The Vine — Restaurant in London

I was part of a group of about 20 of us or so. The waitress did very well to manage us but neglected to mention a 12.5% service charge which was also charged for drinks.

So, I was going to go up to the bar and buy a pint there as I usually do, but was kindly told not to worry, they’d bring drinks over. Okay I thought. Some time later my drink arrived and I finally got to place an order for food - it took 15 minutes or more and I thought she’d forgotten about me so I it would’ve been far better if I’d gone to the bar myself. She was very busy though but you know…

Of course, these days, you sometimes need to ask about the cost of a pint in London pubs generally, but this place with the additional 12.5% really takes the cost of a pint (or two) to new heights. It would have been far kinder and more honest if they were up front about the unusual service charge and told me the price of the pint I was interested in before ordering.

The food was ok (2.5 stars not 3) due to quality/price. I ordered a burger and chips - the chips were meant to have their skins on but turned out to be extremely salty skinny fries very little different from McDonald’s own fries (except they were even saltier). Not much in the way of garnish provided except for a little lettuce in the burger itself - well, no salad at all. I guess vegetables and far too expensive these days to act as simple adornment. Never got the ketchup or vinegar I asked for.

We dined in the back part of the pub, which has a strange atmosphere to me. It’s really dark and feels like a morgue but that’s largely a subjective feeling I’d say. The front of the pub where the TV is, doesn’t really accommodate many people. That feels more lively but its layout means there’s not much space to actually sit therein. I’ve been in this pub several times now but it’s not a pub I’d like to go back to. I don’t feel good leaving this negative review but I’ve experienced far better elsewhere here in Kentish Town that didn’t leave me feeling I’ve been somewhat taken advantage of. Now I’ll have to wait a few months to save my pennies before I can afford to buy alcohol at a public...

🚇 Kentish Town 🍺 £6.80 Estrella Galicia

The Vine is located on the border between Kentish Town and Gospel Oak in Northwest London. The nearest Tube is Kentish Town. Just up the road is Little Green Street, one of the few intact Georgian streets in London.

This pub has a history dating back to 1836, the pub you see today was built in the Edwardian era between 1901 to 1910. This pub is part of Greene King’s Metropolitan pub company stable of pubs.

The is a deceptively large pub that has a contemporary feel with some nice traditional touches. As you enter the pub you arrive into the main bar area which has a good sized servery. The decor consists of a boarded floor, exposed brick walls, a Dunville’s mirror and a mix of seating. To left of the servery, through an arch, takes you into a sizeable dining area with an atrium above. To the side of the dining area is a raised section with two shuffleboard tables. At the front of the pub is an attractive front patio garden.

The beer selection was pretty decent and offered a choice of local London brews, one cask ale and some familiar keg favourites. I decided on an Estrella Galicia, my pint was spot on, price point was punchy. There is a classic pub grub menu available, Fish & Chips costs £18.50, roasts are available on a Sunday.

We arrived around 5pm on a pleasant Saturday afternoon in May. The main bar had a dozen or so punters in, most punters were lapping up the sunshine out the front. There was a nice convivial atmosphere around the pub as we supped our pints and watched a bit of the Fury V Usyk build up with a soulful house soundtrack playing in the background. The service was good, the team member who served us although rushed off her feet was welcoming and courteous.

Visiting @thevinenw5 was a pleasant pub experience, this pub is well worth a look if you’re in the area.

📅 18th May 2025

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We had our wedding reception at The Vine pub in June 2024 and it was absolutely perfect. We chose it because of its location near to our church in Kentish Town and because we could hire the whole venue for the day and evening. Hollie the pub manager was totally fantastic from our very first enquiry, to discussing our plans, giving us ideas and advice, arranging menu and wine tastings, creating beautiful table place name cards, accommodating flower and cake deliveries, and organising the other staff to provide exactly the wedding reception that we wanted. We had a 3 course meal for around 90 people and the food was absolutely outstanding. Everybody commented on how delicious their meals were. The service was top notch too with very little waiting between courses. The waiting staff were excellent and very attentive bring more wine or water when required and make sure everyone had what they wanted. We also had an evening buffet and again the quality of food and the presentation was outstanding. The chef also cut and served our wedding cake. All the staff were so lovely, friendly and professional, we could just relax and leave everything in their hands so we could fully enjoy our day. Absolutely everyone enjoyed themselves and commented on how perfect the venue was with the different rooms and spaces providing something for everyone. The shuffleboard was very popular too! We would recommend The Vine to anyone looking for a wedding or party venue and cannot thank Hollie, the chef and all the amazing staff enough for helping to make our day so...