about £0, but goes a long way. None of this happened but empty, defensive apologies.

Sadly, this pub was really convenient for me to go to after work but for obvious reasons I can't bring myself to do this again. If you are a person of colour I would warn you against...

Absolutely dreadful experience. If I could give 0 starts I absolutely would. I’ve booked a table for my mother to celebrate her birthday. We all arrived in good spirits to celebrate it and it so happened that the birthday is on the same day as the Euros. The lady on the phone informed us that they are showing football downstairs and it’s walk ins only. Upon arrival we’ve ordered food (which was nice) but there was a room with TV upstairs. My mum asked if it’s possible to book that room for later and what are the options upon which a very snobby I guess manager (based on him wearing different uniform) talked down to her. My mum speaks very good English, and there was absolutely no necessity to talk down to her like that. It was rude, absolutely insensitive and disgusting. As an expat himself the person who did that to her should be aware that talking down and disrespecting anyone like that and chewing words out loudly and slowly just because a person has an accent on their birthday is a dreadful thing, especially in the current climate. This shouldn’t be allowed at all.

Don’t recommend this place as for the price you paying you get talked down. You can get way nicer experience at a restaurant of...

I visited Barley Mow on 14 July 2019 around 2230, ordered drinks and sat at the back where the collage of London monuments are on the wall. A Turkish or Greek man in his 40s came over, asked for directions and placed the map the table I was at. The stranger then left very quickly and I realized he had taken my phone when distracting me. My friend chased after him as we noticed as he got to the front door and I went over to the bar staff. The bar manager reacted appallingly and told me it wasn't his problem and he didn't want to get involved. It actually meant I had to visit the Marriott hotel next door who are now assisting the police with CCTV footage of the area. I'm so disappointed that the staff at Barley Mow have shown no empathy for their customers whatsoever and I would have thought they would want to act on a crime that has taken place on their premises.

Further comments:

I did not once ask to see the CCTV myself, I asked if you could help with the police and if you saw which way he went or if you recognised him as a regular. You told me you "didn't want to know". Clearly you're more concerned about your pretentious reputation than supporting a customer who was a victim of crime...