Ye Olde Kings Head
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 9:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Fri 9:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m.
Sat 8:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m.
Sun 8:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m. - Menu: MenuPages
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot, Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner, Lunch
- Music: Juke Box
- Best Nights: Fri, Sat, Sun
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
111 Reviews for Ye Olde Kings Head
A solid british pub if there ever was one! Great pub menu, and friendly service. Perfect chips, a good offering of beers on tap - what else do you need for an after-a-long-day-at-the-office meet up? Look me up if you come on Wednesday night, Trivia Night!! 8pm - 10pm every Wednesday, it's a great bit of entertainment to break up an otherwise work-filled week.
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Great happy hour! $4 beers served up by a really hot bartender who looks like tricia helfer (ding!!)
Great pub fare as well. Yes, the fish and chips are delicious. The samosas and all the other stuff on the platter were deep fried to perfection as well.
Ended the visit with an irish car bomb. Ouuuuuuuuch.....
Came here for dinner one weekend as I enjoy this place. It's got a great ambience and I enjoy the feeling of being in a pub in England!
We sat in the more private room in the back and I had the lamb chops plate instead of the customary chicken dish I'd normally order. It was really good as it came with two chops, mixed vegetables with garlic mashed potatoes. Delicious!
I also liked reading up on the bios of the various English kings that they have on the walls in the private room in the back. A short English history class and good eats at the same time.
Our waitress also served me a dessert for free since we were celebrating my birthday which seemed to be a custard/bread pudding type dessert which was quite tasty!
They have also added sidewalk seating now which they didn't have before. I'd definitely come back again for the lamb chops and the ambience!
Cheerio!
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I've come here on a Friday night for some drinks with friends & for a relaxing Sunday breakfast and both times Ye Old Kings Head did not let me down. Since we were going to eat mole at my mama's later that day we only had the eggs & toast (4.95) and shared some hash browns, although I thought it was pricey, you are paying for the scenery and the eggs were good.
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A shameful review...
Shame on me for thinking that French Onion Soup would be good at a British restaurant. Shame on me for thinking that somehow, just somehow I would finally find English food that I would actually like beyond Fish and Chips. Shame on them for serving my blah blah English food barely beyond room temp.
The best thing about eating her was drinking my Smithwick's and watching our hungover server be flighty and flakey in the dining room.
One of our group was in the mood for a traditional English Sunday lunch of roast, so we obliged and stumbled upon Ye Olde Kings Head. I had the lamb, potatoes, steamed veggies and Yorkshire pudding. Nothing had taste to it. I almost asked the Mexican bus boy for some Tapatio to smoother the food with.
The only way I'd go back would be to sit outside and people watch while drinking a pint.
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inside the place, it looks like an old english pub, or so i'm told.
i came here with some co-workers when we were down in LA for a conference. we were going to sit outside, but we decided on eating inside, since it got kinda windy.
we all started with a nice tall draft beer, i forget the name. i ordered the bangers & mash...loved it. one of my co-workers loved their fish & chips. service was good, and i noticed that right before we left, there was a rush of people and it got kinda noisy, but we were on our way out anyway.
what's cool is that there's a small convenience store next door that's owned by the same people as the pub, and they sell lots of stuff imported from england.
pg tips tea & kinder bueno FTW!!
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I can't exactly say that it was the food that drew us in here on a recent Sunday night. It was more the case that it was 4 semi-cute paunchy British guys for every girl. I think we got here a little after 8 and I was amazed with how many people were already drunk by the time we got here and how they take care of each other. The one guy actually excused himself to escort a drunk woman to a waiting cab and shelled out $30 so that she could get home. If that's not the epitome of neighborhood pub ettiquite, then I don't know what is.
Wide selection of beers on tap, with some kind of special pump, but I'm not sure what it is. Since we ate a late lunch with a Pinkberry to boot in the early evening, I wasn't hungry enough to try any of the pub cuisine, but it smelled great!
Unfortunately, for the 2nd time this week, I found a gnat of some kind in my vodka tonic. Pretty gross. They made me a fresh beverage sans bug, but I think they should have offered an extra one for free to take the grody factor of the experience. For that, I'll knock them a star.....
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Wow, the fish and chips here are amazing!!! They're just like the ones typically served in England: large pieces of fresh cod in a light, crispy batter. Even better, these ones aren't as greasy! Trust me, I've tried my fair share of fish and chips and every pub I've been to doesn't come close to this. The scotch egg and sausage wrap were pretty good too. The service here was a tad slow. I was also a bit disappointed that my choice of cider wasn't on tap. At least the fish and chips exceeded my expectations.
I have never actually spent time in the restaurant half of this place; my review is just about the pub side. They have a great Trivia Night on Wednesdays and I would probably not go here otherwise. The quiz night is always a good mix of hard-core pop culture nerds and people who are just having fun and flirting with eachother. The fish and chips are actually delicious and they have Blackthorn Cider on tap which is also a plus. The main issues are the lack of seating and the staff. Usually there is just one waitress which makes it hard to get drinks and food in a timely manner.
So you all want to read about my hot & steamy date on Valentine's Day?
Sorry, it didn't happen....maybe next year.
Instead, I took 6 teenagers to a pub to eat. I got a number of disapproving comments when my friends heard about me taking teens out to a pub at night.... so let me explain. There is a restaurant section at this place and a separate bar area with soccer, ESPN playing with the tiniest dancing space. We were strictly in the restaurant section. Noise level is high in both.
May not be accurate info but the guys from Q's and Busby's bought it few years back so there is a big influence with sports playing on flatscreens at every angle.
This place was introduced to me many many years ago when there were English contractors and painters working on my house. Maybe I was around 16. They told me it was exactly how it was back in London.
Later on, they ripped us off and we learned that they did not have valid licenses.
I do not endorse going to pubs with ex-convicts who learned their trade in jail.
This place has been around for 33 years; an eternity in the City of Santa Monica. All the staff are English. Either that or they fake their accents well.
Ok , back to dinner. What we had: Queen sized fish (one piece) & chips $12 for the girls and King size (2 pieces) for the boys $15.
The fish is huge, tender, and moist with the perfect crispy crust. Needless to say, I need extra tartar sauce and ketchup. (remember I have a condiment fetish )
I have acquired a taste for their malt vinegar that I used to think was gross, but now pour on generously on both my fish and chips.
Once again in my teen years, I went to London for a weekend and frequented many pubs. I fell in love with the pub food and all the varieties of beers. I saw many pubs and clubs since I didn't sleep for two days to get the most out of my weekend trip.
I do not endorse drug use for people of all ages, but especially minors. (Especially stimulants that keep you awake for 2 days straight)
Some of the valentine's day special menu:
Cream of tomato soup $4.95
Salmon Florentine with asparagus, new potatoes and a basil hollandaise sauce $18.95
Raspberry & white chocolate brulee cheesecake $8.95
I usually just come here for my fish & chips fix. And my Stella. And my Guiness.
2 of the 6 teens had fake IDs but they were allowed only a few sips of my beer .
I do not endorse underage drinking, nor any other irresponsible behavior especially when there is an accompanying adult chaperone. (forget her reckless teen years...)
To explain my lack of one star....in the summer generally, they are understaffed, and the service is slow when you sit outside.
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Great place for lunch . Love the fish & chips. Still a great value.
This was such a fun place!!! Loved the Irish decor, loved the typical British food (which sucks among the world kitchens, but I'm OK with that:) ), and the wine selection. I liked the fact that dining room and bar section were separated. Bar part was truly fun, I loved the conventional rock they were playing, and of course, extra points go for the jukebox. Crowd was good too - a good mix of students and people who drop in after work. Unfortunate that I couldn't play darts, especially after few drinks :o)
The best fish & chips in the LA area...bar none.
And Fuller's London Pride on tap? Yes, please!
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Good food. The ambience is really chill. Friendly servers. Around the corner from the dining area (which closed at 10:30pm the time we went) is a bar with a lot happening. I'd go again for a chill time with good company.
YE OLD MANS CLUB? is that what this place is called?
Went here on a pub crawl, after Barney's and Renee's. It was cool.
I drank a 1664 beer to give justice to the Brits.
The Dart's are fun!
I met two Brits here who were the highlight of my night, I reckon....
Def. has potential, Ill give it another go around.
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Not impressed. The curry and naan were below average. I will say that when I took my English friend there, he thought the fish was good, but the chips were nothing special.
The food near the Promenade pretty much sucks, doesn't it? The fish and chips here weren't that bad...actually, the fish was pretty good; the fries weren't my favorite. The "Queen-sized" portion of fish is actually a decent sized piece of fish, more than enough for a girl like me. "King-sized" is vast, almost too much, even when I split it with R.
The waitresses are awfully friendly.
I love this restaurant. Lots of different brews on tap. Great food. They're famous for their fish and chips, which are amazing, but I never stray from the Steak au Poivre, without a doubt my favorite meal in the world. perfect juicy steak, and the sauce is to die for! The beers come from the pub connected to the restaurant, so sometimes they take a while to get to your table--stay on top of the waitresses, and they take good care of you.......but they do it with british accents and arrogance. Save dessert for another place.
Recently, I found myself with a dangerous craving for fish and chips. After reviewing the posts, I settled on trying out Ye Olde Kings Head in Santa Monica.
I must say, I was not disappointed. The clam chowder was the best I've had in Southern California. The Snake Bite(cider mixed with lager) was also quite good. But, I came here for the fish and chips... which were okay. I don't know what I was expecting, but they were decent and VERY heavily battered. The tarter sauce was excellent ... rounding out a very nice meal.
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My favorite pub in LA, hands down! Hard cider on tap, great bartenders and service, football on multiple screens, pub quiz on Wednesday nights, the most lovely fish and chips and fried mushrooms. And the ocean nearby for drunken strolls on the beach! Win-win-win, if you ask me!
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If you are lucky....you may get a great waitress......
If not! deal with it....the best time to be there on New Years Eve at around 4pm when they celebrate New Year in the other side of the Atlantic. People lose their inhibitions as good brits...once the etoh level has reached peak levels in the blood stream....they get down and party like is 1999 or in this case 2007. Yes, they like to party, so dress up and get there and party on!
I recommend parking underneath the building...is about 7 dollars and you can find your car. Accross the street it goes up about $ 20.00 or more..... dont even think about it.
ANy other night? is good to be there for the endless meaningless conversations that may soothe your heart, if you fancy english accents, this is definitely the place...
Food is ok...try anything fried, with ketchup...sorry we are still in the US. ha!
They do carry champagne and some wines if you do not fancy English Beer or Cider.
You can survive this place, and most of all you may like it every new years eve to get your party started! :)
Who knows maybe you meet a Mat Paddy!
I did.
I was very surprised to find a pub like this in the heart of Santa Monica, the selection of beers was substantial and I was able to enjoy some of the English Premier League here on a Saturday afternoon. They even had "bitter" and for those of you that are unfamiliar with the drink it's a very traditional drink served in England that requires hand pumping of the beer tap. The food seemed to be decent also, I had the Sheperds Pie.
This place seemed like a solid pub and the outdoor seating area had plenty of room. I can definitely imagine going here again if I'm back in Santa Monica anytime soon.
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I went here on Sunday and I wasn't very impressed with this place. Their food was okay for those prices. In fact, I didn't like their roast beef special at all.
My friends and I shared the bangers and mash, roast beef dinner, and the fish and chips (king). My fav out of that list were the bangers. I usually don't like eating sausage like things on their own but those bangers were GOOOODDDD =d! The fish and chips weren't bad but if I were to order the queen size for myself, I'd die having to eat all that fish. In fact, I was gagging by the time I got to the final bites (haha...can't waste food ;P). The crust was nice and crisp but it softened too fast when it touched any form of liquid =T The roast beef dinner was pretty...small =T 2 slices of roast beef??? Sadness. It didn't stand out for me at all.
I was with a big party (9 people) and we were basically left alone a good portion of the time. If we needed anything, we had to get up and go find someone. I would've liked getting more refills on my iced tea =T
There were also some protesters outside and I think it had something about eating the fish and chips. I don't know if that's actually any NEW news...fish in large quantities aren't good for you...o.O
one of our old haunts in santa monica!
like a large london pub (includes brits, too)! the pastie reminds me of a beef empanada but the pastry shell is a bit thicker and substantial. the scotch eggs are rib-sticking good. meat-covered, hard-boiled egg served with brown gravy, you just can't go wrong with that.
we ate at one of the outdoor tables which wasn't too pleasant due to the cigarette smoke. other than that, it was fine. service was very attentive and debbie, our waitress, was cheerful and pleasant. we ordered the welsh rarebit which had a really creamy cheese sauce and perfectly browned and toasted muffins. i ordered the ploughman's plate which was okay. the pork pie was bland but the stilton cheese was excellent. david had the fish and chips which i manage to pilfer from his plate. it was cooked just right - the breading wasn't too doughy and their servings are more than generous. we finished dinner with the sticky toffee pudding which we inhaled almost immediately. great ambience except for the second-hand smoke.
a few years ago, at my suggestion, my bro & SIL decided to "celebrate" St. Patty's Day here. having never been here prior, a 65-yr old lady told me that she used to party hearty here....so why not be up to the challenge?
after FINALLY finding parking in a nearby lot, we actually had to use the street "you-are-here" maps that decorate the Third Street Promenade....no we're not tourists...we're from "THE VALLEY".
so after waiting a few minutes in line, we were let in and were ready to experience the HEAD PUB...as expected, the place was packed and wreaking of vinegar and drunken celebrators, dart players, and dancers. nothing hordes my attention more than drunken dancers...(i smell a potential reality-based show in the making...)
i had a blast hanging out and drinking with two of the closest people i know...but i think my highlight was walking out of the restroom and finding my brother sporting the biggest St. Patty's Day hat known to man...good times, bro...good times...
Holy Lord Almighty!
I FINALLY found good fish and chips in L.A.!
Yay!
That is all!
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This review is just for the pub. I loved that we walked in and might as well have been miles away from the promenade on 3rd. I get claustrophobia from tourist traps and generic mall stores, so this was a big plus for selectively elitist me.
There are two bars and only one was open mid afternoon on a Monday-the far one from the front door, so we were kind of standing there in an empty room until we found someone to to tell us they were open, but in the back. When we walked over we saw quite a few people at the bar. Which I frickin love to see midday during the week-it's like all of us there are sharing in a little naughty secret-we get to kick back with a beer while everyone else is at work. Sometimes I love L.A. and its people's irregular schedules.
The natural lighting and wide open area were inviting and the beer on tap were impressive-Kronenborg suckas! Despite being the only girl and football (okay, soccer) playing on the three flat screens before me, I was not overwhelmed by testosterone. $6 plus tip ain't exactly cheap for a pint, but it is Santa Monica, reminding me why I tend to keep to the Valley and East side. Still, this place made me think I might be able to someday mature enough to fit into West L.A., since clearly not everything about it is sophisticated and clean-cut.
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I absolutely love this place. I live in Long Beach but will often make the drive up on Saturday or Sunday mornings for some super early football games. Nothing beats a great English breakfast, a pint of beer and some footy at 7am. The bartenders and wait staff are always amazing.....I'll highly reccommend it as a hang out in Santa Monica. If you see me wearing my Joe Cole jersey around, don't hesitate to say "hey Frankie!" :)
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Had lunch with the wifey here on Wed (23Jan08). This place is a great British pub (one of the best on the west coast?) with very good food and a good beer selection. I can't say much more than has already been said...
i ordered fish and chip - bad frozen fish (there are good sushi quality frozen)
Fish and chips there sucked!
It was a pseudo pub for me.
The service was fair though.
I wish they were back on 3rd and Arizona again!
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Nothing says British pub more than when you open the door and are immediately hit with the smell of malt vinegar. It also tells you something when there are actual Brits dining and working here. I have been to the King's Head numerous times and have tried their pasties, pies, and afternoon tea. The steak, Guinness, and mushroom pie is delightful, while their afternoon tea is disappointing. The waitresses are very accommodating and very sweet!
Quiz night wednesday at 8ish. Its packed and the service is terribe! But a good quiz night is hard to find.
Plus they have good beer at reasonable prices. Soccer, rugby, etc on TV. Darts.
Good times.
Pros:
Constant Football on TV (rather than s**t American Football).
Good service, chill bartenders.
Cool vibes, no drama queens and LA strutting type people.
Cons:
Strange set-up, not too many comfy places to sit.
YUCK jute-box (lots of Britney/Aguerlia/Sheryl Crow/ Creed/Linkin Park/Staind/various other crap)
I had the fish and chips. So good. I am a big eater, and found that the King's portion was too big. Next time I would order the queen sized. This ain't no McDonald's fish fillet here. The breading is real crusty and flaky. The inside is oh so tender fish from new zealand or iceland or some kind of island. Douse it in vinegar and oye i was in imperial heaven.
Was a bit surprised they didn't have any tadcaster's sam smith Oatmeal stout in a bottle, but still a great selection of brewhaus.
Hey England, "mustard" for the fish and chips but "pants" for the Beckham family.
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Ok I've only had one thing on the menu here and I've been here over a dozen times in the last year. The fish and chips are the best in LA. If you say otherwise. Thems fighting words, I will go to the mat for these fish and chips. I can't say anything about the other items on the menu. They have a variety of beers on tap. I prefer stella ( more alcohol content) and my fish and chips and I could die a happy man. I suggest go for the kings portion it's only like 2 dollars more than the queen and you get 2 pcs. of fish vs. 1. It's a lot of food so take home the extra piece or pig out and eat the extra. Conveniently located right by 3rd st. promeneade (tourist trap from hell). Good place to watch the game, whichever game you're into.
I don't eat fish
Nope
Nothing that lived in water
ick ick ick
So with that preface I did not eat the fish and chips
I however did have the chicken and chips which as a nice surprise was an actual fried (not battered just fried) chicken breast, It was that kind of fried that makes the skin itself nicely crispy and the meat super moist
That was yum
So was the curry sauce
The chips were meh
Clearly prepackaged frozen desperately needing salt and mayo
The snakebite I ordered wasn't very good
Neither was the Bass, how did they manage to screw up Bass?
I don't know maybe it was a bad keg but .....
The service is what ruined this place for me
They are diagonally across the street from my office building and a bunch of coworkers and I went there the other night for a farewell party
We managed to have a rollicking good time despite the absolutely ATROCIOUS service
I have rarely run across a ruder waitress in my life
Seriously lady why are you mad that a large party is coming in on a wednesday night at 6:30? Please pray tell? Yes I understand we didn't have a reservation and not everyone is eating but we still ordered a fair amount of food and a LOT of drinks (Finns and Brits love their beer!)
The service seriously turned me off of the affordable drinks and rather good food
They did seem to have a pretty awesome happy hour menu (I think pints were like 3 dollars for imported beer and imperial pints were 4) This place being ridiculously convenient to my office and the happy hour I think are the main reasons I would even consider coming back
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This is my neighborhood go-to bar. Where everybody knows your name.. Cheers!
King's Head is always very eclectic. Sometimes it's after-workers, sometimes it's younger crowd, lots of true Brits and foreign country visitors.
Karaoke Sunday is a good time with a mix of good talent and even better tone-deaf.
I don't often eat here: usually it's pints and car bombs, but I have had the Scotch Egg pub snack now and then. It's a nice little breaded fried hard-boided egg that comes with gravy. Tastes great, but less filling.
INSIDER TIP: Tip well on a few big tabs and they will remember you and hook you up quite well. :D The slightly cuckoo, and hilarious British bartender Matthew often gives me "faxes" (knapkins with his handwriting on them) to point out the single women to me.
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Love this place. LARD (aka "The Los Angeles Regional Darters") play here every Thursday and I'll be gosh-darned if I'm not joining them. Great beer selection, greater service and greatest oches!
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