Wheatsheaf Fitzrovia — Restaurant in London

I had an awful encounter here on 16/07/24 at 1.25pm. I had arranged to meet some friends for lunch. I had my baby in a pram, I barely got in the door and a staff member gave me a look that made me feel very unwelcome. He told me I wasn’t allowed to the dining area with my pram. He gave me an option of sitting at 2 high tables with high backless stools, clearly these weren’t suitable for eating with a newborn baby in my arms. I felt they didn’t want me there and this was their way of kicking me out without formally asking me to leave. When I told the staff member I thought he was being rude and discriminating against women with children I was met with a prickly attitude. He said all the “right things” but in a rude almost mocking manner. He apologised insincerely, grabbed a low back chair and flung it my way. This didn’t seem like a genuine helpful gesture …. How was I going to sit and eat lunch at a high table with a low chair? He barked that he was busy dealing with customers in a way that implied I wasn’t a customer… me and the 5 people who were about to come meet me were intending on ordering food and a drink, my intent when entering the establishment was to be a customer. I didn’t make it as far as the dining area to see if the pram would fit or not. The person who chose to meet at this venue is a regular and chose it because she thought the pram would fit. I am a reasonable person, obviously I wouldn’t have sat anywhere where I would have blocked staff or restricted other customers. The pub was practically empty at the time, I wasn’t planning on staying longer than 45mins as the group I was meeting were on a lunch break from work. I doubt there was going to be a mad rush in that time and prams fold down, the baby was going to be in my arms durning the meal anyway. There was definitely space to place the pram neatly in a corner and not affect anyone as the place was so empty. I could understand if it was a busier day like a Thursday or Friday but it was Tuesday. You have the right to not welcome women with babies in your establishment but you should make this clear with signage on the door and info on your website. I wouldn’t be so angry if the situation had been dealt with in a more polite...

Came in today by accident, as we are visiting London and didn’t get a table at a touristy place on the other side of the street. Came for some pub classics, and they surely didn’t disappoint. Steak and Stilton pie was great, pints pinted and the staff even let me take a nap on the bench after I was knocked out by the generous portions. Most guest seemed like locals, service was good and the atmosphere was just what I expected from a proper British pub. Even more delighted to see that Orwell and others came to drink here. Happy accidents happen!

Cheers...

A fabulous little pub just a few minutes off Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road. There is a fairly consistent but good selection of beers, and the atmosphere inside is very much that of a traditional pub with wooden tables and chairs, and a patterned carpet. Prices are slightly on the expensive side but no more so than any other pub in the area. This pub can get very busy with the after work crowd on weekdays, but there is ample heated outdoor space if the inside gets...