The Three Compasses

We only go to the Thai Restaurant above the pub when in the area, and looking for a cheap bite to eat. No need to book and we always get seated in the conservatory/​balcony area by the window, with lovely window boxed filled with flowers overlooking the street below. At night the lights draped on the plants comes on and creates a nice relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. The restaurant looks to have recently been spruced up with wall panelling in the main restaurant and flowered wallpaper in the conservatory/​balcony area.
Normally, I have the Prawns Pad Thai as it is guaranteed to be very nice, but this time thought I have the Massaman Lamb Curry with coconut milk, a Thai dish, which I love, but here, it is below par, and not that good. The lamb and potatoes hardly melt in your mouth, the potatoes were positively still quite hard! The flavour was not that rich, and it was a very small portion of lamb and potatoes covered in a full bowl of soup rather than as a sauce. I should have stuck with the pad thai. My friend had the Chicken Yellow Curry. She being not too adventurous and a faddy eater liked it as it was very mild, but I tried it and it was so mild that there was no kick in it for me, and the chicken was not that moist and a bit overdone.
However, the Chilean Sauvignon Blanc wine was very nice and at £4.50 a glass, a bargain, and the Mixed Starter for two with fishcakes, chicken satay, vegetarian spring rolls, prawn crackers, served with dips of sweet chilli, peanut sauce and pickled vegetables was very nice, although lacking in presentation, just piled high on a small plate.
The location is great though, right by Farringdon Station, but it is very hit and miss with the curries, the noodles are a much better though, so I will stick with that next time!
And we got overcharged, for a full bottle of wine when we only had a glass! Whether it was a genuine mistake or they do try it on when you are too busy chatting and did not expect you to check the bill thoroughly, especially if you are in a group and just split the bill. Luckily, I always check, as I thought it seemed rather high, but my friend already paid her half, splitting the bill. So it pays to query the bill every time at every eating place, not just here! The amount of times I found an «error»?

Not the most authentic Thai in London but an easy place to pop into in ones lunch break. I’m relatively basic when it comes to this place after having a couple of dishes I wasn’t super keen on I just stick to the lunch time set menu of spring rolls and a green chicken curry. It comes with crackers and rice and costs about £10 so not too damaging on the wallet.
Definitely edible but doesn’t blow you away. Worth a visit and always better than eating in one of the dull chains like Pizza Express opposite.

Have the pleasure of working in Clerkenwell for the next two weeks so frantically working my way through all the lovely places round here.
After reviewing the excellent Esarn Kheaw in Shepherd’s Bush ths was a bit of a comedown.
Packed to the rafters. Nice casual loud pub-​like surroundings. Quick friendly service. But food that’s average at best.
Ubiquitous menu. Seafood that doesn’t seem fresh to me. At prices that, whilst not expensive, certainly don’t represent value for money in my mind. In an area full of wonderful eateries, this place doesn’t quite cut it.

nice place to drink a decent beer after work.

As far as Pad Thai goes this was pretty damn tasty! But there were a couple of things that killed it, one was the hefty £8 price tag that was put on it and secondly was the lack of Thai atmosphere in the place.
As pubs go, it was a pretty good boozer. Friendly staff, quite quiet when I went at lunch today but that was actually nice. There didn’t seem to be any «locals» in there, mind you, does anyone actually live in Farringdon?

Most workers in Farringdon should be quite familiar with this pub. But besides your usual pub there’s also the Thai restaurants upstairs. I’ve been there a few times for quick Thai lunch and I must say I absolutely love it. The service was quick and the food was tasty. Recommended.

The Three Compasses is a lovely little pub and Thai restaurant in one. The restaurant is upstairs but you can also order food downstairs and eat it in the pub.
I’ve tried both and while I wasn’t particularly taken with the pub, which is very plain and lacks atmosphere, the restaurant is much better. The food is very good, but the portions could be bigger. The service is generally very good, but if you book a specific table don’t expect them to hold it for you. Last time I tried booking a specific table, I went in at the agreed time to find only 2 customers in there — both sitting at the table I’d reserved.
Still, the food is good and it arrives fairly promptly. If you can get a seat by the window you can watch the world go by as you eat. A decent little place if you happen to be in Farringdon, conveniently located about a minute from the station.

The Three Compasses is a pub (downstairs) and a thai restaurant (upstairs). I have never been to the pub myself, only to the restaurant.
This is quite a nice restaurant not in terms of deco (which is quite simple) but in terms of food (which is very nice). The best part of the restaurant is the veranda. It’s actually quite nice there.
The service is very fast, so you can go there during lunch. I have done once during my 1-​hour lunch break and made it on time at work.
The noodles are very nice and good value for money. The plates are generous.