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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

London Pub Tour 42 - Westminster: Barley Mow, Royal Oak, White Horse & Bower and Loose Box

Since I swept up some of the remaining pubs in Victoria I thought I would make my way across towards Horseferry Road in Westminster to tick off the four pubs there resulting in another large part of the map being completed. I done this trip in two phases, the first two pubs during lunch the other two after work, but of course, both on the same day. The first point of call was the Barley Mow (SW1P 2EE) a large Enterprise Inn pub. The entrance door on the main road is actually the side entrance as you arrive at stairs to go up to the large function room or turn right to enter into the bar area. If your enter from the side road entrance, you face the bar straight on. The bar is in a U shape hugging around the wall. The space around the bar is very open and the floor around the bar is tiled. The bar has a large selection of ales (8 hand pumps) which on my visit were LPA from Southwark, Naked Ladies, Eagle IPA, Lighthouse, Doombar, Blindside, Session IPA and Sharp's Barley Mow Ale. On keg there was Blue Moon, Guinness, Sharp's Pilsner, Coors Light, San Miguel, 1664, Magners and Carling. Alongside this was a varied bottle selection of ales, lagers and ciders.

As there was a large ale selection I went for two halves. My first half was of Blindside by Truman's, a golden ale at 4.4%. This was a smooth ale and tasted good. My second half was Session IPA from Three Sods Brewery. I've not come across this brewery before which was behind my selection. This beer was also 4.4% but it just felt like something was missing in flavour, it wasn't all there. I had my two beers stood up on the quieter side of the bar. For a lunch this place was very busy, there were bout 50+ people in the pub and the majority were not eating. The pub does normally get busier in the evenings and to control the outside area there are large plastic barriers installed to prevent people spilling too far out onto the pavement. The pub has a wooden interior and where the walls are painted it's a dark red colour. The floor is wood apart from the raised seating area towards the front of the pub which is carpet. There are lots of tables around the pub all suitable for dinning, and there are some high tables scattered around as well. What I did find strange though was the food wasn't being made on site. Staff were ferrying food back and forth across the road from a cafe (about 200m away) on traps with the food wrapped in foil. Then a member of staff unwrapped it and would check to see if order was correct and send out to the table. I can only imagine this would lead to a large number of incorrect orders and delays in food going out.

I left the Barley Mow and made my way a short distance past the source of their food to a pub just off the main road. The Royal Oak (SW1P 4BZ) is a Young's pub set on a tight corner which provide a distinct shape to the pub, a triangle shape without the top point. Due to the shape there are windows on three sides. there are entrance doors on the two large sides to the pub, and both entrances are level with the bar. The bar is a small straight bar and offered up 5 ales but only three were on at the time of visiting, which were Bombardier, Young;s Gold and Young;s Bitter. On keg there was Coast to Coast, Thatchers, Fosters, Peroni, Hells, 1664, Estrella and Guinness. I wasn't interested in any of the cask or keg offering so went for a trusted bottle of Ram Rod. Although only 275ml it comes in at 5.2% so makes for a suitable lunchtime drink.

The area in front of the bar has high tables and always is well lit with the light able to enter from all sides. This section was busy with customers as expected. The pub goes back further on the right hand side and against the wall here are a few tables, with sofa seating on the wall side. These tables seem aimed at diners and there were a few people eating here. The front of the bar is mainly glass with the bits in between being painted white or wooden. The rear section of the pub was painted red. I took a seat on one of the rear tables as it was towards the end of lunch and no one else would be coming in this late for food. There were about 25 people in the pub and all of them were men apart from the two bar ladies working, who were clearing through the two hand pumps for tonight. I seen a sign saying happy hour was 4pm to 6pm Monday to Friday, which entailed 20% off all drinks. Once sat down I did notice the plates people were seating off, small slates, which seemed impractical for eating off and also too small. Excusing the 'plates' the pub was very nice and I could see this as a nice pub to relax in outside of busy hours, whilst the Barley Mow would be best during the after work rush, due to its size and outside area.

I headed back to work to put in the few hours as required before walking back to Horserferry Road to visit the two remaining pubs. My first port of call was the White Horse & Bower (SW1P 2EE) a Shep Neame pub. The pub is on a corner and has a small outside seating area. There are two entrances in, one at the front and one near the rear on the side road. This is a single room pub with the bar stretching about halfway down. The floor at the front is wooden with the other half being carpet. There were a few tables at the front with the majority of tables in the rear including two booth seats. The furniture felt quite basic and minimal though. There were no stalls at the bar which is probably a good idea considering the width of the pub at this part.

Being a Shep Neame pub the ales on sale were all from their brewery. There were 4 hand pumps serving Spitfire Gold, Master Brew, Whistable Bay and Hog Island. The keg beers aside from the Guinness are again all Shep Neame beers produced under licence with the likes of Ashai and Oranjeboom. There were a few Shep bottles including the wonderful Double Stout. In the end I opted for a pint of Spitfire Gold at £4.40. Although the styles are different, I really can't tell the difference between Spitfire and Spitfire Gold. I think I might have to do a side tasting at a pub one day. I found a seat, as the pub wasn't that busy with only about 20 people in. The pub was hot but thankfully not smelly. Towards the rear of the pub there is a dart board and the toilets. On the walls of the pub there were black and white old photos of London including the nearby Whitehall area. I finished up my gold and made my way across the road to my last pub/bar the Loose Box (SW1P 2AA).

I had never even realised this place existed, as its slightly covered with the bushes outside and that it seems to fit in with the government buildings next door. The place is a large single floor open plan pub. There is a slight raised seating area which was reserved for a work party. The rest of the pub had the seating and tables re-arranged to cater for different bookings and as a result although the pub was empty all the seats were reserved. At some points of the pub there were four tables pushed together and the seats arranged around them in a U. The floor in the pub was wood and the walls painted blue and white. The ceiling wasn't high so the pub felt dark, and wasn't helped with the fact the sun was shinning the other way, hence why the other pubs are probably more popular earlier in the evening.

The bar ran all along the left hand side wall. I was surprised to see that they served ale and that the ales weren't your standard national brands like Doombar. On the two hand pumps they served Wimbleon's Common and Truman's Blindside. On keg there was a bigger offering which has Bud Light, Toasted Lager, Honkers, Goose IPA, Leffe, Camden Ink, Caple Road, Camden Pale, Peroni and Estrella. So it was all in all quite a good varied selection of keg beers. I went for a half of the Toasted Lager by Blue Point Brewing Company. Considering the keg was from the US the price of £2.80 seemed reasonable though I didn't taste any toasted notes to the beer as the name would seem to suggest. The pub also had a nice bottle selection and so I opted for a bottle of 312 Urban Wheat Beer by Goose Island. The 330ml bottle cost £4.95 and didn't have as strong a wheat beer flavour as I expected but was nonetheless enjoyable. I would perhaps come to this pub again just to have the Honkers on tap as I really enjoyed it in bottle previously, but other than that I'm not to sure what the appeal of the place is, other than work drinks.

Beers to note - April 2017

Black Eel (Twickenham) - 5.0% | Cask Pint
The last pint in a three pint lunch time on a nice warm spring day and though it may black it wasn't a heavy body. Added to this the stein glass it was served in and the pub surrounding, and it all made for an excellent pint.



Birra Chiara (Brodie's) - 5.0% | Keg Pint
I've not been a massive fan of the Brodie's beers. I want to love them but can only ever manage one or two before I have to switch off them. This time I notice that Brodie's now had Keg beers and thought I would give them a go. After careful selection (point at anything) I select the Birra Chiara which turned out to be very much like a euro lager but with an extra hit. It went down very nicely whilst watching the football in the Old Coffee House.



London Pride Unfiltered (Fullers) - 4.1% | Keg Half Pint
So after holding off, temptation set in and I finally had a pint of London Pride Unfiltered. I had easily held off as to me Pride is one of the ales I never order due to the off taste it has. So I only had a half pint expecting the worse and surprisingly I liked it. The keg version was much more maltier and that off taste normally in Pride was more subdued. I got to the bottom of my half quite easily and ordered another half.




Whitstable Bay Black Oyster Stout (Shep Neame) - 4.2% | Keg Pint
I wasn't even aware that Shep Neame had made a Black Oyster Stout in their Whitstable Bay range so when I happened upon this I jumped straight at the opportunity. This stout is more creamy than the standard Shep Neame Double Stout but a straight comparison between the two is not possible as both are great. It's a shame these other Whitstable Bay beers aren't more commonly available in Shep Neame pubs.





Stout (Pirate Life) - 7.1% | Keg Half Pint

I only opted for a half due to the high ABV. The beer had a beautiful tan head and dark body. There is a lovely roasted smell coming off the beer. The taste is slightly bitter but with a nice malt kick.



DIPA v13 (Cloudwater Brew Co) - 9.0% | Keg 1/3 Pint
I finally had me a DIPA from Cloudwater, and it might so happen to be their last in this line. The pub was only selling in thirds due to the ABV and this is sensible. The beer is cloudy (as expected) and has an amazing citrus smell. The hops come straight through in the taste alongside a bitter orange taste.




BBC1 (Brentwood Brewing Company) - 1.5% | Cask Half Pint
Well I don't think I've ever come across a beer with this low an ABV. At 1.5% I knew what to expect. There was a weak but nice aroma coming from the beer but it severely lacked in the taste department



.




Vintage Ale 2016 (Fullers) - 8.5% | Bottle 1/3 Sharer of 500ml
I had this previously on tap at GBBF but now it was time to crack open one of the bottles for a tasting. The beer was malty and dark with a clear alcohol punch coming through. Perhaps leaving to age the other bottle for longer is called for so that the flavours can develop more.





Apricot Jungle (Grafton) - 4.8% | Cask Half Pint
I had this fruit beer at the Reading beer festival and it proved very popular. The smell is spot on and the taste even better. I had this as an early starter (more like breakfast) and it went down a treat.






Old Tom (Robinsons) - 8.5% | Cask Half Pint
I've seen Old Tom in all the shops but as it's available always in bottle I've shun the need to buy and try this classic Ale. At Reading this beer was on cask and it finally called for me to tuck in to it. Although 8.5% ABV it didn't taste like it. Wonderful plum notes coming through along with a nice warming feel after. This is a top notch ale.






Afgan Pale Ale (Grey Trees) - 5.4% | Cask Half Pint
The beer with no tasting notes at the beer festival and worth a punt. This was the best Pale Ale at the festival I tried a fruity aroma that carries through into the taste and made for a wonderful beer.

London Pub Tour 37 - Victoria: Cask and Glass, The Colonies and Phoenix

Photo by Ewan Munro

So it's back to the Victoria area again where they're still plenty of pubs between the station and Westminster that I need to survey. My first port of call today was the Cask and Glass (SW1 5HN) which is close to St James's Station and Buckingham Palace. This pub is a Shep Neame pub on a street corner behind a small restaurant/shopping area in Victoria. The pub itself is tiny inside with the majority of the space being the large footpath outside which provides space for the drinkers to stand. As you walk in through the door the small bar is directly in front of you. To you left the pub becomes even more narrow and has soft cushion seating for about 6 people. To the right there is more seating but still probably a stretch at 15 people and some room for people to stand just to the side of the bar. Once you have 20 people in this pub it can be considered packed. The pub interior is dark wood with a carpet floor. The walls are filled with portraits and pictures and higher up the wall there are old Shep Neame Bottles and merchandise.

As a Shep Neame the lagers on offer were Guinness, Asahi, Oranjeboom, Whitstable  Bay Blonde and an Symonds Cider. There were 4 four hand pumps offering Whitstable Bay Pale Ale, Master Brew, Spitfire and Hog Island. I hadn't come across Hog Island before so opted for a pint of that. Hog Island is brewed by No. 18 Yard Brewhouse which is a subsidiary of Shep Neame. This seems to be a common theme now with big breweries opening up small brewhouses without any mention of them name attached. The pint had a good lacing but didn't taste anything like an American Pale Ale as advertised and more like a British one. As the pub wasn't busy I was easily able to grab one of the cushioned sofa seats and there were 4 older guys just down the other side drinking. This pub is very much a fair weather pub and as the sun had gone in and it's wasn't looking like it would be busy. This is a nice pub to visit when it's not too busy, so generally between lunch and after work or on a bad weather day early in the week.

As I finished my pint the pub did start to become slightly busier and as expected it was because the sun had started to reappear. I left the pub and walked mere metres down the road to my next stop The Colonies (SW1E 6PR). This is again a Taylor Walker pub which had completed its conversion to a Greene King. The pub is suited in the middle of a street with housing either side, but unfortunately due to development the building to the side had been knocked down and was now a building site. This has an impact on the pub as the rear of the pub is a large tarmac space with lots of benches which connnects onto the road behind. The sun normally shines through but due to the building site, the sun was blocked. I can only assume it won't be long before they consider selling off part of this rear space as it is quite large. To give an idea, the length outside is actually larger outside than the pub inside.

Upon entering the pub the bar is to your right, and you might need to navigate any crowds that gather at the tables by the front door. The pub was very busy with what looked a work function. I'm assuming the work function had started a few hours back as the people seemed quite merry at this time and were already ordering shorts. The bar stretches along the side wall and had 5 hand pumps, of which only three were on offering Boltmaker, IPA and 1730. On the keg front there was Aspalls, Becks, Fosters and Guinness. I bought a pint of Boltmaker and packet of crisps and made my way back through the work party and up the steps onto the raised seating area to go out the back door. I easily found a table and sat and drank my pint whilst watching the elder barmaids looking at a bench near the rear end on which school kids were gathering. The due went over to the bench to ID all the kids who were from a local 6th form. Any without ID were told they were unable to stay on the premises and made to leave. It made for enjoyable viewing particularly attempting to guess which seemed underage and shocked at ones that supposedly weren't.

It started to get cold so I walked inside to finish the last part of my pint and return my glass to the bar. I then walk back past the Cask & Glass which was now rammed and the pavement outside full of bodies. I made my way a few hundred metres towards Buckingham Palace but stopping shy at the Phoenix (SW1E 5JA) which is at the rear of Victoria Shopping area. The Phoenix is a large pub run by Young's under their Geronimo's brand. The work crowds were in here as well and all the tables were taken. The pub was very spacious though with some semi circle booth seating on one wall and large tables along the other wall. It was busier than the colonies but as more open plan it feels more spacious. The bar is against the back wall in the far corner as you enter from the front. There were four hand pumps dishing out Doombar, Grandstand and Young's Bitter with the final pump being off. The keg offering included the likes of Estrella, Amstel, Heineken, Peroni, Guinness, London IPA, Hells, Camden Pale and Flatiron.

I selected a pint of Flatiron Red, which I've had before, but couldn't quite remember whether I liked it. The beer was okay, nothing special and I managed to drink it. There is a small outside patio area in the pub which was filled with smokers so I ended up staying inside standing near a post in the pub. The TV was on showing The Chase but with the sound off and music playing but the noise volume was quite high in hear and you couldn't properly hear the music because of this. The pub was decorated with green wood panelling and the area above was painted white. The floor was the standard wood flooring and the tables also wood. This was very much the textbook equivalent of a gastro pub. I even seen the bar staff walk out to table which already had a group sat on it and place down a reserved card for an hour's time, poor show indeed. I finished off my pint, used the facilities and made my way back out in the quieter London rush hour to head homeward.

London Pub Tour 35 - Chelsea: World's End Market, Sporting Page and Kings Arms

So it was time to head back to Chelsea and visit some more of their pubs. My first stop was the World's End Market (SW10 0LR) which is on the main road next to the estate named after the pub, World's End Estate. I've passed this grand building many times which stands out from its surroundings. The pub is grand and stretches upwards with the distinctive red brick design you see in Sloane Square and Victoria. The entrance to the pub is round the side and I easily found this due to two guys walking out for a ciggie. The bar is a few steps in front of you upon walking in and is quite small. There are bar stalls around this small bar, which is where the only customers were all sat. It was at this stage I realised that the pub had become a gastro pub and beyond the bar area was lots of tables entirely for the restaurant. An open kitchen was at the rear with an ice display which sea food would be placed on soon. There was nobody eating in the restaurant and only six people drinking in the bar area. Although mainly a restaurant you can just sit and have drinks, which is exactly what I done, though I did fail at the first hurdle as although they had 5 brass beer taps, none of them had any names that I could visible notice. I asked the barmaid what was on offer and struggled as she quickly said 5 beer names back to back. I could make out Spitfire but didn't fancy that so just ordered the blonde. I believe all the beers were Shep Neame and this distinctly tasted like Whitstable Bay Blonde, but I can't guarantee that.

I grabbed a bar stall and sat at the bar with the others and gazed around the pub. On one wall they had a fishmonger and butcher mural. The rest of the walls had clean white tiles from ceiling to floor. On the floor along the bar there were black and white tiles whilst the remainder of the floor was wooded. There was a comfy looking green sofa all along the outside walls, and from the ceiling hung copper plated lights. The whole decor of the building was beautifully done it's just this no longer felt like a pub. My stay in this venue was short, and made all the more shorter by the man in the glasses seated at the far end of the bar giving me a dead eye stare the whole time. His eyes never seemed to come off me, which just made me feel creeped out and uncomfortable. I quickly drained my pint and left.

I walked through the back streets of Chelsea praying my next stop would be more pub like and welcoming. My next stop was the Sporting Page (SW10 0BH) which I knew showed sport not just because of its name, but as someone I know pops in here. I imagined more a back street boozer than what I was actually graced with. The outside of the pub is painted in a grey charcoal colour and there were some tables outside which were full of drinkers (hence why my picture is side on rather than front on). The outside has gas heaters which is why it was popular. The front entrance doors into the pub are different in that they're coming out towards the street in a V. Upon walking into the pub the bar is straight away and runs all the way down to the side wall on the left. There are a few tables in this space and some stalls at the far end. The majority of the seating though in the pub is off to the right where it's slightly more open. There was a large chalk board on one wall advertising the ales on now and coming soon. There were 6 hand pumps with only three on offering up a choice of Wandle, Junction or Coaster. The coming soons were Twickenham's Naked Ladies and Truman's Swift and Runner. On the bar there was a selection of lagers including Amstel, Estrella, Guinness, Camden Hells, Camden Pale, Neck Oil and Gamma Ray. There was also a Moment of Clarity from Siren which is what I went through.

The Moment of Clarity cost £7.60 which I felt was very steep for a below 5% beer. The beer was enjoyable and I would order again, though perhaps not here. I went to find a table to drink my beer but noted that all had reserved signs, which is something I dislike in pubs. They did however at least have a time on the reserved signs, so I sat on one of the tables which gave me an hour, if required. I looked around the pub in more detail now I was sat down and realised that the bar was actually painted in a dark colour and had tiles on the back bar. Over in the far right hand corner there was a small area hidden around the corner, though I never seen/checked how big it was. On the walls there were some fake bookcase wall papers which I never understand why pubs use. Though across all the other walls were paintings and memorabilia from Horse Racing, Tennis and other sports. This was a really nice cosy pub and I would certainly return though perhaps try a more mainstream beer or perhaps ale. I did note that they had a nice selection of craft beers from both local and America, though I might steer clear of those.

I finished up my pint and left to head north to the main road for my final stop the King's Arms (SW10 9PN). The outside of the pub immediately stood out with its light wood. Walking into the pub and the place stretches back quite a bit and is nice and wide and airy. The bar is straight ahead against the side wall and stretches back the majority of the way. This is a Young's pub though they on their 3 hand pumps they offered Grandstand, Ghost Ship and Young's Bitter.On the keg front there was Chelsea Blonde, Beyond the Pale, Guinness, Yakima Red, Hiver Honey Beer, Amstel and Peroni. I went for a pint of Beyond the Pale by the London Beer Factory. The beer was a nice pale ale that I drank but I'm not sure would hunt out again.

All the tables were taken so I found a space out of the way at the of the bar to stand and drink. The clientele were all young though mainly sitting solo at tables. The interior of the pub was beautiful which tiles on one side and exposed brick on the other. There was a sky light at the rear letting in more natural light from above. There was a red leather sofa running along the exposed brick wall.

I sadly didn't stay too long as I had to make my journey home from Fulham Road and could rather have done with a seat than standing. I did thoroughly enjoy my pub tour today for the decor of all the pubs I visited which were all different but beautifully done. It doesn't surprise me that this three pubs were in Chelsea as that is where customers have money, so the pubs have done themselves up to compete with the restaurants.

London Pub Tour 31 - Belgravia: Horse and Groom, Plumbers Arms and Victoria

It was a quiet day at work so I once again decided to pay a visit to some of the local pubs, in particular ones I haven't visited for 6 months+. My first port of call was the Horse and Groom (SW1X 7BA) a Shep Neame pub which is down a mews just off from all the embassies. Normally on a nice sunny or just warm day people are outside drinking, but it was a rainy day so it seems most people didn't feel like heading out. The outside is typical shep neame colours and the door is on the right with a step up. The pub itself isn't large and only has about 7 tables in the bar area (3 high, 4 low). I understand there is a dinning room upstairs though I would assume its about a similar size. The floor is wood boards and the walls have wood panels on them.

The bar is in the far corner to the left and they had three hand pumps serving up Whitstable Bay Pale, Spitfire and Hog Island. On tap there was Thatchers, Samuel Adams, Guinness, San Miguel, Ashai, Oranjeboom and Whitstable Bay Blonde. I hadn't come across the Hog Island before so went for a pint of that but sadly it was at it's end and the barman asked me to select something else, so I went for a pint of Sam Adams at £5. There were only 4 other people in the bar but soon a group of three came in for food and went up into the dinning room. The pub was quiet and relaxing, though the outside area is a nice sun trap during the good weather and that is normally when this place is busiest. There are some large wooden barrels outside in the mews for leaning beers on.

This is not a bad Shep Neame pub though limited on beer selection the venue itself is nice. I finished off my pint and made my way back towards Victoria station and for my second stop the Plumbers Arms (SW1W 0LN). The Plumbers Arms is nearly 200yrs old, and is a Taylor Walker pub that is most famous for being the pub that Lord Lucan's Mrs ran to covered in blood. The pub has a small outside area for standing and the inside is not as large as you might expect. The bar is on the far left upon entering but the placing of a huge support pillar in the middle of the pub does eat into the space. there are tables placed around the outside, and down at the end of the bar is a little soft seating area. There are function rooms upstairs though these are very bare with some basic table and chairs. The floor is wood apart from the tile around the bar area. Most of the people in the pub were tourist eating and there was only a single bar lady on.

The pub has four hand pumps offering T.E.A, Sussex's Best, GK IPA and GK Fresh Golden Beer. On tap there was Heineken, Hells, Sambrooks Pale, Becks Vier, Peroni, Stella and Guinness. Although not a fan of Greene King ales I did go for the Fresh Golden Beer under their St Edmund's brand. There was no mention of Greene King on the badge, which I've noticed on a few of their beers now. The beer had the usual GK taste but slightly weaker than normal, and the fruitiness of the beer came through more, which was nice. There were stalls at the bar but I opted to sit on one of the free tables. Sadly they had a TV on showing Loose Woman, with special guest Jeremy Kyle.....shudder.

I drank the pint quite quickly, probably helped by what was on TV. As I had a bit more time on this long lunch break I decided to stop by the Victoria (SW1W 0NR) which was just down the round. This has now been rebranded from Taylor Walker to Greene King and has a new sign to go with it. This is always a busy pub and at this time on lunch it was still quite busy. There are two entrances, the main entrance facing towards the station and a small back door entrance on the opposite side mainly used by workers to get into the pub quicker. Along with the rebrand the pub had a fresh coat of paint inside. To get to the bar you need to walk into the centre of the pub. There are a lot of tables varying in size, but the middle area infront of the bar is open with some booths against the wall.

There were 4 ales on offer which were 1730, Tribute, Doombar and Glory. On tap we had Fosters, Aspall, Belhaven Pilsner, Stella, Peroni, Guinness, Becks, 1664, Hells, Hop House 13 and Punk IPA. I hadn't come across the Belhaven Pilsner before so decided to give it a try and immediately regretted it. The beer had a metalic taste and not much aroma to it. It was difficult to drink and I suddenly remembered the last Belhaven pint I had which was very much similar on New Yrs in the Boot. I can sense a trend there. And to top it off, I only realised at that stage that Greene King own Belhaven, so their ales aren't that great and the lager is metallic, not looking good. I think I left a bit near the end and made my way back to work with a bit more energy in me.

London Pub Tour 26 - Belgravia: Nags Head, Wilton Arms, Star Tavern and Gloucester

During a quiet day at work I opted to have a lunch time tipple and so made my way up to Belgravia. My first stop is a pub that I admire for both its quirkiness and all the memorabilia adorning the walls. This pub is the Nags Head (SW1X 8ED) which is an independent pub and also has the name of the owner Kevin Moran on the outside. Every time I've popped in the landlord has been there, and during non-busy periods he sits and and strikes up conversation with the customers. The pub is on a residential mews, though I understand most houses are for investment and not lived in. As an independent pub the owner has their choice of beer and he likes to stock Adnams, which is why outside of Guinness and Carlsberg the other beers are all Adnams (Jack Brand Dry Hopped Lager, Broadside, Lighthouse, Ghost Ship and Bitter).

The pub has a downstairs bar area, which is why some hand pumps have more than one beer badge attached, because the tap for that beer is downstairs. I didn't pop downstairs on this visit but there is a large flag attached to the ceiling with lots of posters and art work on the walls. Downstairs has more tables though is slightly harder to get served in. The ground floor bar is not that large and there are only a few tables against the walls with some bench seating on the wall side and small stalls on the other. There bar itself is very low, and the bar staff are actually lower down behind the bar. For those wishing to sit at the bar there are some very tiny, low down stalls.

As stated in my opening paragraph, the pub is filled with memorabilia all over and it is a mix of sports, celebrities that previously visited, war, planes, film and more. On the war upon entering there is a 3D viewing machine, which is one of those old seaside photographing flicking machines showing some old school erotic material. The pub is strictly no mobiles and encourages conversation. there are hooks all over for people to hang their coats and bags so that people don't take up seats with their items. I could spend many an hour browsing through the items and photographs in this pub.

Whilst I checked out some of the books and photographs I drank a pint of Broadside. Slightly steep at £5 but this is an expensive and touristy part of town. I haven't had Broadside in ages and it tasted miles better than I remembered and went down a treat. I followed this up with a pint of the Dry Hopped lager at £5.50, which wasn't as good as the Broadside but still went down well.

Whilst I was this far up in Belgravia I thought it best to pop a few doors down to The Wilton Arms (SW1X 8ED) which is a Shepherd's Neame. Both this and the previous pub have flower boxes which brighten up the area during the spring and summer. When entering the Wilton Arms you are side on to the rectangle bar. There are tables with seating following all around the outside wall, with some in self-contained booths (separated by bookcases or glass screens). There were quite a few people in the pub but they were all sat down eating. Just past the bar are some steps down to a small lower area where there are additional tables. The whole pub is carpeted and has red vinyl ceiling, harking back to pubs of old.

There were three hand pumps but only two were on offering up either Masterbrew or Spitfire. On tap there was Guinness, Oranjeboom, Ashai, Fosters, Symmonds cider and San Miguel. I went for my trusted lager of Ashai at £5.50 which unfortunately tasted different. I'm not sure whether this was due to the dry hopped lager I'd just had previously, but the pint wasn't that enjoyable. After putting the pint away I made my way back to work.

After work I was still in the mood for a few more drinks so I headed back towards Belgravia and to the Star Tavern (SW1X 8HT) a Fuller's pub on a cobbled mews. The Star Tavern is famous for being the pub where the great train robbery was supposedly planned. Now days as a Fuller's it more aimed at an upmarket crowd from the businesses nearby. Walking up the steps and through the door, the small bar is to your right. The bar is a square (mini horse shoe) with a little space down each side, with bar stools. Directly opposite to the bar is the dinning area with about 10 tables. There is also a private dinning area upstairs. This isn't a large pub and was already very busy with an after work party so was down to standing room in the dinning area, though the bar stalls on either side of the bar were free, so I grabbed myself one.

The pub had 5 hand pumps but only 4 were on, offering up Pride, ESB, Oliver's Island and a guest ale from Windsor brewery, Canberra. On tap there was the usual showing of Fuller's own beers such a Frontier, Wild River and Fuller's IPA, along with mainstream beers such as Amstel, Guinness and Peroni. I went for a pint of the guest ale, Canberra, which was a dark bitter that wasn't offensive or pretending to be anything it wasn't, just like the pub. I had a look at some of the portraits on the walls whilst drinking my Canberra. I didn't stay for another as I had one last pub to knock off on my list, The Gloucester (SW1X 9QR).

The Gloucester is a Taylor Walker pub located along the busy Sloane Street which houses many upmarket shops. There are two entrances into the pub. The first, and most used, is the entrance out onto Sloane Street with the second being through the rear of the pub into Harriet Walk. When entering from Sloane Street the front door is between two bay windows. The bay sits just to your left, but you are advised to walk the whole length of the bar as some beers are only on taps towards the rear. I sadly didn't do this so failed to notice Titanic Vanilla and chocolate stout was available. The other ales on offer were 1730, London Glory and IPA. Lager wise they offered up Stella, Peroni, Blue Moon and amstel, along with Guiness and Aspall Cider. I ordered a pint of Blue Moon which was served with the obligatory orange slice.

The front of the bar was full so I made my way to the dinning seating at the rear that was available for drinkers to us. The front of the pub is quite restricted in size due to stairs leading up to the toilets and a small dinning area, and the supporting walls of the pub. There are some small booth sections on the side, and there are bar stalls along the bar, but the majority of seating is either the rear or the two bay windows. There was a group of workers from Harrods having an after work celebratory drink, but the remainder of the pub were tourists.

The rear seating/dinning area was carpet covered whilst the rest of the pub was a wood floor. The pub stretches back quite far and the bar runs for the majority of this, though I think trying to get service at the far end is less likely then towards the front. Overall the pub upon walking in fills cramped due to position of the bar and the supporting walls. With this pint I called it a night and made my way to the tube station.