what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

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ads78
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by ads78 »

I went to the Brewdog at Tower Hill on Friday night and was impressed.

Good selection of beers as you would expect. Quick to get served despite it being a busy Friday night, which was made even better by them doing table service.

Also, they do a decent burger in there too - the one that I had had black pudding in it!
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by sendô »

Trains were up the swanny the other day so I had to walk down to Piccadilly Circus. On the way I popped into the Coach & Horses just off of Bond St. A nice old little pub that on a Monday night was jam packed. They had a decent pint of seasonal ale that slid down a treat.
westham,eggyandchips wrote: A big Brewdog pub has opened near Tower Hill recently. Not been in there.... yet.
I nipped in there for one back in the summer/autumn when it was blazing hot on my way to Fenchurch St after working a Saturday. Beer was decent, and yes it was a big one so lots of space. I sat outside in the sun and melted my way through my beer.
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by DasNutNock »

The Balywick, near Saville Gardens. Excellent. 2 courses and drinks for 5 came to about £150. I had a suet game pie that was bloody delicious. Very impressive.
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by DasNutNock »

I also had 3 pints of very good ale, and I am really struggling to maintain consciousness.
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by WestHamByTheSea »

Couple of weeks ago but defo worth a mention...

Pembury Tavern, Hackney.

My brother's local (Dalston end of Hackney). Went in there both before and after the Ride gig in Dalston at Hackney Arts Centre. Apparently just refurbished so can't comment on its previous (our kid always loved it before though).

Very good all-round - aided by the 'Cheers'-like atmos of all the bar staff knowing my brother by name (and I suspect reputation), but yep, a nice atmosphere, really friendly albeit irreverent staff - one of whom was a liason between the pub and the East London Brewing Company literally across the road, who tried out a couple of their latest concoctions that were 'in development' on this willing guinea pig (one of which finally has managed to combine the juice of a summer-pudding with ale - watch this space!).

There was a dazzling array of beers from the aforementioned brewery and others, but I stuck with a fantastically drinkable pilsner - quite citrusy but dry which put it pleasingly somewhere between a conventional pils and an American style IPA. 5.3% - went down like Monica Lewinsky.


Our kid recommended their pizza and he wasn't wrong; it was gorgeous - apparently they're quite celebrated for it and I'd echo that.


Khazis were a trip downstairs but pretty elegant - nice to see some art nouveau tiling in there. Which is obviously a critical point.


Near to Hackney Downs station if you're about there.


9/10. :thup:
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by Greatest Cockney Rip Off »

WestHamByTheSea wrote:Couple of weeks ago but defo worth a mention...

Pembury Tavern, Hackney.

My brother's local (Dalston end of Hackney). Went in there both before and after the Ride gig in Dalston at Hackney Arts Centre. Apparently just refurbished so can't comment on its previous (our kid always loved it before though).

Very good all-round - aided by the 'Cheers'-like atmos of all the bar staff knowing my brother by name (and I suspect reputation), but yep, a nice atmosphere, really friendly albeit irreverent staff - one of whom was a liason between the pub and the East London Brewing Company literally across the road, who tried out a couple of their latest concoctions that were 'in development' on this willing guinea pig (one of which finally has managed to combine the juice of a summer-pudding with ale - watch this space!).

There was a dazzling array of beers from the aforementioned brewery and others, but I stuck with a fantastically drinkable pilsner - quite citrusy but dry which put it pleasingly somewhere between a conventional pils and an American style IPA. 5.3% - went down like Monica Lewinsky.


Our kid recommended their pizza and he wasn't wrong; it was gorgeous - apparently they're quite celebrated for it and I'd echo that.


Khazis were a trip downstairs but pretty elegant - nice to see some art nouveau tiling in there. Which is obviously a critical point.


Near to Hackney Downs station if you're about there.


9/10. :thup:
I played there in the 1980s with a rock covers band as a favour to a mate who's band was doing their last gig. Their bass player had stormed out of the band after a blazing row with the keyboard player who was an absolute ****, the previous week. They were terrible. Shockingly bad. My mate was on guitar and he was pretty **** as well so I should have known better and after about the third song I was thinking this can't end quick enough. The keyboard player had a mic for backing vocals and persisted in insulting random members of the audience thinking he was funny until one of them got up on stage and hit him so hard he fell into the drum kit. That was it, gig ended, I was happy, didn't even wait around for my money, just packed up my gear and left sharpish. I have never set foot in the place since then. It was an absolute hovel back then and had a reputation for being a hell-hole so it's obviously changed but it surprises me it didn't close down back then.
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by LincolnshireHammer »

Bricklayers in Putney was fantastic at the weekend, thanks for heads up! Will be re-visiting!
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by Rio »

WestHamByTheSea wrote:Couple of weeks ago but defo worth a mention...

Pembury Tavern, Hackney.

My brother's local (Dalston end of Hackney). Went in there both before and after the Ride gig in Dalston at Hackney Arts Centre. Apparently just refurbished so can't comment on its previous (our kid always loved it before though).

Very good all-round - aided by the 'Cheers'-like atmos of all the bar staff knowing my brother by name (and I suspect reputation), but yep, a nice atmosphere, really friendly albeit irreverent staff - one of whom was a liason between the pub and the East London Brewing Company literally across the road, who tried out a couple of their latest concoctions that were 'in development' on this willing guinea pig (one of which finally has managed to combine the juice of a summer-pudding with ale - watch this space!).

There was a dazzling array of beers from the aforementioned brewery and others, but I stuck with a fantastically drinkable pilsner - quite citrusy but dry which put it pleasingly somewhere between a conventional pils and an American style IPA. 5.3% - went down like Monica Lewinsky.


Our kid recommended their pizza and he wasn't wrong; it was gorgeous - apparently they're quite celebrated for it and I'd echo that.


Khazis were a trip downstairs but pretty elegant - nice to see some art nouveau tiling in there. Which is obviously a critical point.


Near to Hackney Downs station if you're about there.


9/10. :thup:
I did a crowdfunded investment in the FivePoints Brewery based over the road who are behind the revamp of the Pembury. Top notch boozer, food good, staff excellent. Well worth a visit
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by prophet:marginal »

The Grapes, in Limehouse.

Decent pint of Guinness, but the prices were a little toppy...
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by RichieRiv »

prophet:marginal wrote:The Grapes, in Limehouse.
Owned by Gandalf and run by his niece.

Red Lion, Eldon St. With it being Blackeye Friday it was rammed, but a decent pint and some of the most efficient bar staff in the capital.
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by woodgreenspur »

The Sir John Oldcastle - Clerkenwell
A spoons, but a good un. Cheap beer for the area,and decent people ,no idiots.
Was in here Saturday with a fellow poster off here and two other mates
I like this pub.Loads of interesting pictures of the area from years gone by as well and first class ale.
The building it is in use to be the fancy cheese company building.For decades no one saw people enter or leave...It was admitted about 10/12 years back that it was a secret MI5 building
8/10
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by BalaamBoy »

Any good recommendations for Russel Square / Holborn / Bloomsbury area?

I'll be in town next week, and really fancy a decent pint!

Cheers

BB
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by BabyClaret »

Lady Ottoline and Princess Louise are both good shouts.
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by prophet:marginal »

BalaamBoy wrote:Any good recommendations for Russel Square / Holborn / Bloomsbury area?

I'll be in town next week, and really fancy a decent pint!

Cheers

BB
You ever been to London's 'oldest pub'?
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by sendô »

I thought The George Inn off Borough High Street was London's oldest pub? It's certainly one of, if not.
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by prophet:marginal »

Hence the inverted commas.
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by Junco Partner »

A while ago I stumbled across a great little pub on one of London's 'forgotten' squares behind Great Ormond Street. Cosy, intimate, low ceilinged, 18th century number with all the shiny mahogany and polished brass it deserves. Friendly staff, mellow vibe and some excellent ales on tap...

The Queens Larder, on Queens Square, down a wee alley off Southampton Row.

I swore I'd keep it secret to avoid the throngs...but since you'll be in the area, check it out.
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by WHU Independent »

Junco Partner wrote:The Queens Larder, on Queens Square, down a wee alley off Southampton Row.
A lovely pub I go to when I go to my hospital tests in Anne's Sq.
WestHamByTheSea wrote:Pembury Tavern, Hackney.
A top pub I visited on the way to the Vegan Beer festival. Very helpful bar staff, wide range of great beer, lovely atmosphere.

The Queens Head, Limehouse, E14 It's been refurbed so went in there for a beer on a pub crawl. TBVH it's a bit soundless and generic. The welcome was less than warm and the beer decent (Amstel) and reasonably priced. Had one pint and left.

Then went to The Old Ship, Limehouse E14. Run by John, a bloke I know from Booty's Wine Bar, its a gay pub which is straight friendly. Great beer, really good wine all at a very very reasonable price. John knows how to run a bar, being in the trade most of his life. Drag acts, amazing DJ's lovely helpful bar staff and a top atmosphere - this is what a proper local should be like,

The Craft Beer Pub (formerly the Railway Tavern, Limehouse E14 - this is diametrically opposed to the Old Ship - a prime example of how a pub should not be run. Bland, no atmosphere, expensive (for the area ) drinks at £5.50 + a pint and really, really crap drinks. Three of us took a few sips from our drinks - from a round that cost nearly £18.00: two pints and a small wine - and were appalled. My lager - forget the name - tasted like someone got a large bag of hops, crushed them down into a pint glass and added some water. A foul concoction that I left. My mate had a glass of red wine, which he left and commented "I've had better wine coming out of a vinegar bottle in a pie and mash shop", whilst my other mate said his IPA type beer was "disgusting." We all left our drinks and went back to The Old Ship and stayed there all night - that's how good it is.

The Tommy Flowers, Poplar, E14 - a proper local, with great community spirit, a very warm welcome, very reasonable priced beer/wine and top bar staff. One of my favourite pubs to drink in, but if you are of an Ale nature, be prepared to drink Guinness or bottled ale, as they only have one ale on cask: Plateau.
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by WestHamByTheSea »

BalaamBoy wrote:Any good recommendations for Russel Square / Holborn / Bloomsbury area?

I'll be in town next week, and really fancy a decent pint!

Cheers

BB
The 'Friend At Hand' is decent; turn left from Russell Square tube, turn left again at the crossroads, and there it is. Nice staff, the beer is well-kept and they have big screens for football as required. There are some fab pubs a walk away, but i can't recall them right now and this one is great for getting the tube home!
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Re: what pub have you been in today ? Rate it out of 10

Post by York Ham(mer) »

Popped into the Market Cat, a brand new pub by the market in York that opened just before Christmas. Done a decent job in converting a nondescript retail building into a pub. Decent range of beers, mostly Thornbridge. Food is a pizza menu. Already seems popular, might give this another go or two.
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