London Pub Tour 58 - Battersea: Powder Keg Diplomacy, The Beehive, Churchills and The Plough

The sun was shining, the weather was hot and it was Friday, we all know what that calls for, a few beers. I decided to make my way to Clapham Junction, as it's only one stop away from work on the train, and hit the pubs slightly further away from the station on St John's Hill. My first stop was the Powder Keg Diplomacy (SW11 1TQ) which is a Gastro pub decorated in what Whatpub.com describes as a colonial style. The royal blue frontage stands out from the surrounding shops and there were some tables and chairs outside to make the most of the beautiful weather. The front french windows had been opened up to allow more air to flow through the pub. Inside the pub the bar is situated against the right wall. I was greeted and then offered a seat at the front, but opted to stay out of the direct sun and took one of the large bench booths directly opposite the bar. There are about 5 of these booths alongside the bar area, with some more seating in front of the french windows. There were two hands pumps on the bar with the beer names written on tags which were hanging awkwardly, meaning I couldn't see what was on offer. On the back wall were 6 taps which again were hard to see and all looked the same badge. I ended up opting for a bottle as there were visible and easier than having someone run off all the beers and not knowing what I was purchasing. I selected a bottle of Paradise Pale Ale from Redchurch brewery. The beer came in at 3.7% was lightly carbonated, low fruit levels, smooth and gentle on palate. Not bad for first beer after work.

I decided to have a poke around and look at the rear of the pub which has a conservatory setup for their dinning. it does indeed look like something you might have seen in Colonial India, and in the sunlight looked beautiful. The white with dark wood and the green foliage certainly balance nicely. The front of the bar is decorated differently with worn wooden floor boards and hanging filament lamps but retains the dark wood look along with mirrors on lots of the walls. The wooden walls are painted white and there are some paintings opposite the bar which are woodland / forest themed. There were only 5 customers in the bar at this stage, though it was still early doors. The barman brought over a glass of chilled water for me, which came in handy for a bit of hydration. I tried again to look at the beers but gave up and decided to wander down to my next stop, The Beehive (SW11 1TH).

The Beehive is a small Fullers pub, probably one of the smallest I've seen of theirs. Again there was outside seating on the road, with three small tables, and the frontage was also a wonderful blue. Upon walking in you realise both the size and lack of seating/tables. There were two church pews opposite the bar, one high table with seats at the rear and thankfully stalls at the bar. Again the pub wasn't that busy with about 5 people inside, and by the time I had left 7 people outside.

Being a Fullers pub there was of course ale on, and all of it Fullers. There were five hand pumps offering across them Pride (x), Seafarers (x2) and ESB. On the keg front we had Frontier, Sierra, Honey Dew, Peroni, San Miguel, Fosters, Stowford Press and Guinness. Fridge wise there wasn't many options. I opted for a refreshing pint of Stowford Press at £4.95. The card machine was playing up and I ended up paying in cash, though I had withdrawn this cash for the next pub which I knew charge for card purchases, so this was slightly annoying. The Stowford went down a treat as you would expect in this warm weather.

The pub has a traditional pub decor with dark mahogany wood, some bee related prints on walls and the dark wood flooring. Sky and BT are both shown and food is served, though am not sure on the menu. There was a small fire place opposite the bar and also some lights hanging in birdcages. The pub was surprisingly cool inside considering there appeared to be no fans or air conditioning, which I put down to its darker appearance keeping everything cooled.

The Beehive seems a very traditional local pub but as stated wasn't that busy. My next stop the Churchills (SW11 1TQ) though is in every sense of the word a busy local pub. The pub has a distinctive yellow and black frontage. Again the width of the pub is very similar to the Beehive and Powder Keg, though it is far large in length and also houses a patio garden at the rear which was roaring with people. Upon entering the front of the pub was vacant and all the crowd were gather around the bar which is situated more towards the middle of the building. Frustratingly this was just your regulars crowd hanging around the bar drinking and talking, making it impossible to order. It's a slight pet peeve of mine people blocking up the whole bar where there is space elsewhere. I'm all for stalls at bar, but at least keep one section free for people to place orders. After finally managing to squeeze through and get attention I had to place an order greater than £10 to use the card machine, damn you Beehive for not having a working card machine. Due to reasonable pricing I ending up coming away with a pint of Becks (£3.95), a bottle of Courage Light Ale (£2.10), a pack of scratchings (£0.90) and a drink for the barmaid.

I walked further down the pub past the bar and took a seat on one of the side on tables situated against the wall. The seats are enclosed booths with a table and wood/glass partition, and some books in a rack above, very nice. Horse racing was on TV though not many paying attention to it. There was a good mix of men and women, and didn't appear to be your entirely after work crowd. I would say there were about 30 or more people in the pub. The floor is carpeted which helps keeps down any noises and the wallpaper was a patterned red/brown on bottom half and white on top. Fans on the ceiling were running and I noticed a sky light letting in the much needed light halfway down the pub. Like a lot of pubs, the food served is thai food, though I didn't see anyone eating at this time on a Friday. I note I hadn't mentioned the beer options so it's worthwhile mentioning ale is sold here, with three hand pumps which were offering up Golden Hen and GK IPA. Keg wise was small with Guinness, Becks, Stella, 1664 or Fosters.

After finishing my two drinks at Churchills I walked back towards Clapham Junction where my final pub laid in wait. The Plough (SW11 1SY) is a modern pub on a street corner under a new-ish development. Young's have gone for an industrial look with exposed brick walls, wood floor boards, metal pipes showing on ceiling and funky lighting. The pub is very airy and light, with plenty of space. It wasn't very busy with only about 10 people in the pub, the majority of whom were female. There is a large open space in front of the bar, and the bar is quite large. Air conditioning was on, and as there is neither an area outfront or in garden, I could understand why the pub wasn't so busy


On the bar there were 6 hand pumps, with only 4 on, which gave a repeated offering of Young's Bitter or Gold. Keg wise there was Meantime Brewery Fresh Lager (Supplied from the tanks to the side), Founders All Day IPA, London Pale Ale, Peroni, Estrella, Hells, Birra, Guinness, Neck Oil, Four Pure Pils and Waddlegoose Cider, so quite an offering. I went for a pint of the All Day IPA coming in at 4.7% at £5.20 which was okay, but nothing to rave about.

I must say the bar itself, for a modern pub, does look very slick. There are some sofa seats to the left of the entrance, which act as a divider before the dinning area facing the open kitchen. There are the chandeliers and element bulbs hanging down, but most importantly no high tables. There is a DJ booth which looked like was being prepared for later that evening, though it didn't stopped them pipping out quite loud music. Even a foosball table for the lads later on into the night. Though I did note a sign stating they show TV programs on certain days for joint viewing e.g. Game of Thrones, when new episodes are out.

And with that I had finished my pint and started to make my way back home. Four pubs, with two gastro and two local. Each had their own nice internal design whether going modern or traditional, though on this very hot day for some strange reason the customers appeared to be hibernating.

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 49 - Battersea: Grove, Magic Garden and Paya & Horse

It was time to pay another visit to Battersea considering this area is just across the river from my work place and has a wealth of pubs around the park, though I should note that this visit took place on a Saturday. My first port of call was the Grove (SW11 4NE) which I would say isn't your usual looking pub, but I think all three in this visit actually meet that criteria.

The front of the pub doesn't give away much or seem that appealing at first glance. There is art work on the outside of the unassuming building and steps up to the entrance for the pub. Through the entrance you climb some further steps before popping out into a lounge area with sofas. Now you climb down some steps and your in the bar area. The bar is to your right, and to the left is a raised seating area. There are other doors into the pub (even though the door I entered in is from the main road) with the main entrance seeming to be the side door through the beer patio and out towards the estate behind.

The decor of the pub will immediately strike you. As can be seen from the picture to the side, the bar is peppered with movie cuttings from Star Wars to Disney Princesses. From Scream to Pulp Fiction. There are stuffed teddies mounted above the bar. Each pump even has its own decorations with ghosts and dinosaurs, which are unrelated to the brands, but is a different touch. One of the exits for the pub is painted as a TARDIS and even the tables have not missed the movie artwork make over. Even the bar stools are a slightly strange design with what appears to be one slanted supporting leg.

The pub was empty on this sunny bank holiday weekend, with only three other punters though I did note that there was a DJ later for a birthday party booking, which the bar man told me would be for 60+ people. The bar had three hand pumps, with only two on offering either Sharp's Atlantic or Ubu. On Keg there was Stowford, Guinness (extra and regular) Carlsberg, Longhorn IPA, Becks Vier, Sharps' Craft Lager and Budweiser. As it was hot I opted for a cold pint of Becks Vier which came in at £4.30.

The pub had so much on walls, you could never take it all in on one visit. The pub shows Live Sports and had table football available. They do offer meals though I didn't look at the pricing or what was being offered. A gentleman came in asking to use the toilet for which the barman said he could if he donated 20p to charity or bought something. The man stated he had nothing, to which the barman said he wouldn't be able to use the facilities without a donation. The man walked out and then mere seconds later walked back in and had amazingly found 20p to donate. I didn't stay to see if he made the most of his 20 and demolished the toilets.

I walked a few yards down the road to my second stop the Magic Garden (SW11 4LG). Considering the amount of times I'm in the Battersea area, I've never ventured in the Magic Garden. From the outside the building looks like a standard boozer which is quite dimly light inside. Walking in through the main entrance and the furnishing of the chairs and sofas on the side, with strange rugs thrown over them grab your attention. Following this along you see a raised area in the corner, which on this visit had a Chaise Longue, with two people uncomfortably sat on it. Now this piece of furniture looks out of place, maybe because it's meant to be slightly to the side with the other strange pieces. This raised area is actually a stage, for the Magic Garden is a Live Music venue which is open till late on Thursday to Saturday, though if you come after 9pm there will be a fee.

The bar faces inwards towards the pub, and is decorated with leaves, small garden creatures and gold paint. Much like the Grove there were three hand pumps but with only two on offering Doombar and Coaster. The keg options were Guinness, Sagres, Amstel, Birra Morretti, Heineken and Coast to Coast. Not liking any of these options I jumped at a bottle of Wyld Wood cider. In front of the bar there were about three tables, all of which were empty, so I settled on one and poured out my cider into an ice-less glass.

There is a conservatory area just beyond these three tables, and then beyond that is the Magic Garden aka the covered tent area. The outside area can seat more than the inside area and follows with the same mismtached furnishings as the inside, but also perhaps has a slight Moroccan feel. There are large bench seating with soft furnishings and there's even a taxi, yes a taxi. There were about 30 people in the pub, mostly young groups. I understand the draw of the pub to some people, especially with live music, but it's not quite my style. I understand the outside area looks quite pretty at night with the lights on. As I was leaving the band were arriving for setting up.

I didn't have to walk much further to reach my last pub the Paya and Horse (SW11 4LB). The outside of the pub is painted a light green and had a row of empty picnic benches. The first sign of what to expect from this pub can be obtained from the blackboard outside which reads:
'No BT & Sky Sport (too expensive) foras'. There's also an A board sign just before you enter which talks of a £6 hot dog & pint deal, though I think it might be best to avoid the food.

As I walked into the pub everything looks just like a normal pub should except no customers or staff. Then a man with a hat comes walking across from the far corner, where there is a raised section, which faces out the front window onto the road. As he walks to the bar, he asks what you want, and it's not too hard a choice to make with only the option of Guinness, Strongbow, Fosters, Heineken or 1664. I opted for my Heineken and handed over the £5 demanded of me. At this stage it's clear this man must be the owner as the pub is literally decorated with similar style hats all on the walls. After finishing serving he proceeds to go back to his raised seating area and continue watching the snooker, which I interrupted him from.

The pub is large with lots of seating, some high tables and even a sofa area with tables, which is what I take up. The floor is carpeted and everything looks old school pub, even the mahogany wood colours. Everything is strangely quiet and I start to think I've never seen anyone in or around this pub before. Thankfully another fella enters the pub on his phone. He orders a beer and then looks around shocked to see no one is here, and give's me the look of 'what's going on?' I just raise an eyebrow and leave it at that. There is a pool table in the pub which my expecting stranger goes over to check on. He looks down and see's no balls in the machine and walks away. The owner then walks up to the table and starts putting the balls in the machine, and empties out the cash, and checks the mechanism....which is a very strange way to run a business.

The door goes again, and this time two ladies with two kids walk in. The man in the hat sees them and immediately starts saying 'No'. 'No'. 'No, kids'. The ladies think he is joking, but he clearly isn't and asks them to leave. The two ladies look confused, and unsure what to do before a man walks in. The man is with the ladies and hat man recognises him. He's a family friend and everything is okay, and the kids and ladies are welcomed in. This is the pub that just keeps on giving. I wish I could stay for another but this is surely too much excitement in one day for one person. I can honestly say this is one of the strangest pubs and the eccentric owner makes it.

So three different pubs in their own unique way. The Grove doesn't seem inviting from the outside but is actually decorated inside. The Magic Garden has a grand outdoor covering with the draw of live music. And the Paya and Horse has a £6 hot dog meal deal.

London Pub Tour 41 - Pimlico: White Ferry, Warwick, Brougham and Willow Walk

This pub tour was to do a final sweep up of the pubs I'd not visited in the Pimlico area. I started off at The White Ferry (SW1V 4LD) which is both a pub and hostel, run by Pub Love. The pub stands gracefully on a corner just away from the busy Victoria coach station, and its white frontage stands out from a distance. The pub now days is not near a river and set back quite a bit from the Thames, but when originally built there was a river that flowed by and was infamous with smugglers.

The pub has two bar areas with the front area being quite small and full of tables. The floor is carpet and the bar stretches into this area offering up some of the beers and ales that are on offer. A door connects through to the larger main bar where the seating is around the edges and are a mix of sofas, low tables and high tables. There are a few stalls at the bar, but otherwise there is ample space around the bar to allow people to flow around. The bar itself stretches all along the back wall which provides the opportunity for the establishment to display the bottle/can beers they offer. The beers are displayed on a shelf and are number 1 through to 30 and details of each beer are listed in their drink menu. On the bar there are 4 hand pumps which on this visit were serving Brains SA, Deuchars. Naked Ladies and the final hand pump was to advertise the Old Rosie cider sold from the bag in the box. On keg there was Guinness, London Lager, Yakima Red, Amstel, Sierra and Mortimers. As the pub has such a large bottle selection I decided to pick from there. My first bottle was the Chocolate Porter by Meantime (330ml). There were chocolate notes to the beer but nothing stand out compared to other chocolate stouts and porters.

I took up a table on the side which looks out into the outside covered bench seating area they have. There were games on the window seal. At the rear of the bar was a fire place (not on) and the hostel entrance. The pub is open till late and the menu is focused around burgers. There is a TV in the corner playing BBC News but without sound, as music is controlled by the bar staff from their large playlist. My second beer was a bottle of Red Rye from Barney's Beer for £5. This was a nice malty rye beer with a red-orange-brown hue. The pub remained quiet during my stay but must get a lot of trade from those staying in the hostel upon their return from the day out in London. I left the Ferry and made my way 5-10 minutes to the next pub The Warwick (SW1V 1QT).

The Warwick is a Greene King owned Gastro establishment. This little area in Victoria has a surprisingly high number of pubs and this is one of the least frequented ones for me. There are two doors at the front on either end, though these doors don't quite give away they're the entrance to the pub. The floor is wood and is filled with sanded wood tables which are nicely spaced out. The bar also has a sanded wood look to it as well. Above the windows are some stained glass windows and on the ceiling fans are spinning slowly, though the pub is not warm. There are some steps down to a lower seated area with only a few tables. The bar offered up three ales which were Splendid Tackle, GK IPA and Abbott. On keg there was Beck Vier, Carlsberg, 1664, Guinness, San Miguel, East Coast IPA, Noble and Aspalls. The bottle selection was very small here.

Based on the options I selected a pint of Becks Vier for £4.90. It's not my favourite mainstream lager but it was my preferred choice out of the options. The pub only have about 7 people in so I slotted in on a small table near the rear wall. An older man at the bar was slightly drunk and joking about not paying for his drink to the bar staff. Then two elder ladies walked in and sat down at a table unaware what they were in for. The old man came and joined them and starting hitting on both of them at the same time. I didn't hand around to see if he pulled it off, but judging by the time I left, I would say no chance.

I made my way round the corner and past the big Sainsbury's to Brougham (SW1V 1HP). I have to admit here that I've always avoided this pub, even under its previous guide, the Elusive Camel. The bar is bizarre. During the daytime it's empty and offering up cheap meals to entice people in, whilst after work it's full of people in suits and and turns into a high priced gastro. The pub is on the corner and is quite narrow but long. The bar runs against the back wall facing out towards the road outside. Considering the depth of the pub it's larger than you would think. The bar was busy and it took a while before I could order due to the number of cocktails being made up. There were no cask ales and the tap selection was Guinness, Amstel, London Pale Ale, 1664, Aspalls Suffolk and Heineken. I went for a pint of London Pale Ale which cost £5.30.

The pub though busy wasn't fully packed but all seats were taken. There was a low sofa seating running under the long window opposite the bar. There were two hide away areas (snugs) with seating that was reserved for groups. The staff were all dressed in white shirts and slim black ties. I stood towards the end of the bar and drank my pint though a smell did start to come through the pub of sewers. This is the same smell I normally pick up when walking past the pub, I just assumed it would be outside and not inside as well. I finished the pint quite quickly due to standing and the smell. I made my way back towards Victoria station and looking at the time, I realised I could squeeze another drink in, so popped into the Willow Walk (SW1V 1LW). The Willow Walk is the second Spoons pub in Victoria with the other one being plainly called Wetherspoons and being based directly above WH Smiths in the station.

The Willow Walk was covered up with boarding outside due to the offices above being renovated, so is easy to miss. Considering the outside of the pub, lots of people had managed to find their way there and it was rammed. This of course was the standard spoons layout with carpet floor, lots of low tables, and lots of ales and lagers. The pub was dim and quite long, with the rear door out to the other side closed due to the office renovation. I believe I caught the full list of beers available as there a large amount. The ales were Midland Red, Brouwejii'tii Flino, Mild the Gap, Pathmaker, Doombar, Twicknehma, Pride, GK IPA and Abbot. The lagers included Coors Light, Adnams Dry Hop, Sambrooks IPA, White Riot, Erdinger, Innis and Gunn Lager beer, Bud Light, Guinness, Shipyard and Stella. I went for a half of the Midland Red by Everards for £1.68. The beer was smooth and had nothing offensive about it but neither did it have anything that stood out. I did have a second half and this was for the pure taste purpose only and since it was newly launched. Yes, I had a half of Bud Light. The half cost £1.75 and I'm glad I only had a half. The beer was bland. Just no taste at all. The beer could be considered cold and refreshing but it was bizarre to drink something that tasteless. The only thing I could feel was the carbonation at the rear of my mouth as I swallowed. I finished off my drink and finally called it a night and made my way across the road to Victoria Station.