Guinness

After the huge response from its storehouse experience in Dublin, Guinness has opened its doors to a new brewery in the heart of London, but it has rubbed many people the wrong way

Guinness has thrown the doors open to its newest brewery in the heart of London, but it seems that no one seems to like it.

The Guinness company has been seeing a meteoric rise in popularity as millions of people flock to Dublin for the Guinness Storehouse Experience. And with more and more people learning about the Guinness family thanks to the Netflix smash House of Guinness, the company has decided to expand its operations.

Back in December, Guinness opted to open a new site in central London to cater to the huge market here in the UK. But after King Charles paid a visit to the Open Gate Brewery just days after the business opened, the general public has been less than impressed with what is on offer.

Influencer James Dimitri took to his TikTok account @jamesdimitritieats after he paid a visit to the brewery in London’s Covent Garden. However, he was left unimpressed by the prices for pints. Uploading a review of the tour, James revealed he spent a total of £7.20 for one pint of Guinness. Things only got worse for him when it was revealed there was no heated seating area, meaning he had to drink the drink in the “freezing cold”, an experience he said was “not for him”.

Filming his experience at the bar, James admitted he was a big fan of Guinness but could not think to part with so much money for the sake of a trend. “I’ve been drinking Guinness for 20 years, but I hate what it’s become,” he explained. “All this splitting the G s***, and the merch which is now up there with Superdry as the uniform for beige guys,” he fumed. “No personality? Get some Guinness merch and start splitting the G.”

While he did not enjoy the atmosphere of the brewery — or lack thereof — he did admit that the quality of the pint he had was good. He said there was a good “domage”, and the pint was separated well, with a good level of head for the cost. I don’t want to drink here,” he explained, “Especially at these prices. I’d much rather be in a proper boozer with good atmosphere.”

Viewers were also quick to share their own experiences in the comments section, saying they were not happy with the new brewery now dominating in Covent Garden. “This is sad to see,” one social media user wrote. “Charge £6, get some proper seating, open fires and blankets out there, make it a fun place to hang with a group and off you go. Tourist trap unfortunately.”

A second added: “Also went just for a pint (didn’t get one cause of seating) and honestly disappointed by the tap selection too.” Whilst a third wrote: “I saw what the pints looked like before deciding to go elsewhere.”

However, not everyone was as willing to shout the brewery down, with some explaining this is what was expected for paying for a drink in central London. “£7.20 is reasonable for a Guinness tourist trap,” wrote one user.

“Middle of Covent Garden? How much you paying for a pint?” asked another.

The Guinness Open Gate Brewery has been contacted for comment.

The UK’s best gastropub has been crowned, beating off competition from thousands of venues. It’s a spot that’s much loved-by celebrities and famous for pouring the best Guinness in the country

The top gastropubs across the UK have been named, and the winner is a spot that has been enjoyed by many celebrities and was praised for its “premium quality, homemade food, focusing on the best of British produce”.

The Devonshire in Soho, which prides itself on offering a warm and welcoming vibe and has the style of a traditional British pub, took the number one spot in the new ranking. The venue sits on one of the lively neighbourhood’s narrow streets, amongst theatres, restaurants, and busy shops.

Downstairs is a wood-panelled bar which looks a lot like many of the historic pubs found in this part of the capital. Tourists and Londoners just finishing work crowd around the bar, often spilling out onto the street on sunny days, giving the pub a friendly, lively atmosphere.

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What sets The Devonshire apart from other pubs in the area is its claim to serve the “perfect pint of Guinness”, with bar staff obsessed about getting the perfect pour. Its bar snack menu offers the chance to try the cuisine on offer, and includes snacks such as sausage on a stick, scotch eggs, and chips, among other British favourites.

Upstairs, the restaurant has a more upmarket vibe, and the handwritten menus feature seasonal specials and local ingredients. With an on-site butcher and baker on the team, you can be assured that everything is fresh and local. Highlights include Scottish beef, which is dry-aged and butchered on-site, and seafood from Devon, including lobsters and hand-dived scallops.

The Devonshire has gained a number of celebrity fans in recent years. Last summer, A-listers including Margot Robbie, Jon Bon Jovi, and Ed Sheeran were spotted among its diners. Yungblud and Florence Pugh even surprised punters by taking on duties behind the bar and having a go at pulling pints.

In second place was The Unruly Pig in Woodbridge, which, by contrast, sits among the Suffolk countryside. This 16th-century inn has a traditional pub vibe with wooden beams and a roaring fireplace, but adds a contemporary twist with colourful modern artworks on the walls.

The menu is a fusion of British and Italian cuisine, which they’ve dubbed ‘Britalian’, and uses fresh ingredients that are sourced locally whenever possible. In the bar, there’s a wide selection of craft beers as well as over 60 choices of wine and fizz to accompany your meal.

The menu changes monthly, and in addition to its a la carte selection, the restaurant offers a three-course lunch menu for £35pp, with a choice of three dishes per course. It also offers a popular Sunday lunch, where you can opt for a sharing roast platter for two or dishes such as iberico pork and parmesan gnocchi.

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Another London venue, The Red Lion & Sun, came in third on the list. The pub, set in leafy Highgate Village, has two beer gardens that are incredibly popular in the summer. And in fourth place was The Woolpack Inn, set in the quaint Cotswolds village of Slad, which offers real ales and hearty cuisine.

Full list of top 100 gastropubs in the UK

1. The Devonshire, Soho, London
2. The Unruly Pig, Woodbridge, Suffolk
3. The Red Lion & Sun, Highgate, London
4. The Woolpack Inn, Slad, Gloucestershire
5. The Star Inn, Harome, York
6. The Angel at Hetton, Hetton, North Yorkshire
7. Parkers Arms, Clitheroe Lancashire
8. The Rat Inn, Anick, Northumberland
9. The Rum Fox, Clitheroe, Lancashire
10. The Cornish Arms, Tavistock, Devon
11. Canton Arms, Stockwell, London
12. The Dog at Wingham, Wingham, Kent
13. The Abbey Inn, Byland, North Yorkshire
14. The Three Horseshoes, Batcombe, Somerset
15. The Broad Chare, Newcastle
16. The Gunton Arms, Thorpe Market, Norfolk
17. The Baring, Islington, London
18. The Merry Harriers, Hambledon, Surrey
19. The Fordwich Arms, Canterbury, Kent
20. The Bell, Langford, Oxfordshire
21. The Kentish Hare, Tunbridge Wells, Kent
22. The Crown, Burchetts Green, Berkshire
23. The Marksman, Hackney, London
24. The Hero, Maida Vale, London
25. The Kerfield Arms, Camberwell, London
26. The Sportsman, Seasalter, Kent
27. The Mariners, Rock, Cornwall
28. The Bull, Charlbury, Oxfordshire
29. The Coach, Marlow, Buckinghamshire
30. The Highland Laddie, Leeds
31. The Pipe and Glass Inn, South Dalton, East Yorkshire
32. The Silver Cup, Harpenden, Hertfordshire
33. The Waterman’s Arms, Barnes, London
34. Heft, High Newton, Cumbria
35. The Tamil Crown, Islington, London
36. Harwood Arms, Fulham, London
37. The Killingworth Castle, Woodstock, Oxfordshire
38. The Gurnard’s Head, St Ives, Cornwall
39. The Bull & Last, Highgate, London
40. The Kinneuchar Inn, Leven, Fife
41. The Tartan Fox, Newquay, Cornwall
42. The Queen of Cups, Glastonbury, Somerset
43. The Knave of Clubs, Shoreditch, London
44. The Mason’s Arms, Bampton, Oxfordshire
45. The Wild Rabbit, Kingham, Oxfordshire
46. The Black Bear Inn, Bettws Newydd, Monmouthshire
47. The French House, Soho, London
48. The Loch & The Tyne by Adam Handling, Old Windsor, Berkshire
49. The Shibden Mill Inn, Halifax West Yorkshire
50. The White Horse, Chester, Cheshire
51. The White Swan at Fence, Fence, Lancashire
52. The Cross at Kenilworth, Kenilworth
53. The Castle Inn, Castle Combe, Chippenham
54. The George, Kempsford, Fairford
55. The Hoop, Stock, Essex
56. The Scran and Scallie, Edinburgh
57. The Black Bull, Sedbergh, Cumbria
58. The Edinburgh Castle, Manchester
59. The Bull’s Head, Craswall, Herefordshire
60. The Camberwell Arms, Camberwell, London
61. The Parakeet, Kentish Town, London
62. The Boat, Lichfield
63. The Longs Arms, South Wraxall, Wiltshire
64. The Anchor and Hope, Southwark, London
65. The Pelican, Notting Hill, London
66. The Pack Horse, Hayfield, Derbyshire
67. The Drapers Arms, Islington, London
68. The Hand and Flowers, Marlow, Buckinghamshire
69. St Kew Inn, Bodmin
70. The Three Fishes, Mitton, Lancashire
71. The Bull Inn, Totnes
72. The Clarence, Glasgow
73. The Dog & Gun Inn, Skelton, Cumbria
74. Heathcock, Cardiff
75. The Fat Badger, Notting Hill, London
76. The Chagford Inn, Chagford
77. The Eagle, Farringdon, London
78. The Clarence Tavern, Stoke Newington, north-east London
79. The Five Elms, Weedon Aylesbury, Bucks
80. The Horseguards Inn, Tiilington, Petworth, West Sussex
81. The Oarsman, Marlow
82. The Two Pigs, Barton under Needwood, Burton on Trent
83. The Lady Mildmay, Newington Green, north-east London
84. The Royal Oak, Witney, Oxfordshire
85. The White Hart, Lydgate, Oldham
86. WildMoor Oak, Bromsgrove
87. The Double Red Duke, Clanfield, Oxfordshire
88. The Blue Stoops, Kensington, London
89. The Crown at Bray, Bray, Maidenhead
90. The Bucks Head, Sevenoaks, Kent
91. The Parlour, Kensal Rise, London
92. The Dog and Pickle, Essex
93. The Burleigh Arms, Cambridge
94. The Charlton Arms, Ludlow
95. The Suffield Arms, Gunton
96. The Hare & Hounds, Vale of Glamorgan
97. The Sun, Felmersham, Bedford
98. Pyne Arms, Barnstaple
99. The Standard Inn, Portscatho, Cornwall
100. The Swan, Bampton

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