London Pub Tour 33 - Fitzrovia: Northumberland Arms, Smugglers Tavern, George & Dragon and Lukin

Northumberland Arms Photo by Ewan Munro

So it was back to Warren Street and the Fitzrovia area again to visit some of the many pubs there. My first stop was at the Northumberland Arms (W1T 5AJ) which is about 2 minutes walk south from Warren Street station. Like most pubs in this area, the pub is on a corner, this one has its main door on the quieter road. The outside of the pub looks quite dark with its brown building and black covers. Inside the pub is quite small with the bar directly in front, on the left there are a few tables facing out the window onto the main road meanwhile on the right is some low tables which I assume they use as their dinning tables. The inside of the pub has a worn wood look on both the floor and ceiling, and the walls are a dark pattern vinyl wallpaper with the top section being painted orange. The whole look of the pub makes it feels like a tatty Taylor Walker pub.

There were two hand pumps with only one on serving up Hobgoblin. I think this is Hobgoblin's own doing, but I now associate this beer with their big halloween marketing push, so find it strange to see it outside the September to November period. On tap there was 1664, Heineken, Amstel, Symonds, Murphy's and Sagres. As this was going to be a bit of a heavy night I started with half a Murphy's stout for £2.25. The Murphy's was it's usual self, and was probably the best selection here.

Photo by Ewan Munro

Once finished with my half I walked back up to Warren street and down past the Feathers (which was packed) to my second stop, the Smugglers Tavern (W1T 5ND). The pub was packed outside and I was concerned how busy it would be inside as it didn't seem that big from the outside. Upon entering two things strike you, firstly the pub is quite narrow and secondly the white and blue coastal feel to the pub with map decorations and even a ship's wheel. The bar is at the far end of the pub which was quite difficult to reach as it was busy inside as expected. There are a few columns near the bar area which eat into the available space.

The pub had two hand pumps with only one on offering up Wandle. On tap there were a selection of Meantime beers (Lager, Pilsner, Yakima and Pale Ale) alongside Guinness and Stowford Press cider. There was a very good bottle selection offering local beers from the likes of Brixton, Yeastie Boys, Mondo and Pressure Drop. I ended up selecting the Meantime Pilsner on tap as I've never actual come across this one of theirs before. The pint cost £5.50 and the pilsner was not actual as crisps and refreshing as I was expecting. There was only standing room so leaning against one of the pillars in the pub out of the way of the bar.

After finishing up the pilsner I moved onto my next stop which was the George and Dragon (W1T 6QF). The outside of the pub looks nice all lit up in these quieter streets and I was surprised at its size. This pub wasn't as busy as the rest with seats available and room to move around the pub. The bar is set against the far right corner and again I was in for a surprise with the range of beers on offer. All the beers are written on small chalk boards in front of the tap and as I was looking at the beers a man from the end of the bar came up and was chatting to me about some of the beers. It turns out this was the owner of the pub and he has setup his own microbrewery downstairs with his own machine he has built, which he is hoping to market to other pubs. It was at this stage I realised I recognised this guy from previously, and confirmed that I had met him before and spoke about his brew machine, of which he has the first model installed at the Burlington Arms. The owner also told me there was a very nice imperial stout coming on soon which he had in his cellar, waiting to go on.

Sadly none of the own brews were on tonight at the pub but there was a very large selection. There were 6 hand pumps offering up Fat Sprat, Oakham Citra, Southwold, Ghostship, J.H.B and Southwark Potters Field Porter. The hand pumps are unique in that the ales are situated up higher than the keg beers, and I believe delivered via a vacuum pump system. There were 10 taps offering up three cork beers, Rebel Red Ale, Shandon Stout and Chieftain Irish Pale Ale, Lost Rivers Pale Ale and Lager. There were also some German beers and a Welsh brewery's take on a German beer. I firstly went for a pint of the Potters' Fields Porter at £4.50. The beer was light and slightly fruity but still dark and easy to sip at 4%. My second pint was the Franciscan Rebel Red Ale. I wasn't aware this was a Franciscan beer as the chalk board only listed the beer name and style, which was a slight let down.

The pub had started to empty out a bit more now and so choosing a seat was easy. Looking round the pub everything seemed bright and that was due to the darkness of the mahogany bar surrounded by the white walls and soft lighting. The floor was wood and the area around the bar had no tables to keep it feeling more open, whilst against the windows there were high tables. All this perhaps led to the bar feeling emptier than it perhaps was, due to good use of the space. I finished up my pint and made my way to the last stop, The Lukin (W1T 6BB). This pub was quite a lot smaller than the rest tonight. There were some tables at the front but the remainder of the pub and behind the bar there was cushion seating which gave off an american diner feel. The pub wasn't that busy, meaning some of the rear tables were free. There is an upstairs private function room and the staircase was directly opposite the bar, making the walking space through quite narrow. There was a bookcase on one wall, whilst the rest was tiled or wood. There was a fire place at the end of the bar but it wasn't lit. Red velvet curtains were hanging on the side of the windows.

There were three hand pumps offering up Doombar, Dave or Fat Sprat. On tap there was a choice of Aspall, Amstel, Peroni, Shipyard, Hells, Sierra, Camden Wit, Punk IPA and the obligatory Guinness. I went for a pint of Dave by Great Heck Brewing and this was a delicious pint. I didn't have great expectations for it, especially when served in the Doombar glass, but the beer was a lovely bitter with a great malt flavour. Whilst drinking I noticed some nice bottles in the fridge such as Hiver Honey beer and Delirium. Sadly after this pint it was a time to call it a night, with quite a few pints drunk and 4 pubs visited. I can certainly say I will be back to visit the George and Dragon particularly to taste their own brews, though I would also pay visits to the Lukin and Smugglers, less so to the Northumberland.