Open for Business: The Monro Pub, 481 Fifth Avenue
Tuesday, May 22, 2025 at 9:55AM
The bar that's been in the works in the former Puppets Jazz space, on Fifth Avenue between 11th and 12th Streets, opened last Friday night. In a neighborhood teeming with bars, it's one of only a couple that can officially call themselves a proper English pub, and this one doesn't cut any corners.
Owned by the husband and wife duo of Vinnie Evans and Nicole Fusco (who hail from Liverpool and named the bar after the pub there where they met, which was in turn named after a merchant vessel), The Monro is a dim, comfortable spot adorned with old maps of their hometown, taxidermied deer heads, and a few nautical touches.
Eight English favorites are on tap, including Fuller's, Wells Bombardier, Boddington's, and Bellhaven IPA (served in their proper glasses when possible), and the 15 bottles include Aspall and Strongbow ciders, Old Speckled Hen, and several others that you don't see too frequently. There are a couple food options to wash it all down with, including five varieties of pies from The English Pork Pie Company (served alongside Branston Pickle) Walker's Chips, and Monster Munch. The Monro isn't just an English pub, it's a very English pub.
There are about 10 seats at the bar, and the back room seats about 25 (booths are a very nice touch). There's a Happy Hour every day from $4-8 when all drinks are a dollar off, and a couple TVs in the back to show soccer and other sporting events. There's also free wifi.
The Monro Pub, 481 Fifth Avenue Brooklyn NY 11215. Phone: 718-
Open For Business in Bars, Scoops, Storefronts
Reader Comments (18)
Hmmmmm. A "proper English Pub"? With flat screen televisions? No real food to speak of. Not sure about this one.
Came here for opening night. Was a bit crowded, but i guess thats a good sign for a grand opening. The bartenders were very helpful in pucking through a variety of English beers which i had no knowledge of. Even with a packed bar they took the time to describe the differences in each beer. Prices were reasonable and the crowd was pleasant. Mostly 30 somethings and not such an ugly bunch either. As far flat screen tvs not being "english" enough, im not sure how convenient it would be to mount a 50+ inch tube tv on the wall! Id hate to see some unfortunate tall bastard walk into it head first!!
"Proper English pubs" in 2012 have flat screen tv's. Was just in the U.K. and nearly every pub had a television with sports playing. Didn't say it was a "proper English pub" from 1850.
Insert image of Frank Gallagher here.
Seems like any old bar to me. I guess it sells english beer which is the hurdle these days for a "proper English Pub". My English cousins are sniggering about this one.
Your cousins are "sniggering" about two of their fellow countrymen/women coming over from Liverpool and opening a bar in Brooklyn named after the place where they met ? Your cousins sound rather catty.
That they are. They also know that a "Proper English Pub" is a place that serves good beer, good food (and not necessarily the bangers and mash kind; my favorite English pub serves amazing Thai food) and is a welcoming place for everyone including drunks, kids, dogs and the rest of us. It helps to have a dartboard and/or a pool table, This place seems more like a sports bar opened by a couple from England than a Proper English Pub, but to each his own I guess.
As a British citizen who grew up in the North, I'm very happy to have anyone from Liverpool opening a pub nearby. Liverpool has some great pubs, & plenty of traditional "real" places served no food at all - other than packets of crisps & pork scratchings. I worked in a great foodless pub in Newcastle. Agree that darts would be good, & don't like wifi in bars. Of course it won't be the same as a pub in England (it won't be full of English people), but some good beer & Scouse humour could make it very welcoming indeed. Food doesn't matter - it's the drink & the conversation that counts.
All y'all go back to Yelp and write yr state college level self involved essays there.
Anyway, the only useable comments are from, you guessed it, the UK native.
As far as food, yeah, Usually crisps. Monro got pies. Delicious pies.
I've been here twice so far, and have plans to come back for as long as this place is open. The bartenders and Vinnie are awesome ,the feel of the place is relaxed, and the beers are good. It's a great place to go, and I wish them all the best.
no dartboard, not a proper pub.
I love the Monro Pub! I love the owners who have such character and are two of the coolest people I can say I know! I love the story behind the concept and I wish them the best of luck. Best of luck to you Vinnie and Nicole.
dartboard arguer = pedantic whiner
have a lot of nerve opening this place on memorial day weekned!
@chuck last weekend was not memorial day weekend, if you read the article. Just sayin'
person who uses the phrase 'pedantic whiner' = pedant
I am scouser born and bred and until recent years, NO pubs had food. It was where you went to get away from the family and get drunk - not changed that much. There was a snug where the women sat, or the men stood at the bar and their women sat at tables and they didn't converse with each other, except to get the drinks in! And only food likely was crisps and pork scratchings an maybe a sandwich on the odd occasion. Far more do have food now and yes, just about all of them have flat screen TVs so you watch stuff you can't at home because you don't have satellite. Traditions change. Country pubs were and are different from city pubs. Go and see!
I thought this is one of the reasons some of us left England, in the first place. bad beer food that sucks and have to mix with a bunch of complainers, bring back Watneys and they will all be happy