A legendary hangout for the capital’s rock‘n’roll population, Filthy MacNasty’s speciality is its huge array of rare and wonderful whiskeys, but it also offers great pub food, live music and other entertainment.

The Venue
Very much a traditional boozer, decked out with simple wooden tables and chairs, the pub serves food and drink in the front bar while the live music happens in an intimate space beautifully adorned with its original Victorian tiling at the rear of the building. There’s just one bar but it’s well staffed and even though it gets very busy you shouldn’t have to wait to long for a drink.

The Atmosphere
Although famed for boasting various rock ‘n’ roll heroes among its regular drinkers, the pub also happily accommodates well-heeled post-work drinkers and diners from the nearby Angel and Clenkenwell areas. The age range is wide, from mid-20s to mid-50s, and the dress code anything from the indie kid uniform of skinny black jeans and T-shirt to smarter work clothes. The sound of noisy, energetic chat fills the front bar, mingling with the pub’s soundtrack of rock‘n’roll classics which are loud enough to enjoy properly without being overpowering. Although newcomers are welcomed warmly, the bar staff seem to be on first name terms with many of the regulars, lending the place a really friendly, personable air.

The Music
Arguably unrivalled by any small pub in the capital. Regulars like Pete Doherty and The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan have all been known to make impromptu live appearances, and legendary MC5 manager John Sinclair (immortalised in the John Lennon song of the same name) turned up recently to read poetry. But it’s not just raucous rock‘n’roll types - there’s plenty of jazz, blues and singer-songwriter action going on too.

The Food
A reasonably extensive menu ranging from bar snacks such as bread and oil (£2.90), olives (£2.75), scotch egg and pickle (£3.75) and home made sausage rolls (£3.50), to mains including cheeseburger with tomato relish (£6.50), herbed chicken with saute potatoes and veg (£9.25), grilled cod in garlic butter with parsley mash and minted peas (£8.50) and an 8oz sirloin steak and chips (£11). The vegetable antipasti (£12.75) is an exquisitely tasty selection of Sicilian-sourced vegetables, some stuffed with gorgeous soft cheese.

Follow that with a trademark pie and mash (£5.75 or £8.85 for a double portion), again the vegetable option is delicious. The chilli vinegar is an excellent touch also. Sadly, the Oreo cookie or Bailey’s cheesecake (both £4.50) has a tendency to sell out, as does their other dessert, rhubarb and ginger crumble (£4.50). But to their credit the staff are happy to rustle up a couple of bowls of ice cream, even though they’re not on the menu.

The Drink
Aside from a decent array of lagers, bitters, spirits and ciders, it‘s all about the whiskey, and with a choice of 12 from Ireland and another 12 from Scotland, plus more than 20 from America, you’d have to search pretty hard to find a finer selection anywhere in London. Big brands like Jack Daniel’s (£2.90), Wild Turkey (£4.30), Makers Mark (£4.10), Glenfiddich (£3.70), Jim Beam (£4.20) and Johnny Walker Black Label (£5) are all stocked, but they have plenty of more unusual offerings. Ask for something relatively sweet, along the lines of a Jack Daniel’s, and you may be given the mind blowing Hedonism (£9.30), but you should also consider trying the Irish Connemara (£5.60) and Greenore (£6.10). Most impressive: the aptly named Peat Monster (£5.85), so peaty that the fumes alone smelt like they contained huge clods of earth.

The Last Word
Certainly a mecca for lovers of whiskey/whisky, and while it isn’t recommend that you go to the lengths of one punter who worked his way through the entire list (his photo adorns the wall), a trip here without trying one or two would be a waste. But there are lots of other reasons to visit, not least the chance you’ll catch a big music name either lounging at the bar or discreetly trying out a few new songs.

venue information venue map view london review user reviews (4) image gallery (2)