London Pub Tour 52 - Balgravia: Traveller's Tavern and Belgravia

There are pubs which I've been in before and their really not to my taste/style/suiting. Call it what you may but as part of the London Pub Tour I'm attempting to record visits to all pubs, so I have to return to those pubs I may not want to. So after work one day I decided to pay a visit to two nearby pubs which I generally don't go to. The first pub I visited was the Traveller's Tavern (SW1W 9RB) which is based right next to the arrivals terminal of Victoria coach station. The pub is a Greene King (Ex-Taylor Walker) and is of course popular with travellers before boarding a coach. There is a small outside seating area which is normally full of people smoking and drinking in the good weather. Entering through the front door the bar is towards the rear on the right left wall. The pub has lots of low tables aimed at dining, and the occasional large booth seating area and a few high tables on the outside. There is a wood floor that leads up to the bar area but the rest of the pub is carpet.

The bar had 4 hand pumps with three on offering up Sharp's Atlantic, GK IPA and Old Speckled Hen. On keg there was Camden Hells and Pale, Stella, Over Easy, Guinness, Hop House 13, Sharp's Pilsner, Fosters and Peroni. I went for old faithful, Stella, at £4.90. There were plenty of seats free so I sat down at a small table. Upon sitting down I noticed two more pumps selling beers from Curious Brew (Chapel Down) - Curious Brew Lager and Curious IPA, drat. The tables offer some space to sit down and have your luggage besides you without blocking up the pub. The walls have fake wood panel wall paper that I see so often in Taylor Walker pubs. An American couple sat down at the table opposite me and all credit to the bar staff member who came over and took their food order considering it's not a table service pub, but then again maybe they know American's tip, or is that me being cynical.

Now I have to explain why I don't like the Traveller's Tavern. For me this always feels a lonely and depressing pub. It's normally full of lone travellers taking up a whole table by themselves milking a soft drink whilst killing time. No conversation, no life, soulless. Add to this I seen the same old woman in here as I did when I last popped in here 8 months ago. Yes I recognised the elder lady. You honestly couldn't mistake her, and I guess this does prove they have at least one regular. Now as I seen they had Curious beer I had to stay and have one of them but the one I wanted to try, the IPA, was off, so instead I settled for a half of the Curious Brew Lager. I've had this beer in bottle before and it tasted much better then. This one tasted quite bland.

I left the Traveller's and walked to the top of the road, turning left at the Natwest and walking to the far corner of the coach station where the buses leave via. Opposite the petrol station here is my final stop the Belgravia (SW1W 9JL). The pub sits underneath a tower block, and is below street level. Walking down the steps leads you into the beer patio which has some benches, metal tables and an outside TV. Now the Belgravia was refurbished and rebranded a few years back as a Sports Bar. The pub doesn't quite meet the sports bar critieria apart from having this outside TV and a three TVs inside. Entering the pub through the cream doors and the bar is directly ahead. The bar itself is cornered in by support pillars so although it stretches slightly to the left and right, all the taps are contained within these support pillars.The pub had two hand pumps serving Landlord and Doombar. In keg there was Punk IPA, Thatchers Gold, Hop House, Guinness, Heineken, Peroni, Strongbow Cloudy, Orchard Pig Reveller, Estrella and Stella.

I bought a pint of Punk IPA which cost £5.80. The pub certainly does attempt to act up market and adding on Sports bar to its tagline, to charge people more for their drink, but it is just an estate pub near Victoria. The floor is wood and the bar is a pale green wood panel. There is a dart board area round to the right. Also on the right are some high tables with high stools. On the left are some larger tables with some cushioned seating running under the front window. There are some stools on the side of the bar which were in use by the regulars. If watching sports in this pub then truly the best place to watch it is outside as inside has too many pillars to disrupt most people's views. All this together leads onto why I don't like this pub. It's attempting to be something it isn't and hoping to charge a premium because of it. Alongside that one time I went in and they had run out of all bar one beer, which was at that time Carling, what a way to run a pub.

The Belgravia though unlike the Traveller's does have locals, so it at least can build up more of a community feel. When I was there an old Irish man was getting the barman to look up some long distance flight prices for him. Those are the little things that I like in pubs, but sadly its the marketing of this pub which I dislike.

London Pub Tour 47 - South Lambeth: Duke of Cambridge, Priory Arms and Flanagans

I jumped on the Victoria Line and headed three stops south to Stockwell for the start of my next three pubs in my London Pub Tour. Walking round the back of Stockwell bus garage I arrive at my first stop the Duke of Cambridge (SW8 2DQ). This is an estate pub under housing which had a few people outside smoking on seating. The pub looks like it might have originally had two sides but currently the pub occupies the right side and the left is a Venezuelan restaurant. Upon entering the pub the bar is on your left and runs down to the rear wall. There is cushioned seating under the front windows, with tables and then stools opposite. The majority of the pub space is taken up by a pool table which was in use an operating on the classic winner stays on, and as is always common, the better man loses to a fluke pot. The floor was a hard wearing grey carpet, that at first glance I thought was concrete. The walls are red and white and there was a table on one of the walls with the racing on, whilst a modern jukebox sat in the corner.

As is quite common with locals pubs all of the men were stood drinking around the bar which makes it impossible for you to find space to order. There were no ales on offer and the keg selection offered Strongbow in original, dark fruits or cloudy, Fosters, Guinness, San Miguel, Stella and Old Speckled Hen. The bottle selection was small but they did sell Super Bock and Super Bock Stout. I grabbed a pint of Stella for an amazing £3.80 and found a space on a table under the window. I watched the pool match ongoing and noted that the pub was mainly older Irish men who appeared to be in the building trade, with the rest being bus drivers who I hope had finished their shift.

I only stayed for the one and moved on to my main stop for the day the Priory Arms (SW8 2PB). The Priory Arms is not a large pub, but sits on a corner and has space outside for benches. The front of the pub has green boarding around it, and I understand is listed. The pub doesn't open till 5pm and I was a few minutes early but the lady setting up the outside let me go and sit inside till they opened. This gave me the perfect opportunity to browse around at the beer selection. The bar on the right hand wall and had 7 hand pumps. Only 4 hand pumps were on which were Kent Brewery's Brewers Reserve, Prohibition, Oakham's Enough Rope and Scarlet Macaw. On keg there was Paulaner Munich Hell, Pirate Life Stout, Gamma Ray, Schremser Hausbier, Jakes Kentish Cider, Drifter, Day Tripper and Easy Answer. There was also Blackberry Bush cider on cask. By the time I had finished perusing the bar was open for serving. I bought a pint of the Brewers Reserve for £4.50. The beer was very clear with a good lacing. Considering it was an american IPA the beer was quite bitter.

Now the pub has two levels to it, with the bar being on the lower level, and only having a few high tables with chairs. The rest of the seating is in the raised area which is only accessible by going past the front door again. The seating here is a long black 'leather like' cushioned seat running along the walls. I sat down on a small table that overlooked the bar. The walls of the pub are adorned with pump clips but if you look closely it appears where pump clips have been stolen they're putting XT Brewing or Tiny Rebel pump clips. On the pillar directly in front of me there were probably about 8 examples of this. The pub was very light and in the corner there were board games and books. I was still the only customer in the pub when I went up for my second beer, Stout by Pirates Life Brewing. As this beer was 7.1% I only went for a half and also bought a packet of the wonderful Synders jalapeno pretzels. The beer had a wonderful tan head and a great roasted flavour though you could taste the ABV, so was glad I went for a half (Or there abouts as they did pour in my favour). By my final drink, Day Drifter by Sand City Brewery four more punters had come into the pub. Again I only went for a half with Day Drifter, which was only 5.5% and had a very sweet aroma. The immediate taste is sweet with a bitterness in the after taste. Accompanying my drink this time was a packet of Tayto's Bang Bang Spicy Thai.

I left the pub though returned mere minutes later once I realised I had left my bag behind. Thankfully I don't have a dog nor child. Now with my bag in tow I made my way towards Battersea Park Station. Prior to arrving at the station I made a stop, mainly due to my bladder requiring emptying. I stopped at Flanagans (SW8 4AG) which is a nice looking stand along pub, with flower boxes on the outside, next to the train tracks in Battersea, surrounded by new developments going up in all directions. The outside normally has lots of benches but there appeared to be gas works going on, so the area was all dug up. The pub inside is very cosy and is exactly as advertised, an Irish Pub.

Irish Pub checklist
The pub is carpeted - Tick
Proper wooden bar - Tick
Solid wood seats - Tick
Female bar staff apart from owner - Tick
Irish Sports shown - Tick (Though Horse Racing currently on - Double Tick)

The pub itself is nice inside. As I said, cosy is the word I would use to describe as it was busy with lots of workers from the building site, and all the seats were taken. There is a raised seating area just beside the door with one table on it. The bar is in an L shape and had bar stools which all the regulars were sat on and chatting with the bar staff. On the top shelf of the bar there were a selection of unopened bottles ales, though they clearly weren't for sale.

The pub had two hand pumps which I wasn't expecting. Only one was one and it offered up Wandle. On keg we had Becks Vier, John Smith, Strongbow Original and Dark Fruits, Guinness (lots of), Coors Light, Stella, Carling and Fosters. I went for the Stella which much like the Duke of Cambridge can in at £3.80. There were a selection of Tayto crisps but after the pack I had at the last pub, I decided to steer clear this time. This pub isn't going to win any CAMRA pub awards but its a pub that I feel comfortable walking into, ordering a pint and either choosing to chat to people or just sit in quiet. It has a fire for winter time, and a nice outdoor area. Testament to this is how busy the pub always seems to be and the varying age of the customers. I enjoyed my pint and made the short walk to the station, happy with my pit stop.

London Pub Tour 45 - Hornsey: Great Northern Railway Tavern, Three Compasses and Hornsey Tavern

On a lovely warm Sunday I went to pay a visit to an area I used to hang out and visit some of the pubs I frequented. I selected this day as one of the pubs had just been re-opened by Fullers so I was interested to see what they had done with the pub. The location - Hornsey, the pub - Great Northern Railway Tavern (N8 7QB). I had fond memories of the GNR Taverm. This was a large pub with a beautiful wooden interior and a partition between the rear of the pub and the front. My over-riding memory was sitting drinking beer whilst a choir were practicing next door and hearing beautiful voices filling up the air. The pub though was in need of a good repair and it did close for while whilst undergoing a refurb. I never visited after the refurb but learned last year Fuller's had bought out the pub and it's been on my list to visit since.

I arrive early into the afternoon with the sun still high, and only four days after the official opening of the pub. The outside has remained the same with the etched windows and Fuller's have brought some of the lovely iron works back to life. I entered via the eastern door closest to the station and immediately could see the difference from before. The bar was facing straight at you and then turned down some steps, turned again and run all the way down the middle wall ending just prior to the conservatory area. This was now a large 'horseshoe' style bar. There were taps displaying about 6 beers on this short end of the bar. Walking down the steps and into the main pub area you are confronted with all the rest of the taps and 4 hand pumps. In all there were 21 taps serving up a selection of Fullers beer (Black IPA, Pride Unfiltered, Frontier...), some standard Fullers options (Veltins, Sierra, Kozel...) and a variety of small London brewery beers (N1, Crate). The four ales on offer were Howling Hops Chocolate Coffee Vanilla Milk Porter (Which was the first beer to run out at the Reading Beer Festival this year), Redemption Trinity, Sound Wave and of course London Pride. To go alongside this large offering we also had a large bottle selection offering the likes of Delirium and Kwak for the high ABV lovers.

I got speaking with the manager who gave me a taster of the Howling Hops Choc Coffee.....Porter which was okay but I really couldn't taste all those flavours in the one beer. I though had my eye on the Fullers Black IPA which I had not come across before but did know of its existence. The barmaid I ordered from tried to tell me cool kids don't call it Black I.P.A but Bipa. I'm not one for turning initialisation into words, and retorted do people come in and order ipa's or epa's? I took my lovely dark looking Black IPA, which came in 5.7% and cost £5.85, and walked to the conservatory of the pub. Now the area I entered the pub from seemed small and had a few tables. Then the area opposite the bar was more spacious and had quite a few tables against the wall. The conservatory area though is in a class of its own. From the four large high back chairs/sofas, to the grandfather chairs in front of the mirrored fire place, and tables around the outside. The ultimate piece was the stain glass windows on the ceiling. I sat down and just took in the look of the pub and though my pint had a sticky after feel it went well for the hot day and location.

I went back to the bar and ordered a pint of Brick Field Brown from Five Points Brewing which was also charged at £5.85. This was a dark caramel brown beer which has that sticky malty taste you expect. It was good but not a session beer. The pub wasn't that busy as it seemed a lazy Sunday and people were out elsewhere and perhaps unaware of this excellent establishment being open. The majority of people were sat outside in the beer patio area which didn't have a spare table. The back wall in the garden had multiple sloped roofs that make it feel like sheds lined up in a row. I would recommend people come visit this pub to see how a pub can be beautifully restored and brought back to be a central focal point. My only concern with such a large pub being run by Fullers and having such a large beer option is the knock on effect at the other local pubs. My next stop was to visit the Three Compasses (N8 7NX) which used to be the more upmarket Gastro pub.

The pub is a short walk and across the road from the GNR Tavern. The pub is beautiful to look at from the outside which a curvature to the building, and the white frontage fitting in nicely with the brick above. There are two entrances on either side of the pub. The floor is wood, with tiles around the bar floor and some bar stools available. The back bar is also tiled which I always like the look of. The pub is an L shape and the bar also, and the bar is made of a beautiful solid wood. The pub stretches back further than it's width. In the front half of the bar are lots of small numbered tables for dining and drinking. The rear has a sofa area opposite the bar which gathers around the fireplace but the rest is mainly setup for dining. The rear area has a sunlight and glass partitions which help the area look nice and bright. The pub has been refurbished since I last visited and seems to have become more food focused. Originally it would have been aimed at the city type who lived nearby but the area seems to have become younger and more upmarket which is who the pub are aiming at.

The bar had 6 hand pumps serving Pride, Knowles Spring by Tim Taylor, Rutterkin, Landlord, Last Suspect by Upham and Pride (again). The keg front was Carlsberg, Brooklyn, London Pale Ale, Pravha, Heneken, Stowford Press, East Coast IPA, Angelo, Poretti, Guinness and Amstel. I went for a pint of Rutterkin at £4.10. This golden ale had a slight citrus nose and quite a bitter taste to it, which they may classify as the zesty finish. The pub wasn't too busy and had about 10 people inside relaxing. This is Hornsey's oldest public bar and I don't see it being impacted too much by the Fuller's opening and should at least provide them with the need to up their game. The pub always has a good selection of ales which are non-gimmicky compared to perhaps the GNR Tavern's offerings.The pub was nice and airy and had a relaxing environment, with the furniture fitting in perfectly with the atmosphere.

I only stayed for the one as I had one more pub to visit which falls into the local pub category compared to the previous two pubs. The Hornsey Tavern (N8 7PB) is an ex-Greene King pub which I understand has been bought out and become independent. Upon entering though I seen that out of the three hand pumps, only one was on offering GK IPA, and bizarrely this was gravity drop and not from the tap. Just like the previous two pubs this is a large corner pub with multiple entrances. I entered through the front door where the bar slightly separates out the front and rear, but not entirely. The floor is carpeted with a dark colour and there is an array of low and high tables throughout the pub. Football was on TV and everyone was looking up at the many screens around the pub. The pub actually feels lighter than when I previously visited.

Since the only ale offering was GK IPA I knew I would be having a lager. The options were Coors light, Carlsberg, Stella, Peroni, Carling or Fosters. I went for a Stella which cost £4 and came in a Carling glass. The pub also served a variety of cheap snacks such as Space Raiders and Cheese Moments, so I obliged in picking up a few. I took a seat at an empty small table which had those accompanying small stools. There was a pool table towards the rear of the pub next to an electronic juke box. There were some cuddly toys above the bar. The pub was actually quite open and so felt empty considering there was at least 15 people in the pub. There is a small outdoor patio area which is mainly used for smoking and doesn't, as I learnt, lead to an outside exit.

I watched the first half of the football and made my way back down to the GNR Tavern to see whether it had picked up at all. The pub hadn't got any busier though more people were sitting inside as the Spring sun started to set. I picked up a pint of the generically named Lager by Crate Brewery and took up a seat again in the conservatory area. The pint wasn't that great as it had a strange after taste but it didn't ruin me harking back to fond memories of nights out always ending in the GNR.

London Pub Tour 40 - Bulls Cross(Enfield): Rose & Crown, King and Tinker and Pied Bull

It was a sunny lazy weekday and what better to do than a walk through the countryside and visiting some pubs. I set off for my walk from Gordon Hill Station and walked through some housing before hitting hilly fields. The name gives away what the terrain is like. There are some steep paths which are rewarded with downhill slopes. At the far end of Hilly Fields on Clay Hill you arrive out onto a busy road, upon which resides the Rose & Crown (EN2 9AJ). The pub itself is the whole set of buildings in front of you and you have a choice of entering from the road and walking through a beautiful wood seating area with natural beams or going round to the car park in the rear and entering directly into the open bar area. No guessing which is the preferred route.

The pubs interior bends and curves following the movement of the oak beams. There is an upstairs area as well to this pub which looks just as beautiful as the downstairs. The whole pub is full of table seating and setup for dinning. The only area that isn't setup with tables and is very open plan and plain is the bar. To be honest the bar area is a let down compared to the rest of the pub, but the rest of the pub could still do with a bit of tlc to bring it back to its full glory. The pub was empty apart from in the bar area where there were some dog walkers and lads off early from work. On the bar there was an offering of Amstel, 1664, Guinness, Heineken, Strongbow and Birra Moretti. There were also two hand pumps dispensing Pride and Abbot. I instead look into the fridge where there were a small selection of ciders and some bottled ales. I picked a bottle of Theakston XB for £4.50. I actually don't remember having XB before though have seen it around quite a bit in shops so I was pleasantly surprised at the lovely malty taste of the beer.

Whilst sipping my beer and looking around the pub my mind did turn to the history of the building. The pub was built in 1700 and is famous for two things. The first being that it was at one stage owned by the Aunt and Uncle of Dick Turpin. But the other claim to fame is that one of the cottages the pub has extended into was a safe house used by Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators in their plan to blow up the House of Parliament. No doubt this pub being next door, Guy Fawkes may have even drunk in the premises. I finished up my excellent XB and made my way out the bar entrance of the pub, into the car park. There is a playground situated out here to keep the kids entertained during the better weather.


I now set off across Whitewebbs. The sun had come out and the walk through the open fields and then the woodland was beautiful. I stuck to the paths as the trails were muddy. Not many other walkers were out which gave me the opportunity to enjoy the surroundings. The walk to my next stop was around 1 mile and not as hilly, so much easier than the first leg. My next stop was the King and Tinker (EN2 9HJ).

The pub is on a quite busy country road and has a large car park, beer garden and children's play area outside. The pub looks like a very large country pub from the outside though perhaps needing some repairs. Upon walking in through the latched door though you see how well maintained the interior is. You walk through the small porch area and straight into the bar. To the left is a raised snug area with sofa's, a fire, tv and a carpet. To your right are some tables, with one reserved for dog walkers. Beyond this and up a step is a further room with 10 tables which is geared towards dinning.

Hanging all above the bar, from the wood beam ceiling, are drinking jugs in a variety of styles. There are jugs with destinations on them, others shaped like creatures and some just standard branded jugs. On the bar there were 5 hand pumps with 4 currently on, which were: Greene King IPA, Tribute, Wainwrights and Hobgoblin. The keg offering was Carlsberg, Fosters, John Smith, Stella, Aspall's Suffolk, Thatchers Gold, Strongbow Cloudy and Guinness. I went for a pint of the Wainwright's which actually tasted quite watery. I took a seat on the sofa facing the TV which was playing an old black and white movie (though I was unable to make out what). There were 6 older fellas in the bar around 40-50 who were chatting and having a bit of banter with each other. One of the fellas turned out to be the landlord and the girl serving behind the bar was his daughter.

The pub was warm and cosy and it had just started to lash down with rain outside, so I prolonged my stay slightly by having a bottle of the Young's Light Ale for £3. Though these beers are meant to be used as a part mixture for a mild and light, I actually do rate them on their own. The rain let up and I finished off my bottle, said goodbye to the gentlemen at the bar and headed on to what would be my final stop just over a mile away, The Pied Bull (EN2 9HE).

The walk was on a path alongside the road and actually took me past the Tottenham training ground in Bulls Cross. You arrive back into a residential area and opposite a green is the Pied Bull. Again this is a building with character showing its age. The outside area is a bar garden with lots of benches and round the rear is the car park. I struggled to work out where the entrance was but turns out any of the doors I did look at would have led me in. The pub has a low roof in places due to the wood beams (I'm 5'8 and my head was brushing along parts of the ceiling). The floor looks like it was a wood floor which had been varnished previously but through the years the varnish has worn off but also made it difficult to see the actual wood flooring. The pub was split into multiple sections with two front bar areas and a rear bar leading into the car park. The sun was pouring through into the rear and was quite bright, which instantly made my decision to remain in the slightly dimmer front, all the more easier. The front of the bar is a cream white wood panel, with a mahogany wood top. On the walls the cream panels were on the upper half with a painted lower half

The pub is a Greene King so it was no surprise to see Greene King IPA. On the other three taps were Grand Slam, Splendid Tackle and Pied Bull. The Pied Bull appears to just be Greene King house ale packaged up. On keg the options were Peroni, Stella, Fosters, Estrella, Aspalls and Guinness. I selected a pint of the Splendid Tackle by Skinner's for £4.50. The beer was usual fare from Skinner's, middle of the road.


In the pub there were around 14 people, with an even mix of Women and Men, with the average age being 40+. I sat down near the bar and got speaking with some of the locals. We discussed some of the pubs I went to earlier and some of the pubs that used to exist in the area. I enjoyed my chat so stayed on for another beer, though this time went for the Stella. During the course of this pint the sun set and by the time I walked to the bus stop to return back to Enfield Town it had gotten dark and cold.

The day had been enjoyable, though not much of a challenging walk it was more to reach some of the more countryside pubs in the boundaries of the M25 and London. The pubs were a pleasant mix and all ones I would visit again.

London Pub Tour 22 - Belgravia: Grenadier, Greenwoods, Fox & Hounds, Rose & Crown

This pub tour started off with a visit to the Grenadier (SW1X 7NR) during a quiet lunchtime. In a residential cul-de-sac (Mews) in one of the embassy quarters in London the Grenadier can be a hard pub to find, as the small street down towards it doesn't let on what awaits at the end. The blue fronting with the red door up the steps, and the red sentry post stand out from a distance. Up the stairs and through the door, and the small bar is directly in front of you. On this trip they were offering up Abbot, Wherry, Pride and Ghost ship on hand pump and London Pilsner, Hop House, Stella, Guinness, Fosters, Peroni and 1664 on Keg. The bottle selecton offered was limited, so I settled for a pint of the Woodforde's Wherry at £4.80. The Wherry was up to its usual par, and I drink I do enjoy, and sadly feel has been discredited due the prevalence of Wherry home brew kits.

The pub itself is quite small. The front bar area is wood floor has some seating on either side, but also down on either side of the bar are further seating areas. The area to the left is the dinning area, which is carpeted and all the tables were marked as reserved though wasn't busy on this visit. After grabbing a table in the corner, I sipped and enjoy the Wherry whilst looking around at the pub interior. One thing that obviously stands out with this pub is all the bank notes from the varying countries stuck to the ceiling with messages written on them from visiting customers. This carries through into the dinning area as well. There were a few shelves with books in the corner I was sat in, so I browsed through a few of them. As I still had time to spare I stayed at the Grenadier for a second lunchtime beer, and selected a pint of Abbott ale at £4.90. As a Greene King beer this obviously isn't to my taste, but tasted much better than I remembered, with some nice toffee flavour. After this pint it was back to the grind of work.

After work it was time to head to Greenwoods (SW1E 5LB) a bar that had opened in the new Victoria Nova development. The pub had only opened a few days prior and I could see had a few things on tap that I fancied trying. When walking into the pub I was surprised to see that it also contained a Barbers and Brow Bar. Both of these opened up, without doors, into the pub and food area, which I couldn't understand as being hygienic. The only saving grace I guess would be, being able to take your beer in whilst getting your hair cut, but don't ask me how you ensure no hair gets into your drink. After this unusual sight it was time to finally see what beers they offered. The downstairs bar was a large oval shape and the beers are repeated on all sides. No ale is served but on tap they did offer a varied selection of beers from Amstel and Heineken, through to Pogo by Wild Beer and Harbour Larger. I decided to keep it sensible following on from the two at lunch and stick to a lower percentage, so selected Lucky Penny at 4% which was £5 for the pint (Quite reasonable for central London craft beer). There was nothing standout with the Lucky Penny, you could perhaps say it was a little bland.

After wondering around the downstairs, which was large, but aside from the bar area felt more geared up for food, I decided to check out the Sports Bar upstairs. Now the sports bar was advertised as having five large screens and two jumbo screens, so you can see all the action. It turns out the Jumbo screens are not in addition to, but are actually part of the five. Even with this, it seems like the placement of the screens, particularly for a sports bar, was an after thought. The three large screens were behind the bar, but the height wasn't that great, so anyone sitting at a table would have their view perhaps blocked by those ordering at the bar. One of the jumbo screens was placed down low and seemed setup more for those that booked the sofas infront of it, whilst the final screen was placed down in the games area, and seemed the only sensible one. The sports bar area was also much smaller than I thought and had less seating than required as became evident later.

As I was one of the first upstairs I grabbed a seat on one of the large high tables. These tables seat about 8 people and was the smallest of the tables offered. After finishing up my pint I went to the bar and ordered a pint of the Pogo by Wild Beer. This was a marked step up in price at £6.20, for what was still a 4% beer. Whilst ordering my pint I again noticed what I felt was poor planning and after thoughts. The bar is set out like an american bar where there are sinks and other elements in the way of the taps for the bar tenders. The taps were actually so far away the barmaid struggled to pour correctly. She would push the pint glass out then turn the tap on. Once pouring finishing she would push it slightly closer to the customer, but at this stage she was at full reach. This doesn't seem a comfortable way to serve, and alongside this as she wasn't holding the beer glass, she had no control over tilting it, and controlling the head.

I took my pint back to the table and had a glance through their menu. At this stage I noticed they actually listed all their beers (Keg & Bottle) and seen I'd selected the highest priced keg beer, haha. The beer actually started out tasting good but then seemed to lose its flavour as it went along. Greenwoods sports bar is competing with the Sports Bar & Grill just across the road in Victoria station. The beer offering and pricing is much better, but the layout for watching sports is nowhere near the level available in the Sports Bar & Grill.

Photo by Ewan Munro

Greenwoods was starting to get too busy and taking up a table that could seat 8 seemed a bit ridiculous so it was time to head onto another venue. Skipping most of the pubs in Victoria as there would be too much of an after work crowd I made my way to the Fox and Hounds (SW1W 8HR) just off Sloane Square. This is a small old Charrington's pub on a street corner in a residential road, that is now a Young's. This pub's claim to fame is that it was the last in London to apply for a spirit licence. The whole pub is cosy and small, but the bar itself is also small. The number of taps at this pub has increased in the last year to include beers such as Coast to Coast and Three Hop alongside the standard offering of Estrella, Amstel, Guinness and Thatchers. There are four hand pumps but on this visit only three were in action offering up Tickenham's Grandstand, Special and Bitter. I was still being good and keeping the abv steady and low, so selected an Amstel.

The bar in the pub is side on to the front door. The front section of the pub has a two tables, with one of the tables actually covering over the entrance to the cellar for the beer delivery. Interestingly on a delivery day they pull forward the table and the bench under the front window. This then reveals that under the window are doors that open up to the outside, allowing the draymen to pass through the beer to the cellar entrance. Further back into the pub are a few more small tables, before the sofa area and a book cabinet. There are paintings on the walls throughout the pub, and above the sofa area there is a sky light, as this is the extension onto the original bar. The bar felt quite busy with about 15 people and I was lucky to get a seat. I would certainly recommend visiting this small little pub, but just avoid coming during the Chelsea Flower Show.

Photo by Ewan Munro

After finishing up my pint I decided to move on and get to one last pub, which was just a few minutes walk away. The Rose & Crown (SW1W 8BU) is situated on the busy through road from Chelsea bridge to Sloane Square. There is outside picnic bench seating though even on a nice day, the noise of the road wouldn't tempt me to sit out here. This pub was packed with workers many from the nearby building site, however I was still served almost immediately. The pub offer Pride and Doombar on hand pump, whilst on keg there was Guinness, Strongbow, 1664, Fosters, Carling, Peroni, Stella and Birra. I stepped it up a notch on the ABV for this pint and went for a Stella along with a pack of prawn cocktail Tayto's. The pub feels like an old school Irish boozer with the carpet and seats. There was a pool table and jukebox on one side of the pub. The bar is not facing out towards the street, but is facing inwards, so to see whats on tap you need to come in.

I managed to find a small table and sat down there to enjoy my snack and lager. The pub had a menu, and it appears to be offering Thai food, except for the traditional roast on Sunday's. Being the nearest pub to the Chelsea Pensioner's they offer a discount and also have some collect boxes for the poppy appeal. During my stay the pub got even busier, to the point of being rammed. I decided to call it time, and I certainly knew I had a good run of beer and pubs that day. Sadly I forgot to take any photos when in either the Fox and Hounds or the Rose, probably due to the volume of alcohol I had consumed. Also, just to note that this was the first Friday in February, so I expected the pubs to be busy and they lived up to my expectations.

London Pub Tour 20 - Enfield Town: The Old Wheatsheaf, The Stag, King's Head and The George

Photo by Bone007

This pub tour was again on the outskirts of London, in Enfield. I started just outside the town, at The Old Wheatsheaf (EN2 6SE) which is a short walk down the hill from Enfield Chase Station. The pub is split into two sides, with no access between the two. The newer side is the door you'll arrive at first from the station, and also provides access to the rear garden. I however prefer the older side, which you enter through a latched front door, which is unusual to find at a London pub. The pub feels like its had a lick of paint recently, but still feels aged. The small bar is facing you straight on as you enter, only a few paces away. To the right and stretching down the back is seating. There is wood flooring around the bar area, and the seating area is carpeted.

On tap there was Guinness, Amstel, Becks, 1664, Fosters, Heineken and Carlsberg. There were three hand pumps offering up 6X, Tribute and Courage. I selected to start the night with the 6X as it was only 4.1%. I hadn't had 6X in years, and its a decent sessionable pint. After the 6X I moved across to have a pint of Heineken. The pub wasn't too busy, but I seen the poster on the wall advertising quiz night at 7pm, so decided to move on before any participants started to appear. I moved down the hill, to the top end of Enfield Town and stopped off at The Stag (EN2 6PH).

Photo by Bob Osborn

The first time I actually went into The Stag was last year and it was just a quick stop off after coming off the bus at the bus station opposite. On that day the pub was empty apart from a small after wedding ceremony going on. Tonight there were no other customers in the pub, though some customers did arrive to check in to their rooms above the pub. The Stag has been through quite a few different managers over the years, and has been refurbished a few years back after a fire. The refurbishment involved giving the interior a more modern, minimalist look. There are no ales served and on tap they offered up Becks, Shipyard, San Miguel, Fosters, Carlsberg, Peroni, Guinness and Thatchers. I went for the pint of Shipyard and took a seat over in the sofa area.

As the pub was quite empty the bar man came over and joined in for a chat. We began discussing the history of the pub and in particular the historic unsolved murder in 1816 of John Draper. Draper was a beadle who had been out collecting money earlier in the day and had already been kicked out of a pub in Barnet. He made his way with a new accomplice to the Bald Faced Stag where he proceeded to drink and in the process pick fights with most of the other customers. When he didn't return home that night his wife called the police and they discovered his body in the well at the rear of the pub, minus his pocketbook and money. The police were unable to pin the murder on anybody as they all had a reason for murdering him, but all backed up each other's story. The bar man explained where the well can be found. It was a very interesting discussion and certainly added to the allure of the pub. After another pint of Shipyard it was time to move on to catch the second half of the football.

I made my way down into the Town Centre, and in particular to the market square where the King's Head (EN2 6LL) can be found. This pub was closed for numerous years and I believe re-opened in 2015. This is quite a large pub with some outside covered tables. Walking in the door and the large bar which I can't describe as Horseshoe, but which wraps around the bar and all the way towards the back, is the first thing you see. The pub has an Irish feel to it, meaning a pub where your certain to find Irish sports on. The pub is split into sections with privacy screens between the areas, some with stained glass. Walking towards the rear and you arrive at the dinning area, which used to have a canoe hanging from the ceiling, for what reasons I'm unsure, but since has been removed.

The pub has 4 hand pumps which on this visit were offering up Bombardier, London Glory, Greene King IPA and London Tap. I selected a pint of London Tap from New River Brewery, as never heard of the brewery before and they're local. The pint was drinkable but nothing really stood out. It had a hoppy taste and aroma but not much else to distinguish it from other similar beers. I certainly wouldn't say no to drinking it if given the choice, but it wouldn't be a first choice. So much so that my next beer was from their keg selection. They offered up a variety of the mainstream beers you see in London including Guinness, Stella, Amstel, Peroni, Heineken, Hop House 13 and Hells. I went for a pint of Camden Hells, only reason being that Camden Brewery will be moving to their Enfield Brewery soon (So you can see my thought process at this stage).

The pub was busy with lots watching the football on the many TVs dotted around the pub. There must have been 40+ people, so it was at that level you have space still. The pub is owned by the Enfield Market Trust who lease it out. This pub always seems to have a good number of people and has managed to become a very popular pub in the town centre. The other competing pub is just across the road and is where I went next, The George (EN2 6LE). The George is definitely a busy pub during the day and after work, but was particularly empty this night. They sometimes have DJs and clear to make a dance floor, and as such, the pub seems neglected in caring for its furniture or even the smell.

The beer range is standard with a few ales on offer, which included Sly Fox, Rudolph's Reward, Doombar and Greene King IPA. The kegs included beers such as Punk IPA, Stella, John Smiths, Carlsberg and Carling. The pub reminds me slightly of a spoons with the large single level open plan pub, though it has been this way long before spoons made that style famous. I sat down and had a pint of Stella, though slightly reached the decision that maybe I should have called it a night at the King's Head and not moved on. As it was quite late and many pubs in, I didn't have many notes for this pub. After finishing most of my pint I called it a night and got a cab home. All in all a nice variety of pubs were covered, with three that were different but enjoyable and the last a place that isn't on my re-visit list.

London Pub Tour 18 - Vauxhall: Nine Elms Tavern, Riverside, Royal Oak and The Beehive

I was back south of the river again (just) for my next London Pub Tour, taking in some of the pubs in the Vauxhall area. I started by heading slightly down Nine Elms road to one of the newest pubs in the area, Nine Elms Tavern (SW8 5BP). This pub is in the new US embassy district and no doubt once the place opens up later this year, this pub will become busy every evening after work. At present the few occasions I've popped in this place has been empty and this time was no different.

The pub, like most new pubs, is underneath some Thames side flats, facing the river. Upon walking through the doors the bar is directly in front, with all the remainder of the pub accessed by turning right. There is an upstairs with quite a bit of seating, and from this area the design of the pub feels slightly ship based, with the supporting beams feeling like a ships mast. The downstairs has large round booths, with large tables in the middle, allowing big groups of 8 people to sit and drink in comfort. This is by all means a very modern bar in design but it pulls it off well and due to not being noisy/busy is easy to relax in having a quite chat with a friend or reading a book over a pint.

On offer were 3 ales: Winter Warmer, London Gold and Young's Bitter. The lagers offered up included Hells, Peroni, Estrella, London IPA, Guiness, 1664 and Fosters. I surveyed their bottle beer range and selected one of their Briton beers, Atlantic APA. The bottle was 330ml and 5.4% in ABV. I also had a packet of crisps to accompany from the Tyrells range, and the total came to £6.80. The beer was very floral but easy tasting and the hops were not overpowering, which is just the way I like it. There were only about 3 others in the pub, though some did start to arrive as I was finishing off my bottle.

I retraced my route to the Nine Elms tavern, back to Vauxhall and into another Young's Thames pub - Riverside (SW8 2LE). I'm quite familiar with Riverside as when it opened it was the local pub near where my work was based. Much like most of the Young's (Rams) Pub estate the outside hanging sign has been updated to just displaying the initial letter of the pub name, fitting into a scenery that matches. I do appreciate the design work that goes into these signs, but I feel they're less distinct and at a quick glance all you see is a letter, making all the Young's look very similar. I see they continue to update signs in their estate and assume these will happen for all their pubs, just wonder what their doing with the old ones?

Riverside offers a better view of the Thames than the Nine Elms, particularly with the outside heated seating. This wasn't in use today due to it being January, so everyone was inside. It's hard to tell which is the main entrance for this pub, but I walked in the doors from where the seating area is and the bar is at the far side. Along the window facing out to the Thames are lots of comfy seats and smaller tables. On the left there are more seats near an open modern gas fire. Directly opposite and running parallel to the bar is some high cushion seating. To the left of the bar is the dinning area and toilets. The bar is a large oval bar, though the rear is not used for service, and the area behind the bar had single seater booths. These are my preferred seats on busy days as you can seat with a mate with your own table and comfy seat and chat. Sadly the keg and pump selection offered at Riverside was exactly the same as the Nine Elms, except for the addition of a New Year Ale from Young's. I resisted and went for a pint of the London IPA. At £5.30 it's not worth the price, but it at least tasted better than the last pint of it I'd had.

The pub was starting to get busy with after work drinks crowd, so I moved onwards to my next pub the Royal Oak (SE11 5QY) which is a short walk from vauxhall train station heading towards Kennington. This is an Irish style bar, not the Irish theme bar of the 90s but an old school Irish boozer. The pub is not that wide, with the bar on the left and red booth style seating opposite on the right. At the end of the pub is an open  area with table seating. This is where most of the punters were, seated down the end watching the horse racing and Trump's inauguration. On one wall at the end was an electronic advertising display board, near to this was a juke box, quiz machine and a wall with trophies and photos. The pub has a worn look about it, but felt comfortable. There is an outside area for smokers to go. Behind the bar were leprechaun teddies which would hopefully inform those not in the know, that this is a Irish pub.

There were two hand pumps offering either Doombar or Cornish Coaster. On Keg there was a standard offering of Guinness, Guinness Extra Cold, Stella, Fosters, 1664, Carling, Heineken, John Smith and Strongbow. Out of this selection I would normally go for Guinness, Stella, Heineken or Strongbow, which all depends on my mood and the weather. I went for stella and a pack of Tayto's, and was surprised the stella was only £4.30. I relaxed in one of the empty booths and caught a bit of the inauguration, which to be honest wasn't high on my interest agenda. After finishing my pint I made my way round the corner to the Beehive (SE11 5JA).

The Beehive resides on a busy road junction and stands out with its mock tudor beams. The outside of the pub is great to look out but the inside differs entirely from what you may be expecting. The inside is very modern and open plan. The horseshoe bar is right in the centre of the pub, with some sparse sofa seating around the edges. This leaves large spaces around the bar area, which makes sense when you think that this pub is right next to Oval cricket ground. Considering the three pubs I had walked into already I was even more shocked to see that the Beehive was rammed packed with standing room only. On tap the selection was the lowest out of all the pubs today offering Heineken, 1664, Amstel, Fosters, Symmonds and Strongbow Cloudy. On cask there was Pride and Doombar. I selected a pint of Heineken and luckily found a drink resting space in the pub.

Looking around it seemed to be a few different work gatherings, and it's the first time I've seen the Beehive this busy outside of Cricket days. There is a small outside garden through the glass doors for the smokers to gather in. There was some awful club music playing trying to compete with the volume of the customers. After finishing up my pint I headed back to the Royal Oak for another pint of Stella in quieter (yet slightly busier than before) surroundings.

Not much beer choice on this pub tour but overall the pubs themselves were quite good, even if they were at the extremes of busy or quiet.