Yes, it's a Wetherspoons. One of those hermoginised pseudo-pubs that seem to take over any and all buildings this century. Used to be a bank? Now it's a pub called The Bank etc...

Well this one is called the Metropolitan Bar, or Met Bar for short, most likely because it's housed directly above Baker Street tube station which has a Metropolitan Line service in it. Bit tenuous but there it is.

From the outside the place is very deceptive. Like most London establishments, be they pub or otherwise, this is not a building unto itself. All you get from the street view is the glass doorway and neon blue sign. From this you would be forgiven for assuming it was a small affair, relegated to the size on the packet.

Not so much.

It's effing massive in there. Soon as you walk through the door and up the stairs you're greeted with the volume of the place. It stretches across almost the entire street, living behind the shops and what have you and as I say, over the top of the tube station.

Despite this there's never anywhere to sit, which I suppose is good for the pub because that means it's busy, but that's the only indication you'll ever get. So cavernous is the manor that even with every seat filled you'll still find yourself thinking "Oh good, it's quiet tonight, I'll probably get a seat".

It's deceptive, is my point.

No good going on about the beer/food really, since it's the same here as in any Wetherspoons. Ales on tap, which I like, are rotated regularly and not hugely expensive. It is nice to see that even in Lon-Don the majority of the 'spoons pricing remains intact. They've got both Magners and Bulmers if you think there's somehow a difference, and all the usual name brand beers and spirits.

The staff are plentiful, if a little cloth-eared when listening to your order, and you'll not be waiting long to get served. You will, however, probably have to repeat each drink one at a time as they get made.

BEER SELECTION: Plentiful, if obvious ****

COST OF A ROUND: Standard Wetherspoons rates apply. ***

STAFF: In good supply, but not very quick on the uptake **

FOOD: Lamb Burger that comes with a free beer, which is good even if you are eating microwaved giblets. ***

SKIRT RATIO: The chav count is good and low, but the place is still very man-centric **

Overall: Despite the reasonable cost of a round, comfortably familiar food selection and range of ales, I can only give The Met a 3 because of the weener festival atmosphere and bar staff who don't listen. ***

The Metropolitan Bar - Baker St - Brought to you by Gazz Wood -