William IV Pub Shoreditch – Friendly Staff, Tasty Food

William IV is a lovely pub tucked away 5 minutes from the chaos of Old Street Station.

It was fairly quiet on Wednesday evening, which was a welcome tonic to the loudness and crowding in most bars around here. I was immediately struck by the places rustic charm, with untreated wooden chairs and simplistic décor. The emphasis was clearly on quality rather than superficial charm.

They have an excellent range of quality beers and lagers- with Peroni, Amstel and Estrella to choose from. I was given a starter of crusty flat bread and olives, as I soaked up the relaxed environment I was all too happy to find myself in. The walls had portraits of several historic figures. I didn’t recognise any of these, but they looked very esteemed indeed. I wondered whether I’d ever have a painting of myself on a pub wall, but the friendly waitress interrupted my delusions of grandeur.

For my main course I had a grilled steak onglet with grated horseradish, rocket and courgette. I’m always wary about ordering steak as it is a pricey dish and it’s ruined if not cooked perfectly. This was a perfect medium rare as requested and the seasoning brought out the flavour of the meat. The French Dijon mustard was the perfect accompaniment to the best steak I’ve had in a long time. Even the courgettes were nice- and I’ve always hated courgettes. This dish costs £13, and I’d recommend the delicious sautéed potatoes for an extra £3.

The bar and waiting staff were excellent, with the right mixture of friendliness, attentiveness and passion for their venue. I was told how they are planning to set up a seating area outside and screens for the World Cup this summer. They also have an upstairs function room, which can be hired and also houses their monthly cinema club.

If you want a relaxed drink or good food in a relaxed ambience, I’d definitely pay William IV a visit one evening.

Mon-Thu: 12:00pm → 11:00pm
Fri-Sat: 12:00pm → 1:00am
Sunday: 12:00pm → 10:30pm

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Written by Martin Stocks

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