London Pub Tour 46 - Barnsbury: White Swan, Brewhouse & Kitchen and Famous Cock Tavern

This was an unprepared London Pub Tour. My train route had delays so I got off at Highbury & Islington and decided to pop into a pub there and wait for the rush hour traffic to die down before getting my train home. I decided to pop into the Spoons - White Swan (N1 1RY) as it was only to be a quick drink whilst waiting for the trains to sort themselves out. This spoons is always popular with arsenal fans prior to and after the game so I wouldn't recommend visiting on a home match day. The pub takes the ground floor in an office block and to enter you walk up a few steps. The pub is very much to the spoons style with a large open plan floor stretching back quite some distance. The difference being that there is a mezzanine area with more seating which looks directly over the bar area. Underneath the mezzanine section there are low tables aimed more for the diners whilst the tables in front of the bar are all high tables with stools. The carpet is red with orange and black patterned leaves. Wood wavy blocks feature throughout on the walls, the bar and support columns. The pub certainly has that art deco feel to it, though the art on the wall looks like block patterns from Minecraft.

The queue at the bar was quite big and there wasn't an orderly service though I did get served by the nice assistant manager who was my name sake. As to be expected from a Spoons the normal keg range was available including Guinness, Shipyard, Carlsberg and Fosters. They also offered Asahi, Four Hour Session, Erdinger and Tuborg. Thankfully the Bud Light was off. There were 10 hand pumps which were serving Pride, GK IPA, Black Eel, Golden Host from Jennings, Via Ferrata, Ghost Ship. Abbott, Jamboree Elb, Doombar and Market Porter. I selected a pint of Four Hour Session from Hop Stuff Brewery which came in at £3.75. The beer is 4.2% abv and certainly wasn't hoppy in the way that I was expecting. The hops came with light floral taste and not the big hop hit I perhaps was expecting. Though the pub was busy there were plenty of tables free so I found one to drink my pint on. Whilst there I noticed there was quite a bit of natural light coming in for a spoons and realised there was a large floor to ceiling window opposite the bar and along the mezzanine staircase. Having the natural light really does bring more colour to the pub. Whilst sitting I noted that European Football was on tonight so texted a mate and decided to make an evening of it.

Now I've been to Highbury and Islington a few times but it's always to the same two pubs next to the station (the Famous Cock and the White Swan). I opened up WhatPub.com and decided to see what other places were nearby that I could visit. The one that stood out for me was the Brewhouse & Kitchen (N5 1JJ) which was directly across the square. When walking towards you see the large sign at the top of a building which you assume is the pub. As you enter the pub grounds you realise that the ground drops down to a lower level and into the large brewpub area and the stairs up to the hut like building are not where you're heading. I understand the upstairs does also have a bar and seating but on this day it wasn't deemed busy enough to be opened. The main downstairs area though was busy with quite a few people outside and all the tables inside taken or reserved. The pub had a very industrial look, with pipe work, exposed brick walls, vents, bottle lights hanging down on chains and more bottles used to make a tree of lights.

The bar is against the left hand side wall and offers up a selection of lagers from different breweries on the large copper pipes on the bar. There are also beers being dispensed from the taps on the rear wall. Sadly the own brewed lagers were all off but the house ales were on. A board on the rear displays what is available but is a bit confusing hence why it wasn't just me that enquirer about the house lager due to seeing it on the sign. For those who wish to know for a future visit, if there is a number next to it, its on, if its on the board and no number, its not. I guess I'm just used to signs showing what is on. There was a very large bottle selection. I'll just list everything that I could see available on keg and hand. So of the 8 hand pumps there were 2 off. The ales on were Trashed, Goal Scorer, Astronomer, Illustrator, Old Major and Orchard Pig Ginger Chili (I guess bag in box and not hand pump). On the keg there was Tongeelo Blond, Whistable Bay Black Oyster Stout, Aspall Suffolk, Sam Adams, Oranjeboom, Weihenstephan. There were some further keg beers on the back bar as see in the photo above. As I'd never come across the Whitstable Bay Black Oyster Stout, and the house lagers were off, I went for that. The beer was more creamy than their Double Stout but was of a similar good quality. It was to me a delightful beer and one I would have again.

As there were no seats I stood at an empty end of the bar and had my drink. The bar had a smooth stone top which was chipped in a few sections behind the bar. There were tiles around the bar floor but wood everywhere else. The cooper tanks for brewing were at the far end of the pub. Down the sides of the pub there were soft seating and tables, whilst the middle row houses high tables. The furniture was laid out where everyone had space, and I'm certain they could have added additional tables and seating if they wanted and still be spacious. There was an open kitchen area, and besides this there were a selection of boards games. Towards the front there was a large open raised fire pit, which wasn't on, but would certainly be a draw on a cold day. The pub was slightly dark as is normal with the element light bulbs some pubs use now days.

Sadly I was only able to stay for one as I had to rush across to the Famous Cock Tavern (N1 1RU) right next to Highbury & Islington station, to meet a mate to watch football with. As football was on the Cock was busy and no tables were free. But as the match had already kicked off there was no queue at the bar and I was easily able to order. There were 6 hand pumps with only three ales on - Landlord, Doombar and Atlantic. There was more choice in keg with Carling, Groslch, Sharps Orchard, Sharps Pilsner, Wolf Rock, Doombar, Budvar, Cheiftain, Blue Moon and Stowford Press. I got my pint of Wolf Rock and stood by one of the large centre pillars which had space to rest your pint. The beer was a sweet red ale which was fruity but not sessionable.

Down the middle of the pub were high tables, whilst on the side were booths. Towards the front it was just low tables and wood chairs. There were multiple screens in the pub, with a large projector towards the rear. The bar in this pub is actually towards the rear, probably because the closest entrance from the station is here. There is a covered beer garden out back, but at present due to construction work there are no tables out front of the pub. The bar is a dark wood and the floor has worn wood floorboards. There are some nice hanging lamps above the bar, and you almost don't notice the dark red paint on the walls and ceiling. This isn't a pub generally you would head to for a night out, and is more a pub for watching football or a quick pint whilst waiting to meet someone at the station.

After switching to the Pilsner and having a few pints, I actually went back to the Brewhouse and Kitchen. I managed to grab a table near the front door and had a pint of their ale. Goalscorer. It wasn't that great tasting but that could perhaps be my taste being affected by a mixture of drink by this stage. All in all it was nice to finally stray a little further in an area I do often stop by, but never explore. It's certainly an area that needs more exploring based on the Whatpub.com results.