London Pub Tour 56 - Waterloo: Hole in the Wall and The Wellington

After my visit a few days back in Waterloo I felt the need to go back and visit two of the pubs that everyone who goes through Waterloo must have popped into at some stage. My first port of call was the Hole in the Wall (SE1 8SQ) which evidently doesn't look enticing from the outside, situated under the railway arch. Upon walking in their are two bar sections. The small front bar feels cosy and like a local pub, but smelt damp and wet from the rain. There is soft seating around the edge with small tables. There is 70s style cheap wood around the bar, and not the full offering of beer is available.

If you walk through the little corridor you arrive into the large rear bar. There is a further door out into a tiny corrugated iron covered patio for the smokers. The rear bar stretches along the side wall, most of the length of the rail arch. There were 8 hand pumps offering Young's Bitter, GK IPA, Doombar, Harvard American Pale Ale, Wandle, Boon Doggle, T.E.A and Bow Bells. The kegs included Guinness, Wolf Rock, Strongbow Original and Dark, Budweiser, Becks Vier, Yardbird, Stella and more.

I went for a pint of the Harvard from Southwark Brewery for £4.05. I handed in £10.05 and only got a pound change, but once queried I got the fiver as well. The beer had some nice floral notes and wasn't hoppy, with a slightly bitter after taste. The pub was busy with standing room only There were some gaming machines in the corner and also a pinball machine. The walls were white wood panels and there were some old beer mirrors from Guinness. You can hear the trains running overhead but their not too noisy. I only stayed for the one as I was on a tight schedule with a train to catch, but I had enough time to pop out to my next pub the Wellington (SE1 8UD).

The Wellington is a Fuller's pub just outside of the Jubilee line entrance. There are two entrances into the pub and the bars are on the back wall. There are three sections to the pub with the far left being seating only. The bars are large with big spirit displays behind, which grabs your eye. There were 5 hand pumps on the bar offering up Pride, Seafarers, ESB, Southern Star and Olivers Island. On the keg side there was Guinness, Kozel, Stowford Press, 1664, Frontier, Fosters, San Miguel, Peroni and Heineken. I actually spotted a bottle in the fridge I hadn't come across before. I selected a 330ml bottle of Fullers Pale Ale which came in at an astonishing £2.65. The beer is only 3.5% and is meant to be used for mixing with bitter for a half and half, but I had it on its own. It was an ok beer with slight carbonation but at a great price for a Fullers pub.


The pub as always was quite busy but there were some free seats in the pub, so I sat on one of the high tables and admired the beautiful murals on the arched ceiling (The photo opposite do not do it justice). There is exposed brick walls behind the bar. The rest of the pub is a lovely wood paneling with a white paint on the walls above. There are frames along the walls with different historical references. There are chandeliers hanging from the walls providing simple lighting. Mostly soft seating and low tables, with a few high tables in the middle bar area. Gaming machines are also present between the two bars area.

The Wellington is a very nice Fullers pub which as I've stated the photos here don't do it justice. A hotel is also present in the building. Unfortunately I had a train to catch but it won't be long before I visit as I often visit the Wellington when awaiting a train at Waterloo.

London Pub Tour 55 - Lambeth North: Pineapple, The Steam Engine,The Three Stags and Duke of Sussex

I arrived back into Waterloo on a Sunday afternoon after a short weekend down at a wedding in Dorking. The missus was off to meet up with some friends so I took the opportunity to visit some pubs in the Lambeth North area, right near Waterloo. I walked about 10 minutes (including a road works detour) to reach my first pub the Pineapple (SE1 7DZ). The pub sits on what looks like a main road which runs alongside the railway arches. There are benches out front which were full of people who were outside during half time. Entering from the door on the bench side I discovered the pub was split into two rooms, with the majority of people in the other larger room. The floor is wooden and the bar runs across both sides of the pub. Staying on the smaller, and quieter side, I walked up to the bar where everything on offer was standard run of the mill. There were three hand pumps offering GK IPA, London Glory and Doombar, so nothing of interest for me there. The kegs were Budweiser, Fosters, Guinness, Coors Light, Carling, Stella, Carlsbery, Strongbow and John Smith. I selected a pint of Budweiser, for what reason I don't know, which came in at £4.30.

The floor of the pub is wooden but up ahead there is a carpet area with soft seating. The area was empty even though a screen with the match was in here. I sat down and looked around noting that this looks like a conservatory which has had the glass covered up, apart from a single sun light. All the furnishings are red (Chairs, walls etc). To my left were two middle age men playing and then discussing their chess match. They even brought the match back to a previous state after looking at a photo, and discussing what they could have done to change the outcome. There was memorabilia lining the top shelf on the wall from books to bottles to packaging and promo material. The pub had plenty of seating/stools and a clientele of old men and young lads.

Just as I left the pub it started to drizzle outside hence the empty outside photo I managed to grab. Fortunately the walk to the next pub, The Steam Engine (SE1 7BU), wasn't far. The pub sits again on a quiet road and has a dark blue painted exterior. Walking up to the pub I seen the Pub Love sign, which immediately cheered me up as I knew there would be a big selected of beers, and I wasn't disappointed. Aside from the 5 hand pumps (of which three were off and one was serving Old Rosie cider) and the usual keg lagers (Amstel, London Lager, Guinness) there was a selection of 36 cans and bottles, which is too many to list here. 

There is a menu listing all the beers but my eye was caught by a can I seen on the wall. I'm not a fan of peanut butter but once I seen the Peanut Butter Milk Stout by TailGate I knew I that was what I was going to drink. The can was the standard 330ml and cost £5.90, even though the beer was only 5.8% but oh boy it was worth it once I tasted the beer. The beer has a peanut butter nose and the taste is spot on. It's a stout with a beautiful peanut butter taste, which pairs well.

The pub wasn't too busy and it was easy to find a seat. There was a table of 6 seating and a few individual drinking. When entering through the front door your side on to the bar and in the more dinning area seating. There are stalls placed around the bar for those that wish to sit there. The rear of the pub had bench seating with tables and a rug area in front of a fire with soft chairs. A hostel is also based above the pub, with the entrance door being just to the side of the snug area. The walls are white with photos placed around relating to trains. 2000's Indie music is playing lightly in the background and fits with the pubs style.

As I was relaxed and it was still raining outside I picked up the beer menu and scouted for another drink to have. I settled on a 355ml bottle of the Castaway IPA by Kona Brewery. It led with a citrus nose and a grapefruit and hoppy taste. The pub started to pick up a bit from the 10 that were in originally to 30+ who had all come in for the burger menu offered by Pub Love. I finished up my beer and visited the men's where another train photo was hanging.

I made my way out to the main road and to pub number 3, The Three Stags (SE1 7PZ) which is directly opposite the wonderful Imperial War Museum. The Three Stags is a Greene King pub which was very gastro. The entrance is on the corner and your faced with an L shaped bar. The pub is very open plan apart from in the right corner where there is a glass segmented area named Chaplin's Corner. Next to this there is some bench seating. Along the other wall there is a raised seating area. The floor is wooden with tiles around the bar and Chaplin's Corner.

The bar had three hand pumps, which surprisingly had no Greene King ales on. The lagers were more non-mainstream: Pravha, Staropramen, Guinness, Aspall Suffolk, London Lager, London Pale Ale, Cobra, Punk IPA and Noble. I went for a pint of Sir Titus from Saltaire brewery for £4.10 which smelt nice but tasted chalky. All the tables inside were taken, mainly due to a large group booking. There were benches outside which had coverings to protect from the rain, which were in use by people even though on a busy junction. I took a dry seat on the outside bench and forced the pint down.

The sun was back out which made the walk back to Waterloo station easy. On the walk back I passed the Duke of Sussex (SE1 7AY) which I hadn't been in for over 6 years, so it made total sense at this stage to stop for a swift half. The outside had a large covered seating area which was empty at this time. The building itself still has the Truman tiles on the outside and look pretty with the blue exterior and a red bench. I entered via the corner door and wasn't prepared for the way the pub had changed.

The first thing I noticed was that the two bar pub had become a one bar pub. The bar had been moved left on the back wall and the space on the right had been knocked through to create a single L shaped curved bar. The second thing to strike me was the strange/unique hand pumps used for dispensing the ales. 4 ales were on offer Wandle, Black Sheep, Sharps Atlantic and Truman's Bow Bells. The Kegs included Amstel, Heineken, Estrella, Guinness, Aspall Suffolk, Shipyard, Longhorn IPA and Yakima Red. I went for a half of Bow Bells for £2.15. The beer is named after the nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons. The badge even had oranges and lemons on it though from the beer I only got a slight lemon taste.

There are no stalls in the bar, with seating round the corner being low tables and chairs, which were all occupied. Opposite the bar there was soft seating with accompanying tables, then a row of high tables in front. The floor is wood apart from a rug with some poofs near the entrance. The pub smelt of garlic pizza, which was certainly making me hungry. On the soft seating there looked to be a homeless man who had bought a half pint, which he a drunk a bit of and then fell asleep seated upright on the soft seating. Who can blame him, I think I would do that in his situation as well. The pub has certainly changed since I used to visit, but it had improved its interior and exterior, which is always a plus. I made my way back to Waterloo to meet up with the missus and make our way home.

London Pub Tour 54 - Westminster: Greencoat Boy, Grafton Arms and The Speaker

The beautiful weather was still about and it was Friday after work, so it called for a drink. I decided to stay locally and headed towards Westminster and the Greencoat Boy (SW1P 1PJ). The pub sits just off Victoria street and is set back from the road. Like most of the pubs in the area this is an old Taylor Walker converted to a Greene King. A few people were on the pavement outside drinking, and this can get busy later on into the evening. I got in just before the after work rush, though tables were reserved and no seating was available. The bar is situated at the rear, and is slightly staggered with one side set back further than the other. The pub has high tables on the wood floor sections and low tables on the carpet sections. The wood paneled ceiling is painted white which bring a bit of extra light from the windows that are based on two sides of the pub. Other than this, the pub sticks to a dark interior and the usual TV in a gold photo frame that Taylor Walker pubs love. I understand there is a cellar bar beneath which is available for functions but didn't seem to be in use on this day.


The bar had a selection of 6 Hand Pumps offering up GK IPA twice, Greencoat Boy Best Bitter (GK House) twice, Truman Swift and the final pump was off. Keg wise there was Becks Vier, Guinness, Fosters, Estrella, Peroni, Aspalls Suffolk, Hop House 13 and Dead Pony. Considering the weather and options I kept is safe and went for a pint of Becks Vier at £4.50. The pint went down quickly, as the euro lagers do, and I made my way out through the crowd that had now started gathering around the bar and in

I made my way to the pedestrianised Strutton Ground to the Grafton Arms (SW1P 2HP) which is a Greene King pub next door to the Munich Cricket Club. The is not very wide but is long and quite dark. It actually had the feel of old school boozer with the low lighting and guys sat at the bar. The bar is set back a bit on the far left. Along the right hand wall there are small cubby holes with tables and seating. A snug is right at the rear which looked comfortable and dimly lit. The floor is a dark wood, with some exposed brick walls and other parts wood paneled. Some tourists are sat in the seats by the front window, and in all about 10 people in the pub, though a work crowd appeared just after I ordered and increased the number to 20, though the noise level remained the same.

There were 6 hand pumps with two being out of action (Knees up and Trumans Runner). The 4 in action were IPA, Blonde, Landlord and Patron Saint Ale. The keg offers were Aspalls Suffolk, Peroni, Stella, Fosters, Hells, London Lager, Becks Vier, Guinness, 1664 and Over Easy. There was a standard GK bottle selection in the large fridge. I went for a pint of Patron Saint which had a temporary badge on and didn't give away it was a GK beer. It just tasted like a standard GK ale with no overall unique taste. The pub has potential to be a nice old school boozer in the city but it doesn't appear to be that popular.

I left the dark of the Garfton and walked a short distance round the corner to the Speaker (SW1P 2HA). The outside pavement was rammed with people drinking though the sun had since gone in. The Speaker is a single room pub that sits on a corner with it dark green exterior. The interior has a worn red and blue pattern carpet. The wall is wood paneled and there are caricatures and historical pictures. There are low tables all along the outside window, with most being 2 or 4 seaters apart from a large reserved one in the rear of the pub which seats bigger groups of 8. This is only a small pub and there must be 50+ people inside.

The bar sits against the back wall facing out the main window and there is a book cabinet on top. There are 5 hand pumps on the bar offering up Landlord, Empire Forbidden, Wandle, Curiously Dark, Pleasure Principle. On keg there was Pilsner Urquell, Peroni, Stowford Press, Kozel, Sam Adams and Guinness.

I went for a pint of Curiously Dark at £4.50 which was a very nice dark mild, very smooth and tasty. This pub always has a nice selection of ales but is best visited outside of the busy periods, when you can get a seat and relax and observe the world. When serving they ask if your inside or out, as anyone outside needs to take their drink in plastic. The pub had 4 bar staff in the small bar area and were speedy and at serving. A board hangs to the side showing beers coming soon, which is a definite way to tempt people back.

London Pub Tour 53 - Euston: Royal George, Doric Arch and The Euston Tap

A hot summer's lunch and what better than escaping out to some pubs. I got on the tube and made my way to Euston and had decided on the three pubs I would visit. My first stop is to the Eastern end of the station and just across the road, the Royal George (NW1 1DG). This is a large Victorian pub which has a big frontage, with plenty of benches outside. There are three entrances into the pub, middle and one on each corner. I entered via the northern corner entrance into what is setup more as the dinning corner. There were low tables all around, and the bar that protrudes out into this bit is for glass collection only.

Walking along the pub and past a support wall the bar serving area starts, directly opposite the middle entrance. Here there were 6 hand pumps offering GK IPA, Westway Pale, Junction, Bermondsey Best, London Glory and London Spring Ale. If you follow the bar down further and past another support column and round into the southern seating area, the bar here is bigger, more open and has a larger range of keg drinks, along with 2 more hand pumps just offering GK IPA and London Glory. The keg beers were Guinness, Stella, Aspall Suffolk, Budweiser, Peroni, Estrella, Camden Pale and Hells, Portbello London Pilsner, Sambrooks Pale Ale, 1664, Big Bang and Koppaberg Smooth. I went for a pint of the London Spring Ale by Portobello which was a tasty light golden ale.

The pub wasn't busy with only a few groups of guys drinking in on the high tables scattered along the front wall and in the southern side of the bar, where I sat. Nobody was eating during my visit, so it was just a good old lunch boozing session all round. The decor in the pub is the usual mis-mash style for Taylor Walker pubs. There were fairy lights hanging from the ceiling, dark wood and dark panels on the bar, fake tile wallpaper in parts and dark blue painted walls as well.

I finished up my pint and made my way back into the station grounds, by the bus stops, and entered the staircase up into the Doric Arch (NW1 2DN). I've never set foot in this pub previously, which is a shame considering what I seen upon entering. The first thing I noticed upon coming up the tiled walled stairs was that although this is a Fullers pub there was a large selection of non-Fullers ales facing towards me at the stairs. There were 15 hand pumps around the bar in batches of 3, offering up the following selection: Holy Grail, Busy Fool, Salvation, Hophead, Olivers Island, London Pride, HSB and ESB. Some of the ales were repeated across pumps.Keg wise there was San Miguel, Carling, AM:PM, Amstel, Wild River, Weltins, Cornish Orchards, Guinness and Frontier. I decided to stay with a Fullers ale and choose the always wonderful HSB. This also happened to be my 1000th check-in on Untappd and I couldn't think of a better beer to celebrate that with. I also noticed that the pub does a variety of ciders which according to the board included Cornish Orchards Vintage (bottle), Sea Cider Mango, Medium Sussex, Turners Elderflower and Newton Court Red Streak.

Now through the staircase I entered by, from the bus stops, the side of the bar is directly in front of you, and it runs down to the far wall. At this far end wall are two granddad chairs which were both in use, and a bookshelf.. Immediately to your right at the bar is a hole in the wall that leads to a large table with tall back sofas. Opposite the bar is some high cushioned seating running along the wall. Away from the bar area and towards the front of the pub is a raised seating area looking out over the bus station with low seating, which acts as their dinning area. There were about 20 people in the pub and chilled music was playing low. Tube signs and photos of Euston adorn the walls, and a large model train rests above the back bar. The floor is a dark wood colour, and the walls are wood paneling that has been painted green. The whole pub feel relaxed and open, and no noise from the outside world creeps in.

I could have easily stayed at the Doric for another drink but I had one more pub to visit which was just a few metres away. The Euston Tap (NW1 2EF), I believe occupies the old ticket booths at Euston, which are stunning buildings and been put to good use. I went into the Euston Tap West Lodge, as there is an East Lodge which I will visit another time, offering up different beers. Upon walking in the large U shape bar is immediately in front of you, and takes up perhaps a bit too large of a space. At the back of the bar is a copper wall with 18 taps serving up a fine selection of lagers and 10 casks underneath. Each tap is numbered and and there are chalk boards in the top left and right of the walls displaying all the beers.

On my visit most of the ales were off so I went for the keg option, and selected a half of Electric Eye Pale Ale by Big Smoke. The half was pricey at £3, and the board had described this as a rye beer but I could only a pale ale, which was quite lacking. Nobody was in the pub, though a few people were sat outside on the tables they have in the little gated garden, but with it being next to the bus station fumes and noise I didn't fancy it. I took my half up the metal spiral staircase to the seating upstairs which is situated in a square room with soft cushioned seating all around the outside. There are plenty of stalls and tables around, though this area does get hot when busy. There are some pump clips on one ceiling beam up here, but this definitely isn't their full collection. The walls are quite bare with some details plans for the building but otherwise just a plain wall.

I took a few photos of the upstairs and went back down to drink in the bar area where there a stalls all along the outside and a ledge to place your beer. Whilst down here a bus driver came in to use the toilets to which the manager had a go at them stating they've been told not to let in bus drivers on duty by their bus company, and the drivers have their own toilet which is just a short walk away. I think I can fully understand that as from a bus company perspective seeing a driver walk out from a pub and get into the bus can look bad. I finished off my half and it was time to call an end to the boozy lunch.