Acceptable or even GOOD pubs in London city centre?

Meeting a friend who lives west and figure centre is the only option. Is Soho the key here? Where? Ideally a nice bar with good beers and possibly food, though food not essential.

Somewhere where you can sing if the mood takes you, yet not the kind of place where one is coerced to sing. The kind of place where smiling is not frowned upon.

Unfortunately Soho is precisely the kind of place where smiling is frowned upon. It's not like in the old days when you could kick a Jeffrey Bernard in the street.

Haven't been to an FAP for centuries but the Glasshouse Stores is all right.

The French House, but be advised the beer is served in halves.

The Endurance

http://www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub1552.html

Much maligned by the FT crowd back in the day but I like it.

They're all good! All of them!

i.e. they fill up the pint then cut it up with a chainsaw, so make sure you attend wearing appropriate protective headgear in accordance with Nanny State Politically Correct Regulations (xxp).

Try around the Goodge Street/Charlotte Street area, there are four or five very good pubs around there and the place is generally pretty lively.

The french house is crazy talk as it is almost impossible to get a seat unless you have been there since oliver reed was in short trousers.

The French House is nice but TINY.

(xpost)

, dahling

xpost

The Endurance is forever scarred by horrible memories of Beth Ditto turning up to a FAP and pwning everyone at karaoke. ::shudders::

it was the KoC then, though, surely it has been purged by cleansing redesign?

I think the Endurance has gone downhill, if sis-pub the Perseverance is anything to go by: gastros where the salad comes out of a Somerfield bag.

Also there are a shit-ton of pubs around Broadcasting House that are reasonably OK but beware R1/6Music types. Great Titchfield Street etc. Ed, where was the nice one with the decent food your work people liked?

The best in Soho are probably the Old Coffee House and the Shaston Arms but both can get pretty rammed. Endurance has always been unbearably crowded whenever I've been in. Generally speaking Bloomsbury/Holborn are better for pubs than Soho though.

I am a big fan of the bar underneath the Phoenix Theatre on Charing Cross Road as well, real old underground theatre club sort of vibe, homosexual old dudes nodding along to show tunes in the background, that kind of thing. Arrive before 8.30 though as it's members only before them, but it opens late.

Also the worst pub food I have ever ordered was in the Perseverance. Gastro my arse.

The septic crown, (the crown and sceptre) on foley street, is utterly heaving, especially early on. The King and Queen down the road is a good boozer that does and acceptable pie too.

Actually, don't go to Soho on a Thursday night if you want to sit down.

I am a big fan of the bar underneath the Phoenix Theatre on Charing Cross Road

Haven't been there in years! I remember Sophie Ellis-Bextor used to be in there a lot.

And that woman who used to be in the yoghurt adverts

Last time I was there I spotted a guy who used to be a minor gay character in Eastenders AND a guy who used to be a minor gay character from Holby City. All we needed was one from the Bill and we'd have had the hattrick.

I saw Adam Ant there once too!

I am a big fan of the bar underneath the Phoenix Theatre on Charing Cross Road as well

that place is grand.

last time super hans was there, my friend went up to talk to him he asked my friend if he had any drugs lol.

We had a Shimura Curves aftershow there. After the first of the Ebony Bones support shows I think , IIRC. I don't recall much about it, though - beyond getting in a fight with Cowboy Jim. (Now that's a surprise.)

The plethora of Sam Smiths pubs in central London are not that busy, and cheap, and actually quite nice. The Blue Posts,the Cock or the Champion of the Thames or somewhere like that (there are actually a few different Blue Posts, which aren't Sam Smiths, but they're good too - I like the one on Berwick Street). If you do go to Holborn, as recommended by Matt DC, the Princess Louise is amazing - this incredibly ornate victorian restoration.

I am a big fan of the bar underneath the Phoenix Theatre on Charing Cross Road

I like this too.

You could also do worse than the Social on Little Portland Street. It's actually a pretty nice place for a few beers and a fishfinger sandwich before the music starts later on.

lame tv celebrities hang out.

Samuel Smiths pubs are the key here; they are generally quite cosy and unponcey and always very cheap. I have a soft spot for the Crown on New Oxford Street, particularly in the summer when you can sit in that square type thing out back.

I am a big fan of the bar underneath the Phoenix Theatre on Charing Cross Road

Me too! I only discovered it about a year ago.

NO NO NO NO NO THE SOCIAL IS THE WORST PUB ON EARTH THIS IS PROVEN BY SCIENCE!!!

the social has dyson airblades in the toilets, which is a plus (and the fact that you have to walk through the stage area to get to the toilet also doubleplusgood). expensive drinks though.

There are four Blue Posts I think, there was a good pub crawl that encompassed them all.

Sam Smiths is fine with me but a bit short on music. The Social is fun.

Does anyone still call under-Phoenix place Shuttleworth's?.

when the endurance was the king of corsica it was brilliant. the endurance nowadays has a name that is apt that's what it takes for staying inside.

You could also do worse than the Social on Little Portland Street.

This is my default post-last orders destination in the WE. Free to get in, and the music's often pretty acceptable (your standard hipster funk/soul/hip-hop mix). The decor makes it feel oddly like a bar in Soviet era Russia.

Sam Smiths = Fitzroy. Gets busy, mind you.

And the Perseverance is the sort of place where they apply grill marks to the panini with Sharpies. xpost to chu...

Also the Princess Louise used to be nice but those wooden screens have ruined the vibe downstairs. Upstairs is nicer but there are better Sam Smiths pubs (Old Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street is the best). The Fitzroy is great but gets unbelievably crowded.

I have come round to Freuds in Covent Garden now, as far as bars go. It's the only place in town that actually feels like a proper New York bar.

After 7 years of me expounding on this fact he finally comes round.

another sam smiths = the crown on new oxford st (as opposed to the old crown also on new oxford street, or the other the crown that's on monmouth street, all within 50 metres from each other, so maybe not a good one to meet up at)

would like to hear Local Garda sing

Freuds: I go for lunch there most Fridays! VERY slow service. I've never been in the evening.

That Crown business is annoying

I am happy to report that it is still 1992 inside freuds and still the place in london where you are most likely to hear some Acid Jazz.

freuds is alright but once again lacking in the being able to sit down front. plus, lame bar staff. plus, people who defrauds your card in the bar tab.

I was never particularly anti-Freuds, but I like it now as opposed to being indifferent to it. The Crown is the worst Sam Smiths in central London, unless it's sunny and you get a table outside.

I have heard Local Garda sing. It mostly involved Frank Sinatra I think.

xpost to jamie t smith wow this thread is MOVING

xpost to matt dc wow this thread is MOVING

Oh man Freuds... ::drools::

Get there early or it's impossibly crowded but MAN those cocktails are worth standing up for.

Which one is the Sam Smiths with the Fleet running through its basement? Is that the Cheese? (I always get it mixed up with the Titty of Yorke which is not so good.)

freuds is ok, the cocktails are lethal

as far as other bars go, I like two floors on kingly street

dunno if that's too poncey for the old man pub crew here

someone bought 4 margaritas using my card :( did the barstaff care? like they gave a shit

http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/91/916/Yorkshire_Grey/Fitzrovia

Once saw Tim Westwood outside this Sam Smith's pub off GPS, can usually get a seat upstairs if you're there by about 7, 1.90 a pint, vass wo' iss orl abaht

WTF kate cittie of york is fucking grand.

Yayyy! London! That's where WE live! Yayyyy!

I have a hard time believing that those margaritas were not consumed by you, Ken.

ha ha (xp)

There are some atmospheric little pubs tucked away in The City. Can't remember the names of any of them right now, unfortunately.

freuds is alright but once again lacking in the being able to sit down front. plus, lame bar staff. plus, people who defrauds your card in the bar tab.

― ILX Systern (ken c), Thursday, 2 October 2008 14:05 (1 minute ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Pay by cash and tip, fule, like the man says it is most like new york. A pound a round or so into their tip jar done so they notice does wonders for upping the lethality of the drinks.

The Cheese is better than the Cittie of Yorke but the latter pub has a cool sort of Harry Potter dining room feel. The Cheese is more the sort of pub you go to if you're planning a revolution.

For atmospheric pubs tucked away in the city you can't beat the mitre off holborn circus.

why would i be drinking cocking margaritas when i was perfectly having 6 x japanese slippers?!?!?!

I think you paid the drink with midori in tax.

What Ed says is true. I've been knocked flat by Special Coffee in that place on account of this.

Also, The Mitre, although it's technically not in London at all, but in Cambridgeshire. Again, gets very busy, but clears out fast as it's mostly the afterwork crowd.

x-post with Ed, ha ha.

I think this is why I dislike the Tittie of Yorke - it just reminds me of boarding school lunch halls. Which is not a voibe I wanna be feeling when I am drinking.

Pay by cash and tip, fule, like the man says it is most like new york. A pound a round or so into their tip jar done so they notice does wonders for upping the lethality of the drinks.

― Christopher Blix Hammer (Ed), Thursday, 2 October 2008 13:08 (42 seconds ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I could have fucking tipped them if they didn't let fuckers order 4 margaritas on my card. Anyway tip them? Bar staff in NYC are helpful, sometimes, even friendly! These guys?

Also, The Mitre, although it's technically not in London at all, but in Cambridgeshire

???

I would add Bricklayer's Arms on Gresse Street (sort of off Tottenham Court Road, or down from Charlotte Street) to the list of decent Sam Smith's pubs. Can be a bit quiet, but I like that.

Bricklayers Arms has the advantage of DARTS.

Freuds staff can totally be friendly! Once they gave me and a friend chalk and let us draw all over the slate-topped tables.

I think we were on teh Alex James Drinking Tour - which also reminds me, The Cross Keys, the laundry pub, hurrah! (Is nice to sit outside, but strange theatre types inside may invite you back to their place to "come up and look at my etchings.")

this is true, it is on the site of tha palace of the bishop of cambridge and reverted to cambridgeshire at some point during the dissolution of the monasteries, the residents of Ely place, round the corner pay their council tax to cambridgeshire county council.

xpost

If we're talking Soho and Sam Smiths, then it has to be the John Snow.

Actually, Kate wins. The Cross Keys is the best pub in the West End, hands down.

Must. Go. To. Pub.

Actually, fuck it, take your friend to Waxy O'Connors. Then the Intrepid Fox.

The weird stuff all over the walls is totally what makes the Cross Keys.

Yeah totally, real bric-a-brac feel to it. It's dark and warm and snug as well, which I always like in a pub.

Yes, I've been in that Cross Keys pub before

The Pillar's of Hercules has a very decent beer selection and I love DJ whelie Bags wednesday night pop quiz.

60 new answers in half an hour. Must be Londoners talking about pubbage!

If you can be bothered to go to Holborn, the Lamb is my favourite pub round there:
http://www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub77.html
Modesty screens!

Seconded

Snob screens, my friend.

Hark at you!

would rather be in a pubbage :(

Yeah the Lamb is a belter of a pub. That area is very good for pubs generally.

One day I will organise a Fancy A Gastropint here. Everything about this place is amazing.

also had fun times at lord john russell. nothing remarkable though (apart from that dark budvar craziness)

ha ha, it is called The Peasant! I need to take my brother there.

also further out east jerusalem tavern in farringdon

the peasant is indeed good, haven't been there in a while.

nothing remarkable though

Cutest barmaid ever. Like, in the whole world.

I've really got into the Carpenter's Arms on Whitfield Street recently, it's far too rammed on thursday or friday nights, but earlier in the week it's a great little pub.

matt DC omg you've obv never been to the prince of wales feathers on warren street lately.

The Jerusalem's great if very small: cloudy own-brew cider!

You people are making me want a drink. I have to go to the 100 Club tonight so maybe I shall stop in at the Champion and look at the pictures of cricketers' mighty beards.

Rocket fuel (xp)

the hottest barmaid/waitress in london works at Medcalf formerly at comptoir Gascon.

I like the non-Sam Smiths Blue Post(s?) on Berwick Street. And newish to me is the Green Man in 'noho', if only for the huge cider selection.

you deserve a smack upside the head for calling it noho

It's noho square!

Cunty tho, aye.

Also, the King Charles IV by King's Cross. Small place with a decent Jukebox, good beer, bar billiards, and you can have take-away delivered there.

I've really got into the Carpenter's Arms on Whitfield Street recently, it's far too rammed on thursday or friday nights, but earlier in the week it's a great little pub.

The Carp would be great were it not for the fact that it is ALWAYS rammed with tosspots from the advertising agency across the road. You also have to go up two flights of stairs to take a wee.

Bricklayers thirded.

I want to do a pub crawl around that backstreet bit between St Paul's and Farringdon Road, taking in the Jerusalem Tavern and a few others. There seem to be loads of good boozers there that I have never set foot in. This can't be allowed to continue.

This thread is knowledge.

I went to this weird bar in Fitzrovia that's done out like a 40s living room, Bourne & Hollingsworth. It was alright. Mostly cocktails not beer, though, but not snooty. Young people.

I like Two Floors on Kingly Street as well.

You also have to go up two flights of stairs to take a wee.

Not if you start on the roof terrace!

Oh, I've been to gigs at B&H. It's a nice place, I dig the artfully distressed decor but gets way too crowded too quick when they have bands on.

You know, it's a good thing I don't go to pubs or bars based on the cuteness of the barstaff or else I'd have to end up drinking somewhere awful like The Legion!

I want to do a pub crawl around that backstreet bit between St Paul's and Farringdon Road, taking in the Jerusalem Tavern and a few others. There seem to be loads of good boozers there that I have never set foot in. This can't be allowed to continue.

This sounds like a great idea to me.

The Wheatsheaf is my favourite of the boozers round that Charlotte Street ad-agencyland bit. Country pub feel in the middle of London.

Now I am lost on a raging sea of confusion!

thirded

xpost

Rising Sun by Smithfields is a good Sam Smiths pub round the Farringdon area.

Oooh this looks like a good one.

The Gate is a horrible pub.

sam smiths pubs = good
sam smiths beer = piss and vinegar

can't believe we have gone over 100 posts without me mentioning this very important fact.

The Intrepid Fox was WAY better when it used to be a grotty but very friendly lesbian bar.

Your discerning metallers go to Crobar these days. We almost got The Lex in there once, happy times.

Argh, is the Crobar that awful place off Charing Cross Road where all the Terrorizer staff drink? Lex is totally right not to go in there!

This thread is knowledge.

WORD

Oddly i was just about to revive a pub thread to find a boozer near the Shaftesbury Theatre (Hairspray's on) that serves food and is up-from-Surrey parent-friendly.

But on this showing, I think The Cross Keys might just fit the bill! Any more ideas?

sam smiths pubs = good
sam smiths beer = piss and vinegar

Agree re. bitter, but the lager and wheatbeer are both very good. Haven't tried the stout.

Cider not great. But beggars can't be etc.

Their stout is not as good as Guinness but compares favourably to Caffrey's and Beamish.

I think you get more than you pay for. Which is pished for less than a tenner.

^ word

You don't get a fat jolly German man in a box any more so the shark has been jumped as far as I'm concerned.

I'm sure the Fitzroy still has a fat jolly German man in a box

the lord hood in soho is best. just down the street from phonica. it's a sammy smiths pub, so drinks are cheap

He's getting increasingly less jolly the longer they keep him there, though.

xpost

what is the smallest pub (NOT bar) in zone 1?

I'd like to say the mitre but I'm not sure how far it goes.

My vote would be for the Jerusalem, as mentioned upthread. The Mitre has a fairly extensive upstairs area IIRC.

The Seven Stars is pretty tiny. The Nag's Head is miniscule as well.

I have been to too many pubs.

Coach & Horses in Mayfair looks fiendishly titchy: http://www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub401.html

I have been to too many pubs.

Not humanly possible.

the lord hood is only coming up as a pub in greenwich, is it definitely called that? that'd suit as I know my friend knows where Phonica is!

the answer may well be somewhere in the bad lands west of regent's street, lots of one room pubs over there.

I'm going to the Shakespeare in Stoke Newington this evening :-) my favourite pub in everyone's favourite wanky middle class Hackney enclave!

Fucking expensive these days

Borne and Hollingsworth is pretty darn small.

Lots of those "small pubs" (e.g. the Mitre) have upstairs areas which are bigger.

The Mayfair Coach & Horses isn't actually that small when you get in there.

I have been to the Lord Hood in Greenwich. It's like Phoenix Nights. They have a middle-aged peroxide female DJ called Barbara, and above the decks the word 'Barbara' scrolls across in red lighting with hearts on either side.

the one up the road from phonica would be the star and garter or the john snow?

I think Rio means the John Snow, not the Lord Hood. It's as good a place to meet as any. Lots of room, food, cheap beer. No music though.

They have a middle-aged peroxide female DJ called Barbara, and above the decks the word 'Barbara' scrolls across in red lighting with hearts on either side.

shit...do you know if she's single?

I can't think of one smaller than the King Charles IV.

i guess the C&H looks smaller from the outside because it's quite detached and distinct

otoh The Ship in Fitzrovia (if it's the one i'm thinking of) seems smaller inside than out. did like that one the one time i went there tho.

i like the lord john russell, in russell square

That benches set up in the LJR always annoyed me tho

isn't the tottenham (ONLY PUB ON OXFORD STREET) very small too? (or does it just seem small because 9892382 people are there?)

i had a really good time once at the pub that's just up from lord john russell. mabel's tavern?

very friendly people. and very warm around xmas time

The Tottenham isn't small (I wandered in there recently before wandering out), but the football team is knackers

Mabel's table! yes! Love.

the tottenham's not huge but not really tiny either, and has an extensive downstairs.

You don't get a fat jolly German man in a box any more so the shark has been jumped as far as I'm concerned.

― Matt DC, Thursday, 2 October 2008 14:57

i thought this until i discovered their Nut Brown Ale (in bottles) and now my commitment is restored. plus, their Pure Brewed Lager's veh nahce.

nut brown ale, while nice, negates the whole point of going to sam smiths in the first place with its price tag of like £3.60 or whatever headfuck price it is at.

Can never read the phrase "nut brown ale" without thinking of Tommy Vance. Pour one out:

yes, nbr (as i like to call it) is hella pricey, tis true. but it's either that or their LAME "draught" bitter...

what is the smallest pub (NOT bar) in zone 1?

The Rugby Tavern on Rugby Street is pretty small, if you don't count the upstairs (which is usually used for private functions anyway).

Dublin pwns London for small pubs.

There is NO WAY the Rugby Tavern is the smallest in zone 1, it's pretty much standard pub size.

Anyway, several places on the Internet confirm it's The Feathers. Maybe we should FAP there and actually take over an entire pub for once.

everything in Dublin is smaller than in London tho.

So the ladies tell me

apart from the craic

Dublin pwns London for small pubs.

small pubs where beer is twice the fucking price...

terrible dear so they are!

mercy!

Next time I'm in Dublin I must go into their Tesco's and ask for a jar of mussels and some potted herrings in case I get famished before dinner.

a holy show!

will ye be having a mussel now lad

Didn't The Rake by Borough Market make a load of noise about being the smallest pub in London recently? That's in zone 1.

they did but they are so small we could not hear their noise

Anyone know a pub in the Euston area with a pool table?

Or in Soho?

ken c's yer man for pub pool info

The Nellie Dean on Dean Street has a pool table. Can't think of anywhere in Euston but the pub options around there are mostly grim anyway.

Yeah didn't have high hopes for Euston, got friend down from the north who's staying around there so was trying to make it convenient for him but never mind.

Nellie Dean is a possibility though, thanks Matt.

I thought that place across from the British Library has a pool table or two?

Ah yes, the Rocket, corner of Euston and Charlton Street is pretty awful, but does have two pool tables.

Pleasant London pubs with pool tables are a rapidly dying breed.

DUKE OF YORK on Clerkenwell Road has table football and a pool table.

The Rocket is where the British Library staffers drink, and it's the best bet of a bad bunch. Or at least looks like a pub people would be happy with, albeit in a bad area for them. There is a gastro on Chalton Street too.

Any of the pubs in sommerstown or around Drummond st have pool?

The Rocket is in that area. I have imbibed there with BL pals and like it. OTOH I imagine every estate pub in Somers Town has pool or darts.

If you're going to go over to Clerkenwell then you're better off in the King's Arms than the Duke of York due to it having a jukebox and dartboard in the same games room as the pool table/table football.

And if you're lucky you might see Boris Johnson up there attempting to seduce a woman who is not his wife.

King's Arms does good Thai food too.

Looks like we're going for the Soho option, but thanks for suggestions, I will attempt to remember that Euston place for future reference...

good pre-gig drinking establishment in angel / kings cross area...?

lexington (mostly american beers and whiskeys but still a pub vibe)/agricultural (fairly old skool boozer)/angelic (fairly new skool boozer, large but crowded) ...

ja i'm taking a girl on a date and she just played at the lex last weekend i want to surprise her with somewhere nice / new

looking for good food, good drinks...

or somewhere with a pool table.

ideal would be good pizza + lots of good european lagers type place

try The Regent on Liverpool Rd

good call, that place does excellent pizza

oi London ilxorz

anybody know anything about
THE FIGHTING COCKS
Old London Road
Kingston-upon-Thames, London

i.e. what neighborhood/part of London is that?

(I'm speaking at the black metal theory symposium which is being held there in Jan, and I gotta decide if I want to stay at a hotel in the area- but before that, I was wondering if y'all have a bead on where this is at)

Kingston is pretty far out south west (barely) London so if you stay out there it might be cheap but probably quite dull with it

about 30 mins in to town by train, on the river, pretty, posh.

oh, okay, def. not going to stay there then!
thanks for the warning; gimme central anytime

is it like Zone 5 or 6 or summat?

zone 6 yeah

xps

cosign on all the above, except maybe 'posh' - is it not one of those Jekyll/Hyde places that's money & pushchairs by day, rough-as at night?

Zone 6, overland only I think.

how late do tubes run at night? (sorry dumb tourist here)
I'm thinking a cab from zone 6 to the center = ouch

overland only, last train 23.49 apparently.

Last train from Kingston looks to be a bit before midnight (11.49). That's overground: tube carries on a little later centrally, but won't help you much, because the nearest stations (Richmond, Wimbledon?) aren't very near, and since they're at the end of a line, send their last trains into the centre about midnight.

The N77 night bus would get you back.

(xp)

thanks people for the advice and handholding, next i'll be asking how much it costs to get on the London Eye or something

nightbus it is, because I think this pub-conference-whatever-thing ends with a band playing and it's going to go superlate

good pre-gig drinking establishment in angel / kings cross area...?

― Crackle Box, Thursday, 18 November 2010 07:26

http://www.thecharleslambpub.com/

it might possibly be a bit better in summer when you can sit outside but should fit bill

thanks!

so, not the john snow, ever again, then: http://twitter.com/jpw84/status/58302645491859456

tf

John Snow isn't actually that good anyway so no great loss.

Incurring the wrath of gay people is probably not the way to run a pub in Soho, mind.

jesus that's weird.

WTF.

TBH I hate that place anyway

full story - http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/14/gay-claim-ejected-pub-kissing

it was pretty cool to see how twitter not only gave the story legs, but actually put those witnesses in touch with the couple, having not known them previously

The John Snow is clearly run by weirdos, we were in there during the protests and the pub was heaving and clearly making a fortune, and they then closed up at about 5 due to fear of "riots". As if even the most mental black bloc types would smash up a Yorkshire brewery's pub, especially one full of protestors.

Obviously there is now a gay kissing flashmob planned for the John Snow.

i've never had any probs there, and actually quite like it (mainly due to the prices) but then I was merely fisting my partner at the time and there were v few people in the pub.

Lest we forget the Greencoat Boy: http://www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub1520.php

If I want Sam Smiths prices I just go to GHS tbh.

iirc John Snow have some ludicrous system for letting people drink outside as well. Although tbf that may be imposed by the council or something

Yeah the GHS is so much nicer than the John Snow.

x-post they do actually yeah...i can't recall what it is but it's fucking absolutely crazy is my memory of it.

is ghs also cheap booze?

Sam Smith's as well.

ah yeah...i've been in it before but not that often.

GHS smells perpetually of puke though. it's like the upstairs stage at minehead butlins.

that's because unlike the john snow, they don't kick you out for puking

well yeah

Jonathan Williams, a journalist for a financial trade magazine, and James Bull, a charity volunteer, say they were ejected from the John Snow on Broadwick Street, Soho, by a woman who claimed to be the landlady and said they were being "obscene".

Bull said he was physically sick after the incident

haha

Not sure that every gay person in London turning up at the John Snow is going to be a particularly effective protest if they're all buying drinks in between the kissing.

i guess that's why it says to only order tap water

Surely then they'll just get kicked out for not buying drinks?

They should form a kissing ring around the pub that blocks anyone from getting in.

you can't get kicked out of a pub for ordering tap water can you?!

You can get kicked out of a pub for just sitting there and not buying anything. Considerably less controversially.

you can kiss in a pub but can't even sit in and enjoy a nice refreshing glass of tap water. broken britain, tbh

20 years ago you could kiss man woman or beast in a pub. today we are at war in libya. the prices are a disgrace.

aids.

not sure mocking people upset about this is a good look

good thing i'm not doing it then.

this is bullshit and i will avoid the john snow as a result most likely. i hereby announce this to the web, may god have mercy on me.

oh sorry i couldn't parse that shining example of jaded "humour"

you should start a sock account to have these fights with yourself...or just take up yoga. lex i agree it's completely out of order, in fact that's prob the reason people are making dumb jokes about the glasshouse stores and the john snow, because nobody would defend this.

front cover of the guardian!

http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2011/Apr/Week2/15972673.jpg

OMG, dark-haired one on the right has been in a drinking situ with me and Lex! "Financial journalist" would be the pertinent clue re. the connection - dude knows a fair few activists, let's say.

ws white shirt

OMG, dark-haired one on the right has been in a drinking situ with me and Lex! "Financial journalist" would be the pertinent clue re. the connection - dude knows a fair few activists, let's say.

really?! did not recognise at all (and still don't) - we had no twitter follows in common when i checked

Twitter doesn't come into it. Dude in question is a good friend of Hugo's and I'm pretty sure he came to one of my birthday drinks with him.

ah that makes sense, wondered if it was through hugo!

reckon this piece of info can make tomorrow's guardian front page #slownewsdays

Love how the Guardian stopped its liveblog just before the flashmob was due to start.

I know I've mentioned this before but what is the deal with London barstaff? They are a fucking joke. Maybe specific to east, maybe not, but the amount of rank awful bartending, eg you tell them someone else is before you and they then forget to serve you next, or they stand around and don't serve anyone, they talk to their friends, they can't take more than one order at a time, they come back and ask you for the order again etc. Do the owners of these pubs never make an appearance?

I hate this. Another thing is when they are serving someone and it's just you waiting, like, they can see you and there's been some eye contact. Then just as they've finished they get distracted and then go off and do something else. Just say something like "I'll be back" FFS. I'm used to walking out of places if I spot this in advance.

I was at a bar yesterday and some guy asked for a White Russian. The only girl behind the bar didn't know how to make one, so in a 'chat-up mode' he goes "I can show you!". CHOOSE SOMETHING ELSE MAN. She's collecting together the stuff and there's queue building up. Then she doesn't hold the shaker top, gives it a big shake and I'm covered in milk. Nice.

Jesus that's astonishing...

Yeah it's nigh on stopped me wanting to go to the Florist at any busy time, but other places are horrible too, the Spurstowe (don't like this place anyway, full of weird yuppies) is particularly bad.

I feel all Frank Sobotka but even a tiny bit of pride or sense of craft about working in a bar would be nice. When I worked in retail (granted in shops, but it did get incredibly busy at Christmas) I was nice to people and hurried at it because it's a good buzz serving huge volumes of people politely. I feel like some of these people think they're cool because they work in a gentrified pub or something, "you're just not quite in on the vibe of the project of me working here...which involves a lot of staring into space"

You go abroad and even in countries where they're rude at least they're efficient and can take a few orders at once. Or London can surprise you too, but I don't want to have to buy cocktails at the Hawksmoor to deal with friendly barstaff who are a good laugh.

that girl behind the bar sounds hot xpost

I was at the Florist a few Fridays ago. The thing I noticed there was the price for a pint, is it £4.90 or something? I worked in a pub when I was 19. Not knowing who is next or offering hand out for a note without totaling it up in your head just wasn't tolerated. Maybe I'm not cool but working in a pub can be fun, I really enjoyed it. I do think that in some East London places you must have to audition like working in American Apparel or something.

Yeah, she wasn't bad. She tried to talk to me after all that but I was fucking fuming.

The thing I noticed there was the price for a pint, is it £4.90 or something?

What in blue blazes are you doing there then?

Was at the pub/bar at Kings Place a couple of weeks ago and the service was shambolic.

hum the one that has the outside bit by the canal? it was okay when i went (although i was mostly bought beers for free all night tbf) and the last time while i looked for a toilet i stumbled upon a art viewing thing and got some extra free wine (the beer was already free but you can't turn down free booze can you?) while looking at some photos of pj harvey

that's the palm...better service there generally, albeit with weird quirks!

I was at the Florist a few Fridays ago. The thing I noticed there was the price for a pint, is it £4.90 or something? I worked in a pub when I was 19. Not knowing who is next or offering hand out for a note without totaling it up in your head just wasn't tolerated. Maybe I'm not cool but working in a pub can be fun, I really enjoyed it. I do think that in some East London places you must have to audition like working in American Apparel or something.

what were you drinking? think it's about 3.70 a pint, for meantime pale ale anyway, it is expensive i guess, mind you i feel like last 3/4 months almost everywhere has jacked up prices.

They have

Yeah, just a bit further on from the offices of the Guardian.

So I guess you didn't have to wait too long for the beer to be bought to you, and wonder what happened to the person who was buying. You were lucky. At least we got an apology.

First the person right behind us got served first (I was just talking to the person I was with). Ended up having to wave right in front of the bar guy's face to eventually get service. At the end of that we then just a good 10 min rant to ourselves about the service. Great way to start an evening. xxp

yeah 20p or 30p more most places, dunno, i still mentally compare to dublin so uk has a long way to go to get that bad. 5.50 euro a pint etc...

4.90 makes me so angry

i am curious about that price, not sure they sell anything for 4.90...not ime and i am there often enough.

Some stupid beer in a fancy glass perhaps

i was sold a pint for 4.90 at that place above 'the drop' in stoke newington a while ago and i had to ask the bar guy again to make sure i heard him right

The Drop? Where's that?

xpost I was drinking premium lager. I normally drink Stella, yeah I know. What I've noticed in the last year or so is different, often obscure, European lager brands turning up. The pubs have these nice glasses and promotional bits but because you aren't familiar with them they can whack up the prices. It's like the crisps thing. You used to be able to get a standard packet of crisps in a pub now it's either olives and nuts from a jar or 'premium' crisps which they charge £1+ a packet for.

it's a v. small venue on stoke newington road

The Blind Beggar sells pints of Peroni for £4.50. I mean, crap pub and fairly standard lager for £4.50 is a joke.

hahaha yeah i go to that place sometimes cos my mate lives round the corner. it's *almost* crap in an endearing way. oh god the toilets. oh god the toilets

ugh..jesus. not a fan of peroni either.

mind you i was in spain/france for last 8 days and it's nice to come back and get some decent ale - not endless heinken/san miguel/mahau etc etc.

I hate this, it makes me grumpy out of all proportion and I end up having a big deliberately audible grouse to whoever I'm with and then I'll feel like such a disgusting human for letting it bother me

at one place I always seem to arrive at the bar behind one other party, then the current barman finishes shift immediately after that party and by the time more staff turn up 5 minutes later there's a massive queue and the new barman has no idea who was there first so serves me last

seems like if there is only 1 person waiting when you want to change shift you should do them anyway, but I guess if you do that another arrives, and another...

(not in London but somewhere else where you can easily find yourself paying over 9 quid for two drinks)

Any good boozers nr Fleet Street? I work occasionally at New Street Square and have wondered where'd be good for a post-work bevvy that wouldn't be too awful.

Old Bank is good (Fullers beer) but slightly overpriced, but the George is my favourite- fairly unassuming but well kept beers and good service.

The seven stars, just behind the royal courts (go up bell yard and it's on the left) is lovely. Good food, too.

have found the service at mason & taylor is good and pretty friendly altho not exactly a pub (where service can tend to be more 'casual' i guess)

it's nice to come back and get some decent ale - not endless heinken/san miguel

Mmmmmmmmm......endless Heineken/San Miguel....

nah you can't be serious...ugh. it's rotten.

new pub discovery - the captain kidd in wapping. sam smith's pub with beer garden right by the river! perfect spot for summer afternoon beers.

Are we all not boycotting Sam Smiths while they're being so evil to the gays?

anywhere decent near bond street? i normally use timeout but it is returning no search results...apparently it thinks there are no pubs near bond street.

doesn't have to be too near, just the same question as the title of this thread, somewhere nice, warm, relaxed for an afternoon meeting of minds which of course isn't a date.

It's a bit of a desert really, lots of big plastic off-Oxford Street type boozers.

Further south in Mayfair there are a few cosy little places but not especially atmospheric. Best bet is probably to go up about 10mins into Marylebone where there are some great places. If the Golden Eagle is the pub I'm thinking of it's probably the best. Nice, comfy, warm, doesn't feel like central London at all. Worth checking ahead to see if they're open first though.

Matt otm - I always get a bit stuck round there. Mayfair a bit uncomfortable (The Audley at a push?), so up to Marylebone a good idea. Angel in the Fields a nice Sam Smith's.

Matt's advice is good advice.

@meatliquor?

you have to eat though but i think some of that grog will help with the meeting of minds.

If you go into Mayfair then Ye Grapes on Shepherd's Market is pretty good as well but only if you go at off-peak times, otherwise it'll be full of braying property industry types. Marylebone still probably a better bet.

Anyone got any Old St / Hoxton / Shoreditch recommendations for a quiet catch up drink with an old friend?

Good ale / microbrew selection would be a welcome bonus.

before anyone else says them, the obvious choices would be mason and taylor on bethnal green road (sort of a bar, newer uk and american ales, huge selection, decent food), the wenlock arms (old fashioned, ales, v cheap for a good pint of something, old man pub) on i think, wenlock road, sort of beyond the old st roundabout. in shoreditch good pubs are a bit thin on the ground imo.

the old fountain, just off the city road by old st tube, is a nice put with a decent beer selection imo.

* a nice pub

The Reliance on Old Street itself is decent as well.

Otherwise, nowhere else that hasn't been mentioned. RIP the old Owl & Pussycat.

The Slaughtered Lamb?

good mixer?

wait what? i meant the water poet

Slaughtered Lamb is Clerkenwell really, and that has loads of good pubs. The last few times I've been to the Water Poet it's been horrible, victim of its own success I think.

if options run out or you can't be bothered to walk too far electricity showroom is not so bad - you can get a seat usually at least, and has scampi fries. drinks were a little expensive though as i remember.

Thanks very much everyone.

The last few times I've been to the Water Poet it's been horrible, victim of its own success I think.

otm

that's sad to know actually - it has been a while... had some good times at the water poet.

although there was that time when ronan and louis and i (and nick?) were going to play pool there, and it was absolutely rammed

the only pubs i really fuck with in the area are

- the pride of spitalfields (just off brick lane)
- the gun (the corner of brushfield st and bell lane)

the gun can be a bit city in the week but at the weekends is nice for an unpretentious catch up.

i need to check out mason & taylor actually.

oh i also like the red lion on hoxton st but haven't been for a while.

the carpenters arms on cheshire st also a good pub but gets rammed.

ilx should do its own fancyapint

Princess of Shoreditch just east of Old Street was quiet on the thurs before xmas when everywhere else was rammed, very pleasant spacious high-ceilinged place, some good beers on tap but not a massive selection.
http://www.theprincessofshoreditch.com/

Usu. end up in the Barley Mow when out carousing in this neighbourhood, but only because a former workmate swears by it as the only proper pub in the area

The food upstairs at the Princess is terrific and it's a really nice room - they've opened another pub in what used to be the King's Arms in Bloomsbury. Downstairs was okay, felt a bit All Bar One though.

i quite like the george & vulture on pitfield st. it's fuller's and feels a bit more like a local than lots of the places around hoxditch. when even that feels too lively i have been known to drink in the prince arthur just north of old st, which really is a throwback and must be the least trendy pub in the area, apart from that place on old st near the roundabout that i've never dared go into.

otherwise, tpp otm re: pride of spitalfields, that place is great.

Re; Pride of Spitalfields, a few years back somebody told me that the landlord/bar staff aren't very accommodating to Asians. This maybe now untrue or a load of rubbish. I've been avoiding it due to this, probably completely unjustly.. The Bell on Middlesex St. is sometimes good.

if options run out or you can't be bothered to walk too far electricity showroom is not so bad - you can get a seat usually at least, and has scampi fries. drinks were a little expensive though as i remember.

this place should be shit but of all the big brand shoreditch pubs it's actually pretty good imo, especially if it's a quieter time. always has a good pale ale on tap and a few good bottles in the fridge and it's a pretty nice room.

just avoid if any "events" or whatever are on, and prob don't even look at it on a friday or saturday.

i agree about carpenters arms too, great little pub, but yeah, fills up easily.

w/r/t Bond Street. Cross over the street and take the short walk to The Golden Eagle on Marylebone Lane. It's five minutes. If you insist on drinking in Mayfair, the only place I'll sometimes go into the Guinea Grill just off Berkley Square. It's full of c***s but the beer (and food apparently) is good.

The Bell on Middlesex St. is sometimes good.

yeah i forgot this one! just around the corner from me.

when even that feels too lively i have been known to drink in the prince arthur just north of old st, which really is a throwback and must be the least trendy pub in the area, apart from that place on old st near the roundabout that i've never dared go into.

Wow yeah, this place really doesn't feel like it's changed since the 1970s.

Thanks for all the recommendations. Ended up in Mason & Taylor and it was spot on.

I went to the Craft Beer Company, Leather Lane, at the weekend. Excellent selection- one of the best I've ever seen, including a number of American IPAs and German and Danish lagers- and a nice plain bar with high seating banks and plenty of standing room. Not cheap though- the beer is priced by strength- with the cheapest pint costing £3.30. Compares badly with e.g. Southampton Arms.

yeah, the selection is insane - I was a bit overwhelmed tbh, but for the enthusiasts I was with it was long night in heaven.

Luckily I'm going again next weekend for a wedding reception, so I'll be able to plug the gaps...

the queen's head, kinda king's cross area, anyone been here?

http://www.timeout.com/london/bars/venue/2%3A29845/queens-head

best new discovery of the year for me i reckon. massive beer selection with mikkeller and stuff on tap, genuinely friendly in a normal neghbourhood pub way, and it's a nicely divey old room.

maybe this is old news to ilx, not sure if i've seen it mentioned.

I have, a couple of times - agree! A great pub.

Passed on it on the bus many's the time, never been in it, will check it out! Many thanks!

https://mobile.twitter.com/thegunmakers/status/288804634531856384/photo/1

hmmm....

saw that, this morning. i seldom go to brewdog these days, in part cos i find it a bit over-branded, and in part cos the cock tavern is better. that area is brimming with amazing pubs, but i'd still be curious about checking it out.

I haven't been to either of the Brewdog pubs in London, believe it or not; I feel like they're for the young people, which is all well and good. Mikkeler's beer is more interesting, and their brand is aimed more at me, I think. I am interested to see how this thing turns out.

Vaguely discussed this before, but I am very happy with Brewdog as a standard and supermarket friendly beer, if it was in place of like Carlsberg or whatever in places that show sport that'd be a godsend. But the pubs seem to attract a slightly diff crowd, not total wankers or whatever, just like, there's a noticeable shift since they took over M&T, and it's designed for standing, it seems to me.

I've had a few really good Mikkeler beers on tap recently after initially seeming to get fairly average bottles of it.

Yeah I know you like their beer, I'm less of a fan but agree that they're a cut above yer supermarket swill (though oddly I've always thought Carlsberg the best of that bunch); I think you're right, they like their bars loud and their drinking vertical. Which fair enough but not my preference these days. Never was. come to think of it.

Mikkeller's beers are a lottery - it'd be a miracle if they weren't - but usually interesting I think. Their bar in Copenhagen is very basic and stripped-down, no loud music, just a bunch of their beer, really. Would be interested in one of those in London, especially if they can find a way to make the cost a bit more reasonable than the £4 - £5 a half you tend to pay for their stuff.

Oh yeah I'm fine with Carlsberg if pushed, just picked it as a random example. It is better than some.

Don't suppose you've tried the new Sainsbury's beers? I note they have some brewer in NY making them a Taste The Difference range. Saw it in there last week but given it was Jan 2nd wasn't exactly stocking up.

The various Draft Houses are a much better example of how to roll this sort of thing out while still making them feel like pleasant places to actually drink.

The Tower Bridge Draft House has gone downhill fairly swiftly, in terms of food and general atmos, imo. It's pricey too. Starting to notice major price variations even among newer or imported beers, from place to place.

Oh hang on, the Gunmakers? That building is not really going to suit typical Brewdog vertical drinking however they do it so this could be interesting.

Haven't seen any new new ones; was pleased to see St Peter's making something for them (though that seems to be sold out permanently in SE22 which may say something about the stocking policy or may say something sbout SE22). Think they were using Shephernd Neame for another, and I still haven't forgiven Shepherd Neame for (a) the Spitfire ad campaign or (b) the taste of their beers, which live down to the drubbing Eli was giving Boring Brown British Beer on here the other month.

xpost I've failed to warm to the Draft House in East Dulwich also...

It's not taking over the Gunmakers, just that guy posted that he'd seen it. It's some disused restaurant nearby.

Gunmakers is nice, I have to say. If all pump ale was as good as theirs it'd be a lot more popular.

Ah right, I get it.

I basically never eat pub fish and chips but I make an exception for the Gunmakers, it's excellent there.

Where's good in Soho or Covent Garden for a drink? Don't mind a pub if it's actually nice and not rote central London style place, and don't mind a bar if it actually had a bit of class, cocktail bar even would be a possibility.

Eating at Opera Tavern later but want to go somewhere after. Or maybe I should just stay there?

If you like gin: http://www.thestaratnight.com/

Cocktails - bar at the Hawksmoor Seven Dials. They're amazing. Or the bar at Hix Soho, which is probably better.

Pubs - The Cross Keys on Endell Street is fantastic and atmospheric but if you go there immediately after work it tends to be a bit on the full side.

Oh actually if like both cocktails and fannydangle then the Experimental Cocktail Club on Gerrard Street is fantastic, although you might need to book for it. Depends what sort of evening you're looking for really.

MDCOTM.

Other thoughts, depending on what you want: the bars underneath Polpo and 32 Great Quees Street. Or, on a totally different tip, take your date to Paramount: http://www.paramount.uk.net/level-32/ It has to be booked n advance; you can't wear trainers; it's probably £1-£2 overpriced for the (pretty good) covktails, but it's unique and surprisingly pleasant.

I'm going to be in the Kings Cross / St Pancras area quite a few evenings over the next few months, what's better than painfully settling for O'Neills?

http://www.thegilbertscott.co.uk/bar/

ooer, not sure what my JSA-receiving friends will think of those prices.

Queen's Head, then: http://queensheadlondon.com/

ooer, not sure what my JSA-receiving friends will think of those prices.

You mean they spend their JSA on alcohol?

Not too far to the Bree Louise?
http://www.thebreelouise.com/

Yeah the drinks at Paramount are expensive but it can't really be beaten for wow factor. And you have to pay for that kind of view in most places.

Queen's Head is the best pub around Kings Cross. ah xpost

You mean they spend their JSA on alcohol?

i know, lowest of the low or what?

queen's head looks nice, thanks.

oh wait, i've been to the queen's head! it is nice! i guess i should develop a memory.

love the queen's head

Cocktails - bar at the Hawksmoor Seven Dials. They're amazing. Or the bar at Hix Soho, which is probably better.

both good calls. i'd ruled out hawksmoor as my friend is vegan, but for cocktails it of course makes sense.

the bars underneath Polpo and 32 Great Quees Street

not been to the one beneath polpo but i was at 32gqs bar once, had forgotten. really good spot too.

another query. i was planning to have a party for my... 29th... birthday at the queen's head, but the date i wanted has fallen through.

i know the pubs i like fairly well and i have some ideas, but curious if anyone has any experience of a good place for a party? i want somewhere with good food and probably good beer, sort of considering one of the many islington options but afraid they might be a bit sterile.

that time i saw you in the whippet was a party i'd organized. we didn't have a reservation (they don't do them after 5pm i think) or a table, it was kind of a standing around reunion thing. about 20 of us. was worried about space but it was totally fine after the post-work rush. good beer as you know, but v limited food options and seating.

yeah it feels a bit small to me, i really want somewhere big and welcoming, a sort of 6pm on a saturday sort of pub. it is my 30th actually if my ... didn't make that clear!

i have a good few ideas but the queen's head was perfect, my other ideas are a bit more obvious and easy, not that they'd be a disaster.

yeah it doesn't really fit the bill. i know some great options in munich and sheffield if your plans change.

happy 30! nearly finished!

it's not for another six weeks or so but i'm trying to get it sorted early obviously.

love sheffield, i bet it has tons of good options alright.

East Londoners! And knowers of East London! I have to go from Peckham to Barking on Saturday lunchtime. If you were making that journey and wanted to stop off for an excellent beer or two on the way, where would you stop? (My final destination will be Dagenham, fwiw, but that part of the journey is taken care of).

Like, anything worth stopping off at within easy striking distance of Stepney Green, Mile End, Bow Road, Bromley-by-Bow, West Ham, Plaistow, Upton Park, East Ham? These are mythic lands to me.

palm tree - 10 min walk from mile end station

thats all i know

yeah palm tree is amazing in its preserved in amber way, but you've probably been? also better at night than in the day.

there are a few decent pubs in mile end but none worth stopping for specifically, not ime.

I've never been to the Palm Tree and I've been meaning to for some time, so that probably does the job nicely. The people I'm meeting for the game at Daggers are excellent but I don't think I can face Wetherspoons -> Wetherspoons even for them. So I can go Pam tree and meet them at the Wetherspoons in Barking, see?

Thanks!

Any good pubs around cafe oto at all?

Depending on your tolerance for Antic scruffy borderline tweeness, this place is okay http://www.farrsschoolofdancing.com/ They at least serve good beer

Just looking at that pissed me off but I'll try it tonight.

they actually do good (and not too expensive) beer at Oto IIRC, if beer-drinking's your thing.

prince george to east or duke of wellington to west not bad

Yeah I know but they'll close it for a bit to prepare for a concert I'll probably go to this eve. xp

otm, but istr before gigs they sometimes turf everyone out for half an hour before reopening..? (haha xp)

If you don't mind five minute's walk, the Railway Tavern on the far side of Gillett Square is nice.

Now that the Mason & taylor has gone, what else is there around there?

I know this was sort of answered upthread but this area changes (or maybe I'm overrating that), wondered if people knew.

The pubs at that end of Bethnal Green Road are mostly overpriced hellholes. I still like the Carpenters Arms on Cheshire Street, two rooms, decent beer, food, garden, not usually too heaving, although I've not been there on a Friday or Saturday night.

Haven't been in years but istr the Owl and the Pussycat further along Redchurch St was ok?

I used to like the O&P but I haven't been in since the gastro refit about 3 years ago.

ah! Pretty sure I was last there pre-that, too..

I'll try Carpenters arms later - tx. xp

I'd say best pub round there for a quiet pint while reading a heavy Euro modernist novel would probably be the White Horse.

haha no I am seeing the new Polanski film at Rich mix and then going for a drink with a friend.

Now you said that though I do need more reading pubs so I'll try that - some other time.

STOP! NO! That was a horribly formed "joke" – it's one of the strip pubs.

haha this gives me an idea for the next ILB fap :)

Carpenters arms was great - some of the people were annoying but what can you do.

Which pubs are good for WC games? Any favourites?

Any recommendations for pubs within 5-10 mins walk of Highbury & Islington tube?

The Compton Arms behind the Union Chapel is ok in a trad pub way, if it's quiet.

The Snooty Fox by Canonbury station is decent, has good beer.

cheers

the Alwyne Castle is good too, just down the road, big garden

thanks

Of those I'd go with the Compton.

I quite like the smokehouse as well, a lot of strange and interesting (and expensive) ales.

If you are eating, the Smokehouse is incredible. One of those places where you can order a side order of pulled pork to go with your massive plate of pork. Might be a bit warm this time of year though.

Won't be eating

Might be a bit warm this time of year though.

It has a fairly large garden.

Compton Arms was nice, but small and nearly empty (only about 5 customers). Alwyne Castle was good.

"Small and nearly empty" is probably my ideal pub scenario.

I ended up in the Spurstowe Arms on Saturday night, fucking hate that place, full of the particular joylessness I associate with overcrowded gentrified Hackney hellholes. We'd relocated from the Baring, further up the canal towards Islington, which was so much better on almost every level.

The one good thing about Hackney on a Saturday night is that it acts as such a magnet for people, that it's making pubs in some other parts of Central London more bearable than they used to be at the weekend.

are there ANY good pubs near elephant & castle?

How near to Elephant do you need to be? There are decent pubs towards the bottom of Borough High Street (Royal Oak, Lord Clyde, Kings Arms, the Trinity on a quiet night). On the Lambeth North side the Albert Arms is pretty good. I've heard the Prince of Wales is decent if old-school as well, the presence of England flags has always put me off a bit.

pre-corsica drinks - just wondering if there's an alternative to the usual trek from borough to e&c

albert arms seems like the best shout. england flags are a dealbreaker, yes

Yeah that'll be fine for your purposes, a mix of South Bank students and locals probably.

The Albert was OK the one time I went in there years ago. I've a feeling that there might be a decent pub or two just on the other side of the Imperial War Museum, but I've never really hung around there. There are a couple of OK places on Blackfriars Road (The Ring opposite Southwark tube is alright but not as good as it once was, ah dear dead days etc etc).

the presence of England flags has always put me off a bit.

ngl, speechlessly angry at this lack of respect

Yeah, Albert Arms is/was fine (not great) - never really had a night there but I'd stop in if I was breaking a journey at Elephant.

The Ring is pretty overcrowded and grim on a Friday night although it probably thins out later on.

Oh yeah I net it is. Wasn't like that in the good old days! Explains why it changed, I suppose. :(

The Roebuck maybe? One of the closest of the polished Borough/Bermondsey pubs if you've got the right route.

OTM On The Ring. I used to like a drink there, now it feels a bit grim/toss, I don't want a fancy hot dog I want a drink.

The upside of the trek from Borough is that some of the pubs there close later and really who wants to go to Corsica at 11.15?

Hm. Anyone been to the bar in the Southwark Playhouse? Even though obviously all theatre bars are strange or worse, it sounds like it might be ok.

I haven't. I used to go to the Stage Door now and again, that could have been worse. God, it's slim pickings around there, isn't it?

I was sort of fond of the Stage Door - really dull, like no real distinguishing features, but good for a drink after work – much easier to get a seat than most Waterloo-ish pubs (King's Arms, White Hart).
(I think it's had a makeover tho'. )

The Stage Door has had a very halfhearted makeover (ie some Scandinavian-style cladding around the fireplace) but it's still comfortable enough if you can get a table. I'm a bit wary of going in there in case I'm confronted with terrible covers bands.

The whole Waterloo area is terrible for pubs really.

Stage door opens until either 12 or 1 on a Friday as well, I'm sure.

re: Waterloo pubs, went a few times to that pub in Roupell street but last time was a few years ago after a recital so can't recall what it was like.

I quite liked the Three Stags across from the Imperial War Museum when we were staying down near there a couple of years ago for a long weekend. Maybe a bit too far away though?

I ended up in the Spurstowe Arms on Saturday night, fucking hate that place, full of the particular joylessness I associate with overcrowded gentrified Hackney hellholes. We'd relocated from the Baring, further up the canal towards Islington, which was so much better on almost every level.

saw this post from mdc last year - lol - fucking hate the spurstowe. that and the scolt head are two of the shittest pubs i've had to darken the door of.

there's a good pub down that lane between whittlesea street and the cut, i can't remember what it's called though.

I used to love the King's Arms (xyzzz's Roupell St one & maybe the one you're thinking of lg?) - almost the perfect pub when it's a bit quieter. Found it too crowded for an early evening drink when I was working round there, though.

xpost

I think LG and xyzz are both talking about the King's Head, as mentioned upthread. It's nice when it's not totally rammed. It sits on the route taken by a lot of the lawyer / accountant types who work around Blackfriars and commute to SW London or Surrey, and they tend to fill the place in the early evenings.

Yeah The King's Arms, most of the time I'd go it would be quiet.

The King's Arsm is very good but also suffers from the Waterloo commuter curse on a Friday. Lovely on a leisurely Saturday though.

If there's another good place down there then I don't know about it and it is relevant to my immediate interests (ie in the next six hours or so).

I am very pro-the Charles Dickens on Union Street as well, one of those pubs that just feels like it shouldn't exist in zone one but you're glad it does.

It's not the King's Arms, I mean, is there both a King's Head and a King's Arms around there? The one I mean is a really pokey little place with maybe panelled glass windows, it's down the lane to the right as you walk down the Cut away from Anchor and Hope etc.

King's Arms is the one actually on the Cut itself, right?

xps
right - it's saturday afternoon drinking there that I remember very fondly.

wait no, maybe it is the king's arms, and i'm mixing them both up with the windmill tavern

which isn't v good

the Hole in the Wall, under the Arches immediately outside the station is acceptable for a quick pint before going elsewhere

The Windmill is the one on the Cut and that is usually terrible. The King's Arms is the one down the lane, on the corner with Roupell Street, traditional boozer at the front with a huge room out the back with long tables and Thai food.

Charles Dickens - yes! That's a fine & honest pub. Had good evenings out there & beatific Saturday afternoon solitaries.

& Neil S otm, Hole in the Wall is (maybe surprisingly?) ok - really distinctive character - dark, shaken by trains, rough and cosy front room. A bit beaten-up.

yeah the trains passing overhead is a real feature, and they have a good selection of well kept real ales if that's your thing

imo fwiw The King's Arms seems to behave oddly if you're not used to the streets - looks different from different angles, not obvious to find, can turn up surprisingly if you're just passing through. I drank there before I moved to London and would struggle to find it when I was visiting and around Waterloo.
(+ there's something tardisy about the back room with the food)

A few years back I found a good pub a bit south (I think) of the Cut - like a horseshoe shaped bar, quite oldstyle, had some decent beers. Was on a corner. Can't find it on maps now.

quite liked seeing this poll getting played:
http://londonist.com/2015/02/the-best-pubs-in-borough-and-southwark.php

xp
could be the stage door? I'd never noticed the beers.

southwark playhouse bar's fine but kind of like a cafe or waiting room

Stage door sounds right, has horseshoe bar, otter beers (last time I went which was a while ago). Decor has been updated, iirc they have a vw beetle coming out of a wall. I don't go there so often as its v popular and noisy on weekend nights and I'm an old fuddy-duddy now.

Oh look I missed a whole discussion about MY MANOR. Yeah it is slim pickings, Kings arms would be great if it weren't always so crowded. White Hart nearby is ok, decent beer, one of those invisible chain pubs that tries to be individual but the menu gives it away. Also crowded. Anchor and Hope, well you can't beat it for food and I like the atmos. But crowded.

If we're allowed bars/restaurants, Baltic does great vodka, cocktails, Polish food (that you can eat at the bar). Not crowded. Not cheap.

Near E&C, down the backstreets down south the beehive was pretty good. Ten years ago anyway.

Gladstone Arms..went there once, i think it was good from what I remember

It was summer and we sat outside, although the number of trees was low in that area of london, the trees that were there had many leaves.

Another E&C possibility, the duke of york on southwark bridge rd/borough rd (not borough high st). Shepherd Neame pub, fairly spacious, a board games and film club kind of place.

Re: the invisible chain I mentioned above, the white hart is a castle pub, a sub brand of mitchells and butlers: "eclectic urban pubs" with "true individuality". They also do "unique country inns", "traditional british country pubs", "vibrant city bars" - in germany. Plus many more including all bar one and harvester. Pubcos aren't a new thing but I didn't know about this kind of hamfisted attempt at subtlety.
http://www.mbplc.com/ourbrands/

update: we went to the wetherspoons on the roundabout and it served our purposes adequately

I still can't quite get the connoisseur-ship of pubs. ime they're all pretty fuddy-duddy really in that they all essentially boil down to alcoholised people sitting round talking crap - fine in its way, but nothing very exciting. I don't think I've ever got beyond the 'is this all it is?' perspective, after the age-related prohibition excitement was dashed.

Obviously, it's important to choose somewhere comfortable (and england flags would be a deal-breaker) - but the angst that goes into choosing the right place...

Geronimo - with numerous pubs in London - also go for the invisible/subtle approach, though I'm not sure on the difference between a 'chain' and a 'group':

We're not a chain - we're a group of proper pubs with an eye for the different and the delicious. Each and every one of our damn fine pubs has a flavour all of its own and the only similarities you'll notice when you visit us are the luscious array of drinks behind the bar, the temptingness of the treats on the menu and the smiles of the friendly folk who'll serve them to you.

Speaking of Borough I went to The Gladstone last night which had a nice vibe and excellent pies.

Tangentially, any recommendations for somewhere outdoors to be today in London? We are in Clapham and the world is ours (within reason)

Finally the site the world has been waiting for:

http://pintsinthesun.co.uk/

Ugh.

Played pitch and putt, got within two metres of a sparrowhawk and Charlton won, what a day! (My girlfriend won the golf, but that's ok too)

She only won by one shot

Fuck everything

http://www.cbssports.com/golf/eye-on-golf/25095761/look-rory-mcilroy-tosses-iron-into-water-after-bad-shot

lol

was a juvenile kestrel, btw - we've speby half an hour plus in the Hare & Hounds forensically readjusting the contrast on our photos of it to distinguish it from a merlin

kestrels are still cool tho

all is hell

Finally the site the world has been waiting for:

http://pintsinthesun.co.uk/

― Matt DC, Saturday, March 7, 2015 1:34 PM (5 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Ugh.

― Tim, Saturday, March 7, 2015 2:48 PM

why Ugh? looks an interesting app - good they've put which libraries they've used also. Be nice to have a go at something like this (if i ever got time)

I hate drinking outdoors (as Matt and one or two others here may remember) is all. I'm sure it's a good app.

nah that Ugh was more loaded than that

hatred of fun detected

not liking drinking outside and not having pub preferences = some of the worst stuff ive ever read on ilx.

come back roger adultery all is forgiven

haha

what's the point in having a preference for anything

hatred of fun detected

― vacuum head tree disease (imago), Saturday, 7 March 2015 23:58 (Yesterday) Permalink

you're catching on.

I think it is actually a guide to which pubs will have the sun through the windows at any given time, rather than outdoor drinking per se. Or at least, it lists five or six pubs in my immediate area without beer gardens. If you prefer to avoid the sun entirely while drinking it could also serve as a guide to doing that, so everyone's a winner.

any quick recommends for pubs around South Kensington?

Slim pickings round there iirc. Some great mews pubs up towards hyde park corner though - grenadier, nags head and wilton arms maybe.

And the star in belgravia.

See I was thinking more around Goethe or Cine Lumiere - went to the former on Friday and there is that one pub near South Ken tube and its just the most depressing place.

If I wanted to join the Mormon church = great, drinking-wise = turn away.

Yeah we spent about half an hour looking for somewhere decent to drink round there recently, it seriously is a wasteland. We had to settle on a Spoons. Good luck!

The Queens Arms, up around the corner from the Royal Albert Hall, is pretty decent. Mews pubs are the single best thing about West London, especially if you have room to spill out on a sunny day.

Thanks! looks good - will try this week.

Yeah, I ended up in the Queens Arms once by dint of following some musicians, I reasoned that if anyone would know of a boozer round the Royal Albert Hall it'd be orchestral musicians.

Yeah, decent pub, plenty spillage-onto-pavement space as well. Could do with a couple more tables outside though.

if i may extend the thread remit from good pubs in the centre to bad pubs in the outskirts, visited by dint of necessity the old bull and bush in golder's green. it's large and lavish and done up to attract the local range rover set and every square inch of it, and all the customers, and the beer, were all awful.

Noticed that the owner of the Ape & Bird in Cambridge Circus has given up and turned it into a Polpo. It was a nice idea but in practice unless you were eating there (or in the terrific downstairs bar) it was just like any other vertical drinking shithole round there.

Is 'by dint of' staging a comeback from the 1500s (two instances in one afternoon)?

that ape and bird was p bad foodwise imo. total ripoff for v basic pub food. polpo is acceptable but russell norman places generally are poor, ime.

on friday night i found myself in a small french wine bar near that dairy just off columbia road - past the nelson's head if you're heading south. it was a p great atmosphere, really good music, and went on till late. i'd recommend it - only thing was the wine was shit - perhaps they were palming off crap on paddy irishman, i dunno. still was a place i didn't know existed.

Is 'by dint of' staging a comeback from the 1500s (two instances in one afternoon)?

didn't consciously see it in tomd's post, cursing my suggestibility.

friend staying in shoreditch for work and i want to meet him and watch the champions league tonight - surprisingly unsure of a place to go that'll show it and also have good beer. any thoughts?

prob will get food also, less stumped for that but open to any ideas there too.

Bit off the beaten track but the Baring, about halfway up New North Road from Old Street, is very good for sport watching and more comfortable that anywhere you'd find in Shoreditch.

I'd go with the water poet. It's got decent enough beers (beavertown etc), will be showing the football, is pretty friendly and is just round the corner from hawksmoor

didn't think of that actually, that's probably a good shout for where my friend is staying.

Any ok pubs around near Kings College bit of the strand?

First one I thought of that was reasonable is the Irish pub but that is a bit too further on.

edgar wallace is your best bet. one of those places where it feels like there's a fug of cigarette smoke still lingering after all these years. probably aided by all the vintage cigarette and tobacco ads over the walls (definitely not in a wanky hipster 'retro' style though). or on the same street there's the temple brew house (wanky hipster modern craft beer in a basement) or the devereux (standard taylor-walker chain place).

Sadly I think the friend I am going out with will like wanky hipster blah.

Thanks!

Edgar Wallace seconded, it's lovely in there.

I like* the Seven Stars, tucked in behind the Royal Courts of Justice, though it does fill up with lawyers.

*Liked is probably more accurate, haven't been there for years.

wanky hipster place is not that wanky hipster tbh, although i was only there on a sunday afternoon when it was notably devoid of wanky hipsters. ok enough of the wanky hipster.

seven stars very good too. cat with a ruff, toilet up some rickety stairs with spooky music playing in the room next door.

I was in the Seven Stars about a month ago and it is my sad duty to report that the cat with the ruff is no longer of this world. As a pub it is fantastic but it's very pokey. On an evening like the lawyers will all spill outside anyway so you might be in luck.

If they haven't stuffed or mummified that cat they've missed a trick.

it's about 10 mins walk away (by google maps measure, so prob 7 for a human) but the harp on chandos place is prob my favourite pub in london, or certainly in the top five. wide selection of ale and a craft beer or two, quick and friendly bar staff, and a nice dark interior.

The George opposite the RCJ is a reliable post-work staple for me & my colleagues, a good range of real ales. The White Horse, on LSE campus, is also good. Thirded on Seven Stars, very good on a nice day like today to stand outside.

yeah came here to post ^the george. They've recently done it up so will prob satisfy yr wanky hipster mate - as well as good ales it's a sierra nevada on tap sort of place now.

(o wait I'm a day behind, sorry!)

Thanks for temple brew house recommend ledge - just the kind of place the friend I went with loves. I was more like jesus @ > 4.50 for certain of beer.

4.50 for some cans in the young vic theatre bar. that's equivalent to 7.75 a pint!

#worldisgoingtohell #lovingit

it's about 10 mins walk away (by google maps measure, so prob 7 for a human) but the harp on chandos place is prob my favourite pub in london

It wins all sorts of awards as well - I've never quite understood its exalted status but for the area it's certainly a very good one.

The cat with the ruff was called Tom Paine, I think. TBH it did used to freak me out slightly that his catfood was put out on the bar and Roxy the landlady would brush him while he ate it.

It was indeed called Tom Paine. Still, you don't get that in the Draft House.

with the harp it's prob a case of so few good pubs in the area - the service is brilliant too which also puts it way ahead of most london pubs.

Tom Paine one of the stars of

http://www.pubcats.com/

there have been several other beruffed cats at the 7* since Tom Paine. Can't remember what the last one was called. this was about a year ago tho:

http://diasyrmus.tumblr.com/image/100086316322

http://diasyrmus.tumblr.com/image/100086316322

any pubs around holborn that do good food, are informal, and good to hang out in for an hour? i prob take a proper lunchbreak once a week but i would like to be able to read when i do. basically a place to escape being in a chain lunch spot.

i have gone to the lowlander now and again which does a job like this in a kind of weird way, but it's not the cosiest.

If you can get a table, the food at the Seven Stars just off Lincoln's Inn Fields is good, or used to be; haven't been for years.

will investigate, thanks. the volume of people around is crazy but the good places are less busy sometimes. i marvel at people queuing for burger king on kingsway, not because i can't fathom craving some fast food for lunch, i mean if you're hungover or something, but that these people are proudly waiting on the street announcing to the world that they're going to burger king for lunch, rather than finding a spot at the back, shovelling it in, then binning it tray and all and going to confession.

The White Horse on the LSE campus does standard pub grub and is v cosy at lunchtime, it gets heaving after work with thirsty university types though.

The Seven Stars is unique and wonderful but gets insanely crowded due to its size. The food was great last time I went.

The Lady Ottoline up past Theobald's Road has excellent food and never gets especially full, although if you want to be sure of getting a table at lunchtime it's best to book. Might be a bit of a trek from your part of Holborn though.

Otherwise it's not a great part of town for pub food, although the upstairs at the Princess Louise is good for reading in.

I like the Polish bar behind Holborn station too, depends on whether you feel like bison grass vodka and pierogi for lunch I suppose. The Ship is there also, perfectly decent boozer but I have never eaten there.

The Ship is not exactly a good reading pub though, you might get lucky upstairs but downstairs is a really awkward shape. It's so narrow that it tends to feel really crowded even if there aren't many people there, and unbearable if there are. The Seven Stars is a lot smaller but better laid out, especially if you're on your own.

yeah true, quite dark in there also, although I think they did a refurbishment recently which might have improved matters

I'd say you'd be able to get a beer at the Polish bar. Plus, the food is perfect for winter.

oh yes absolutely, a fine range of Polish lagers, Zwiec on tap I believe!

Also I thiiink the Bountiful Cow between Red Lion Square and High Holborn does burgers at lunch. Nearer me, the Queen's Larder in Queen Square is by no means a gastropub, but does have what looks like a nice menu. The Scouser landlady is great (I know her because she is a neighbour who owns a dog) and she pays her staff London Living Wage, so even though I've never been, I'd recommend.

Anywhere nice near Hampstead?

you're really going for the tough assignments this week eh

had a nice drink in the southampton arms down towards tufnell park last week, narrow old-timey place with a good selection on tap and a garden

The Southampton is nice, as are a lot of TP/Kentish boozers, but only an estate agent would describe it as being in Hampstead.

Haven't had a drink in actual Hampstead for years, but I remember the Holly Bush being OK.

The Southampton Arms has a pleasingly rigorous policy on personal comfort, expressed in their refusal to countenance cushions or anything else that might moderate the pain of sitting on their rough-hewn bench seating. It's perfect for the artisanal beardos who go in there dressed as Eric Gill.

I should probably note that I've typed that without any idea of it being true or not. I last went in there about five years ago and enjoyed it. They serve good beer. But I was left with a lingering impression of affected austerity.

Yeah that's their aesthetic. Also has an aunthentic aroma of stale beer and farts on occasion. Still good though.

haven't been for a while but the bull and last, if not too gastroish

joy in austerity is not entirely what i associate with eric gill

xpost Their being cash-only sits well with this.

...has an aunthentic aroma of stale beer and farts...

Should get someone to chalk this up on a board outside the pub.

The Flask is probably a safe Hampstead bet.

Now distracted by the list of pubs in London category on Wikipedia in which some boroughs (all outer ones) have only one pub listed.

tx all for this enlightening discussion. Got a few choices to go with.

xp "Joy" has nothing to do with it.

It's an overgeneralization, but my instinctive response whenever this thread title bobs back up to the top is lmao, no

There are some good ones, but wander into a random pub in zone 1 and chances are it's going to be really really shit.

I really like the Spaniard's Inn, it's a bit of a trek, right up at the top of Hampstead Heath mind. But good for an after-heath pint.

The Hollybush is marvellous. The Flask is also very pleasant on a sunny day but likely to be mobbed with pushchairs as often as not. The real Hampstead gem is the Duke of Hamilton, nice old boozer, snug and characterful and very comfortable. It had a theatre upstairs although that ominously appears to have reopened as the 'Hampstead Lounge & Jazz Club', but hopefully they haven't fucked with the pub itself too much.

I think I actually hate the Southampton Arms, excellent beer selection obviously but it's too narrow for the kind of crowd it draws, generally uncomfortable and the management always give the impression of being complete pricks.

You're right about the size, but I've never had a problem with the staff. Crowd generally friendly too IME. I've not drunk there in the 2 years since I moved to Hackney, though.

Me neither? When I lived in Hampstead I liked The Well at the residential end of Flask Walk/corner of Well Walk. Bull and Last is probably my favourite pub bordering any part of the Heath.

It's an overgeneralization, but my instinctive response whenever this thread title bobs back up to the top is lmao, no

there are loads actually, you just need to know them which takes a bit of time/effort. weirdly the kings cross/bloomsbury area is particularly good - i have a lecture each wednesday night on grays inn road, if i'm early i go into the queen's head, after class we go to the harrison. the norfolk arms is also nice.

This is always useful: http://london.randomness.org.uk/wiki.cgi?action=index;format=map;cat=good%20beer%20guide

i have a lecture each wednesday night on grays inn road, if i'm early i go into the queen's head, after class we go to the harrison. the norfolk arms is also nice.

The Calthorpe Arms is worth adding to that list, still feels like a proper local even now.

this is probably a long shot, especially at this time of year if the weather is good, but are there any pubs nearish Liverpool St that will be:

a) fairly quiet on a Friday night (!) - i.e. not packed and music not booming loud
b) dog-friendly

I'm supposed to be meeting up with one of my best friends who I haven't seen for 6 months and we live on opposite sides of London, so London is the best place for us to meet up without one of us having a long train journey, but my friend's husband is out of town this weekend and their dog gets anxious if she's left at home alone. we might just reschedule but both of us are busy at the moment and this Friday was the only day we could both do for several weeks

Maybe try the dear old Artillery Arms? I don't think you'll find anywhere particularly quiet around there, not that I know of, anyway. If I were you I'd be hoping the weather's good because that will draw a bunch of people out onto the street to complement their Friday night beer with the fine bouquet of taxi fumes.

I was about to recommend The Water Poet because I know I've seen dogs there (the front might be quiet enough) but it's closed permanently. Boooo!

Pride of Spitalfields

I was wondering if they let dogs in Pride since they have cat(s). And it's pretty small inside.

I would also say meet at Bedales Wine in Spitalfields Market. The have seating outside the main store in the part that should allow dogs.

The Artillery Arms is really close to where I work, so that would be a plus, except I'm working from home that day and coming into London after work, but I know where it is so that is an advantage for me at least

thanks all

You probably know better than I do about how rammed it gets on a Friday night, in that case; whatpub says the Artillery's dog friendly for whatever that's worth. I haven't been to Spitalfields on a Friday in ages, and that's partly because my perception is that everywhere gets unpleasantly busy unnecessarily early.)

not really, I never go there, and I usually work from home on Fridays! but there is another pub closer to my office that I have been to on Fridays that is usually not that busy so we can always go there if the Artillery is no good

Any nice pubs around Blackfriars?

The Black Friar is worth seeing, if only once. https://pubheritage.camra.org.uk/pubs/41

the black friar is fine. and i was always intrigued its exterior even when i’d never been in.

It's nearer Cannon St. but The Banker is decent (after the initial post-work rush at least) with actual river views from inside

I used to work around there and as a result I’m fond of a few of the ordinary pubs, just alright ordinary places to go and have a beer - the St Brides Tavern and the Cockpit both spring to mind. The Black Friar is an amazing one-off that may be better to look at than to use but I love it.

Go very much west of New Bridge Street and you’ll be drinking next to lawyers.

I'll pass on that.

Thanks for the recommends!

I should know this but I'm just no good at North London. Where's good for a drink before The Roundhouse on Saturday? Ideally dodging a bit of the crowd, but I don't expect miracles.

The Queen’s, the Engineer, the Pembroke and the Lansdowne - all good pubs in Primrose Hill. All 10-15 minutes’ walk away from the venue and unlikely to be full of pre-gig drinkers. All with decent food if you need to eat, too.

Perfect - thank you Suzy

What's a good gastropub in the Kings Cross area?

Tamil Prince, a little way into Barnsbury but not far from King’s Cross at all.

Never seen much detail about what the actual deal is with Sam Smith's before - only knew the usual bits and pieces & treated the pubs as a largely happy mystery. This is fascinating.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2024/dec/19/humphreys-world-how-the-samuel-smith-beer-baron-built-britains-strangest-pub-chain

Their London pubs are looked after by the son rather than the old man, AIUI, so none of them have been closed, but prices have gone up crazily in the last decade.

Absolutely, the days of four pints for a tenner are long gone.

I may be wrong but I tend to assume the London ones don't really enforce the no-swearing or mobile phone rules. I haven't been loudly playing TikToks but there are a couple of beautiful Sam Smiths pubs in London, like the Angel near Rotherhithe, and fairly sure I sat in them reading on my phone and nothing happened.

yeah that's my experience. never seen any enforcement in the city but vibe is usually a lot better than non smiths in central.

the bricklayers arms is a reliable one that has come in handy a few times this year

This pub looks really nice.

https://www.thesekforde.com

used to go to the rising sun near barbican on fridays as some friends worked near there, was p nice.

i feel like the drinks are now not cheap enough to make a huge difference but haven't been in one in a little while, so not sure.

xpost it is a nice pub for sure, friend had his 40th there.

The Sekforde currently threatened with closure because of complaints about noise from one particular tireless local resident, I believe.

It used to be my work local about ten years ago, it looks like it has been done up since

(xp) Not Bobby Gillespie again is it?

The Sekforde currently threatened with closure because of complaints about noise from one particular tireless local resident, I believe.

― fetter, Thursday, 19 December 2024 bookmarkflaglink

They are doing a Marx reading group from the 13th Jan, which is how I found out about it.

Even more reason to shut it down.

Noisy buggers these Marxists.

read that earlier; atypically great Guardian article

Favourite central pub for a few years now is Sutton Arms (no The, importantly), Clerkenwell.

So this is apparently Sam Smith boss' daughter

Britain's most extraordinary homes: Maude Smith's handmade haven https://t.co/Hh9HPhUcSt pic.twitter.com/d0SLiuDwLi

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) October 3, 2019

Yeah I enjoy the Sutton Arms. Good beer and a friendly atmosphere. They just took over the Kings Arms in Bethnal Green also, a decent pub which they'll hopefully improve.

whoa that Sam Smith article is bonkers

funnily enough my friend and i were in the old cheshire cheese just this weekend and were discussing how weird he is tho we didn’t know how bad it had got. the Lister’s crisps *were* really good tho. #yorkshirepotatoes

sam smiths beer is pretty good tbh imo

It's sold in the US as fancy craft beer which was always so weird to me since it's the cheap beer here but I always thought it was pretty good too.

Reluctant vote for "it's piss" here

Long time since I've been in one though, maybe my palate was youthful and unrefined

https://www.the-londoner.co.uk/noise-complaints-killing-londons-pubs/

Looks like Sekforde is done.

what a depressing read.

I find it depressing that this is happening but the figures are miniscule, 1% of pubs subjected to it. Also who's to say why - the article suggests it's class-related but I wouldn't say too many of the areas it mentions are newly well off, ergo maybe it's more to do with changing habits or attitudes.

Don't disagree this is shit for the pubs involved just thankfully doesn't look like it's too many.

@Sekforde just now. What a lovely place.

A friend had his 40th there, lovely pub. Not sure why so many brilliant London pubs all live in the slightly east outer edge of the centre, from Bloomsbury out, but it's defo a thing. Maybe older places have managed to survive based on the work crowd in those areas or something.

In Deptford's Dog & Bell right now and due to Belgian beer and roast I'm obliged to say that this is also fantastic

As the main pub thread: https://thefencecapitalletter.substack.com/p/capital-letter-4

I hope you approve of Jimmy McIntosh.

Don't know him

He wrote the guide you just shared!

As in, besides being the author I don't know what else he has done.

The guide seems pretty fine. Found it via Bluesky.

Kind of bemused how there is so much content like this, again, or still.

Gotta have content.

I keep seeing the Cockpit (the one near St Pauls Cathedral) on best pub lists. As far as I could tell, it seemed particularly unremarkable apart from being in an historic area. A lot of this 'best pubs' content does seem to be endlessly recycled - I was just reading the Telegraph's list of best pubs a couple of weeks ago. I no longer understand the finer points of pub connoisseurship, I guess.

current trend is for "old man" pubs. Cockpit has tatty carpet, red velour seating, obsolete brewery (Courage) branding. unremarkable then, fetishised now.

I think people also reckon the pints will be cheaper in old fella pubs.