The Londoner is closing

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

Yeah, the new location kind of turns us off. However, the new location is owned by the boss. I imagine he wants to avoid greedy landlords again. I get a satisfying feeling sometimes when I see the former Londoner space still unrented -- 8 months on! The landlord has lost millions.

Edited March 1, 2015 by Kaoboi Bebobp

[Camelot]

I still miss the Londoner. Best Shepherds Pie in Bangkok. It would be great to get a confirmation it's reopening. Although getting to Pattanakarn from my place would be a major expedition, I have friends in Bang Na who would be happy.

Please keep the updates coming.

[smokie36]

The new manager at the Robin Hood is a Spurs fan?

He'll do well!

I must drop by for a beer with tigerfish soon...hehe

haha very funny smokes, just be sure to warn your fellow spuds to take some tissues with them when they try and find their way to Wembley tomorrow. it's been such a long time they may get a nose bleed !

as for the new location for the Londoner, i can't think of why they would go for anywhere around Phattanakarn soi 30. i live just down the road and the only attraction i can think of a long that stretch of road before you hit Srinakarin is a very large hi - end massage parlour and two clubs on either side of the road frequented by Thais. one being a Morlam music venue and the other a Twawendeng music club.

Au contraire tigerfish....the Thai place on the corner of Pattanakan 30 has cheap beer...outside seating and excellent food.

The new burger joint down the road is good....and the two Thai places across from that are both good too....so its a regular stop off for me.

All that is missing is a good pub......and a cup win....booooo!

[tigerfish]

We'll blow me down with a toothpick!

I spend 4 long years trying to get out of the place, eventually returned to BKK with mrs TF last week and a few hundred yards down the road from the family home, some bright spark thought it a good idea to build a scaled down Big Ben and Houses of Parliament. It is called London street, has a replica red bus, black cab, phone box, underground escalator and a red pill letterbox. There's also a few food outlets and a tesco lotus built on the same plot and can be easily seen from a far especially at night as it is illuminated, plus. They have a recorded. Chime every hour.

Stumbled across the new location for the Londoner yesterday by chance and as I said before suspecting the location I can't see the attraction about the site, although I take on board references made by fellow posters about surrounding other venues.

I can't though after first staying on phattanakan over 15 years how it would draw mainly ex pats to such an area unless there is some kind of drive to make this place something it is not, a mini London Town.

Please no, like i said at the beginning of this post, I spent 4 long years trying to get out of the place and I could do without reminders of a place I loath !

[smokie36]

We'll blow me down with a toothpick!

I spend 4 long years trying to get out of the place, eventually returned to BKK with mrs TF last week and a few hundred yards down the road from the family home, some bright spark thought it a good idea to build a scaled down Big Ben and Houses of Parliament. It is called London street, has a replica red bus, black cab, phone box, underground escalator and a red pill letterbox. There's also a few food outlets and a tesco lotus built on the same plot and can be easily seen from a far especially at night as it is illuminated, plus. They have a recorded. Chime every hour.

Stumbled across the new location for the Londoner yesterday by chance and as I said before suspecting the location I can't see the attraction about the site, although I take on board references made by fellow posters about surrounding other venues.

I can't though after first staying on phattanakan over 15 years how it would draw mainly ex pats to such an area unless there is some kind of drive to make this place something it is not, a mini London Town.

Please no, like i said at the beginning of this post, I spent 4 long years trying to get out of the place and I could do without reminders of a place I loath !

We'll find somewhere in June with suitably cheap Sangsom for ya TF don't worry.

Any news on an opening date for the Londoner?

[tigerfish]

^ in answer to your question smokes, took a quick peak around around today and it seems as if they are laying the foundations, so at a guess i would say at least 6 months before it even looks anything like the Architects drawing. which to me looks more like all the other buildings that are going up around Phattanakan and the surrounding area. nothing like a pub IMHO.

[smokie36]

^ in answer to your question smokes, took a quick peak around around today and it seems as if they are laying the foundations, so at a guess i would say at least 6 months before it even looks anything like the Architects drawing. which to me looks more like all the other buildings that are going up around Phattanakan and the surrounding area. nothing like a pub IMHO.

See you in three weeks tigerfish....I just hope you lose at Wembley...No one likes crowing over beers!

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

Seems to be another delay in the never-ending revival of The Londoner. They pretty much have to do the brewing off site because the licensed brewery must be in an industrial area. The pub spot is not. Those I know who used to work there and are still being paid (!!!) say it could be close to the end of the year before the place takes shape. As of next month it will have been a year since it closed. I miss it a lot.

[dragonfly94]

well at least the new one could not possibly be worse than the old one, what a dump that was!

[smokie36]

Seems to be another delay in the never-ending revival of The Londoner. They pretty much have to do the brewing off site because the licensed brewery must be in an industrial area. The pub spot is not. Those I know who used to work there and are still being paid (!!!) say it could be close to the end of the year before the place takes shape. As of next month it will have been a year since it closed. I miss it a lot.

Thanks for the update.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

They pretty much have to do the brewing off site because the licensed brewery must be in an industrial area. The pub spot is not.

I'm perplexed about the point you raise above re having to brew in an industrial area...

Weren't they brewing onsite at the old Londoner location, which wasn't an industrial area?

And don't they do on-site brewing at the Tawandaeng brew pub down on Rama 3 near Chong Nonsi, which also isn't industrial.

But more broadly, I didn't think Bangkok actually had any kind of property zoning laws/designations that distinguished between different kinds of acceptable uses for different areas. That's why here you get factories being built next to houses being built next to shopping centers being built next to expressways!!!

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

They pretty much have to do the brewing off site because the licensed brewery must be in an industrial area. The pub spot is not.

I'm perplexed about the point you raise above re having to brew in an industrial area...

Weren't they brewing onsite at the old Londoner location, which wasn't an industrial area?

And don't they do on-site brewing at the Tawandaeng brew pub down on Rama 3 near Chong Nonsi, which also isn't industrial.

But more broadly, I didn't think Bangkok actually had any kind of property zoning laws/designations that distinguished between different kinds of acceptable uses for different areas. That's why here you get factories being built next to houses being built next to shopping centers being built next to expressways!!!

I share your befuddlement. But what I posted is directly from a highly placed participant. Now, using one's imagination, you can feel the hand of the Big (powerful) Breweries in this constant mess. What's the difference between Tawan Daeng and Londoner? The latter is owned by an ex-Englander (who became a Thai citizen some time ago). What is the real story? I honestly don't know.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Thanks... I was just thinking... if Bangkok really had any kind of actual land use/zoning regulations, it'd be a drop dead surprise to me!

[JemJem]

I have read most of the thread. I am surprised that some posters called the Londoner Pub things like 'dump' and 'tourist trap'. To be honest, it wasn't a great favorite place of mine; but it was a place I liked to go to every now and then; and overall, I enjoyed the atmosphere and the service. I thought the prices of food and beer were reasonable, by Thailand expat-type-of-place standards.

And, of course, the location was great.

As for the new location of it, Pattanakarn area, it will be a bit inconvenient for me. I will check it out though, shortly after it opens. If I really really really like it, then, I'l go there every now and then, despite the distance.

Edited May 20, 2015 by JemJem

[SoiBiker]

I like how their website currently claims they will re-open in February 2014, July 2015, and October 2015 - all on the same page.