London Pub Tour 62 - Westminster: Buckingham Arms, Adam & Eve and Old Star

I'm now in the final stages of completing all the pubs in the nearby Victoria / Westminster area. Today I had a run of three pubs around St James' Station. My first port of call was the Buckingham Arms (SW1H 9EU) which is one of only 5 pubs that have been in the Good Beer Guide for each of its 45 editions. The Buckingham Arms is a Young's pub with a lovely brown wood frontage. The main entrance door is set back slightly on the right. The first thing that stands out upon entering is the curved bar which bends outwards to become larger towards the rear of the pub. On the first curve of the bar are 6 hand pumps Young's Bitter (x2), Special (x2), Gold and Bombardier. Where the bar becomes larger the keg fonts stands offering up Estrella, Peroni, Hells, London Lager, Guinness, Amstel, Aspalls, 1664 and Founders All Day IPA. I opted for a pint of London Lager at £5.25.

Due to the shape of the bar there is a large space at the front, which is handy as most people are drinking outside and it provides a large walkway space to get to the bar. I went to the wall opposite the bar where there is a ledge for those standing to rest their beer on, and some stalls. On this ledge there are partitions with stained glass. Three tables sit under the front windows in the bay area, with the remainder of the seating set at the rear, past the end of the bar. There is a skylight part way through the bar providing that much needed additional light. The ceiling is dark and the walls painted a cream colour and the flooring a light wood. Atop the bar are some barrels. On the walls around the pub are portraits of the different dukes of Buckingham. There are also quotes written on some of the walls. There is an upstairs dining room available, though not sure if there is also a bar up there. Overall the pub wasn't too packed feeling even though there were 50+ people drinking, which was obviously helped by people standing outside.

Walking just up the road I arrived at the Adam & Eve (SW1H 9EX) which sits on the corner of Petty France. The outside of the pub used to be painted a pale grey colour but as it's now a Greene King it has been repainted, you guessed it, green. There was a rope outside the bar to control the space drinkers can go with their pints. Unlike the Buckingham Arms the outside was very quiet and only 2 people were making use of this velvet roped area. As you enter the pub the bar is set against the back wall. The bar is a straight dark worn mahogany wood and had 5 hand pumps were offered up on a slightly raised box. On offer were Adams & Eves Best (GK House), IPA, Amplified and Doombar. The kegs meanwhile were 1664, Over Easy, Big Bang, Heineken, Fosters, Peroni, Stella, Guinness and Orchard Thieves Cider. Although I know its a Greene King beer I went for a pint of the Big Bang which cost £5.50. As I've said before the craft academy beers have less of that Greene King taste so are slightly more drinkable.

Opposite the bar there is an island with plenty of stalls around for people to sit on, so that's what I did. The pub had a nice wooden interior, brown wallpaper and a dark blue looking ceiling. There are high tables under window near bar whilst there are tables all along the left wall. The rear room had a reserved sign on it and was set with just a load of stalls and a ledge running around the edge. There were some army badges on the walls behind the bar which must be related to the barracks across the road. The area is also very busy with civil servants and there were a group of three men in drinking and telling a tale of when Tony Blair came to visit their office and people had to pretend to be working on tables with broken computers and phones. Overall the pub wasn't too busy with only 30 people inside though it looked as it would get busier when the reservation arrived.

Walking up Petty France to the tube station and across the junction was my final stop the Old Star (SW1H 0DB). This is another Greene King pub on a street corner. The entrance is via the side door nearest the station. The ground floor is split with a slightly lower level, which is where the bar is located. You walk through the pub to the rear lower floor, past the sign post showing direction to Buckingham Palace, Parliament and St James' Station. Here you reach the bar set against the back wall. The bar is small and annoyingly has a pillar blocking the space for you to order from. There was a crowd at the bar, but thankfully they were all in one group and just picking up their drinks. The bar had the standard Greene King selection of keg beers such as Amstel, Peroni, Punk IPA and Hop House 13. Cask wise there were 5 pumps serving Knowle Spring, Ale Fresco, IPAl Glory and Amplified. I of course was tempted by the Knowle Spring by Taylor Walker and opted for a pint of this at £4.50. This was a blonde beer which didn't have much taste to it but was drinkable with a good lacing around the glass.

I took my drink and left the crowded bar area and decided to head downstairs to the cellar seating area. Halfway down the stairs there is a table with some seating, for those that wish to have everyone from the ground floor and lower floor look at them. Unlike the upstairs with its green painted walls and very standard Greene King look and feel, the downstairs is very well presented. There's lots of seats and a large seating/dinning area in the wine cellar. The whole pub is very light, even downstairs, owing to the layout of the staircase. The pub didn't feel at all busy even though there were probably as many people in here as the Buckingham Arms had both in and outside. I found a small table and sat down to enjoy my beer and read some blogs on my phone.

London Pub Tour 61 - Covent Garden: Prince of Wales, Sun Tavern and The Cambridge

It was time to deliver some London Drinkers and at the same time had a beer or three and note them in my London Pub Tour. After picking up my box from the Union Tavern near Westbourne Park station I made my way towards Covent Garden and my first stop the Prince of Wales (WC2B 5TD). As is common in this area of central, this is a Taylor Walker turned Greene King. There is a main entrance on the road from Covent Garden and a side door on the route from Holborn. From the main entrance the bar is on your right situated against the wall, but zig-zagging in and out. The walls are painted dark with a patterned wallpaper between windows. Even the bar follows suit with the wood bar being painted dark. There are about 15 tables in the pub with some high tables opposite the bar and low tables for the rest of the pub. The place is busy and there are no spare seats. It appears to perhaps be the pre-theatre drinkers, as no food is being consumed.

Getting served at the bar is easy and I'm presented with a choice of either Greene King ales (IPA, Old Speckled, London Glory, Golden Breeze and Amplified) or keg (Aspalls Suffolk, Fosters, Over Easy, Peroni, London Pilsner, Big Bang, Blue Moon, Guinness, Heineken, Stella). Going against all my normal instincts I go for a pint of the GK Amplified ale, which is a beer being sold in conjunction with Radio X, so has a big green foam mic on top of the hand pump. It was your bog standard GK ale and came in at £5.10 for this central tourist area. The only positive being that at least 20p was being donated to charity. I finish my drink standing and drop off some magazines before heading on.

As I walk past the Sun Tavern (WC2E 9JD) I note it's not so busy and decide to pop in, even though its not on my delivery route, it has been a while since I've drank here. The interior has been renovated and is very modern. I think the decor is actually nice. The bar is on your left as you enter and on the right are a few rows of tables each with a nice lamp above. The lighting throughout the pub is great and the actually lamps and shades themselves look good. The pub also has an upstairs area with its own bar. Some of the walls upstairs are exposed bricks but much like downstairs most of the walls are wood panelled and painted an off white. I remained downstairs as the pub was quite empty and took up one of the tables on the side wall. On the bar there was Amstel, Heineken, Birra, 1664 and Symonds cider. I can't remember the ales on display because soon as I seen Old Peculier from Theakston. The pint was nice but I think perhaps again the bottle version out does it. I perhaps should have taken more photos or notes but was in a slight rush to get my deliveries done. I left the Sun Tavern and dropped off the magazines at 4 more pubs before arriving at my final drop off for the evening.

The Cambridge (WC2H 0DP) is a Nicholson's pub based just off Shaftsbury Avenue and on the edge of Soho. The outside of the pub is black and there were some tables available for seating. Walking in through the closest entrance to Shaftsbury Avenue takes you in the side door. There are stairs up to a dinning room or you can continue straight on into the bar. The bar run all along the back wall and is a beautiful mahogany wood as you would expect from a Nicholson's. On keg there was London Lager, Hells, Peroni, Amstel, Carling, London Pale Ale and Guinness. On the 6 available hand pumps were Pride, Doombar, Hiver, Trooper, Rev James Rye and Sharp's Atlantic. I've had Hiver previously in bottles and this was my first time seeing it on tap so I went for a pint. The Hiver is a honey IPA and it certainly does have a honey taste to it, though didn't quite feel it was IPA in style.

The bar is laid out with some high tables and stools in front of the bar then the remainder of the seating running under the windows. The seats under the windows are cushioned and all have tables and chairs opposite. The ceiling is decorative and has a chandelier hanging from it. There is quite a bit of space in the pub though I wouldn't say much seating downstairs. The pub is busy with tourists, theatre goers and after work drinkers. Me, I was just glad to have finished dropping off the 140 booklets I had.

London Pub Tour 60 - Belgravia: Antelope and Bag O'Nails

I visited the following two pubs on alternate days, and they were the only ones in the surrounding area I needed to tick off. The first pub the Antelope (SW1W 8EZ) is situated just of Sloane Square. This is a Fuller's pub which has the appearance of a small back street boozer. The pub was built in 1827 and gives off a feel that it hasn't changed much. Walking through the front door and the island bar is to your side and takes up most of the space in the pub. There are some benches with tables under the front window, and then a little snug area at the rear with books on the walls and soft seating. The snug area is carpeted whilst the rest of the pub has wood flooring. There is a room to the left of the entrance that is more geared up towards dinning and has about 6 tables. The whole bar has wood panelling to either waist or shoulder height, with the remainder wallpapered. The ceiling is also wood panelled and large red velvet curtains drape over the windows.

Proudly presented on the bar were 5 hand pumps offering up a selection of Fuller's Ales: Pride, ESB, Oliver's Island and Seafarers (x2). The keg selection was quite small offering Frontier, Guinness, Veltins, Amstel, Honey Dew, Cornish Orchards and 1664. I went for a pint of Veltins Pilsner which came in at £5 on the nose. Most people in the pub were eating and the snug and front bench areas were taken, so I ended up sitting on a free table in the dinning area. There is also a dinning room upstairs though not sure if its open everyday. As I sat drinking my pint I gazed through to the main bar where there are old cricket and rugby team photos on the walls. Also there is a history of the pub's cricket team's wins. The majority of people in the pub were men in suits, who are guess are regulars or there on a business lunch.

The second pub I visited was certainly more touristy considering its the closest pub to Buckingham Palace, and on the route between the Palace and Victoria. The pub is the Bag O'Nails (SW1W 0PP) another Greene King convert from Taylor Walker. The pub resides on a busy intersection on the one way system around Victoria, so its not surprising that no one was sat on the seating outside. Walking inside and the noise of the traffic does still flow in, making the pub perhaps not a tranquil place for a pint.

The bar sits on the back side wall and had six hand pumps offering GK IPA, Bag O'Nails Best (GK House), London Glory (x2), Trooper, Amplified and one pump advertising Old Rosie Cider. Keg wise there was Peroni, Guinness, Aspall, 1664, Punk IPA, Amstel and Orchard Thieves cider. I went for a pint of the Bag O'Nails Best which as I suspected was just the standard Greene King House. I stayed for a second pint having the Orchard Thieves cider which was certainly very carbonated. The packet of sweet chilli crisps certainly helped drink it down. I didn't note the prices but the ale didn't break £5 though the cider did.

The pub itself has lots of clear space around the bar. The floor is wooden except for raised tiling around the base of the bar and at the rear of pub where it is carpeted . Rows of high tables run from the entrance along the windows on either side. Next to a small pillar opposite the bar are two small tables. The carpeted area contains 8 small tables and at the end sits an open fire place. Above the fire place is a TV on a news channel. One thing to note is the union flag which is all over the pub. When i first arrived there were about 3 people in the pub, but this increased to 10 by the time I left, though all of these were tourists.

London Pub Tour 57 - St Pancras: O'Neills, Skinners' Arms, Scottish Stores and The Driver

It was time for a night out hitting the pubs in Kings Cross. My first stop was the ubiquitous O'Neills (NW1 2QS). The pub sits opposite British Library and was handy for a meeting point due to not being overly busy. There were tables outside under the canopy, and the entrance to the pub was on the corner. An open space greets you with a raised seating area to the right, the bar on the same level against the back wall, and a scattering of tables (small and large) in between. The floor is a highly polished wood floor with some decorative tiles on the floor. A large wooden barrel is available for resting pints on for those standing. Closer to the bar are high tables whereas the rest of the pub are low tables. A few columns break up the route to the bar. The walls have a grey and white wood panels whilst the higher half is painted dark grey. Clocks on the wall show different cities times.

I made my way to the bar and wasn't surprised to see the ales on offer were Pride, Tribute and Doombar. Keg wise there was Meantime, London Lager, Tiger, Guinness, Hop House 13, Peroni, Heineken and a few more. I went for a pint of London Lager at £5.20. I Managed to grab the last small table halfway between the bar and door. The pub was busy and noisy with a mixed young crowd. After quickly finishing up the beer I made my way to the Skinners Arms (WC1H 9NT).


The Skinners Arms are a Greene King pub just down a side road from Euston Road. The pub entrance is on the corner and leads into a darken pub with a carpet floor. Outside the pub there were some tables which were in full use. As a GK pub there of course hand pumps and yes GK IPA was on one of them. The other pumps offered up Sambrooks Session, TEA, Barnsley Bitter, Watneys Pale and something called plough (no idea).

Keg wise there were a few GK own drinks such as Yardbird, Over Easy and East Coast. Alongside these were the standards such as Guiness, Stella, Becks and the new boy on the screen, Bud Light. As I started on keg I decided to continue, so opted for a pint of Over Easy. The bar was quite busy but again was lucky to find the last available table, from where I was able to have a proper gander at the interior of the pub.

Photo from Skinners Arms Website

The pub has a very high ceiling and up towards the top there are some stained glass windows. Hanging to the side of these stain glass windows are some proper curtains. The bar sits on the side wall with a rai
sed seating area opposite. In front of the raised seating area are some stalls with a ledge for resting pints on. The tables in the pub either have seats or low stalls. The pub has wood panelling till waist height with a traditional looking patterned wallpaper above. Away from the main bar there is a little hidden side area with more tables. The whole colour scheme of the pub certainly makes it feel like an old boozer, and the carpet and wood furniture will keep it warm during the winter months, helped by the open wood fire.

I only stayed for the one before walking down Euston Road just past Kings Cross station to the Scottish Stores (N1 9DU). Unbelievable this was my first time in the Scottish Stores. The pub was quite busy at 9pm with people queuing either side of the island bar. Around the outside of the bar the floor was tiled with the remainder being wood. The main bar area completely wooden, with the colour being quite a light wood. There are partitions around the island bar with stools and tables available in some. There is no art work hanging on the walls and the layout and design feels much like a Sam Smiths. But unlike a Sam Smiths there is more than one choice of ale on. The Scottish Stores have 8 hand pumps, although only 6 were available on this visit. They stock as standard two ales from Ripple Steam Brewery which on this visit were the Best Bitter and Ripple Gold. I went for a pint of the Best Bitter which was lovely and smooth with a white creamy head atop.

The pub has an upstairs roof terrace, which I don't bother trying to find, and an additional room to the side which is more modern. The additional room to the side had more space and served food and also had a blackboard showing all the wines and keg beers available. At this stage seeing the offering of a different variety of Scotch Eggs was too tempting and I opted for a Black Pudding one and a Pork and Chorizo, which went perfectly with my second pint of Ripple Steam Best Bitter. The pub was starting to empty as it was nearly closing time, so doing what every beer person does, I looked up on WhatPub.com to see if there were any pubs still open.
My venture for one more drink led me up to The Driver (N1 9RY). There were only a few bouncers on the outside and upon walking inside the bar area was completely empty. The bar was on the back wall and was L shaped and two hand pumps offering up Box Steam Tunnel Vision and Portobello Star. Keg wise there was San Miguel, Guinness, Poretti, Mahou, Carlsberg, Tuborg, Grimbergen and Somersby Cider. For this last drink I stuck to lager and went for Poretti which I've had previously.

As stated before the bar was deserted and not a sole was to be found. But there was a lot of noise coming from upstairs, and the pub had four floors, so I decided to explore. Sadly all the floors above were for private parties, so the only place I got to explore was the roof top bar. There wasn't much of a view and it was mainly used as a smoking area or to grab some fresh air and a drink quicker. I went back down to the ground floor bar, and sat and relaxed in the quiet-ish environment. The decor of the pub was looking very nice in the dim lighting after quite a few drinks. It had soft sofas, pink pin striped chairs, and the biggest feature a stags head on the wall. I think I might have to revisit here during the daytime and perhaps not after so many drinks, so I can give it a proper review. I realised it was time to call it a night when the missus swung by, and I left without any hesitation.

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 44 - Clapham Junction: Slug and Lettuce, The Falcon and The Junction

Clapham Junction is a station and the surrounding Clapham area has a wealth of pubs. Being that Clapham Junction is only one train stop from Victoria, I felt it time to chronicle the three pubs right next to the station in my next London Pub tour. The sun was out and it was Friday after work. I stepped off the train at Clapham Junction and made my way to my first stop the Slug and Lettuce (SW11 1RU). Now I've debated whether the Slug and Lettuce chain can be considered a pub and I've yet to set down any true defined rules but in planning this trip I came to the conclusion it does indeed qualify as a pub because its primary purpose is to serve alcohol, it has draught beer and you aren't required to sit at a table to drink. I think I do need to flesh out the what counts / what doesn't a bit more but I feel Slug and Lettuce (and therefore also All Bar One and Yates) would meet any qualification as a pub, as to discount them would also discount many other venues.

It's been a few years since I've been to a Slug and Lettuce, and that was to watch a football match at the O2. I've never been in this venue before and hardly ever noticed it before. It is actually quite easy to miss when coming out of the station due to no standout branding, glass frontage and no outside drinking area. The pub inside is very modern and sleek. The bar is on the left hand wall. From the door to the bar, and around it, there are no tables in the way, creating a large open space. There are a few tables towards the rear near the kitchen, which is where I sat, but the majority of the tables are on the raised seating area directly in front of the bar. There were TVs on showing sport, whilst music played out at a low volume. The bar frontage is entirely tiles, which was a nice feature. There are some fake exposed bricks on the wall but the majority is just white painted walls, adding to the brightness of the pub.

The bar had two hand pumps but sadly only the GK IPA was on, with the Adnams Ghost Ship off. The keg selection was Guiness, Vedet, Amstel, Peroni, Stella, Estrella, Hop House 13 and Mortimer's Cider. I selected a pint of Hop House 13 which came in at £5.25. Sadly it was a bad pour which created a flat looking beer, but it tasted okay in this heat. When seated at the table drinking I realised all the tables are slightly taller than you would normally expect but the seats are at the perfect height to sit at and still have your feet on the floor, so it was a selected design reason. The clientele was mixed though the pub was sparsely populated and felt quiet. I finished up my pint and moved onto my next venue The Falcon (SW11 1RU) which was the complete opposite in crowd level. Everyone had spilled outside onto the pavement outside to drink and enjoy the sun, so I was slightly concerned how busy it might be inside. The inside was also busy but mainly around the front bar area. The bar is set as a large orbital bar that runs through the whole pub, but as there is no longer any service on the rear half of the bar, this area was quiet / empty.

The pub has three distinct sections. The main bar which is at the front facing out onto the road and has plenty of light coming through due to being on a corner. The rear bar now appears to be reserved for large groups or diners (if it wasn't a Friday). Lastly there is a little snug area connecting the main bar and the rear bar. The snug is carpeted and has grandfather chairs and book shelves. It only fits a few people and I've never sat in there as it's always taken. As a Nicholson pub there is a large ale selection and a variety of keg and bottle beers. The ales on during my visit were Pride, Christopher, Nicholson's Pale Ale, Ghost Ship, Doombar, Ilkley Hanging Stone, Sussex Best, Rev James Rye, Black Sheep and Sharp's Atlantic. A few pumps were off or coming soon. In the keg front there was London Lager, London Pale Ale, Stella, Carling, Guinness, Peroni, Hells, Amstel and Mortimers. I opted for a pint of Christopher's from Great Heck along with a pack of crisps for £5.60. The beer was cellar cooled which was perfect for this warm day. It was a slightly bitter pale ale but clear, good lacing and no bad tastes.

I had my beer in the main bar but at the rear where there was space and ledges to rest the pint on. The pub is well maintained from the wood panelling, to the booth seating facing out the window at the old Arding and Hobbs department store (now Debenhams). There are electric light chandelier's hanging from the ceiling and hops running above the bar. I did pop into the rear bar and seen that it was empty and lots of tables reserved, so it goes to show how many more people the pub can handle. I would certainly recommend visiting this pub for the wood interior and normally large and varied selection of ales. I walked round the back to avoid the crowd to leave the pub and head onto my final stop The Junction (SW11 1SA).

This pub was previously known as the Windsor Castle and had a small front bar and large rear bar, with no connection to walk between them. After a refurb the bar was moved against the side wall allowing the pub to be one large room. The pub is a large detached building with a mock tudor beam front and is quite long but not that wide.. At the front are a mix of high and low tables. Beyond this is the bar area and a few tables against the walls. Then the rear area of the pub where there are quite a number of low tables. The pub also has a walled beer garden which has some amazing art work on them. The floor is carpet apart from block wood around bar area. Unfortunately the walls are the standard Taylor Walker with fake bookcase wallpaper in places. There was a large number of people inside the pub (40+) and as such no seats available. The crowd here was slightly older than the previous two pubs.

The bar 6 hand pumps with one offering cider (Lilley's Mango) and one being off (Thankfully GK IPA). The other 4 pumps were London Glory, Grandstand, Sheep Dip and Hairy Hooker. The keg options were Asahi, Peroni, Pilsner Urquell, Hells, Camden Pale, Over Easy, Spaten, Fosters, Guinness and Hop House. I started by having a half of the Lilley Mango Cider as I have a sweet spot for this drink. It is so sweet and delicious that you would think your drinking a soft drink and not an alcoholic beverage. After that I got two halves of the Plain Ales beers - Hairy Hooker and Sheep Dip. Both the beers were Bitter's which I wasn't expecting. The Hooker was more expensive at £2.50, and came in at 4.1%. This had a lovely toasted taste to it whilst also feeling sweet. The Sheep Dip half cost £2.10 and came in at 3.8%. This beer had the same aroma but had a reduced flavour. It was bitter with no sweet after taste. It was all upfront and nothing after.

I raise this just as a final pondering point. Whilst at the pub there was a table of 3 who had food delivered to their table. Then a fourth member of their group came in with a take away from McDonald's and sat down and joined them eating it in the pub. I raise this as I feel it's pub etiquette not to bring in your own food unless permitted and also strange he brought a McD's rather then order something better from their menu. Staff didn't mention a thing to them and considering three had bought food and they were all drinking there, from a business point of view it makes sense, but if it was the other way round with 1 eating and 3 bringing a takeaway, I've no doubt it would have been a different outcome.

London Pub Tour 43 - Aldwych: Edgar Wallace, Temple Brew House and George

It was another nice day and not busy at work so I popped out for a long lunch and a few beers. This time I went further afield to Aldwych with my first stop being the Edgar Wallace (WC2R 3JF). The pub sit on a cul-de-sac and is generally busy outside with drinkers after work. On this lunch visit it was quiet with two people outside drinking and five people inside, two of whom were eating. Upon entering the pub you are met with a large size nutcracker. Turning to your right takes you into the pub. The pub inside is quite dark and not much light comes in through the square lead windows. The bar is just on your left and does goes back to the rear wall but is separated by a pillar. The lagers are displayed on both parts of the bar with the ales only visible on the bit of the bar behind the pillar. The keg beers on offering were Heineken, Staropramen, Birra, Amstel, Guinness and Symmonds. There were 8 hand pumps but only 5 were on: Brewers Gold, Wakatu, Hopfest and Landlord. I went for a pint of Wakatu for £4.35 from Southwark Brewery. Again this was another disappointing New Zealand hopped beer that was lacking the flavour and aroma I would be expecting.

I sat on a table at against the rear wall so I could have a good look at the pub as a whole. There are about dozen 4 seater tables around the pub all on the carpet floor, with space for standing at the bar. The ceiling is filled with pump clips through the years. I actually spotted an old cardboard pump clip for Strongbow draught. The newer pump clips are just above the picture rail on the walls. The pub walls are adorned with old advertising including cigarette adverts and alcohol posters. On a high shelf there were a variety of old Persil boxes and some home brew kits. The window shelves were full of books. By the bar there was also a board showing ales coming up soon and which also confirmed that all ales are £4.35 for a pint and £2.30 for a half. I do understand a slight difference in prices for pints and halves and this is along the borderline of what might be acceptable price difference to account for time, cleaning and wastage. The pub itself is a treasure trove of old advertising but it was time to move on to pub number two.

Just a few doors down on the same street is the Temple Brew House (WC2R 3JF). The outside of the pub is grey and upon entering you see three large stainless steel brew barrels to your left. You go down the stairs and turn and your enter the large pub space. The pub has an industrial stripped back feel with lots of space and areas seeming incomplete. Upon entering on your right is a long bench style table with seats which I guess is guess for brewing talking. On your left is the main seating area with some booth seating. All the tables are wood tops but have a worn down/reclaimed feel. The main showpiece though is the bar which is straight ahead and is a concrete bar with a wooden top.

At the bar you immeditaley are presented with 6 hand pumps all serving their own brewed beer under the Essex Street Brewery brand (Named after the road the premises are on). On my visit only 5 of these were on which were Brewhouse Small Batch Spring Golden Ale, Calcutta Club, Brown Toast Porter, Red Eye and Tempale. Behind these hand pumps there is a tap wall serving up 13 beers which are a mix of their own brews, London beers and mainstream. On this visit the taps were offering Amstel, Heineken, M.A.C Pale Ale, Hells Unfiltered, House Cider, Affligem, Essex Street I.S.L, Kernel Pale Ale, Cloudwater Pilsner, Boundary Chilli Stout Filthy Animal, Catch, Gamma Ray and Sambrooks Pale Ale.

Being presented with so many choices made it difficult to decide what to go for. I knew I wanted to try one of their own brews so I went for what appealed to me the most and that was the Essex Street Indian Steam Lager (I.S.L). It cost £4.80 and I was surprised to see what appeared to be a Red Ale, which was very nice. No one else was in the pub apart from the bar staff, a repairman and two guys who were checking out the space for a work do on the coming Friday. It was only when sat down drinking I also realised the large bottle selection available which included their beer of the week - Weird Beard Holy Hoppin Hell at 9.7%! There was acoustic music playing quietly in the background and I noticed hops hanging from the ceiling. They appear to have a key keg packaging facility on site, and I understand they also have a smoke room which is used by their kitchen to smoke whatever their chef desires. The top half of the walls in the pub also displayed previous guest beer pump clips. I wish I could have stayed longer for more beer, but I guess I'll have to come back to sample another time.

I had to move onwards to tick off one more pub before returning to work. Again just a few short steps away is the George (WC2R 1AP) a Greene King pub operating under their Metropolitan brand. This was the first time I had encountered a Greene King pub under this brand and I was pleasantly surprised, but it then begs the question of why they didn't convert some of the Taylor Walkers into this style. The George was built just before the turn of 20th Century and has a mock tudor beam exterior. It sits directly opposite from the Royal Courts of Justice and is certainly a beautiful looking pub. Upon walking in the pub had more of a Nicholson's feel with the varnished wood floor, the large wooden barrel for standing around and the large bar and space around it. There were some tables in the front bay window area, then some high tables opposite the bar, with the majority being at the rear of the pub. The pub also has a restaurant operating upstairs under the name Pig and Goose though it seems people can order from a normal pub menu downstairs, as it was a mix of diners and drinkers. The whole pub had a modern feel but also kept true to it age.

What made it feel less Greene King was the selection of ales. I was expecting to be presented with all Greene King ales and maybe one guest but surprisingly this wasn't the case. There were 9 hand pumps which offered Headless Cavalier, Old Dairy, Black Eel, Renegade IPA, Up and Udder, Fusilier, Common Pale Ale, Hogs Wallop and GK IPA. On keg there was Cote Breton Brut Cider, Hells Unfiltered, Peroni, Amstel, Guinness, Truman's Pale, Punk IPA, Neck Oil, Hop House and Camden Pale. I had no hesitation in choosing my drink which was the Black Eel by Twickenham Brewery for £4.60. The beer poured very dark in a lovely straight stein. The beer had a good taste to it and wasn't heavy at all. This was an excellent example of a Black IPA. As all the tables were taken in the pub I had to stand and drink this beer at the bar, but I'm glad I chose such a good one.

On my journey back to Victoria I reflected on the three pubs I had visited. The Edgar Wallace being a perfect example of a privately run pub which has its own quirkiness to it whilst serving a good selection of beers. The Temple Brew house offers unique brews and a wide array of keg beers, and having another brew pub in central is always a plus point. But most surprising of all was I found a Greene King pub that I actually liked and which offered a varied selection in ales. All three pubs today are certainly worth a re-visit sometime soon.

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.